Conan O’Brien channeled his inner Aunt Gladys (Academy Award winner Amy Madigan) to kick off the 98th Academy Awards.
During a pre-recorded segment, the Oscars host donned the Weapons‘ villain’s iconic reg wig and clownish makeup before getting chased down to the Dolby Theater by a troupe of bloodthirsty kids.
Along the way, he made several pit stops throughout 2025’s Oscar-nominated movies. He darted across the race track in F1. He scored a point in a ping pong match against Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme. He charged across the stage during Hamnet‘s poignant climax, rode shotgun with One Battle After Another‘s Benicio del Toro, and even begged Sinners‘ Smoke and Stack (Michael B. Jordan) to let him into their juke joint.
Plus, he learned Norwegian just to get dressed down by Stellan Skarsgård in Sentimental Value. O’Brien may have regretted picking up the new language just for a bit, but we appreciate the effort.
Unlike in Weapons, O’Brien’s Aunt Gladys actually made it out alive. O’Brien arrived on the Oscars stage totally unscathed (and sadly, wigless).
Mashable’s covering all things Oscars 2026, from Academy Awards live updates to red carpet style and the wildest moments from the show. Check back at Mashable.com throughout the night for winners announcements and more.
