Overview of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend — “Danny McBride Returns”
This episode is a wide-ranging, highly playful conversation with Danny McBride about his new short-story collection, Thrilling Tales of Modern Men. Conan and Danny dig into the influences that shaped Danny’s comedy, his love of horror, the writing process behind the book, and how his work in TV and film has evolved from Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals to The Righteous Gemstones and the Halloween reboot. The episode also includes the show’s usual banter, including a running gag about pens, doodling, and producer Aaron Blair’s questionable tax/write-off habits.
Main Topics Discussed
Danny McBride’s New Book
- Danny discusses Thrilling Tales of Modern Men, a collection of short stories that lets him explore different characters and ideas in a more flexible format than TV.
- Conan praises the book as genuinely worked-on and substantial, not just a “celebrity book.”
- Danny explains that the stories often begin with a “cold open” style setup, reflecting how he thinks from years of writing episodic television.
Childhood Influences and Early Comedy Taste
- Danny and Conan bond over the importance of Saturday morning cartoons and old-school animated comedy.
- Danny says Warner Bros. cartoons, especially the Looney Tunes characters, influenced his timing and sense of humor.
- They joke about Donald Duck and Daffy Duck as embodiments of rage and chaos.
- Danny also recalls shows like The Littles and Dungeons & Dragons as formative childhood viewing.
Church, Baptist Upbringing, and Performing Early
- Danny talks about growing up Baptist and how his mother wrote and performed puppet/skit shows for church.
- He says watching his mom create something in the kitchen and then seeing it performed for an audience was a major early lesson in storytelling.
- He admits he wasn’t especially religious, but church gave him a strong sense of structure, observation, and imagination.
Comedy, Empathy, and the Characters He Writes
- Conan and Danny discuss how Danny’s shows often portray flawed, angry, or ridiculous men with real empathy rather than pure contempt.
- Danny says comedy works better when the audience is unsure how much to like or dislike a character.
- They connect this to broader cultural polarization and how nuance can make comedy more effective.
Horror, Halloween, and the Craft of Scares
- Danny reflects on his role in helping reboot the Halloween franchise.
- He explains that comedy and horror share a lot structurally: both rely on timing, pacing, and surprise.
- He describes how surreal it felt to write scenes involving Michael Myers after growing up terrified of the original film.
- He recalls pitching John Carpenter and Jamie Lee Curtis, and how meaningful it was when the 2018 reboot was embraced by fans.
Writing Process and Short-Story Structure
- Danny explains that he started freewriting in the mornings while working on Vice Principals.
- Over time, those notes became the basis for some of the stories in the book.
- He says the short-story form was refreshing because it allowed him to start, explore, and finish ideas without committing to a multi-season arc.
- He compares rewriting the book to revising a huge document all at once, which was far more intimidating than editing TV scripts.
“Institute of Men” and Other Story Ideas
- Conan zeroes in on “Institute of Men,” a story about a man worried about his hairline and masculine insecurity.
- The story takes a surreal, horror-comedy turn through an odd quasi-medical institution.
- Conan highlights the bizarre intake questions and the monkey-paw nature of the setup.
Upcoming Project: G.I. Joe
- Danny reveals he’s been working with his Gemstones collaborators on a new G.I. Joe feature for Paramount.
- He says it’s more of a grounded action movie than a comedy.
- He mentions Springfield and Cobra-related lore from the original comics as part of the concept.
Walton Goggins Appreciation
- Conan asks about Walton Goggins, and Danny says they became close through Vice Principals.
- Danny shares a funny memory of vacationing in Greece with Goggins, whose stylish, dramatic presence contrasted hilariously with Danny’s own family.
- Their friendship is clearly a major source of affection and comedy in Danny’s life.
Notable Takeaways
- Danny’s comedy is rooted in nostalgia, rage, and affection — especially for flawed people and absurd systems.
- His writing process is highly disciplined and iterative, even when the material feels wild or chaotic.
- The book is a meaningful creative extension of his TV and film work, not just a side project.
- Comedy and horror are shown here as deeply related crafts, both relying on suspense, misdirection, and payoff.
- Danny’s projects often come from childhood obsessions that he now gets to professionally revisit.
Fun Moments and Running Bits
- Conan’s fountain pen obsession and complaint about always getting ink on his hands.
- A long-running joke about producer Aaron Blair using the podcast to justify tax write-offs for collectibles and gadgets.
- Jokes about writing notes, doodling, office supplies, and the absurdity of being an adult who still loves pens and paper.
- The show’s usual playful chaos, with Conan, Sona, and Matt escalating bits until they collapse into nonsense.
What to Check Out
- Danny McBride’s book: Thrilling Tales of Modern Men
- Danny’s TV work:
- Eastbound & Down
- Vice Principals
- The Righteous Gemstones
- The Halloween reboot trilogy, especially the 2018 film
- Keep an eye out for Danny’s developing G.I. Joe feature