Though late night television host, writer and comedian Jay Leno is a well-known automobile enthusiast, don’t ask him what his favorite vehicle is.
“I get that one a lot,” Leno said of the things fans ask him as he was preparing to host an in-person car giveaway at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Monday, Oct. 2. “But, you know, I like cars and have about 200 and change.”
That evening, one lucky casino patron rode out in a 2023 Rolls Royce Ghost valued at $404,719.28, while four runner up finalists had the chance to earn $3,500-$20,000 in free play.
“I don’t have any Rolls Royce, so maybe I’ll win it,” Leno joked before making the night’s final drawing.
“Oh, I picked my own name! What are the odds,” he said. “It’s exciting because there’s so many horrible things in the world, so it’s nice to be able to see people be happy and have fun, and it’s like, when do you even get a chance to sit in a Rolls Royce let alone win one.”
As a comic, Leno made his first appearance on late night television in the late ’70s and in 1986, he became a frequent substitute host for Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show.” He replaced Carson in 1992, becoming the host for NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He left briefly in 2009 as Conan O’Brien took over, but returned a year later. He hosted his final episode on Feb. 6, 2014.
In 2021, he led the revival of the “You Bet Your Life” game show with his co-host Kevin Eubanks, who worked alongside him on “The Tonight Show.” He also produces and hosts the CNBC primetime show and web series, “Jay Leno’s Garage,” which focuses on car and motorcycle reviews.
Before Leno announced the Rolls Royce winner, he spoke to Southern California News Group about his time as a Rolls Royce employee, his views on electric vehicles, the state of comedy and more. The following conversation was edited for space and clarity.
Q: Have you ever driven a Rolls Royce?
Leno: Oh yeah, I used to work for Rolls Royce. I was like a new car prep guy. I’d put on the license plates, polish it for the guy, that sort of stuff. They used to call it a lot boy, and they’d say, ‘The guy is here. Bring the car around,’ and you’d burn rubber in the parking lot.
Q: You recently drove Raglan’s Tesla-powered Land Rover Defender. What was that like?
Leno: It was interesting. It’s quiet, has a lot of power and is faster than the stock one. It doesn’t burn any gas, so it’s fine with me.
Q: What are your thoughts about electric vehicles and the focus on them in the current car market?
Leno: To me, it’s another alternative. I mean, gas is almost $7 a gallon in California, and electric cars run you maybe 10-20 percent of that. I drove down here in a Tesla, and to come here and back, that would’ve been $120 in gas. With electricity, it’s still expensive, but nowhere near as bad.
Q: As a car enthusiast, what is it like to work on “Jay Leno’s Garage?”
Leno: Great. We’ve done “Jay Leno’s Garage” on YouTube for 13 years, and then we had that celebrity version on broadcast TV that was like a rolling “Tonight Show.” We’d have people like George Clooney talk about what kind of car they like, go for a drive and talk about how it was the car you first made love in or whatever it would be (for each celebrity).
Q: To shift gears a bit, I know you’re on tour and have performed around the country in many places, including at casinos in Southern California and in Las Vegas. How do you feel at those casino shows performing as a comedian?
Leno: I performed here, and it’s a great room. This is Vegas, except it’s not in Vegas, which is nice. This is as nice as any casino you’d see in Vegas, and it’s cool that you don’t have to go all the way there to experience it. I’ve been doing standup for 50 years and was lucky enough to get “The Tonight Show,” but even then, I’d be on the road every weekend. You have to keep doing it. You can’t do it and stop and then suddenly do it again. If you’re carrying material around in your head, you’ve go to do it all.
Q: Do you have any favorite casino games?
Leno: I’m not a gambler. If you work at these places, you shouldn’t gamble.
Q: As a casino reporter, I can guess I can relate to that, too, right?
Leno: I rest my case.
Q: In this stage of your career, are there things you find funny now that you maybe you didn’t before?
Leno: It’s actually the other way around. It’s stuff that we found funny before that you can’t do now. But you know it’s not bad, it’s like everything else. In the old days, there were women and gay jokes, and it’s probably better we don’t do those anymore. I think you can tease and poke fun at people. It’s a classic (case of) if they’re laughing with you and you’re not laughing at them, I don’t find it that hard. Everyone likes being teased and that sense of humor. You have to know when you crossed the line, and it’s a fine line in comedy.
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