US TV star Conan O’Brien is set to make his Irish TV drama debut – as a delivery driver in an episode of Ros na Rún.
The former Late Night host spent some time in Ireland in January for a travel series for HBO.
And while in An Spidéal, he filmed a cameo on the hit Irish language soap.
He was taught some Gaeilge on set by linguistics coach Kevin Hussey.
And O’Brien has apologised in advance if he got any of it wrong.
He said: “Getting to work with the cast and crew of Ros Na Rún was a delightful highlight of my trip to Ireland, and I apologise in advance for inadvertently butchering my mother tongue.”
The American reached out to the soap to see if they would facilitate a cameo while he was in Ireland filming Conan O’Brien Must Go.
Viewers will see him chat to Macdara Ó Fátharta, who plays Tadhg Ó Direáin.
Pictures taken on the day show him in a red top with a black bomber jacket, with large signs spelling out the pronunciation of some of the Irish words.
In a synopsis of the episode, set to air on April 30, Ros na Rún said: “On Tuesday April 30 at 8.30pm, Ros na Rún’s village rogue and publican, Tadhg Ó Direáin, is faced with a feisty delivery man who’s having none of Tadhg’s arrogant nonsense.
“Standing his ground, comedian and HBO Max TV personality Conan O’Brien, the new Ros na Rún delivery man, is certainly no pushover for Tadhg as a war of words is declared between the two in Tigh Thaidhg.
“Loyal fans of Ireland’s only rural-based TV drama will have to watch and see if Vince gets his balloons for his party and if publican Tadhg throws the legendary TV personality Conan O’Brien out of his pub.”
The show will receive an added boost when the scenes and rehearsals are included in his travel show.
That airs tomorrow and will be part of the Ireland episode he filmed around the country, which also includes Tipperary and Limerick, where he was trying to trace his roots.
Ros na Rún’s production manager Mairéad Campbell told RTE: “We were beyond thrilled to host Conan O’Brien.
“Two stalwarts of TV on either side of the Atlantic, deeply rooted in their respective Irish heritage and culture, and bringing our beautiful Irish language and Ros na Rún, TG4’s drama series, to a brand-new worldwide audience.
“We could not have had a better start to 2024.”
Former US chat show king visited his ancestral home of Galbally, Co Limerick in January.
O’Brien has traced his roots back to the sleepy village, which was the native home of his great grandfather Daniel O’Brien who married Margaret Dempsey from nearby Emily, Co Tipperary.
He posted on social media: “My great grandfather, left Galbally, I think in the 1870s, and we’re gonna go see where his house used to be.
“But this is where it all started. And now I’m back. This is very nice.”
During a 2019 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, O’Brien recalled how he took a DNA test, and the results surprised his doctor.
He said: “I’m finding out new things all the time, The American TV icon revealed results of a DNA test in 2019 as he described himself as 100 per cent Irish.
He revealed what the doctors told him: “You are 100 per cent Irish.”
“I’ve never, ever, ever had a DNA result like this before, and I’ve been doing this for ten years.”
“I’ve never seen a 100 per cent anything,” the doctor told O’Brien.
“I’ve been doing this a lot, I’ve seen 93.5 [per cent], I’ve seen 96.1, I’ve seen 97. No one is 100 per cent Irish.”
O’Brien’s career in entertainment began in the 1980s, as a writer for the legendary NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live and the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons in the 1990s.
He went on to become one of the most recognisable faces on US television, producing and interviewing A-List celebrities on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan and has been hosting a podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend since 2018.
