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Robert De Niro Didn’t Think Jimmy Fallon Was A Good Talk Show Host (But Paid For It Later)

Highlights

  • De Niro’s silence during interviews is a product of his mood, not a reflection on the interviewer’s performance.
  • Fallon struggled with De Niro as his first guest but later reconciled by inviting him back for a fun interaction.
  • De Niro and Fallon reunited years later to discuss their awkward first interview, providing insight into what happened.

Robert De Niro is Hollywood royalty. He is also known for not being much of a talker, even if it is his job to promote a film during interviews. Because of this, talk show hosts like Graham Norton have labeled De Niro a benign presence.

While many over the years have come to learn that De Niro not only wants to see his questions ahead of time, experienced interviewers know they have to prompt De Niro to expand on his thoughts. Whether or not the actor chooses to do so, boils down to his mood. Interview tactics will also result in De Niro walking off set if he feels the questions are inappropriate.

As one of the most successful late-night talk show hosts, Jimmy Fallon has become skilled in getting guests to not only talk about themselves and their projects but get them outside of their comfort zones and participate in games and bits for the show to make it even more entertaining.

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However, it has not always been this way. When Fallon was starting out his career in late-night television, he learned the hard way a few times that not all of his guests were as willing to ad-lib as he was.

The struggles of being a new talk show host are something that Fallon discussed with Howard Stern at length. Because of this, Jimmy Fallon could not go off-script with Robert De Niro and things ended awkwardly for the late-night host.

Jimmy would later call Robert his most awkward guest, though he later asked his friend back for another interview, and the two even discussed that fateful interview, later renewing their friendship.

Jimmy Fallon Called Robert De Niro His Most Awkward Guest On The Tonight Show

Robert De Niro was the first guest Jimmy Fallon had on ‘The Tonight Show’

When Fallon was to debut The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2009, he wanted to start his tenure with the show with a bang. Fallon wanted to get someone who was a big name and was quintessential to the city where the show took place.

One of those names was De Niro, who at the time had no projects he was working on, so De Niro would be coming on the show just to chat, something that Fallon thought would be amazing but turned into anything but.

Robert De Niro and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
via YouTube

“So I was like, ‘I want to get somebody A-list,’ and I want someone in New York, because our show’s from New York,” Fallon explained. “And here’s the coolness of Robert De Niro, he didn’t have a movie coming out, had nothing to promote, he said, ‘Absolutely, yes’, as soon as I asked him.”

Fallon went on to say, “And he came on and he was Robert De Niro. He gave just one word answers.”

“It’s flop sweat coming down my face,” Fallon said. “My hair looked like it had a comb-over…At one point I was delirious, I couldn’t even see him…I was just getting loopy, but he’s the best.”

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It looked as though Fallon was not cut out to handle late-night television with the interview and the rocky start the show got off to. But, things would get better for Fallon with the future shows he did.

Eventually, Fallon made it to 100 shows, and he invited De Niro back to discuss the awkward interview that occurred between the two on Fallon’s Tonight Show debut.

Robert De Niro Returned To TheTonight Show With Jimmy Fallon For The 100th Episode

Robert De Niro joined others in a gag skit on the 100th episode of ‘The Tonight Show’

Given the rocky start of Fallon’s Tonight Show, it was not clear if he would make it long-term or not. To not only celebrate the fact that Fallon had managed to stay on the air for 100 episodes, but to make fun of himself as well, Fallon put together a bit where celebrities had to pay Jimmy $100 if they claimed he would never host The Tonight Show.

The skit was done in jest but was very funny, especially when De Niro was one of the celebrities who walked out on stage to pay the money.

“I want to say thanks to all the fans for all their support,” Fallon said. “To my buddy who said I’d never be the host of The Tonight Show, and you know who you are, you owe me a hundred bucks, buddy.”

Robert De Niro and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
via YouTube

No sooner did Fallon say this, De Niro walked out on stage to slap a $100 bill on the desk, a move that paid homage to their interview together.

De Niro was followed by a string of celebrities, including Tina Fey, Joe Namath, Rudy Giuliani, Mariah Carey, Tracy Morgan, Joan Rivers, Kim Kardashian, Seth Rogan, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mike Tyson, Lady Gaga, and Stephen Colbert.

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This would not be the last time that De Niro and Fallon would publically discuss their first interview together. Two clearly could laugh at the interview in the years since it occurred, no matter how painful it was to be a part of in the moment.

Robert De Niro And Jimmy Fallon Reunited To Discuss The Awkward Interview Years Later

The reunion gave fans insight into what happened during the ill-fated interview of 2009

Years after The Tonight Show appearance, De Niro and Fallon reunited for a segment to discuss what occurred during the interview between the two actors. The segment gave viewers more insight as to what occurred between the two men during their 2009 interview.

“Most of your answers were one-word answers, yeah,” Fallon explained. “But I remember, I was so nervous.”

Fallon went on to say, “I sent the questions, like 15 questions, and you go, ‘Pretty good. Let’s see what else you got’. I was sweating.”

Robert De Niro and Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show
via YouTube

Part of the nerves came from the fact that De Niro was not making things easy on Fallon before the interview began. While De Niro was joking around, Fallon was unaware of this, upping his level of nerves before taking the stage, all of which culminated in making the interview that went over like a lead balloon on late-night television.

“It’s OK. Getting closer,” De Niro’s email read. “What else have you got?”

But just as Fallon was writing more questions for De Niro, he got an email that read, “Ha ha, just kidding. See you on the show.”

“You totally got me!” Fallon said to De Niro.

While the interview was not meant to go badly, it could have set the tone for Fallon’s entire talk-show career. Fortunately, Fallon was able to bounce back from the gaff and laugh at himself in the process. Not to mention having De Niro back on The Tonight Show several times, with successful interviews to boot.

Source: NewsFinale

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