**Chapter 442: The Curved Path to Success**

"The Tonight Show" was a guaranteed topic of conversation, and in 2002, when television was still the biggest promotional platform, Jay Leno's show led the pack in promotional effectiveness. This time was no different, and it far exceeded expectations.

If the initial news surge from "Star Wars: Episode I" promoting on "The Tonight Show" was the first wave, and the spontaneous discussions surrounding the band were the second wave, then the entire North American continent was swept up in discussions about the show. "The Tonight Show" reached an unprecedented new height in viewership.

The third wave, however, was the true focus. Whether it was "Star Wars" or "The Tonight Show," they both became star-making machines.

The impact was overwhelming—

"Witty and humorous, Anson Wood creates a peak moment for 'The Tonight Show.'"

"When Anson Wood meets Jay Leno: The Best Talk Show of the Year."

"A breath of fresh air, a ray of sunshine, Anson brings new life to 'The Tonight Show.'"

"A musician, actor, comedian, and more... So, who exactly is Anson Wood?"

"The birth of a superstar, with 'The Tonight Show' as witness."

"A new star personally endorsed by Jay Leno, 'The Tonight Show' makes history again."

Anson. Anson. It was all about Anson.

The overwhelming flood of coverage swept across North America, and the buzz around the show was palpable.

Multiple media outlets joined the discussion:

Jay Leno, the king of talk shows, battle-hardened, shrewd, and experienced, had faced countless challenges both on and off the air. Yet, a mere newcomer—appearing on a talk show for the first time—caught him off guard, leading to a rare lapse during the recording.

Because of this, the moment when Anson left the set and reappeared as Superman became one of the classic moments of 2002.

Even by the end of the year, when major media outlets were doing their year-end summaries, this moment was still a hot topic of discussion. Numerous authoritative magazines and media outlets listed it among the classic screen moments of the year and the top entertainment events, not missing this iconic scene.

After the widespread coverage, some industry professionals raised doubts:

Was it all prearranged by the show's producers?

Led by "The Hollywood Reporter," authoritative industry media delved deeper, conducting follow-up reports, and interviewing those involved, including producers, directors, Jay Leno, and Anson himself. The whole story was pieced together like a documentary.

Jay Leno commented, "If it was all prearranged, I wish I had exaggerated my performance more to add comedic effect."

The answer was clear.

The depth and follow-up of the subsequent reports showed that the buzz wasn't just a fleeting moment of fame.

Not only was there a third wave, but also a fourth and fifth wave.

Adam Scott: Unbelievable.

In fact, when the third wave hit, Adam had already realized his mistake.

It was clear that NBC and "The Tonight Show" production team were going all out, using every connection to ignite a media frenzy. Moreover, it seemed that William Morris was also utilizing its media resources, with Darren Star and David Crane quietly contributing from behind the scenes.

Power was quietly converging, triggering a full-scale explosion.

Then.

Before "The Hollywood Reporter" could dive into the behind-the-scenes of the show, another authoritative industry magazine, "Variety," jumped ahead with an in-depth report.

"Who is Anson Wood?"

According to Adam's later investigation, after the recording of "The Tonight Show" wrapped, Edgar contacted the editor-in-chief of "Variety," mobilizing the resources of Jay Leno, Steven Spielberg, and Darren Star, and ultimately convinced "Variety" to write a feature story first.

And it wasn't just a feature.

If it were only a feature, even for an authoritative outlet like "Variety," Edgar wouldn't have gone to such lengths. The real key was:

A feature, a cover story, and a takeover.

Originally, the cover of that issue of "Variety" was planned to feature Tom Cruise.

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg's summer blockbuster "Minority Report" was set to hit theaters on June 21st, distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film's promotional campaign had already begun, including a feature in "Variety."

But Edgar pulled some strings, even persuading Steven Spielberg to intervene.

In the end, "Variety" replaced the "Minority Report" feature at the last minute, using Anson as the cover, and the feature was entirely centered on him—

All of this happened within just one week.

Beneath the surface, the tides were shifting.

This was both a gamble and a challenge, but the key was that Edgar seized the opportunity. Even William Morris stood behind Edgar, ignoring warnings from Sony Columbia, and supported Edgar in pushing the entire project forward, successfully creating a miracle.

This issue of "Variety" became a turning point.

The magazine's focus was solely on Anson—not "The Tonight Show" or "Spider-Man," but purely Anson himself. As the summer blockbuster season was about to kick off, this bold move carved out a new path, providing readers with fresh discussion topics beyond the usual summer fare.

The story began with Paris Fashion Week, discussing Anson's fashion sense and his views on model runway shows; then it transitioned to the band, talking about the Manhattan street performances and the magical experience on "The Tonight Show;" finally, it landed on his acting career. With the upcoming release of "Spider-Man," Anson was set to lead his first major film, naturally leading to his thoughts on acting and being an actor.

Fashion, "The Tonight Show," "Spider-Man"—none of these were the focus. The only focus was Anson himself—his views on these topics, his experiences with these trending events, and his understanding of different things.

In the end, "Variety" concluded with this:

"Who is Anson Wood?

Just as a thousand people can have a thousand Hamlets, different people will see different Anson Woods. He is a mystery waiting to be unraveled, a book waiting to be read. No one knows exactly what it contains until they start to explore it. The journey has only just begun."

"Variety" magazine, one of the two pillars of Hollywood's industry publications, delivered an in-depth feature with no signs of the rushed work done in just a few days. Instead, it took a unique approach to fully present a newcomer—

A newcomer worth anticipating and exploring.

And it left the answer up to the readers.

This issue of "Variety" sold 400,000 copies in just three days, easily achieving the highest sales for the magazine in 2002, second only to the issue covering Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's wedding since the millennium. And the magazine was still selling; it wasn't impossible for it to eventually surpass that record.

Anson, "Variety."

"Variety," Anson.

A perfect win-win.

By the time things reached this point, Adam knew it was out of control—

"Spider-Man" had entered the public eye with a bang.