Greta Lee (Full Episode) | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

Conan O’Brien speaks with actor Greta Lee about her upbringing in Los Angeles as the child of South Korean immigrants, including the expectations she says she grew up with around being quiet, “being a lady”, and not trying to be funny. Lee describes learning early responsibility as the eldest child, including helping her parents study for US citizenship. She also explains why she chose to attend Northwestern University rather than move straight from LA to New York, saying she wanted to understand the “middle area” of the United States, and that the decision led to meeting her husband.

Much of the conversation turns to Lee’s career and her sense of belonging, with Lee saying she found her peer group among theatre kids rather than along racial lines at school. She offers a detailed, first-hand account of the casting path for Past Lives, including being told she was considered “too old” at one stage, and recounts an apparent voicemail mix-up from producer Scott Rudin’s office that she and her agents concluded was intended for Greta Gerwig.

Lee also reflects on a period when she felt she had already accepted her ambitions were over, describing it as having “gone to my own funeral”, before her career accelerated. The episode includes lighter discussion of press tours, O’Brien’s attempts to watch Lee’s Netflix film The Last House via a faulty screener, and closing banter among the show’s regulars.

• Lee says her Korean-American upbringing carried strong expectations about being quiet, respectful and “ladylike”.
• She describes helping her parents prepare for US citizenship, including teaching the national anthem.
• Lee says she chose Northwestern to experience the Midwest and later met her husband there.
• She recounts being told she was considered “too old” during Past Lives casting discussions.
• Lee describes receiving a voicemail from Scott Rudin’s office that she and her agents believed was meant for Greta Gerwig.
• She says she once felt she had accepted her ambitions were over: “I had already gone to my own funeral.”