United Kingdom, Feb. 24 -- Conan O'Brien is enjoying "all this freedom to be me in different ways" after leaving late-night television.

While also reflecting on the shock of losing his friends Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner after the pair were murdered in December, Conan, 62, opened up about the impact of stepping down from his TBS talk show Conan in June 2021 after 11 years on air - bringing to a close a late-night career that began in 1993 with Late Night with Conan O'Brien and later included The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Speaking to David Remnick in an interview for The New Yorker, Conan discussed his evolving career, his return to hosting the Oscars and the deaths of Rob, 78, and Michele, 70, who were found stabbed to death in...