A Visit with Hunter S. Thompson | Late Night with Conan O’Brien

[@Luschan]

I like how supportive Hunter is. He’s so psyched for Conan when he blows the target clean off its post.

[@JBBost]

Best shot of the day!

[@MattFredFry]

He really is so positive and encouraging. It's very sweet.

[@salxero144]

a bastard of a shot

[@davidwujczyk3037]

Clearly Conan has used a gun before

[@nickkperezy]

As Hunter S Thompson got older, he got more depressed, not being able to do what he once was. I truly think Conan made him feel young again that day. It was so awesome to see him happy, albeit even if alcohol played a part, lol.

[@JasonKifner]

Seeing this reminds me how amazingly accurate Johnny Depp's depiction of Hunter was. He nailed all the mannerisms and eccentricities perfectly, imo.

[@geraldhildabrand3864]

Him and Johnny depp were mad close. Rip HST

[@missbelled6700]

1:35 depp was seriously spot on lmao I had to keep reminding myself during this that Hunter wasn't doing an impression of himself.

[@furiousapplesack]

@@geraldhildabrand3864 I had some kind of special edition DVD of Fear and Loathing and there were a bunch of extras, with Depp reading the correspondence between him and Hunter after he had died. It was pretty damn cool. He even picked up some of his writing style during that process.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

He really did.

[@BG-yz7hh]

Hunter even shaved Johnny bald for the movie.

[@themancoat]

Would love to hear Conan talk about this interview on the podcast now.

[@strangerumblings]

Yes! Please 🙏 🙏🙏 I would love to hear the behind the scenes stories. Because if it involves HST there is definitely some funny/wacky tales to share. From the booking to the airing of the segment.

[@tracevicente]

YES PLEASE!!!

[@OMARA.OFFICIAL]

Thinking exactly the same maybe he will.

[@jimmygillard]

HST would have been a fantastic guest on CONAF.

[@Crazy__Canuck]

Spot on. 👍

[@billyeveryteen7328]

It must be pointed out that Hunter S. Thompson did the "gun sommelier" thing twenty years before John Wick did it.

[@existential_]

Instantly thought of this too!

[@furiousapplesack]

I was going to make this comment if I didn't see it in the first two pages of comments. Right on! HST would have been an interesting owner/operator of a Continental. Not one the High Table would want to mess with.

[@TheGreatMrMagoo]

​@@furiousapplesackjohn wick 5: hunter aint dead. Id be ok with ai giving us this.

[@HOIIIYEAA]

I'd like to believe that scene is based off of this exact bit.

[@LilSpghetti]

It’s gotta be the inspiration for it

[@hunter999888]

Only Conan could’ve done this with Hunter, I’m so glad they posted official video it’s one of the best bits he did in the show with any guest

[@10ftSamsquanchy]

A lot of people did that with Hunter S Thompson. Both Bill Murray and Johnny Depp spent a lot of time with Thompson preparing for roles.

[@Blink_____]

@@10ftSamsquanchy Bill Murray and Johnny Depp weren't late night TV show hosts.

[@andreaholcock8992]

Makes me picture Jimmy Fallon being an absolute spazz the whole time until Hunter tells him to leave.

[@aerodicus]

Except he should’ve obliged Hunter and matched him on the booze.

[@snak-s7952]

“Too weird to live and too rare to die.” RIP, Hunter.

[@Dill_Pickle1997]

He seemed so happy in this. Unfortunately It’s always the happy ones that are actually the saddest

[@benb6527]

@@Dill_Pickle1997 Nahhh misunderstood. He left on his terms.

[@TPDManiacXC626]

@@benb6527 But even so, the negative side effects of all the alcohol and drugs took their toll.

[@silvercloud1641]

Oh he was happy, at times, when fully loaded. Except when he had to step off his land and deal with all the religious conservative sheep and sobriety monkeys who don't stfu and live their own life.

[@nickkperezy]

"YOU DIRTY ANIMAL!"- Hunter S. Thompson

[@ColinFilm]

4:23 I love how Conan's immediate response was "That man was holding a machine gun about 15 minutes ago." Just pointing out the absurdity of it all. 😂

[@airgunfun4248]

Nothing absurd at all just all American fun.

[@fischerkat8852]

What absurdity?

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Are there gun ranges in Ireland? Something worth a TRY. lol!

