Uploaded May 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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In 2014, Jay Leno will be ending his 22-year run as the host of The Tonight Show. After all the hilarious headlines he's skewered and people he's encountered while "Jaywalking," it's hard to imagine a time before he was at the helm of the iconic show. That's why this week, we bring you a 1985 interview between the comedian and Today host Bryant Gumbel, seven years before Leno began his tenure as Tonight Show host. Leno, who continues to perform in comedy clubs to this day, shares with Gumbel some joke-writing techniques and anecdotes from the stand-up circuit, before previewing a segment he hosted for NBC's "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes". Little did he know, his success with these smaller ventures would set him up to replace Johnny Carson at the helm of television's most beloved late-night program.
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Go to NBCUniversalArchives.com to license any portion of this video.
In 2014, Jay Leno will be ending his 22-year run as the host of The Tonight Show. After all the hilarious headlines he's skewered and people he's encountered while "Jaywalking," it's hard to imagine a time before he was at the helm of the iconic show. That's why this week, we bring you a 1985 interview between the comedian and Today host Bryant Gumbel, seven years before Leno began his tenure as Tonight Show host. Leno, who continues to perform in comedy clubs to this day, shares with Gumbel some joke-writing techniques and anecdotes from the stand-up circuit, before previewing a segment he hosted for NBC's "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes". Little did he know, his success with these smaller ventures would set him up to replace Johnny Carson at the helm of television's most beloved late-night program.
Want to see more footage of celebrities before they were celebrities? Just contact us at NBC News Archives!
Like Us on Facebook.com/NBCUArchives
Follow us on Twitter.com/NBCUArchives
