Johnny Carson Bid an Emotional Farewell on His Final “Tonight Show” Broadcast, 34 Years Ago

Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years before deciding to end his late-night reign

NEED TO KNOW

• Carson's final show aired May 22, 1992, and had over 50 million viewers

• Carson was openly emotional about what the journey meant to him while also making viewers at home laugh with him one final time

Johnny Carson's farewell toThe Tonight Showwas an emotional moment that still sticks with viewers, over three decades later.

The moment was a year in the making, with Carson announcing his departure with time to give fans time to digest it. The talk show host's 30-year run ended on May 22, 1992, with a look back at three decades of discussing the evolving pop culture landscape that late-night came up in.

In his self-written monologue, Carson explained how the show would play out, the night after an explosive farewell that featured appearances by Bette Midler and Robin Williams.

"The show tonight is our farewell show; it's going to be a little bit quieter," he said at the time. "It's not going to be a performance show. One of the questions people have been asking me, especially this last month, is, 'What's it like doingThe Tonight Show,' and what does it mean to me?"

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"Well, let me try to explain it. If I could magically, somehow, that tape you just saw, make it run backwards. I would like to do the whole thing over again. It's been a hell of a lot of fun," he continued.

Carson added, "As an entertainer, it has been the great experience of my life, and I cannot imagine finding something in television after I leave tonight that would give me as much joy and pleasure, and such a sense of exhilaration, as this show has given me. It's just hard to explain."

While Carson's tone met the moment, he didn't take it too seriously either, concluding the monologue with "This is not really a performance show. This is kind of a look-back retrospective. We are going to show you some moments in time. Some images of the many people, and there have been some 23,000 people. We are going to show you a little excerpt of how the show is put together, so go get some more cheese dip and we'll be back in just a moment."

Further, the audience consisted only of family, friends, and loved ones of the crew members as Carson led the intimate goodbye, which was watched at home by over 50 million viewers.

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Carson's last words to his audience struck a balance between emotional and jovial as he shared gratitude one final time.

"And so it has come to this: I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something I always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. I want to thank the people who’ve shared this stage with me for 30 years. Mr. Ed McMahon, Mr. Doc Severinsen and you people watching," he said.

Carson continued, "I can only tell you that it has been an honor and a privilege to come into your homes all these years and entertain you. And I hope when I find something that I want to do — and I think you would like — and come back, that you’ll be as gracious in inviting me into your home as you have been. I bid you a very heartfelt good night."

On the same night, 34 years later,Byron Allenis stepping into what wasStephen Colbert's former CBS time slot, the night afterThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertended.

In an interview withTheWrap, Allen shared that his takeover being on the anniversary of Carson's farewell was by design. He explained that while the show could have premiered in the time slot in September, he encouraged the May 22 start date.

Allen himself made his wider comedy debut onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carsonin 1979, at just 18. He was the youngest comedian to ever perform during Carson's late-night reign.

"Normally, you would premiere in September, but I said ‘No, no, no, no. That’s when Johnny stepped down. That’s when I’m stepping up,' " he told the outlet.

Comics Unleashedtakes over the time slot on Friday, May 22.

Read the original article onPeople

byAndy Corry

in

May 26, 2026

Johnny Carson Bid an Emotional Farewell on His Final “Tonight Show” Broadcast, 34 Years Ago

Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show for 30 years before deciding to end his late-night reign NEED TO KNOW Carson...

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Hilary Duff returns to 2026 AMA Awards in sultry metallic gown

Hilary Duffturned heads in a sultry early 2000s-inspired number at the 2026 American Music Awards.

The singer-actress, 38, walked on the red carpet at the AMAs in a metallic chainmail gown with silver stilettos on Monday, May 25.

She kept her accessories light with dangling earrings and dainty rings so her dress could do the talking.

Duff's ensemble, which isreportedly from Rabanne, made a statement on stage as she presented theaward for New Artist of the Year.

It's her first time at theaward ceremony since 2005,according to People. That year, the former Disney starperformedher song "Beat Of My Heart."

