Conan O’Brien will have a familiar face when he begins his new “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” run on NBC: Andy Richter.
Richter will fill the role once held by Ed McMahon, serving as the announcer for the “Tonight Show” when Conan O’Brien takes over the reins from Jay Leno on June 1. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft.)
Richter previously served as a sidekick to O’Brien on “Late Night” between 1993 and 2000. According to a release sent out by NBC, Richter’s new role will not be as a sidekick, but he will be involved in live and prerecorded comedy bits.
“Andy is one of the funniest people I know, and we’ve maintained a close friendship since he left ‘Late Night,’” O’Brien said in the press release. “We have a proven chemistry that will be an incredible asset to ‘The Tonight Show.’”
One reason Richter has been brought on for the job is because the comedian “owes me $300,” O’Brien added.