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Joel Godard is the Announcer on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is often featured in skits, playing himself on the show. Godard has also served as announcer for NBC's annual telecast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2000.

On Late Night, when he is used in sketches, Godard's character is blatantly homosexual, and has an affinity for young Asian men (preferably wearing Speedos). His character will often pine for "the sweet release of death" and detail how his life is miserable (i.e., "My life is a septic tank filled to overflowing"), but he will say all these things in his cheery announcer voice and while flashing an open-mouthed smile, his trademark.

In real life, however, Joel has been happily married since 1983 to Tedi Dreiser Godard, and has a son from a previous marriage. He was born on March 31, 1938 in Milledgeville, Georgia, and earned an A.B. from Emory University in 1960, where he was a double major in Chemistry and Pre-Med. He was then admitted to Emory's school of medicine, but instead chose to pursue his first love: show business.

Before joining Late Night, Godard was Dateline NBC's first Announcer, and before that he was an NBC Staff Announcer for seven years. His acting credits include parts in the Emmy-nominated CBS made-for-TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and in the TBS daytime drama The Catlins, as well as numerous commercials and industrial films.

Godard even found a way to incorporate show business during his four years of active duty as a U.S. Naval Officer, spending three of those years as Station Manager of Far East Network - Misawa Radio & Television in Japan. He is also a licensed commercial pilot and former flight instructor, and is a member of Mensa.