Age: 47
Occupation: Talk-show host, comedian
Previous TIME 100 appearances: 1
With his iconic red mane still perfectly coiffed, Conan O'Brien returned to the airwaves in September after a 10-month absence. Shedding network TV for TBS, a basic-cable channel he often mocks, the late-night host set aside his beef with NBC bigwigs and instead went back to what he does best: telling jokes. And his newly minted Team Coco rallied behind him with consistent ratings.