Behind the Curtain: An Insider's View of Jay Leno's Tonight Show
Dave Berg
Language: English
Pages: 272
ISBN: 1455619965
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Jay Leno's Tonight Show comes alive in this book by insider Dave Berg, who spent 18 years as Jay's co-producer. There were always two shows: the one on stage and the one behind the curtain. This narrative weaves both together, featuring the show's most legendary moments, including Hugh Grant's game-changing mea culpa, Arnold Schwarzenegger's shocking political announcement, and the historic booking of Barack Obama as the first sitting president ever to do a late-night show. But it doesn't stop there. Every page is full of zany, wacky and serious moments with celebrities, political and sports figures at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Foreword by Jay Leno and endorsements by Laura Bush, Bill O'Reilly, Bill Maher, Gary Sinise, James Carville & Mary Matalin, Larry the Cable Guy and more.
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Many people in show business have it. Jay’s condition—whatever it is—affects almost everything he does. It may have even been a blessing in disguise for the show. Whenever I had to brief Jay or pitch an idea to him, I had to keep it short or risk the danger of losing his attention and not getting it back. This was good because I often tell long, meandering stories. With Jay I had no choice but to stay on topic and keep it simple. His restlessness was perfect for the monologue. Each joke was
Jay would normally deflect with a joke. But he took it seriously, saying he would most likely be his 1866 steam engine: “Steam engines are probably my favorite, because they chug along at the same speed. They don’t get too up. They don’t get too down.” That short answer revealed more about his character and personality than anything else I ever heard him say. I think it could be his epitaph. Jay appeared in a number of films early in his career, and not just cameos. He had some decent parts in
having lost fifteen pounds. Tests revealed the grub worm, known as a Suri, had chewed through his intestinal lining, causing rectal bleeding, intestinal cramps, and diarrhea. Suris, common in the Amazon, grow to be about four inches long and have “sharp, biting pincers.” The creatures are, indeed, edible live, but the natives always bite the heads off first. “This was a race and I didn’t have time to study what they were giving me to eat. It was just bam! And I swallowed it,” Jerry told the
like she believed it. My colleagues remained skeptical, but as Thanksgiving Day approached and we still couldn’t find a big-name guest, they warmed up to Anna-Marie, and I booked her. Jay didn’t buy the story at all but was concerned that if he made fun of Anna-Marie on the air it would look like he was picking on her. So he decided he would be a neutral observer. Besides, the story had an angle that was perfect for late-night humor, which appealed to Jay. It seems one of the so-called
young, admiring kids (who included my children, Melissa and David, along with a friend). They were all excited to be there to do a sketch with a famous baseball player. The plan was to have Jay introduce Barry during the monologue by saying he thought Barry was getting a bum rap and was actually a nice guy. In the next shot, the audience would see a smiling Barry Bonds interacting with the kids. The bit went very smoothly during the show, but while we were rehearsing, the director called for a