If I Had Legs I’d Kick You has a terrific performance by Conan O’Brien that is nothing like his previous work. First making his name as a writer on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, Conan O’Brien became an undeniable fixture in modern pop culture thanks to his gloriously silly tenure as a talk show host.

Consistently hilarious for decades, O’Brien has been branching out in recent years. His biggest tonal swing yet is his performance in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You opposite Rose Byrne. As the unnamed therapist whom Byrne’s Laura vents to in the acclaimed drama, the perpetually silly O’Brien turns out to be the perfect “straight man” in the film.

Conan O’Brien Is A Perfect “Straight Man” In If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Conan O’Brien plays a key supporting role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You with an understated edge that makes for a surprisingly hilarious and quietly dramatic contrast to Rose Byrne. While Rose Byrne is the engine that fuels If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, her performance as Laura is best when it contrasts against other characters.

It’s consistently funny when she bounces off James, purposefully frustrating when she argues with her husband Charles, and surprisingly tragic when she tries (and fails) to comfort her patient Caroline. All three of these elements are present in her interactions with her fellow therapist, an unnamed supervisor who becomes Linda’s unofficial therapist.

Their dynamic is established early on when she initially seems to be a former patient of his, only for the movie to reveal that she’s actually his colleague. This explains why he’s so exasperated her, comically underplaying his therapeutic advice to her as she vents about her life with little warning.

O’Brien does wonderful work, perfectly embodying the screenplay’s purposefully straightforward therapist who simply doesn’t have it in him to connect with Linda or necessarily throw her out. Even his formal ending of their therapeutic relationship feels purposefully detached and quietly exhausted.

O’Brien underplays everything, little flickers of hope giving way to eye rolls and sighs that convey a great deal of exhaustion in a single glance. It’s a delightful straight man performance opposite Rose Byrne, especially early in the film. It maintains that energy even as their interactions become more dramatically charged and quietly tragic.

By the time O’Brien’s unnamed therapist lies down on a couch to recount his experience in medical school, he feels like the perfect contrast to Linda. He is purposefully cold and detached, trying to offer advice even while being yelled at. He’s obnoxiously calm, even in the face of Linda’s pleas for guidance and tearful admission of her own self-loathing.

The only time O’Brien lets real emotion peek through is when he becomes infuriated with Linda for interrupting his other session, a professional breach of conduct that becomes a pᴀssive-aggressive show of force by closing a door. It’s hilarious and sad and deeply memorable, and a good reminder of the full scope of Conan O’Brien’s talents as a performer.

Conan O’Brien Should Be In More Dramatic Films

For the most part, Conan O’Brien has largely defined his public persona as a performer through his talk shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Conan. He’s occasionally appeared as himself in film and television productions, often as himself or in minor cameos (as in The LEGO Batman Movie or Weird).

While he’s appeared in more films recently (like The Treasure of Foggy Mountain), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You is a great showcase for what he can bring to the screen as a more straightforward actor. In fact, this feels like one of the best examples in O’Brien’s career of him playing a character divorced from his typical approach.

O’Brien’s therapist doesn’t deploy any of the absurdist and bombastic comedy that he’s best known for. In fact, the therapist feels like an entirely unique creature within O’Brien’s filmography. It’s not even a straight-faced source of black comedy like I initially expected from the performer. There’s an interiority to the performance that speaks to his tamped-down personality.

There are hints of his own emotional distress and professional frustrations, best personified by his attempt to connect with Linda only for his medical school recollection to fall on deaf ears. O’Brien fits perfectly into the dramedy mold, never distracting the audience with his typical and distinctive style of performance.

For long-time fans of Conan O’Brien (such as this writer), it’s something of a pleasant surprise. There’s never been a question of his talent, but it’s usually only with his comedy and his skill as an interviewer. O’Brien’s incredibly effective performance as Linda’s therapist is a terrific example of what he brings to other kinds of characters.

While Conan continues to make audiences crack up with his podcast Conan Needs a Friend and travel shows like Conan O’Brien Must Go, his dramatic chops deserve more chances to shine. Hopefully, the critical success of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You will convince other productions to see beyond O’Brien’s typical trappings and utilize him for more dramatic fare.