Conan O'Brien regrets being "so intense" during his time on 'Saturday Night Live'

He said on his 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend' podcast: "People always say no regrets. I regret being so intense about that job.

"Yeah. I was way too intense, and I think I robbed myself of some fun that I could have had.

"I did have a lot of fun, but I think I could have had more fun. And I think I could have maybe written there a little longer if I didn't make it such a grind for myself."

Despite this, Conan credits Lorne Michaels, the creator of 'Saturday Night Live', for changing the course of his career.

He said: "You get to 'SNL', you write a sketch and Steve Martin's gonna be in it. And Lorne says, 'Well, go in and tell Steve how it should be done and what you're thinking, and then go and talk to the props people about how the restaurant should look.' And I thought, 'I'm 26. I've never been to a restaurant. I don't know.'"

Meanwhile, Conan previously encouraged his fans to follow their passions in life.

The comedian told TV viewers that they should "do what you love with people you love".

Speaking during the final episode of his self-titled TBS show in 2021, Conan said: "My advice to anyone watching right now - and it's not easy to do, it's not easy to do, but try; try and do what you love with people you love. If you can manage that, it's the definition of heaven on Earth."