[@samholdsworth420]

Good times were had

[@williamhenryharrison644]

@@bennyboogenheimer4553 Yeah, it's called Northern Ireland

[@carlmarston1687]

I’ve never seen Conan awkward/not knowing exactly what to say to be funny. It’s interesting to see him in the presence of such a larger than life figure

[@timothywharton1233]

True, but I think the guns *might* have something to do with his awkwardness.

[@My-Pal-Hal]

Yeah, you caught that. Gotta remember this is when Conan Was Still A Young Slave. But had the guts to turn that Big Stone Wheel. Even though he could Blow A Knee,.. OR Get SHOT 😂 ... a wounds a wound

[@My-Pal-Hal]

Are we talking about the same movie ?🤣! ... for me to Poop On

[@thekentishpilgrim]

This was also in 1997. I think Conan interviewing him today would have felt different.

[@VanIsleNuckFan]

@@thekentishpilgrim Hunter was unplugged way before many others. You'd need drugs to deal with that!

[@paradoxparade1]

I like how Hunter's carrying an umbrella after shooting with a machine gun while drinking hard liquour.

[@JBBost]

That's the style of a great American statesman

[@costcoexecutivemember]

For the sun, it’s a parasol

[@Fausto_4841]

is there any other kind of liquor?

[@captainobvious2373]

It's hard, honest, God fearing work

[@GraniteStateofMind]

Conan handled that M60 like an absolute champ

[@thepurpleplayer9168]

Laying down some suppresive fire

[@__Theodore]

So clear how Depp took all of his mannerisms and even his vocal tone for Fear and Loathing. Depp really is a chameleon with those things.

[@rishabhaniket1952]

Depp’s real life persona post 2010’s also seems to be borrowed a lot from HST. Guy looks like he is doing a Hunter impression every time I see him in interviews etc😅

[@sample.text.]

Depp and Thompson were friends in real life even before Fear and Loathing and were roommates for a period as well. Just two rare breeds that understood one another. The story of their friendship is actually fascinating.

[@ricothepoolboy1758]

Might be a little controversial for some, but for some reason, I liked Bill Murray's portrayal of HST more. IDK what it is but the opening scene of Where the Buffalo Roam where he shoots his fax machine and his code word for his dog to attack is "Nixon" cracks me up so much every time. Murray is more fluid with it. Depp did do a phenomenal job tho.

[@__Theodore]

@@ricothepoolboy1758 Bill Murray did a decent job but you can clearly see right though it and tell it’s an impression. Jonny was Hunter in comparison.

[@hlf_coder6272]

@@sample.text.Well ya, they were roommates for a couple months because Depp was staying with him to study the role. It’s not like they were once roommates and years later Depp portrayed him. They met because of the film, it was just a couple years before production started

[@geisaune793]

This has gotta be the wildest most surreal thing I’ve ever seen on a talk show

[@hermanchristoffersson]

2:07 what a moment! Hunter being proud of Conans shooting

[@somebodysomething]

6:27 Its good to see Hunter happy smiling and how much he liked Conan's shot how proud of him he was. You can see on hunter face where i clipped how Hunter had a great time he was also impressed by Conans shooting skills

[@paultusa-o7b]

Just hearing hunter speak when he is doing something he enjoys is a treasure you can hear the youthful sound in him it’s great to hear

[@sadboi7537]

Always loved this bit. RIP to one of the greatest to ever do it. Conan truly has spent a great amount of time with absolute legends throughout his career.

[@gripp9k]

I remember seeing this on TV years ago - was always a Hunter S Thompson fan, but had never really seen him in an organic situation - did not disappoint. Who else would have a full, antique wooden bar set outside, next to a gun range?

[@wildkeith]

I have a feeling Conan’s crew hauled the bar in from the prop department with the bartender for comedic effect.

[@gripp9k]

@@wildkeith Absolutely not. That was Hunter's own setup.

[@jchootie]

The NBC Peacock target aged very well.

[@ronalddg9369]

That's basically Don Ohlmeyer every ten years

[@shadoxir]

I agree sir. Aged really well.

[@harryv6752]

Haha! Extremely well! 🤟😄

[@OffGridInvestor]

At the rate Elon is going, it MIGHT BE toast.

[@supervespadude]

Best interview ever! "F you bear"😂 HST

[@juanmauriciofuentesbanda2085]

I love Mr Conan o Brien he's the last of the late show hosts who has balls to do anything he wants

[@s0mveraa]

Oh, i was gonna say Ferguson, but he went off the air before Conan. Sad that neither of them is around except for podcasts.

[@dpclerks09]

@@s0mveraaOf course the big wigs had to learn the hard way, what else could've happened, realistically?

