SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — ABC7 Mornings Anchor Amanda del Castillo is traveling to Los Angeles for the 98th Academy Awards, where she will be focusing on the Bay Area’s influence on Hollywood’s biggest night.

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Ahead of the Oscars, she connected with host Conan O’Brien, who will celebrate his second year as host of the awards show. Here’s a transcript of the interview:

Amanda: Beyond being impossibly busy, what are you doing with any free time you find between now and the Oscars?

Conan: Oil painting. A lot of oil painting, ceramics – I’m really getting into. Skeet shooting, I love skeet shooting. And Pilates, I’m a Pilates instructor. I’m also a Lamaze instructor. So, those are the things I do just to unwind.

Amanda: I want to be a little selfish, let’s talk about Bay Area representation. The Cooglers, Delroy Lindo, Raphael Saadiq – all with bay area ties, all recognized among the Sinners’ record-setting 16 nominations. Pixar’s Elio, from our friends in Emeryville. Alicia Silverstone in Bugonia. Do you agree that bay area talent is elite? And why yes?

Conan: Well, exactly. I mean, these are the same thoughts I was thinking when I woke up this morning – is that San Francisco is the jewel for the arts in the United States. I’ve long believed that. I have a t-shirt that says that, but it’s a very wordy t-shirt. So, I don’t wear it often. I think San Francisco is just killing it, always has, always will. It’s a very long t-shirt, it should just be, “SF RULES,” but mine says, “San Francisco is a gem and a major calling point for the arts in America and the Western Hemisphere,” and by the time you’re finished with the shirt, I’m 20 minutes gone.

Amanda: Speaking of the Bay Area, social media spotted you at Outside Lands last year, because of your height. But we don’t want to reduce you to that. Are you going to Outside Lands this year?

Conan: Well, my daughter is a huge live music fan and that’s a thing that we do together. So, we’ve been to a bunch of music festivals, but our favorite might be Outside Lands. We just love the vibe there.

Amanda: I know that they probably want me to get back to the Oscars, ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ – 2025 marked your dramatic acting debut as a “no-nonsense” therapist. What’s ahead of actor-Conan O’Brien?

Conan: Well, I’m in a little something called Toy Story 5 – it’s coming out at the beginning of the summer, and I play a key role in that film. That’s right. I’m woody now, ’cause Hanks just couldn’t cut it. Haha, no, Tom is back in the iconic role, but I have my own character and I’m excited about that.

Amanda: Yes, absolutely had to plug it for our friends over at Pixar. What from last year are you taking into this second year of hosting, and then what are you leaving behind?

Conan: I think this year I know where the snacks are, which is key. Cause last year, it’s the little things like that that you don’t think about. But I now know where to go to get the sodas, I know where they have the good brownies, I know where the bad brownies are. You gotta figure those things out. I have a better parking space this year than I did last year. Just little things like that make a big difference and will add to my performance on the night of the show. Oh, you’ll see!

Amanda: You know, this is my second time hosting for the station. So, we’re kind of twins in that respect. Although, I think you’re at a much higher level.

Conan: We are. We are twins. We’re like the twins in Sinners in many ways. Oh, wait, no we’re not. I just did the math, we’re not like them at all.

Catch the “twins,” live from Hollywood.

March 15 is Oscar Sunday! Watch the 2026 Oscars live on ABC and Hulu.

Live red carpet coverage starts at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars.”

Catch all the action on the red carpet live on ABC, or stream on Hulu and OnTheRedCarpet.com.

The 98th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. and will be followed by “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose.”

For more stories and videos about the 98th Academy Awards, click here.

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