Hilary Duff:Former Disney star reveals world tour – How to get tickets, presales, more

Duff is reclaiming the spotlight

Duff's AMA appearance comes amid her comeback to the spotlight. The "So Yesterday" singer was one of the stars who graced the cover ofthe 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, rocking a cream one-piece bathing suit by OYE Swimwear.

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"I'm a mom of four, and I'm not a spring chicken," Duff told the magazine of her Sports Illustrated debut. "I don't typically frolic around in a bathing suit, so it was a little scary. But it was also incredibly empowering. It was a mostly female crew on set, and it really felt like a celebration of women."

Earlier this year, Duff took fans back to the beginning with herLas Vegas residency,where she performed songs like "Wake Up" and "Someone's Watching Over Me."

Following the release of her latest project, "Luck...or something," Duff isgearing up for her "Lucky Me Tour"this summer.

Speaking toBillboard on the 2026 AMA Awardsred carpet, she said she has "some surprises" in store for her upcoming show.

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Hilary Duff makes epic comeback in silver gown at 2026 AMAs

byAndy Corry

in

May 26, 2026

Hilary Duff returns to 2026 AMA Awards in sultry metallic gown

Hilary Duffturned heads in a sultry early 2000s-inspired number at the 2026 American Music Awards. The singer-actress, 38, walked ...

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Paul McCartney Compares Taylor Swift’s Worldwide Fame to The Beatles, Says He's a 'Grandad' to Star's Generation

Paul McCartney compared Taylor Swift's global fame to The Beatles' success during an interview with BBC Sounds aired on May 24

NEED TO KNOW

• McCartney praised Swift and other artists, including Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo, calling them “very good” singers

• Last year, Swift broke The Beatles' record for most songs simultaneously in the Global Chart Top 10

Paul McCartneyis admiringTaylor Swift's stardom!

During an interview onBBC Soundsreleased on Sunday, May 24, McCartney, 83, discussed traveling the world to perform withThe Beatlesand his solo career. The “Maybe I'm Amazed” singer was asked if he would giveSwift, 36, any advice as she appears to have accomplished the same level of global fame.

“You do see the parallel, you know the fame and the amount of fame,” said McCartney in a clip from the interview posted onBBC Radio 2's Instagram.

“The worldwide fame that Taylor Swift has and that we had, but I don't think she needs any advice to tell you the truth,” he continued with a chuckle.

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At the height of Beatlemania,John Lennondescribed the foursome as “bigger than Jesus” in a 1966 interview with U.K. newspaperThe London Evening Standard. He subsequently apologized for the comment in a press conference held before the band's final U.S. tour.

The “Yesterday” artists have sold over 600 million albums worldwide and remain the group with the most No. 1 hits in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

BBC journalist Vernon Kay emphasized McCartney's musical accomplishments in the BBC Sounds interview as he continued to quiz the singer about advice for Swift.

“If she asked for it, I definitely would,” said McCartney. “I'm like the older brother to that generation, or more like the grandad, actually.”

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The “Silly Love Songs” singer revealed that he's met Swift and pop stars includingBillie Eilish,Olivia RodrigoandSabrina Carpenterat parties hosted by his wife,Nancy Shevelland daughter,Stella McCartney.

“They're really cool people, they're very good,” he said of the singers.

“I like their voices,” McCartney continued, adding, “If they need any advice, yeah, I would be happy to give it, but I don't think they do.”

Swift broke the Beatles' record for having the most songs simultaneously on the United World Top 10 chart in October last year, U.K. newspaperThe TelegraphandParadereported. The “Opalite” singer racked up seven songs, while the Liverpudlian band had six in 1964.

McCartney's candid comments about Swift come after he spoke aboutnot wanting to take photos with fansduring a recent appearance onThe Rest Is Entertainment, a U.K.-based podcast.

He confessed to having a “long-winded explanation” that has to do with a tourist attraction in Saint-Tropez, France, when people ask him to pose for a snap.

“There's a guy on the beachfront who's got a monkey, and you pay to have your photo taken with the monkey,” McCartney explained. “So I say, ‘I really do not want to feel like that monkey. And when I take a picture with you, I do feel like him. I'm not me. I'm suddenly something else.”

“It's a phenomenon of how we live now,” he concluded.

