Jay Leno's Next Adventure

Jay Leno looks back on 17 years at The Tonight Show as he sets off on his next grand adventure.

Also in this article:
Listen to more of our interview with Jay Leno

As host of the legendary Tonight Show, Jay Leno proved to be a worthy successor to Johnny Carson. After all, the show maintained its No. 1 status under Leno through nearly three U.S. presidencies, 9/11, and guests ranging from a 12-year-old Lindsay Lohan to astronauts beamed in from space. Through it all, Leno never appeared jaded or less than 100 percent grateful for what he calls "the dumb luck of having the greatest, easiest job in show business."
Leno, 59, keeps it easy. He has been married to his wife, Mavis, for almost 30 years, kept the same writing staff for 17 television seasons, and wears the same outfit -- a blue denim shirt and jeans -- every day when he's off duty. He prefers to work the stand-up comedy circuit to going on vacation, performing nearly 160 times at comedy clubs last year. It's part of his "East Coast make-something-of-yourself work ethic," he says, which he learned by watching his father, a tireless insurance salesman, growing up in Andover, Massachusetts.

This fall, Leno will rely on that work ethic again when he launches his new TV show, which will showcase comedy sketches and routines more than celebrity guests, and run five nights a week at ten o'clock on NBC. Sitting in an airplane hangar filled with his antique cars in Burbank, California, Leno shares his favorite Tonight Show moments, the secret to success, and his unique savings plan.

Q. What's your earliest memory of being funny?
A. When I was around six or seven, there was nothing I loved more than running away from my mother in the store. She was from Scotland, and her view of life was "Never stand out in a crowd." My father was Italian, so he loved to stand out. And I got that from him. So I'd be in the store and pretend to be lost and find the manager and say [fake crying], "I'm lost! I'm lost! Can you page Mrs. Leno?" All of a sudden, you'd hear "Mrs. Leno, please come to the front of the store." And my mother would rush over, completely mortified. I would just laugh all the way home.

Q. What have you learned in your years on The Tonight Show?
A. That big stars and supermodels aren't always interesting. What do I have to say to Paris Hilton? I've learned there's no such thing as a bad English guest, because they know how to play to an audience. Here's the key, though: Put yourself below everyone else. I'm a huge believer in low self-esteem. The only two groups with high self-esteem are actors and criminals. If there's a secret to my success, it's that I honestly don't think I'm better than anyone. I was dyslexic as a kid. I wasn't particularly good in school. I wasn't the best-looking guy. So I never got caught up in myself.

Q. Any Tonight Show moments you'd like to forget?
A. Oh, yes. Remember when Kathie Lee Gifford was having all her problems with sweatshops years ago? We had fun telling jokes about her. But then we wanted her on the show. She wouldn't return our calls, so I decided to call her personally. I told one of the assistants to get Kathie Lee on the phone, and she picks up right away and says, "Oh, Jay, I'd love to do the show." I hung up and said, "Piece of cake!" A couple of hours go by, and my producer says, "Hey, Jay, who'd you call?" I said, "Kathie Lee Gifford." The producer goes, "No, you didn't. You called Cathy Lee Crosby." I had to call her back and say, "Uh, listen, uh …"

Q. How has your humor changed with a new president in office?
A. God may have taken away Bush, but he gave us Joe Biden. And there are always governors screwing up and politicians not paying taxes. I go after Democrats and Republicans. But there are rules. When you make fun of presidents, you can question their intelligence or their actions or their physical appearance, but you don't question their character or their patriotism. That's like going after the wives in the Mafia.

Q. Is it true you live off the money you make from stand-up comedy and sock away the rest?
A. Yes. I've never spent a dime I've made in television, because I never wanted to be a "TV personality." I know actors whose whole lives are wrapped up in TV. When their show is canceled, they have no life and no skills. When you're a stand-up comedian, it's like being a transmission specialist: You can make something, you can fix something. I can go to a comedy club, stand up, tell jokes, make some money, and go home without having to bother anybody.

Q. Will your last Tonight Show be different from usual?
A. I'm not a fussy guy. I don't need a giant going-away party, especially since I'm not going away. To me, this job is like giving people M&M's. You give them a couple, they want more. If you stop, they wander off. My job is to make sure I have enough M&M's to keep people happy. So far, that's worked out pretty well.

From Reader's Digest - May 2009

 

• • TV Personalities

• What are Your Thoughts on Jay Leno's Next Adventure?
• He has given us 17 years of laughter. What do you think of his next career move?
• 
• Humor Me
• When it comes to being funny, Conan O'Brien can't help himself.
•