[@UltraGinormous]

Conan is that you?

[@chikitabowow]

5:45 Ever since i first saw this that "F**k you bear!" has stuck with me 😂

[@austins.2495]

Same 😂

[@shovanneupane9516]

I have 'You Dirty Animal!!!!'

[@aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh]

only in the 90's could you drink liquor and shoot guns on tv and nobody would bitch about it. fun needs to be revived

[@alfredmiodownik9880]

Pretty sure u can still do all those things.

[@chrislyon9885]

And it was a Late Night program.

[@mrbeans2425]

This is BY FAR one of my FAVORITE episodes! Hunter was an incredible man!!

[@kevinbirge2130]

Conan had a thankless task, and he created a unique show. Class act. None of the new hosts are even worthy to be his guests.

[@strangerumblings]

Conan please talk about the behind the scenes of this brilliant segment. HST isn’t with us anymore and it would be nice to hear about him again. Especially coming from you. This is a legendary interview, I bet you have sone awesome stories to share. From the first time hearing/reading about him to actually meeting him. Thank you again so much for your channel uploading this. “The Crazy Never Die” 💀

[@profile2047]

Absolutely

[@srulers]

Please!!! Conan we want the stories!

[@JBBost]

The coolest thing is, there's a lot of stories about him. Such a legendary fellow!

[@brendancolangelo9453]

There's a new segment he uploaded where HST is in studio!!

[@FastNBulbous]

Thank you so much for reuploading this! This is one of my favorite HST moments of all time!

[@Theomite]

Insanity and Genius in the greatest, most entertaining combination possible. R.I.P. Hunter...fucking *legend.*

[@24kRobot]

This is one of the best Conan interviews with one of the greats.

[@sethc4758]

It's pretty wild Johnny Depp is now probably about the same age as Hunter was in this clip. actually just seeing the original air date now, 6/11/97 he would've been the same exact age as Johnny Depp. Hunter was born in 1937, so he would've been 60 and Johnny is 60 now

[@apathtrampledbydeer8446]

Conan handled that machine gun really well, good bursts, can't say buy about his trigger technique. Hunter and Conan, two legends!

[@leeyan9049]

Strangest Conan bit I've seen. Everything feels kind of uncanny around this Hunter dude, even Coco keeps it calm most of the time

[@vovahimself]

He seems pretty wasted

[@wyskass861]

He may actually be nervous. Hunter even makes me nervous just watching as if anything could happen.

[@DamienDrake]

​@wyskass861 That's the issue right there. The moment with the random screaming and Conan's subsequent remark to the camera says everything.

[@wyskass861]

@@DamienDrake Ya. I seemed like he couldn't find his cigs or something in his pockets and freaked out with that scream.

[@strangerumblings]

@@DamienDrake HST had been known to do that. He said he likes to keep people aware and alert by making loud awful sounds. Because you never know what May happen. Be prepared. You should google what he did to his neighbor/good friend Jack Nicholson on his 60th birthday 😂😂😂

[@tempusnon2157]

Owning a Hunter S Thompson book shot to shreds by Hunter himself with an M-16 would be such a flex

[@eduffy4937]

You had me at "shoot guns, and drink hard liquor"

[@toxictator4561]

"That was a bastard of a shot " - Hunter was such a character and went on his own terms . Great man .

[@doughnutsandbagelz]

If thats what you wanna call it. He was terribly mentally ill from years of abusing drugs and alcohol. Wouldnt really praise that

[@benjaminjohnspencer1864]

“Who could look at this and say “war” instead of “art?” 😂 Conan for the win. His improvised one-liners are better than most stand-ups’ practiced material

[@taimermega6447]

4:19 man that inprov is so on point ,i love conan,u lepricon u

[@GodIsADelusion]

First of all I have read and listened to The Proud Highway several times, second, Thompson was genuinely impressed with Conan's .50 cal shot. 10/10.

[@austinlawler3739]

I had never seen this before, but it is by far one of my top 3 favorite Conan clips now.

[@gamesthat6470]

they just dont make them anymore like Hunter S. Thompson what a guy . i would of loved to spent some time with this guy .

[@hookedonphoenix3112]

Very impressed Conan scored an interview with Thompson; haven’t seen the guy in years. Hope he’s got a new book coming out soon.

[@davidwujczyk3037]

Huh?