Read the original article onPeople

byAndy Corry

in

May 26, 2026

Paul McCartney Compares Taylor Swift’s Worldwide Fame to The Beatles, Says He's a 'Grandad' to Star's Generation

Paul McCartney compared Taylor Swift's global fame to The Beatles' success during an interview with BBC Sounds aired on May 24 ...

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“Wuthering Heights ”Director Says She Regrets Cutting Margot Robbie's 'Extremely Hairy Armpits' from the Film

Emerald Fennell said she regrets cutting a Wuthering Heights scene showing Margot Robbie's character with unshaven armpits

NEED TO KNOW

• The director said she'd been bothered by how period dramas often showed women as smooth-skinned, despite razors not being available at the time

• "They're all kind of hairless like eels," Fennell recalled of women in other period dramas, set around the time of Wuthering Heights

Emerald Fennellis looking back on aWuthering Heightsstyle decision that was cut from the film.

On Friday, May 22, the director spoke at Hay Festival in Wales and opened up about her adaptation of Emily Brontë's novel, which was released in theaters in February 2026.

In hindsight, she admitted, Fennell wished she'd kept a scene with Cathy (played byMargot Robbie) in which her unshaven armpits were visible, because it would have been more accurate to the time period.

Fennell said she was often bothered by the hairless skin of women in period dramas, because it applied modern beauty standards to a time when they weren't physically attainable.

"Where are the razors that these women are using?" she recalled asking while watching Jane Austen film adaptations. "They're all kind of hairless like eels. I'm like: ‘What's going on? It's completely mad.'”

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Waxing and hair removal creams existed for many centuries prior to the events ofWuthering Heights, though it was only truly accessible to wealthy nobility.

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PerGillette UK, English women began removing hair from their face and body with safety razors in the early 1900s, after the First World War — several centuries after Brontë's novel was published in 1847.

For that reason, it was "so important" to Fennell to show Cathy's body hair as historically accurate, the director said. "Unfortunately, the scene that we see them [in] didn't make it in there," she added.

Fennell's adaptation ofWuthering Heightsdrew some criticism for its lack of historical accuracy — from Cathy's ostentatious attire, to the race of Heathcliff (played byJacob Elordi), to the plot of the film itself, which deviated significantly from Brontë's gothic novel.

However, Fennell previously explained the disparities by noting her rendition was meant to embody the version she "remembered reading" as a 14-year-old, in which she "wanted stuff to happen that never happened."

"So it isWuthering Heights,but it isn't," Fennell said of her adaptation in aninterview with Fandango, published in January. "The thing for me is you can't adapt a book as dense and complicated and difficult as this book— I can't say I'm makingWuthering Heights. It's not possible. What I can say is I'm making a version of it."

Wuthering Heightsis now streaming on HBO Max.

Read the original article onPeople

byAndy Corry

in

May 25, 2026

“Wuthering Heights ”Director Says She Regrets Cutting Margot Robbie's 'Extremely Hairy Armpits' from the Film

Emerald Fennell said she regrets cutting a Wuthering Heights scene showing Margot Robbie's character with unshaven armpits NE...

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Jacob Elordi Reacts to This “Euphoria” Character's Gruesome Death Involving a Boa Constrictor and a Coffin

Warning: this post contains spoilers for the penultimate episode ofEuphoriaseason 3.

NEED TO KNOW

• In the penultimate episode of Euphoria season 3, one main character died

• Following the episode, Jacob Elordi broke down the episode

• The finale airs next Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO

Nate Jacobs has finally met his maker.

On the May 24 episode ofEuphoriaseason 3,Jacob Elordi's character Nate died. Nate (Elordi) has been in trouble all season due to money he owes Naz (Jack Topalian), and in the penultimate episode of the season, his luck ran out.

Nate was trapped inside a coffin that was buried underground, with just a small hole for air. A rattlesnake got through the hole and he was brutally attacked. Hours later, Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy (Alexa Demie) found his body.

Following the episode, fans got a behind-the-scenes look at how Elordi's death was filmed as he detailed what it was like being placed inside a coffin with a real snake.

"I had to go into this coffin. My shoulders were touching the side, and I couldn't move my arms, and then they would drill the lid on, and it would get dark," Elordi, 28, said during a post-show segment that aired on May 24 on HBO. "It was really nice, actually. It was quite peaceful in there."

