Quentin Tarantino has built some of the strongest working relationships in Hollywood. While he has had a very controversial relationship with the now-disgraced Harvey Weinstein, he's gotten close with many of his recurring stars. When Quentin finds an actor he loves, he does everything he can to make sure he can continue working with them. And this relationship usually spills out of the confines of the creative world into his personal life. For example, Quentin enjoys a social relationship with Christoph Waltz, who has starred in two of his films. Brad Pitt is also someone Quentin enjoys being around despite the fact that there's something about him that deeply annoys the filmmaker.
Outside of Quentin's creative collaborations, his relationships get a bit dicier. He's had a couple of major feuds with other celebrities, most notably director Spike Lee. But Quentin has also crossed some of the most notable names in late-night television. This is definitely true of former Tonight Show host Jay Leno. Here's the messy truth about their relationship...
Quentin Got Plastered On The Tonight Show And Leno Wasn't Happy
Jay Leno ran a very tight ship when he was the host of The Tonight Show, following Johnny Carson's iconic run as host. While Jay was the most-watched late-night talk show host of the time, many didn't like his formulas and tight restrictions on comedy. In short, Jay didn't take big creative risks like his main competitor, David Letterman, or any of the more Avante-Garde hosts like Craig Ferguson. Still, Jay had a huge audience because they loved his easy to consume program. But there have been times when his peaceful atmosphere has been thrown off. And when Quentin came on to promote Kill Bill: Volume 1, he definitely shook things up.
This is because Quentin came on while clearly intoxicated. And by that, we mean, the dude was drunk. Plastered. Gone.
Sitting between Jay and the stone-cold sober Kevin Bacon, Quentin seemed off his rocker during the 2003 interview. His eyes were hazy. His dialogue was shaky. He was a bit confrontational when Jay brought up his Golden Girls audition. And it was all a bit awkward. Funny and entertaining... but for sure awkward.
As the interview progressed, Quentin's rambling (which usually makes a lot of sense and is quite engaging) became more and more nonsensical. It was clear that he was drunk. So clear, in fact, that Jay verbally called the director out for it by saying to his audience, "Don't light a match in here."
"Quentin, have you been drinking today?" Jay Leno straight-up asked Quentin during the interview.
This caused Quentin to bow his head with a smile. He moved his body like a man clearly caught in the act.
"I bring a little bit of old Johnny Carson into the show, where Oliver Reed would be a little drunk, in the meantime, since I've done your show, you have an open bar backstage that I was unaware of [until now]," Quentin replied.
While Jay brought Quentin's state of mind up, it was clear that he wanted to move past it and talk about Kill Bill: Volume 1. Instead, Quentin wanted to talk more about the bar backstage.
"The bar is funny. Alright? I do have to say one thing though, that's kinda funny," Quentin said before sputtering off into a zone, completely forgetting what he was going to say. This allowed Jay to try and keep the interview on track. Or so he thought. As things continued, it was clear that Quentin's unruliness was getting out of hand and it was not pleasant for Jay. Without a doubt, this drove a wedge into their relationship. Of course, Quentin also got himself into trouble with David Letterman a few years later, but for completely different reasons.
Why Jay Wasn't Happy With Quentin
While any other talk show host might adore a moment like this one, as it got people paying attention, it wasn't something that fit into Jay's style of programming. As stated in the Herald Extra, Jay began to grow completely impatient with Quentin and even ended the interview early and quite abruptly.
Even though there were no repercussions from the event, Jay Leno, as well as the entire network, made it clear that they weren't happy with the performance. And they were even unhappier when Tom Green did the same thing a couple of years later. In fact, it caused both him and Jimmy Kimmel to close their backstage bars.
Still, this moment, however embarrassing and entertaining, didn't cause Quentin to get banned from the show. Jay invited him on again years later and the interview went fine. But it's clear that the late-night talk show host wasn't happy with the stunt Quentin had pulled on his otherwise clean program.
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