As the noise in the studio gradually subsided, Jay Leno's gaze towards Anson grew more appreciative.
Typically, each interview segnt on a talk show lasts about ten minutes, with the recording taking around twenty to twenty-five minutes. The final cut is edited down to the highlights. To keep things on track, the host usually follows an interview outline prepared in advance.
But today, Jay Leno had completely abandoned the outline. Instead, he let the conversation flow naturally, and it led to one exciting mont after another. Even Jay Leno himself beca more enthusiastic—sweeping away the earlier dullness from his interviews with Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor.
Who would have thought that today's big surprise was hidden here?
Looking at Anson, Jay Leno couldn't help but feel curious—a feeling that often sparks great television monts. For soone as seasoned as Jay, there was no reason to miss such an opportunity.
"So, I have a question. Didn't the record company contact you?"
Since they were able to reach Connor and the others, it didn't make sense that they couldn't find Anson.
Anson shrugged lightly, "I was busy with other work at the ti."
With a casual tone, Anson glossed over the topic, clearly not wanting to delve deeper into it. After all, they had co to the show as an independent band.
In reality, Anson had received a call, but he thought it was a scam—one of those cons that preyed on ordinary people with dreams of stardom. Around the turn of the millennium, such scams were at their peak, and with the internet still in its infancy, countless people fell victim to them despite the frequent warnings.
As soone who had lived through this era, Anson wasn't going to be fooled.
Not only did he not believe it, but he also played a prank on the caller.
However, given that Connor had just shared such a heartfelt story, Anson didn't want to spoil the mood. But that was only if Jay Leno was willing to let it go and not press further.
Jay Leno picked up the papers in front of him. "According to our research, you were busy filming a movie at the ti—a major film, 'Spider-Man,' correct?"
Slowly, Jay Leno threw out the bait.
Ah.
Blair couldn't help but let out a low gasp, but she quickly realized she shouldn't disrupt the recording.
The others might not understand, but Blair and Karen certainly did.
"Spider-Man"—that was Blair's most anticipated movie of the sumr, without question.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably, and even though she covered her mouth to stay silent, every cell in her body was screaming with excitent.
Anson was stunned, "Yes, I had a small role."
Jay Leno imdiately picked up on the playful tone in Anson's voice, smiling as he responded, "A small role nad Peter Parker?"
In the studio—
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Peter Parker? That na sounds familiar.
This wasn't yet the era where superheroes dominated the screen. Superhero comics were still a niche interest, and although Spider-Man was a household na, it took a mont for people to connect the dots.
Anson could hear the teasing in Jay Leno's voice, "Yes, the filming was very busy."
Jay Leno, seeing that Anson wasn't biting, didn't keep going in circles. He turned to the audience, "Ladies and gentlen, let's welco Anson Wood, the actor playing Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man."
Wait… what?
Finally, the face from the "Spider-Man" posters plastered all over town clicked with the person standing right in front of them, and the entire studio erupted in a wave of excitent.
Blair: Ah, ah, ah!
The audience's reaction wasn't as wild as Blair's. They applauded while exchanging glances, their eyes full of shock and disbelief—
Was this so new marketing stunt by the "Spider-Man" team?
Anson wasn't surprised. There was no way "The Tonight Show" team wouldn't know about this. In fact, this was why Edgar had been so enthusiastic about the show—
Since Sony-Columbia didn't believe in Anson and couldn't break the contract to arrange their own promotions, appearing on the show as a band mber allowed Anson to sidestep legal restrictions. Once Anson got the chance to showcase himself, and incidentally promote "Spider-Man," Sony-Columbia would have to stay quiet.
In other words, even if "The Tonight Show" team hadn't figured it out, Edgar would have found a way to drop a hint.
Judging by the current situation, not only had the show's team discovered this, but Jay Leno was also prepared to make a big deal out of it.
So, Anson didn't keep dodging. He stood up and, under the confused stares of everyone in the studio, simply… walked out.
Blair: Huh?
Joy and excitent slamd on the brakes, suddenly turning into confusion and shock. Blair stared at Anson's "dramatic exit," her mind filled with questions.
Karen was equally stunned and nudged Blair with her shoulder.
But Blair couldn't respond. The excitent and joy still lingered on her face, but the focus in her eyes was gone, leaving her utterly baffled.
What… just happened?
It wasn't just Blair and Karen—Connor's other two bandmates sitting next to Anson were just as caught off guard.
Miles, the straightforward one, quickly scanned the crew for cues. But he was too flustered to care anymore and called out, "Anson, we're still recording."
Miles looked to Connor and Lily for help.
Lily wasn't surprised. She curiously watched Anson, half-expecting him to pull a rabbit out of a hat or sothing. It seed to her that whatever Anson did was sohow reasonable. But then she realized things were going off the rails because Anson wasn't stopping—he was really leaving the set.
Sothing was definitely wrong.
Then, just like Connor, she stared in stunned silence at Anson's actions, her face frozen in shock.
What exactly was Anson planning to do?
Even the seasoned Jay Leno was montarily taken aback—this wasn't part of the script.
Anson stood up, his expression calm and composed, with a slight smile on his face. He began walking toward the entrance on the right side of the studio and… simply walked out.
He just… left…
The atmosphere in the studio turned almost comical. Monts earlier, the audience had been cheering and clapping, but now they were exchanging bewildered glances, completely unsure of what to do. The collective confusion was palpable, and a wave of uncertainty swept through the room, as if the air itself was filled with question marks.
Jay Leno, who had once defeated David Letterman to beco the host of "The Tonight Show" and held the top spot in the ratings for a decade without faltering, was no slouch. His reputation wasn't built on empty accolades.
Even in the face of chaos, there was always a way out—this was a recorded show, after all. The director could simply pause the recording, and in the worst-case scenario, the episode could be shelved and never aired, effectively buried.
Censorship.
In other words, no matter what happened, Jay Leno had a safety net, and there was no need for him to panic.
But Jay didn't want to pause the recording. He didn't want to admit that Anson had thrown him off his ga. He didn't want to lose to this young upstart.
His mind began to race, working at full speed.
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