Mike Reiss and Al Jean, then showrunners of the animated sitcom "The Simpsons", called O'Brien and offered him a job. The series was prestigious in the writing community at the time; O'Brien recalls "everyone wanted to be on that show, but they never hired." O'Brien was one of the first hires after the show's original crew. With the help of old Groundlings friend, actor Lisa Kudrow, O'Brien purchased an apartment in Beverly Hills. He and Kudrow became involved as well, and Kudrow believed he should begin performing rather than writing. O'Brien disagreed, feeling that Kudrow was flattering him and asserting he was happy as a writer. In his speech given at Class Day at Harvard in 2000, O'Brien credited "The Simpsons" with saving him, a reference to the career slump he was experiencing prior to his being hired for the show.