Conan O’Brien baffles fans by ditching his signature hairstyle: ‘Did he lose a bet?’

Conan O’Brien’s signature pompadour was nowhere to be found during his latest podcast episode — and viewers are baffled. “We ALL clicked for the hair and theres just NO explanation?” one fan asked in the YouTube comments section of the “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” host’s interview with Molly Shannon. The 63-year-old’s hair, notably, was slicked back instead of in its usual wave on Monday, with many dubbing O’Brien “Greaser Conan.” Some speculated that the “jump scare” look was the Emmy winner’s “after shower” transformation as others compared O’Brien to an actor “auditioning for the Irish spinoff of ‘The Sopranos.'” One social media user asked, “Why does he look like I’m about to be sold a used Kia Sorento?” While many “expect[ed] a dedicated segment about Conan’s hair” — and questioned whether he “los[t] a bet” — “nobody [said] a word” during Shannon’s sitdown. Instead, O’Brien chatted amiably with the “Saturday Night Live” alum, 61, about her time on the show, her “Hawk” Netflix series with Will Ferrell and more. “Pretty sure this guy drives a New York cab,” one commented on the snap, while another joked that “AI got Conan’s hair wrong.” A third quipped, “Conan is dead. This is his doppelgänger.” O’Brien’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. O’Brien shared the inspiration behind his hair in a 2010 “60 Minutes” interview, explaining he “invented [the look] when [he] was in high school.” The comedian recalled, “I knew one day I wanted to be in show business. I needed a hook. ... Sometimes people don’t know my name. They’re like, ‘You’re the guy with the hair.'” After joking that his hair is crafted by a “Belgian dessert company that makes a whipped topping,” O’Brien praised the “structurally sound” style. “If there’s an earthquake and you’re in the Pacific Northwest, get under my hair,” he said at the time. “It’s the safest place here.” During 2020’s COVID-19 quarantine, however, O’Brien posted a video teasing the “collapse” of his pompadour. “It is crumbling as it grows, crumbling under its own weight,” he said. “I have consulted with a structural engineer. He said there’s too much on top ... and the pompadour cannot sustain the gravitational pull.” The former “Conan” host predicted the wave would “eventually collapse completely” and “crush [his] skull.” Conversation Your voice matters. Discussions are moderated for civility. Read our guidelines Conan O'Brien ditched his signature pompadour and debuted a new look on Monday. teamcoco/YouTube The comedian's hair was slicked back during a "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" podcast episode with guest Molly Shannon. teamcoco/Instagram Social media users were baffled by the transformation, comparing the host to a greaser and a used car salesman. teamcoco/YouTube The hairstyle was not addressed during the sitdown with Shannon. teamcoco/YouTube "We ALL clicked for the hair and theres just NO explanation?" one viewer asked via YouTube. teamcoco/YouTube O'Brien (pictured above on June 9) revealed in 2010 that his signature wave dates back to high school. Getty Images for Disney The 63-year-old (pictured above on March 15) explained on "60 Minutes" that he "needed a hook" to make it in the entertainment industry. Getty Images for Vanity Fair O'Brien (pictured above on June 10) noted, "Sometimes people don't know my name. They're like, 'You're the guy with the hair.'" Getty Images