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He was "tucked in this box, with dust falling on me, and a snake coming down the pipe," he said.

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There was a real snake involved in the scene, too. "They had a boa constrictor that they put a fake rattler on the end of, and [creator] Sam [Levinson] was like, 'We're just gonna drop a snake on you,'" Elordi said. "The snakes were rattling, which is really alarming when you're locked in a box."

In the end, he said the snake was "super cute."

"He was, like, real cuddly, so he just saddled up next to me, and it was nice," the actor said. "But he was real sleepy. I had to kind of nudge him to get him to come up."

Despite Nate's gruesome end, he thought it was a "cool way to go."

"Nate is someone who's made so many mistakes and made so many dark choices. It's cool to see it all come to what it's come to," Elordi said of the character he's played since 2019.

Nate's death is the first major character to die in season 3. Elordi called it "bittersweet" in his post-episode interview.

"This show is a massive part of, not just my career, but my life. It's been amazing, and I'm so proud, being a part of this," he said.

TheEuphoriaseason 3 finale airs Sunday, May 31, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Read the original article onPeople

byAndy Corry

in

May 25, 2026

Jacob Elordi Reacts to This “Euphoria” Character's Gruesome Death Involving a Boa Constrictor and a Coffin

Warning: this post contains spoilers for the penultimate episode ofEuphoriaseason 3. NEED TO KNOW In the penultimate ep...

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Hayden Panettiere recalls first onscreen makeout at 13 — with ‘20-something-year-old guy’ in “Raising Helen”

While reflecting on her various film projects, Hayden Panettiere shares memories from the 2004 movie Raising Helen with EW.

Key Points

• The actress had her "first makeout" scene on the project with a man she thinks was at least seven years older than her.

• "I was shocked that he used his tongue!" she says. "I couldn't believe it, and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

Hayden Panettierestill has more stories to tell.

Ahead of the release of her headline-making memoir,Entertainment Weeklyspoke to the 36-year-old actress about the book and her career, including memories from the 2004 movieRaising Helen.

“Garry Marshall— an amazing man, the director who's no longer with us — he was just such an incredible person to work with,” Panettiere said.

When asked if being a mother of11-year-old daughter Kayachanged the way she watches the film, which follows Kate Hudson’s Helen stepping in to raise her nieces and nephews, including Panettiere’s Aubrey, she admitted that she hasn’t seen the project in years.

“I don't tend to go back and rewatch things that I do. You're lucky if I sit through the premiere of it and I don't run off and hide in the bathroom stall, which has happened before,” she explained to EW. “I don't want to nitpick them. I have amazing memories of what it was like being on set and being a part of the creation of it, which was much more important.”

Panettiere was 13 at the time of production, playing a 15-year-old.

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“Can you believe I was 13 in that movie? At certain points, they had me dressed up like you would've thought [I was way older],” she said. “I look back at pictures, people tell me how young I look now, but it's crazy because when I was 13, I almost looked like I was a teenager — the tummy out, the smokey eyes.”

Panettiere recalled “the first makeout ever in my life was onRaising Helen,” seemingly with bad boy BZ played by Michael Esparza.

“My mom [was] watching me with a 20-something-year-old guy while I was 13. I was shocked that he used his tongue! I couldn't believe it, and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it,” she told EW with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Oh, that's how it's done. Got it.’ I've got a lot of very great memories, funny memories from that, for sure.”

WhilePanettiere’s book,This Is Me: A Reckoning, includes stories from various projects likeRemember the Titans, Heroes,andNashville,she noted, “If I had told every single solitary story, the book would be five 300-page books.”

She also dives deep into her personal life, including herabusive relationshipwith ex Brian Hickerson.

“I really hope that by reading about the trials and tribulations that I've gone through, that it can help [readers] overcome their own obstacles and make sure that they know that they're not alone, because that's the worst feeling in the world — especially when you're going through a trying time — is to feel alone,” Panettiere told EW. “All you want to know is that somebody else has gone through and survived what you're going through right now, and even though in the moment it feels like you'll never be okay again. But I also hope people laugh through it as well. I think there's a good balance.”

