The Greatest Showman#654 - king of talk

The spacious studio was quietly restless. The 300 seats in the auditorium were filled, and a soft murmur of whispers and low voices echoed throughout, whether from curiosity or excitement. The collective breath of the crowd was like dandelions fluttering across the sky—it might obscure the view, but it created a fuzzy veil over everything in sight. The staff moved swiftly, their pace quickening as they completed tasks, preparing for the next segment.

Jay Leno, host of The Tonight Show, sat behind his desk, taking a break between recordings as he studied the interview materials in his hands.

He wore a dark blue suit with a burgundy diagonal-striped tie, looking just a bit younger in his steadiness. His signature large chin still stood out prominently.

Having succeeded Johnny Carson as the king of late-night talk shows, Jay had hosted NBC's The Tonight Show for 19 years. Throughout this time, the show had consistently dominated the late-night ratings, holding onto its position as the most iconic talk show in America.

For any movie to appear on The Tonight Show for promotion was a rare opportunity, and for any actor to sit across from Jay Leno was a chance to showcase their presence. But not just anyone in Hollywood could secure such a spot.

A makeup artist knelt beside Jay and quickly touched up his makeup, absorbing the shine along the sides of his nose and ensuring the lighting wouldn't interfere with the camera. She wiped the sweat from his forehead and temples, signaling when the touch-up was complete.

Jay placed the script down on the table and nodded to the director, signaling that he was ready. The director turned around, waved his hand, and the room fell into instant silence. The red camera light flickered on, and a countdown from the chief director echoed through the headsets of the crew. "Three, two, one..."

Jay flashed his signature smile. "Welcome back. Before we bring out our next guest, let me take thirty seconds to talk about something interesting that happened this morning."

"Outside the studio today, there were about seven or eight hundred people. Our studio's not that big, so we can't fit that many in here. It surprised me, and I thought they were here to support me. So, I stepped forward to thank them." Jay continued, relaxed and skilled in his delivery, "But, they were screaming at me, calling me 'Master,' and saying they couldn't wait to see a showdown between me and 'The Young Master.' Yes, they never mentioned me at all; it was all about this young master. I swear, no one knows my nickname, except maybe my own fantasies. I suddenly realized I might have walked into the wrong studio."

Jay's self-deprecating humor had the audience in fits of laughter, and without missing a beat, he tapped a pencil on the table. "Let's welcome, Renly Hall!"

The room erupted in cheers, shouts, and whistles as the door on the left opened, and Renly walked onto the stage. The volume of the applause skyrocketed, turning into the most generous and welcoming roar, as if the audience was part of a thunderous wave of energy. Every corner of the auditorium was filled with jumping, clapping, and laughing, the intensity almost like a fireworks display.

Renly waved towards the audience with a bright smile, not pausing as he made his way to Jay, who stood to give him a friendly hug before Renly sat down on the sofa next to him.

Despite the continued cheering, calls like "Renly!" "Master!" "Handsome!" "Sexy!" filled the air, demonstrating the distinctive styles of The Tonight Show and The Ellen Show—but here, it was more unabashed and intense.

Jay raised a hand, silencing the crowd. He then turned to Renly with a smile. "Welcome to The Tonight Show. So, what should I call you? Lan? Master Li? Master Hall?"

"The Young Master will do," Renly replied with a grin, his tone calm and effortless, as though all of this was simply expected.

For the audience, this was a moment of firsts—Renly and Jay's first official interaction, and the contrast in their personalities was striking. Renly's confidence wasn't youthful pride, but a quiet elegance with a hint of sharpness, giving the conversation an intriguing edge.

Jay abandoned his original plan for the interview and asked, "So, tell me, is there a special story behind your nickname 'Young Master'?"

"I wish there were," Renly said, raising his eyebrows slightly with a playful hint of sarcasm, which caused the audience to chuckle. "But the story's actually pretty simple. In my first role, I played the young master of a rich family. That role brought me a lot of attention, but no one knew my name, so they just called me by my character's name. It's kind of like 'Harry Potter,' you know?"

"Are you sure?" Jay teased, raising an eyebrow. "I thought it was because people thought you had this rich young master vibe, or maybe because you come from a prestigious family and truly are a young master."

Renly smiled, unphased, and responded, "That's a good story. Maybe I should start using that version from now on."

As for the Hall family background, Renly kept it out of the conversation. His parents, George and Elizabeth, had never been in favor of him exploiting it for publicity, and that was one area where they shared a consensus, despite their vastly different backgrounds.

Jay, amused by Renly's response, asked, "So, how does it feel? Your first time on The Tonight Show?"

Renly leaned back with a smirk. "I thought I'd only hear that question on a morning talk show."

Jay froze for a moment, caught off guard by Renly's playful jab. The audience burst into laughter, as the subtle reference to the more earnest style of Oprah and The Ellen Show seemed out of place in the late-night setting.

Renly didn't wait for Jay to recover, continuing, "It's like a dream. Honestly, I don't quite understand why The Tonight Show agreed to have me. Are you sure my agent didn't bribe someone or secure sponsorship?"

Being featured on The Tonight Show, the most-watched late-night show in the nation, was a big deal, especially for someone like Renly, whose independent film Crazy Love was far from the usual material for a late-night guest. It was only his second talk show appearance, the first being on The Ellen Show.

Jay finally regained his composure, laughing heartily, as Renly's witty remarks hit too many targets to ignore. Jay was genuinely amused—he hadn't had an interview like this in a while.

"Your answer sounds like it belongs on a morning show," Jay responded, teasingly. The two talk shows were worlds apart, but their banter made for an entertaining contrast. "Wow! I'm so excited! Oh my God, I can't believe it!" Jay exaggerated the high-pitched exclamations, mimicking the style of Oprah's guests, and the audience roared with laughter.

Renly, unfazed, smiled and waited for the noise to die down. "Actually," he said, "I meant to say, this is just a talk show. Even though it's the most popular talk show in America, it's still just a talk show. I don't think it's harder than acting… though it's clearly not as exciting to answer..."

"Oh-oh-oh!" The crowd mixed laughter, boos, and cheers as Jay playfully raised his hands, stirring the atmosphere. He joined in with his own "boo" chant, covering his mouth with his hand.

Renly smiled brightly, spreading his arms. "How about this? I'll invite you to cameo in my next movie. We'll let the audience judge who did better. Then, this little controversy will be settled."

The challenge was unexpected. Renly was directly taking on Jay's authority.

Jay chuckled, shaking his head. "No, no, no. It's not fair. Everyone knows I'm a terrible actor."

"So, are you saying I'm a good talk show actor?" Renly quipped.

Jay opened his mouth, unsure whether to admit it, as doing so would imply that Renly's earlier jab had been spot on. Should he deny it? If he did, would he have to prove his acting skills in a movie? Should he dodge the question entirely?

The sharpness of Renly's responses was truly captivating, and Jay found himself genuinely admiring him.