Fanhausen Revisited

Conan O'Brien marks the fifth anniversary of his podcast's first "fan episode" by revisiting his 2019 chat with Donovan, a wrestler known as Danhausen. He praises Danhausen's recent WWE debut as evidence that combining relentless work with passion yields results, while joking about a fictional 20% cut due to the character's inspiration from a demonic version of himself.

Danhausen's Origins and Character

Donovan, from Michigan and planning to relocate to Montreal for permanent residency with his wife, had wrestled for eight years before developing Danhausen two years prior to the interview. The character is billed as "very nice, very evil"—a demonic figure described as "a demon possessed Conan O'Brien." Influences include Conan's style, Simpsons references, and 1980s horror movies, blending them into absurd, fun performances rather than straight athleticism.

Early efforts as a skilled wrestler drew little attention. Success surged after adopting the gimmick: makeup, goofy antics like Mr. Burns' "hop in" hop with a tiny airplane (prompting crowd chants), and signing with a TV promotion that encouraged his weirdness. Merchandise followed, including shirts at Hot Topic.