This Is Me: A Reckoningis available wherever books are sold.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byAndy Corry

in

May 25, 2026

Hayden Panettiere recalls first onscreen makeout at 13 — with ‘20-something-year-old guy’ in “Raising Helen”

While reflecting on her various film projects, Hayden Panettiere shares memories from the 2004 movie Raising Helen with EW. Key ...

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'The Mandalorian and Grogu' box office revealed – How did it do?

It's been a long time, but moviegoers are finally returning to a galaxy far, far away.

"The Mandalorian and Grogu," the first new "Star Wars" movie since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," grossed $82 million in its three-day opening weekend at the domestic box office, according to estimates from Comscore released on Sunday, May 24.

That would be the lowest-grossing opening weekend for a "Star Wars" movie released by Disney, though only by a hair. In 2018, the Han Solo prequel "Solo: A Star Wars Story" opened similarly with $84 million over three days and $103 million through Memorial Day.

With "Solo," those numbers were considered hugely disappointing, and the movie was ultimately a box office failure. But "The Mandalorian and Grogu" should have an easier path to profitability because its budget is reportedly much lower.

According toVarietyandThe Hollywood Reporter, "Mandalorian" cost $165 million to make. That would make it cheaper than other recent "Star Wars" movies, so it carries with it a different set of box office expectations and doesn't need to reach the enormous heights of the franchise's past films to be a success. "Solo," for comparison,reportedly had a budgetof $250 million or more, and its price tag was inflated due to significant reshoots after the original directors were fired during production.

Still, the "Mandalorian" launch is certainly a comedown from "Star Wars" at the peak of its box office powers. In 2015, "The Force Awakens" opened to a staggering $247 million domestically, and it is still the highest-grossing film of all time in the United States, not adjusted for inflation. Its sequels, 2017's "The Last Jedi" and 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker," opened with $220 million and $177 million, respectively, and the spinoff "Rogue One" also had a strong opening of $155 million in 2016.

Lucasfilm always planned for "Star Wars" to take a break from movie theaters after 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker." But that break turned out to be much longer than expected, as in the years since the divisive trilogy capper, the studio seemed to struggle to find the best way to relaunch "Star Wars" on the big screen. Several "Star Wars" movies were announced from 2019 onwards that were bound for theaters, including a fighter pilot movie called "Rogue Squadron" that was at one point scheduled for 2023.

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But none of these projects came to fruition, leading more and more years to pass with no new "Star Wars" film in sight. All the while, the series lived on the small screen with numerous Disney+ shows.

By 2024, Lucasfilm seemed to seek a safe, reliable bet for a "Star Wars" movie that wouldn't be difficult to get off the ground, so they turned to the most popular of their Disney+ shows: "The Mandalorian," which made "Baby Yoda" a pop culture phenomenon in 2019. "The Mandalorian and Grogu" continues the story of the show, withPedro Pascalreturning as bounty hunter Din Djarin, but with a plot intended to be approachable for newcomers who haven't watched the series.

Reviews for "The Mandalorian and Grogu" were mixed, and the movie's 62% critics' approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes is one of the lowest of the franchise.

But audiences seem to be liking "Mandalorian" well enough that it should have solid legs in theaters as the summer continues. Moviegoers polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of A-. That's the same average rating as "Solo" and an improvement on "The Rise of Skywalker," which received a B+. But it's a step down from "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi," which each earned A grades. "Rogue One" also received an A.

As a largely standalone story without many unresolved threads, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" doesn't provide much indication of where "Star Wars" will go from here, and the fact that it's based on a TV show may have limited its audience or led some moviegoers to simply wait to watch it on Disney+.

But the bigger test of the franchise's health will come next summer with "Star Wars: Starfighter," an all-new adventure starringRyan Goslingthat will take the series' timeline beyond the ending of "The Rise of Skywalker" for the first time. The pressure is high for that movie to establish a new era for "Star Wars" movies and prove that the Force is still strong with the brand.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How did 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' perform at the box office?

byAndy Corry

in

May 24, 2026

'The Mandalorian and Grogu' box office revealed – How did it do?

It's been a long time, but moviegoers are finally returning to a galaxy far, far away. "The Mandalorian and Grogu," ...

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