[@nahtesalinas1917]

😂😂😂

[@Chde8xu]

He died a long time ago

[@LordVader1094]

​@@Chde8xuLook at Mr. Holmes over here

[@noises4978]

@@Chde8xu i didnt even know he was sick

[@j_bird27]

This is probably the most craziest interview with the late Hunter S. Thompson and I think we need Conan to tell us more about this. This is wild lol.

[@wildkeith]

I think the craziest interview with HST was when he got in a live shootout with his neighbor with bullets flying.

[@TeeJayPlays]

old school conan footage always makes my day. never even watched him as a kid or anything, just found him on yt one day.

[@EarthWalkerOne]

I can't get enough of HST. He's so much like my grandpa and i miss them both dearly

[@cattycorner8]

They don't make 'em like that anymore.

[@rdejaynes]

THIS IS LEGENDARY

[@shutup2751]

this is what makes conan the GOAT of late night hosts, imagine jimmy kimmel, trevor noah or stephen colbert doing skits like this

[@sweepingdenial]

Colbert did one in Russia.

[@niunamenos3123]

stop comparing conan with other people i’m also his big fan i always listen to his podcasts but i gotta say why many fans always shits on others like every videos posted on youtube channel not just appreciating conan continues to pursue his career. do you really think this kind of negative comments on others and comparing could back him up? making tiktok video about him is more helping 🙄

[@corruptsociety9146]

@@sweepingdenialColbert is a biased political shill

[@ScottWaa]

Jimmy would start crying and Noah would claim it is racist.

[@strangerumblings]

Conan and Letterman were the only late night talk show host that had the balls to book HST.

[@childoftruth1738]

The best Conan interview ever! With an American icon!!!! RIP Hunter ❤

[@xenokitty]

RIP HUNTER Too weird to live too rare to die Forever alive in our hearts and memories

[@jonnythedemon]

Conan drinking whiskey and shooting an m249 is something i was not expecting to ever see.

[@11bfollowme19]

that wasnt a saw

[@danielvandersall6756]

Completely awesome that the figure they were shooting was Duke, the Hunter S Thompson analogue in "Doonesbury" for years.

[@davebartosh5]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a wild ride of a book..one of my favorites!

[@imDezrt]

2:06 you just know conan was over the fucking MOON here lol

[@jimbodice2672]

My favorite Conan bit. Remember seeing it on tv the first time it was televised and laughing my butt off. You'd never see a tv host do this today.

[@jackreacher.]

Reading Hunter S. Thompson in ''Rolling Stone Magazine", and, ''Playboy'', was the highlight of my teen years.

[@mookie7688]

Poor Buckner. .289 lifetime hitter, 2700 + hits, 1200 + RBIs. All anyone can remember is his manager didn't pull him for a defensive replacement with the World Series on the line.

[@Theomite]

And he missed a grounder. Like nobody in the fucking stadium didn't do the same thing a million times and had idea that grounders will fucking often get away from you no matter how good you are.

[@Fausto_4841]

if it makes him feel better, i don't remember him at all.

[@bobandy5515]

Larry David made things right

[@musicisbrilliant]

Conan and the broadcasting agency was awesome for doing this.

[@khb6686]

A true legend. You are missed and never forgotten Doctor Thompson.

[@marknewton6984]

Wish we had him today...

[@JesterBandito]

I am so jealous. Not just of the fact that Conan met with one of the best writers of our time. But simply-because Conan, too is an English major; he without a doubt studies the literary and for SURE was a fan of the mysterious creature known as Hunter S. Thompson. He studied, did his homework and decided to show respect on the man with some real mutual fun! I know Conan had a ball.

[@smoothkeys9119]

4:19 half life 1 scientists when you hit them

[@OriginalCatfish42]

Hahah thats too accurate 😂

[@r3d5ive87]

It was handled surprisingly safe. The bartender/gun expert was stolen by John wick though.

[@TornAaPaRt]

​@@jerrodbalzer7317he means there was a scene in John wick 2 with a gun bartender. They stole the idea from this video

[@tomace4898]

"Fuck you, bear!" There'll never be another Hunter S. Thompson...

[@ng1990]

Incredible find!

[@Hassan_Issa]

That NBC peacock joke aged well

[@BrianDennington]

Cheers to everything Gonzo! R.I.P

[@tubinonyou]

I actually prefer the 2003 interview promoting Kingdom of Fear. Hunter and Conan's back and forth is immensely comedic and the highlights of the target practice from this interview is also included. Definitely give that one a watch if you haven't seen it.

[@meow_kitt]

he is so fucking crazy, i love it

[@pablosonic892]

The video I didnt know I wanted, but definitely needed. Thank you Conan and God.

