How Conan O’Brien Surprised If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’s Director On Set: ‘One Of The Greatest Pleasures Of Making The Film’

Conan O’Brien is known for bringing comedic and chaotic energy as a talk show host. However, he was called upon to flex some other creative muscles for the A24 film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Mary Bronsten’s latest feature is a cerebral (and harrowing) look at parenthood (specifically from the perspective of a struggling mother). On paper, this dramatic piece of work may not seem like the kind of project fans would imagine for O’Brien. Yet he’s phenomenal in it, and Bronstein told CinemaBlend how O’Brien surprised her.

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You – one of the most intriguing titles on the 2025 movie schedule – stars Rose Byrne as Linda, a therapist who’s contending with her ill daughter as well as other domestic duties. Conan O’Brien plays Linda’s therapist (who also just happens to be her colleague). When I spoke to Byrne and Mary Bronstein, I asked what it was like working with O’Brien, and Bronstein had nothing but praise for the iconic talk show host’s on-set preparedness.