American Television host Conan O’Brien made headlines at the 98th Academy Awards with his satirical humour, especially when he opened the Oscars with a joke referring to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. He grabbed the audience’s attention with the fact that this is the first time since 2014, that no British actor has been nominated at Oscars for Best Actor or Best Actress. He then immediately took a jibe at the Epstein saga and cited a British spokesperson saying, “at least we arrest our pedophiles.’”
Video | What Conan said
After Conan’s jibe, the room immediately broke into laughter. The joke was a reference to the Epstein scandal that has enveloped conversations on X and worldwide for quite some time now.
“It's the first time since 2012 that there are no British actors nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress. A British spokesperson said, 'Yeah, well, at least we arrest our pedophiles.'"
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 15, 2026
— Conan O'Brien at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/V1r5TEpPLO
Conan also made fun of himself, saying he looked out of place among all the serious actors. He also joked that he is the ‘last human host’ because, by next year, a robot will probably be doing his job. He even appeared dressed as ‘Aunt Gladys’ from the movie Weapons, wearing heavy white makeup and a red wig, and joked that he looked like ‘Bette Davis with lupus.’
Conan roasts Chalamet, Penn, and DiCaprio
Conan didn’t stop there. He poked Timothée Chalamet, joking about his ‘perpetually worried face,’ and teased Sean Penn for always turning interviews into political rants. He also made fun of Leonardo DiCaprio, saying he spends more time choosing eco-friendly straws than movie roles.
A sign of changing trends in Hollywood?
This year’s Oscars saw something rare as for the first time since 2012, no British actors were nominated for Best Actor or Best Actress. Stars like Olivia Colman and Cillian Murphy have long been regulars on Oscar night, but this year the top categories were dominated by American talent. Michael B. Jordan and Leonardo DiCaprio led the men, while Jessie Buckley and Emma Stone stood out for the women.
Even without British actors in the lead roles, the UK still had a strong presence behind the camera. Films like Hamnet and Frankenstein won in technical categories, showing British talent remains important in Hollywood.
The bigger question now is whether this was simply an unusual year or a sign of changing trends in Hollywood. Many industry observers believe it’s likely just a temporary lull. A number of major British productions are already in development or filming, and several UK actors are expected to return to the awards conversation in the next couple of years.
Still, the absence was noticeable for many of us who have grown used to seeing British stars on stage.