Jimmy Fallon doesn’t often distinguish himself as an interviewer with guests on The Tonight Show (or previously on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon). However, his interviews can bring some entertainment value when he’s clearly a fan of his guest’s work or there’s a funny story to tell.
Fallon may never have a better interview, in terms of the joy of watching a host squirm with sheer embarrassment, than the one he had with Nicole Kidman on Tuesday night (Jan. 6). Kidman was on the show to promote her upcoming movie, Paddington, but as a first-time guest with Fallon, took the opportunity to recount a previous meeting between the two. Apparently, each of them had a very different impression of that evening.
By Fallon’s account, a mutual friend set up a meeting with Kidman, and Fallon believed it was for a role in 2005’s Bewitched. However, Kidman thought it was a get-together equivalent to a date. Yes, that’s right. And if it was a pre-date in Kidman’s mind — and she admitted to liking him — Fallon made a terrible impression, apparently showing so little interest that Kidman wondered if he might be gay.
A tip for single men out there: If Nicole Kidman shows up at your apartment, do better than putting out corn chips and leftover Chinese food. Oh, and maybe wear some jeans instead of sweatpants. Yet even if Fallon thought this meeting was about a possible acting gig, it sounds like he did a terrible job of showing he should get the job.
But watching Fallon’s embarrassment over being called out years later for his clueless behavior and failure to properly assess the situation is truly hilarious. How often do you see a talk show host truly uncomfortable, and not because the guest is talking about politics or acting odd. Fallon seems like he wants to run away and hide — which, of course, makes for great television.
Many of us surely have experienced learning years after the fact that someone we knew liked us or had interest in dating us, and kicking ourselves for not realizing that at the time. What? I had no idea! Why didn’t you… ? Why didn’t I… ? Maybe we find out at a high school reunion, at a party, or bumping into either that person or a mutual friend out in public.
Fallon had the misfortune of finding out that the “someone” in this instance was a world-famous actress, and it all came to light on national television. (Oh, and it’s being replayed all over the internet on YouTube clips.) That is one considerable “what if?” to chew on. But it made for nine hilarious minutes of talk show.
Oh, should we include the trailer for Paddington here? It seems like the least we could do after Kidman (who plays the villain of the piece) brought up this uncomfortable story on TV, resulting in embarrassment for her and Fallon, but entertainment for the rest of us. Paddington hits theaters on Jan. 16.