[@I8ITSK8N]

2:09 Hunter, pat him on the back so hard😂😂😂😂

[@LIamaLlama554]

One of the all time best late night segments

[@danielmyers6831]

I am pretty sure that Ron White is holding the umbrella at timestamp 1:58. Wow what an afternoon.

[@cmay6536]

That bear had it coming

[@dustysommers7161]

Haha yeah that's right 👍

[@ER-bn4po]

the scream at 4:25 will forever bless/haunt me

[@ElCrab]

1:15 pretty sure HST says “I’ve never shot this fucker” but the censors just looked at each other in confusion.

[@Pillowcase]

Nice catch. You're totally correct.

[@Burgerbutt-y5l]

Think he may have said bugger… hard to tell

[@cornparade6874]

Definitely says bugger

[@dhruvsubramanain2117]

THIS IS SO LEGENDARY! WTF

[@kevinm.n.5158]

Conan O'Brian is literally the best ever

[@imaclone2]

This is the exact interview that first introduced me to Dr. Hunter S Thompson. Thank you, Conan.

[@antlerbraum2881]

This is such a cool video, Conan is great, and Hunter has always fascinated me such an enigma but in some of his writings you can see the heart and soul and passion shine through.

[@DRock4378]

I love that Thomson was simply screaming because he couldn’t find his Dunhills lol my man needs his smokes

[@opieangst]

The Banshee scream Thompson did was due to not being able to immediately locate his cigarettes'. I understand.

[@harrychapin808]

DR.Gonzo was happiest when he was BLOWING THINGS UP!! Long live HUNTER THOMPSON!! "You can turn your back on a person... but NEVER turn your back on a drug, especially when it's waving a razor sharp hunting knife in your eye."

[@DanielJayUSA]

Can you imagine hunter s Thompson complimenting you but about your accuracy with a fire arm

[@Admiral_Potato41]

"I'll have that huge shotgun over there, he he" idk why that little chuckle made me crack up lol perfect precursor too the rest of the video

[@TPDManiacXC626]

That's no ordinary shotgun, it's a SPAS-12. The iconic shotgun used in The Terminator, Jurassic Park, Congo, The Matrix, and countless video games.

[@BobWeaver3000]

seen the shooting / outdoor bar footage countless times.... still exceptional after all these years! Thanks Conan and crew! and Hunter!

[@frankwest7875]

How did I miss this?!?

[@EyeOnTheTV]

Gawddamn this is like a fever dream fantasy. What an amazing thing to be able to say you experienced.

[@Knifymoloko]

What a legendary segment from Conan and Hunter. Happiness.... Bang, bang, shoot, shoot!

[@jeffreyoldham55]

An author who shoots his own book is truly...Gonzo! 😎

[@JonDailey-k9o]

The Jon which setup with the liquor and guns is very cool!

[@TOMMYDACOMMIE]

Hunter knew Western New York was the best place to be himself. Go Bills.

[@johnferguson4985]

They turned the book into Art. Mission Acomplished. Well played

[@jeebleswatch3785]

Hilarious clip! Always happy with a new classic Conan clip

[@jamesbost6748]

My dad used to work for Gary Heisel he’s the one who commissioned the canon to blast Hunter S Thompson‘s ashes into the air. My dad also did a repair on the roof of the Woody Creek Tavern.

[@DC322]

drinking and shooting with Hunter. Conan got the interview of a lifetime.

[@Moto_Medics]

I want one of the books Thompson shot ❤

[@joseguzmanofficial]

one of my all-time favorite Conan segments!

[@davehowes5162]

How much do we need Hunter's voice in todays insanity .

[@emeyeare]

1:55 that’s kinda eerie how there’s a target of himself and he shoot’s it in the head considering what we know now

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... he shoots* (third person, no apostrophe!)

[@emeyeare]

@@einundsiebenziger5488 thanks mr. einundsiebenziger. You take ur job as an English teacher very serious, it scares me sometimes….

[@JulianDafi-es9ez]

Just when I thought I’ve seen all of Conan’s remote … wow what a treat for the month of Christmas

[@unperson5713]

Air Date 1997. Conan and Hunter S. Thompson invent FPS Russia and Kentucky Ballistic's entire genre. Classic, stick your thumb in that!

[@esilva8349]

When I saw that .50 come out, I thought about Kentucky too.

[@CesarNone-s8d]

I remember being in high school. Staying up late just to watch Conan. I remember watching this cracking up. Trying not to laugh loud to wake up my parents.