Conan O’Brien Gears Up For Last ‘Late Night’

Later tonight, Conan O’Brien will bid farewell to the seat he has occupied since 1993 as the host of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

Moving to Los Angeles to take over Jay Leno’s spot as the host of “The Tonight Show,” beginning in May, Conan told Billy Bush for Access Hollywood and “The Billy Bush Show,” that he leaves the 30 Rock building with mixed emotions.

“This is where they invented television,” Conan told Billy. “This a temple to broadcasting and I leave this place with a heavy heart. It’s been an amazing home to me. I’ve been doing it for 16 seasons and it’s time to change. I think Eric Clapton said, ‘Change or Die!’ You’ve gotta move, you’ve gotta evolve, you’ve gotta change. And I think the LA chapter will be fascinating because man, am I fish out of water in Los Angeles and man, that could make some good television.”

Conan will take over Jay’s “Tonight Show” seat in a new set on the Universal lot in Universal City, Calif. And, the ginger-haired funnyman told Billy that he’s made some headway toward settling in his new digs.

“We’re really excited, we have an amazing set up on the Universal Lot and we actually kicked the ‘Desperate Housewives’ out of their studio,” he laughed. “We’ve since made up. And that was fun, let me tell you. But now we’re all friends. We lunch together almost every day.”

Ahead of his permanent move to the city, Conan will leave New York City in the days following his last “Late Night” broadcast, to help set his two children up in school and recruit a few viewers.

“I’ve wanted to enroll them both in a military academy, I think it would be good for them… Wear little epaulets… We’re gonna make that adjustment,” he said.

“I’m actually gonna come out pretty soon after this show ends; in about a week and a half to two weeks I’ll be out there, so look for me, walking along the Sunset Strip,” he continued. “I’m going to be asking people to watch the show… one by one.”