Johnny Carson met just about every famous person he could during his 30-year run as Tonight Show host. Yet one screen legend threw Carson off so much that he never quite understood why.
Carson welcomed icons like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, and Muhammed Ali. In his signature style, the Tonight Show host played it cool and kept the laughs coming as millions tuned in to watch his interviews.
But Carson admitted that one guest threw him for a loop. He told Betty White during a 1987 Tonight Show episode (via YouTube) that screen legend Audrey Hepburn "bothered" him.
“Strangely enough, the one time I got bothered on this show was with the one night Audrey Hepburn was on,” Carson said. “And I don’t know why.”
Carson continued, trying to find the right way to describe Hepburn's personality and why that may not have translated to a good late-night TV show guest. “You know, she is very — not aloof — proper maybe is the word. And I just didn’t know how to handle it. I don’t why but she just completely unnerved me.”
It's interesting that those traits in Hepburn are what befuddled Carson. According to Ed McMahon, Carson was also introverted and not "aloof" as many others assumed. Then again, maybe those similarities are what made it difficult for Carson to break through and create a dynamic conversation.
Watch Audrey Hepburn's Tonight Show debut
Audrey Hepburn appeared on The Tonight Show on March 30, 1976. At the time, Hepburn was just shy of turning 47, but her acting days were essentially over.
The actress came to The Tonight Show to promote the release of her film Robin and Marian, a take on the Robin Hood legend co-starring Sean Connery. Hepburn only appeared in three subsequent films.
Carson is visibly nervous in the clip, and the conversation is a little awkward at times. The Tonight Show host accurately described Hepburn years later, as her guarded persona is on full display.
The late-night legend even admitted as much during a break in the interview. After flubbing an ad read, Carson blamed Hepburn for making him "upset and excited."
Hepburn had that effect on countless people during her storied career. So Carson can be excused for losing his cool just for a night.