Conan O’Brien opened Thursday’s episode of his TBS late-night show remembering comedian Garry Shandling, who died earlier in the day at the age of 66.
“I have to tell you that this is a devastating shock to me and just about everybody I know,” O’Brien said in his somber monologue. “I’ve had about three hours now to process that Garry is gone, and this just doesn’t seem real, still.”
Noting that Shandling, who was best known as the creator and star of “It’s Garry Shandling‘s Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” was a “masterful” writer and performer who inspired him as a comedian, O’Brien opted to instead discuss his personal relationship with the late comedian.