Drew Barrymore’s Slip on Johnny Carson’s ‘Tonight Show’ Left Her With a Positive Outlook
When Drew Barrymore was 7, she was already famous enough for an invite to be interviewed by television icon Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. It was apparent she had what it took to be a superstar from the start. One great example was how she recovered from a slip-and-fall during her entrance and the outlook she later said the moment gave her. Keep reading to find out how she recovered and the attitude she had about it.
Drew Barrymore visited Johnny Carson in 1982
As Barrymore once reminded current late-night host John Oliver, she was invited for an interview with Carson at such a young age because she was in E.T. Before she was in that classic film, she was born from a long line of actors and Hollywood royalty. So, all those factors considered, she was already famous by the time she was 7.
And after Carson introduced her for her first appearance on The Tonight Show, she emerged through that iconic curtain with all the confidence of a well-established star. But as she neared the stage, one foot slid out from under her, and she slipped right down to the floor.
At first, Carson hurried over to offer her a hand and ensure she was alright as she covered her face in embarrassment. Then, he and his co-host Ed McMahon helped her get up and safely to her seat.
“That was a funny entrance,” Carson told Barrymore. And she shared that it happened thanks to the slippery bottoms on her shoes.
Drew Barrymore’s slip in front of Johnny Carson helped rid her of ‘fear and embarrassment’
Nearly 40 years later, Barrymore recalled the moment and said it did give her a positive perspective on performing. “The first time I was on Carson, I walked up to the stage and fell,” she told Seth Meyers on Late Night With Seth Meyers. She further explained, “That was a good moment in that it never can get worse than that.”
According to the Rebel Homemaker author, “You can’t … eat it in your first time out on national television and not go, ‘Well, you know what? Only up from here.'”
She concluded there was “no fear and embarrassment anymore” after recovering from her slip with Carson.
Drew Barrymore recovered from her slip by flattering Johnny Carson
Barrymore pulled off a smooth recovery following that accidental slip. And one big way she did that was by adorably flattering her host.
“I’ve been waiting all my life to meet you, and I’m finally on the show,” she told Carson. “It’s a miracle.”
“Well, that’s why I stayed on the show an extra seven years — just so you would show up here,” he told her. “I wanted to meet you, too, because I’ve been reading all about you. You’re a lovely young actress.”
And that early practice with Carson seems to have paid off well for Barrymore. She now hosts a daytime talk show host, The Drew Barrymore Show. And she’s still a frequent visitor with the current crop of late-night hosts.
