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Conan O’Brien, 63, Reveals Surprising Way ‘Male Menopause’ Changed Him

The comedian attributed a major shift in his personality to this rarely discussed life stage.

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

PublishedJul 1, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 1, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT

Updated Jul 1, 2026, 5:10 PM EDTPublished Jul 1, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT

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Conan O’Brien thinks he finally found a medical explanation for the evolution of his middle-aged self: “male menopause.”

The 63-year-old floated the theory on an episode of his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, while joking that his supposed newfound wisdom may have less to do with personal growth and more to do with his testosterone levels quietly packing up shop.

The conversation began when O’Brien teased co-host Matt Gourley, 53, over an estimated 10-pound weight gain after Gourley returned from taking paternity leave for his new daughter.

Gourley quickly tried to explain away the extra pounds with some evolutionary science, saying he had read that men’s testosterone levels can temporarily drop after their partner gives birth—supposedly to make them less likely to stray and more likely to stick around.

The hormonal shift, Gourley said, might explain both his weight gain and why he had been such a “sentimental mess” during the postpartum period.

Asked whether he experienced the same phenomenon after his wife, 55-year-old Liza Powel O’Brien, gave birth, the former late-night host said he did not exactly become a puddle of emotions.

“I don’t think that I got the sentimentality,” he said. “I’m waiting for that part, you know. I don’t get all mushy.”

Instead, O’Brien pointed to a different hormonal theory once offered by his mother-in-law, Pamela Powel, a psychoanalytic therapist, after he tried to credit age for his sudden maturity.

“I remember once sort of talking about how I think I’ve grown wiser over the years,” O’Brien said. “I’m not as intense as I used to be. I was very focused and very driven in my twenties and thirties and forties.”

Powel, he recalled, attributed O’Brien’s calmer persona to the work of biology.

“She just said, ‘No, no, your testosterone levels drop,’” O’Brien said. “I was trying to credit it all to wisdom, and she was like, ‘No, no, you just have less of that, you know, a-----e juice running through your body.’”

The condition O’Brien was joking about is often referred to as andropause, or “male menopause,” although the comparison is not exact.

Unlike female menopause, which marks the end of ovulation and typically occurs in women in their late forties or early fifties, testosterone levels in men tend to decline slowly over many years.

According to the Mayo Clinic, men’s testosterone levels generally drop by about 1 percent per year after age 40, although only about 10 to 25 percent of men have levels considered low.

For many men, the shift comes with few or no noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they can include low libido, reduced body hair, shrinking testicles, hot flashes, depressed mood, trouble concentrating, memory issues, increased body fat, and loss of muscle strength or mass.

The hormonal explanation for O’Brien’s better attitude is not entirely out of left field.

Some research has linked higher testosterone levels with aggression and risk-taking behavior.

Dr. Haleem Mohammed, a board-certified internal medicine physician, told the New York Post that testosterone “definitely influences drive, competitiveness, assertiveness and emotional reactivity.”

But he also cautioned that testosterone is only one piece of the puzzle.

“The short answer is that it can influence energy, libido, some aspects of behavior—but it doesn’t define who someone is,” Mohammed said, noting that personality is also shaped by life experience and environment.

For men worried about low testosterone, doctors typically recommend starting with the basics: a nutritious diet, regular physical activity, sleep, and weight management. In more serious cases, treatment can include testosterone gels, injections, pellets, or nasal gel.

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

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