It can be a thankless gig, but that’s part of the appeal. “I am drawn to the things that scare me,” O’Brien said as he made final preparations.

Conan O'Brien thanks Jimmy Kimmel for Oscars hosting advice. "I came up in a different era of late night when not everybody was chummy," he said.

Conan O'Brien said he does not think he can avoid politics when he steps on the stage on Sunday to host the Academy Awards, the highest honors in the movie business. Past hosts and winners in traditionally liberal Hollywood often commented on current events,