All About His Brothers and Sisters

Long before Conan O’Brien got his big break on Saturday Night Live, and later his own talk show that cemented his fame, the comedian could be found testing out his interview chops on his five siblings: Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke.

Born in 1963, Conan showed an early knack for journalism, making entertainment out of asking his brothers and sisters questions as a teenager.

The TV personality and his siblings were born to Thomas Francis O’Brien, a physician and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Ruth O’Brien, a retired attorney and former partner at the Boston firm Ropes & Gray.

Apart from the comedic writer, one of his sisters also tried her hand in Hollywood, acting in an Academy Award-winning film. Though they took a different path than their parents, two of their brothers followed in their mother’s footsteps to pursue law.

Here’s everything to know about Conan O’Brien’s siblings: Neal, Jane, Justin, Kate and Luke.

Conan has three brothers and two sisters

Conan has three brothers, Neal, Luke and Justin, as well as two sisters, Kate and Jane.

The family has Irish Catholic heritage, which Conan explores in his 2024 travel show, Conan O’Brien Must Go, which features him ”chasing his family’s roots” in the country, according to the show’s streaming service, Max.

Conan and his siblings were raised in Brookline, Massachusetts

Conan was born and raised in Brookline, Mass., where he grew up with his large family. The comedian is remembered to have been artistic, taking tap lessons and writing plays.

The siblings attended Brookline High School, a public secondary school in their hometown. Other award-winning writers and comedians have also graduated from the school, such as Tony-winning actor Lenny Baker and Emmy-winning writer Lew Schneider.

Conan practiced interviewing by questioning his brothers and sisters

In an old video posted on YouTube, Conan can be seen interviewing three of his siblings, seemingly practicing for what would become a career in television.

With a microphone in hand, he asks his sister Kate about playing softball: “I hear you’re pretty good?”

When Kate replies, “Oh, a lot of people have heard that,” Conan quips, “They’ve heard it mostly from you, I hear,” before breaking into laughter.

Conan’s sister Kate acted in an Academy Award-winning film

While the O’Brien family largely remains out of the public eye, Kate made her way onto the silver screen in 2010 with David O’Russell’s biographical sports drama, The Fighter.

The film starred Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, and won two Academy Awards.

In the film, Kate plays Phyllis Eklund, the sister of Mickey and Dicky Eklund (Wahlberg and Bale).

Two of Conan’s brothers are lawyers

While little is known about Conan’s eldest brother, Neal, his other brothers, Luke and Justin, followed in their mother’s footsteps and pursued careers in law.

Justin is a partner at Lovett O’Brien, which he founded, in Boston, according to his LinkedIn. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard Law School and his law degree from Boston College Law School.

Meanwhile, Luke is a principal at Trinity Law Group in Westwood, Mass., where he works directly with companies, entrepreneurs and investors, per LinkedIn. He completed his bachelor’s degree in biology at the College of the Holy Cross and his law degree at Suffolk University Law School.

Conan’s other sister Jane is a screenwriter

Much like Conan and her sister Kate, Jane has forged a creative path in her career.

A producer and writer, she is known for her work on the television sitcoms Cybill (1995), Costello (1998) and Battery Park (2000).

Like her siblings, her work has also provided ways of connecting to her family’s roots. Costello, which aired briefly on Fox from Sept. 15 to Oct. 13, 1998, was a series about a blue collar Irish-American family living in South Boston.

Conan is an uncle

A proud father of his own kids, Conan’s siblings also have children, granting him the uncle title.

In 2015, Conan joked about the role on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Finally, a Thanksgiving without a drunken uncle. Just me, my nieces and nephews and my bottle of Jack Daniels.”