Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend

Halle Berry

February 16, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Halle Berry attributes her creative drive and willingness to take risks in her career to the dislocation and identity confusion she experienced growing up as a biracial child in predominantly white and then predominantly Black neighborhoods. 
  • Halle Berry's decision to fight back against childhood bullies, which included pursuing leadership roles like class president and editor, was a strategy to gain respect after a deeply humiliating physical assault. 
  • Halle Berry experienced a profound spiritual event in India in 2017 where her 'third eye opened,' leading to an inability to remain silent about what she perceives as truth, which has subsequently affected her relationships. 
  • The surreal nature of parenting involves the rapid transition of children from total dependence to independent travel, which never stops being shocking to the parent. 
  • For the guest, working on a film like *Crime 101* feels like a break from parenting due to the singular focus on self, despite the long hours. 
  • Matt unveiled an unused, expensive, disco-ball-turned-motorcycle-helmet White Elephant gift that was purchased for a canceled holiday party. 

Segments

Podcast Opening and Guest Introduction
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(00:00:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Halle Berry jokingly claims Conan O’Brien ghosted her, initiating the episode’s friendly banter.
  • Summary: The episode opens with an advertisement for the U.S. Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card and Sonic’s $6 All-American Smasher Meal. Halle Berry immediately confronts Conan O’Brien about feeling ghosted, which Conan denies, citing his wife’s disapproval of him calling her. The show then introduces David Hopping as the temporary replacement for Matt Gourley, who is absent due to the birth of his second child.
Matt Gourley’s New Baby
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(00:02:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Matt Gourley’s wife, Amanda, gave birth to their second daughter, Nell, prompting humorous commentary on the photo shared with the team.
  • Summary: The team congratulates Matt Gourley on the birth of his baby girl, Nell. Conan and Sona express mock outrage over how beautiful Amanda looked in the birth photo, noting she appeared to have full hair and makeup. They also joke about the baby having false eyelashes and press-on nails, which Conan found excessive.
Flip Phone Saga Resolution
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(00:05:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Halle Berry’s long-delayed flip phone reactivation was finally completed after a frustrating experience at the service provider.
  • Summary: Halle Berry recounts the months-long saga of getting her flip phone reactivated, which Conan repeatedly failed to arrange, leading to accusations of pathological forgetfulness. The issue was resolved after a difficult in-person visit where the service representative seemed completely unfamiliar with setting up the device. Conan vows to remember Sona’s failure to assist him promptly, even joking about ‘death pooping’ out his grievances.
Childhood Identity and Bullying
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(00:12:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Halle Berry’s early life involved significant identity confusion due to her mixed-race background (Black father, white mother from Liverpool) and feeling disconnected from both sides.
  • Summary: Conan praises Berry’s career trajectory, noting the intersection of Bond Girl, X-Men, and serious dramatic roles. Berry explains that her childhood confusion about her identity—not looking like her white mother despite living in a white neighborhood and then being perceived as Black in an all-Black neighborhood—fueled her search for belonging. This feeling of being ’less than’ led her to fight back against bullies by striving for total control and success in school activities.
Transition to Acting Career
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(00:30:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Halle Berry’s entry into pageants was initiated by a boyfriend who wanted a ‘beauty queen’ girlfriend, leading to a string of wins until she lost the final competition.
  • Summary: Berry details how her boyfriend entered her into her first pageant, which led to a series of wins that propelled her through subsequent competitions until she eventually lost. A teacher at Second City encouraged her to pursue acting, leading her to aggressively audition for Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever by demanding to read for the more complex ‘crack hoe’ role instead of the ‘pretty girl’ role.
Monster’s Ball Risk and Oscar Win
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(00:36:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Halle Berry viewed the role in Monster’s Ball as a career-defining risk that would either be her best work or end her career, based on her belief that she had nothing to lose.
  • Summary: Berry felt the role in Monster’s Ball, which involved nudity and a controversial sex scene, was a high-stakes gamble that people close to her warned against. She embraced the risk, believing that if the film ended her career, she would be ending it based on her own convictions. Her Oscar win was unexpected as she had not won the preceding Golden Globe, and she recalls Russell Crowe telling her to ‘breathe, mate’ backstage.
Spiritual Awakening in India
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(00:41:21)
  • Key Takeaway: In 2017, during meditation in Kerala, India, Halle Berry’s ’third eye opened,’ resulting in the ability to see auras and gain instant understanding, but also forcing her to speak up, leading to relationship changes.
  • Summary: Berry describes a guided meditation where she saw a shadowy figure emerge from the ocean, which the shaman identified as the opening of her third eye. The shaman warned that while this grants insight, the negative consequence is an inability to remain silent about what she perceives, causing her to act on truths that make her unpopular or end relationships. Conan relates this to his own later-life realization of having ‘zero fucks to give’ about external validation.
Parenting Surrealism and Growth
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(00:53:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The feeling of parental shock regarding a child’s independence does not diminish with age or experience.
  • Summary: The speakers reflect on the surreal feeling of children growing up, particularly when they announce independent travel plans like hopping a plane. They note that turning 18 does not fundamentally change a person, yet it grants new freedoms that terrify parents. This feeling of needing to remain vigilant and the fear of letting go is described as a constant in life, not something that stops after a certain age.
Enjoyment of Acting Work
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(00:57:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Filmmaking provides a necessary break from the logistical demands of intensive parenting.
  • Summary: The guest confirms she still loves acting and working with fantastic actors on projects like Crime 101. She jokes that going to work feels like a break because it allows her to focus only on herself. This contrasts sharply with parenting, which involves managing complex logistics like driving her daughter for an hour and a half each way for school, consuming six hours of the day.
Unused White Elephant Gift Reveal
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(01:01:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Matt purchased a disco ball motorcycle helmet for a canceled White Elephant exchange, spending significantly over the intended price limit.
  • Summary: Matt reveals he bought an item for a White Elephant party planned for the previous December, spending about $100 when the limit was $30-$40. The item is a motorcycle helmet covered entirely in disco ball facets. The party was canceled, leaving Matt stuck with the absurd, non-street-legal prop, which Conan and Sona found hilarious.