Andy Richter’s smallscreen reflections, and his new Conan gig

By April MacIntyre Sep 15, 2009, 4:58 GMT

Andy Richter - Andy Richter spoke to Playboy about returning to Conan O’Brien’s side as his sidekick on the new Tonight Show, after nine years on his own. © Andy Mechammil / PR Photos

Andy Richter spoke to Playboy about returning to Conan O’Brien’s side as his sidekick on the new Tonight Show, after nine years on his own. 

Richter’s interview appears in Playboy’s October issue.

Excerpts from Richter’s interview:

On his new role on the new Tonight Show with Conan: “I’m an announcer-y, sidekick-y cast-member kind of thing.  I don’t know how else to describe it.  It’s a f*cking talk show, and he’s the host, and he talks to me, and I talk to him, and I do comedy bits.  I’m kind of there to lighten the load.  Otherwise it’d be all about Conan, and nobody wants to see that.”

On his new gig: “I’ve been sh*ting solid turds of relief ever since getting this job…Especially now in this economy, I’m just so f*cking happy to have a regular job.”

On his work during the past nine years: “I don’t have any regrets…I’m disappointed some of the sitcoms weren’t more successful, but I wouldn’t have done anything differently.  Well, just generally I wish I’d been more productive.  I should’ve tried to write more of my own material…Now I feel, Okay, I gave all that a shot, and it was great, but I miss the smallness of doing a late-night show.”

On Conan O’Brien: “He gets so wound up sometimes he needs to be told to have a good time.  There’s something about Irish Catholic guilt, second only to Jewish guilt, that’s pretty strong.”

On considering getting his own talk show: “I have no interest in that…I’ve never had the talent for interviewing people like Conan does.  He’s just innately more curious about humanity than I am.  I like people well enough but, well, not everybody.  Okay, hardly anybody…I’m more of a recluse.”

On Ed McMahon: “I definitely admire him…He was the ultimate big affable lout, and I’m certainly of that school.  At least I hope I am…I could only hope to leave as much of a mark as he did.”

On Hollywood (as viewed from the Hollywood Hills while relieving himself): “From a distance this town can be quite beautiful.”

On planning any future surprises on the Tonight Show: “I can’t make any promises, but there’s a pretty good chance I’ll have a better parking space at the Universal Studios lot soon.  That’s gonna make a big difference to the quality of the show.  Maybe not necessarily in visible ways, but it will matter.  There will be a certain lightness and contentedness to me.”