Jay Leno was momentarily taken aback. He never expected that the joke from the opening would come full circle and have a follow-up response now. If he weren't 100% sure that this conversation hadn't been pre-planned, he might have suspected that the show's producers had coordinated with Anson beforehand.
A hint of admiration flickered in Jay's eyes, but at the same time, he started gearing up for a challenge—after all, this was *The Tonight Show*, his domain. There was no way he would let a young kid take control of the conversation.
After a brief pause, Jay launched his counterattack, "So you're saying you didn't come on the show to promote your movie?"
Even though Jay maintained his friendly smile, and the words sounded like light-hearted banter, Anson could sense the sharp edge hidden beneath them.
Anson looked at Jay and replied, "Is that really up to me?"
Jay burst out laughing, quickly seizing on the opening in Anson's words, "So, what you're saying is, you want to promote it, but the choice isn't in your hands, right?"
Anson calmly responded, "If I denied that, it would be pretty irresponsible, don't you think? After all, no one wants their project to flop. What do you think, Connor?"
Connor: "Huh?"
Connor, caught off guard and completely unsure how he got pulled into the conversation, instinctively nodded in agreement—unable to even process what was happening, let alone seek help. This quick shift in the conversation effectively broke the tension between Anson and Jay, giving the studio audience a chance to breathe, with suppressed laughter bubbling up inside them.
However.
Jay wasn't going to let Anson off the hook that easily. As the king of late-night talk shows, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Waving his hands dismissively, Jay said, "No, no, no. That's not what you just said. You turned down the record company's offer—that's different from their situation. So, your appearance on the show today must also be different, right?"
He left it at that, but the implication was clear.
Though Jay didn't explicitly say it, the subtext was unmistakable: He was hinting that Anson had options and a way out, so he didn't care about the band's fate and was using the band as a topic to promote his movie instead.
This kind of thing happened all the time in Hollywood.
The key point was that Jay kept things vague. He didn't accuse or mock, leaving room for the audience to speculate.
With this, Anson found himself in a tough spot.
So, what should he do?
At this point, even Edgar was sweating.
The taping of *The Tonight Show* was too important, so Edgar had to oversee it personally—there was no reason for him to miss it. But now, their plan to promote the movie on *The Tonight Show* had been laid bare by Jay, causing Edgar's temples to throb.
Of course, being exposed was no big deal in itself.
The real concern wasn't the reaction or feelings of the three band members; it was that, from today on, Hollywood would likely start spreading rumors about Anson being manipulative. This could have a negative impact on Anson's reputation.
Edgar quietly clenched his fists, regaining his composure.
Although he couldn't quite understand what was going on with Jay, the situation was still salvageable. After the taping, he would need to meet with the producer and Jay, so he was already thinking about how to approach that conversation.
His mind was racing.
In those fleeting moments, Edgar was already strategizing; meanwhile, on stage, the exchange between Anson and Jay was still unfolding.
Jay looked at Anson, a slight hint of challenge and anticipation in his eyes.
The studio audience still hadn't grasped what was happening. Even Connor and the others hadn't noticed anything amiss, though they could feel the tension in the air.
All eyes were now on Anson.
Then.
Anson shrugged lightly, "Alright, you caught me."
Connor: "Huh?"
Jay: "What?"
But Anson didn't give Jay or the audience any time to react, immediately turning to face the crowd with a smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, on May 3rd, 'Spider-Man' will be hitting theaters everywhere. You're all welcome to watch the story of how a teenager's life gets turned upside down."
"Oh my God, you're going to love this movie, because Peter Parker and I are completely different. You'll be amazed by Peter Parker's kindness and innocence."
A smile curled at the corner of his lips.
A one-second pause—
Applause, cheers, whistles, and screams.
Like a storm sweeping through the room, the entire studio finally reached its peak, caught in a frenzy like a tropical cyclone.
Jay Leno: …
He had to admit, he didn't see that coming.
"Calculating" is a negative term.
Although everyone knows that in the small, fame-driven world of Hollywood, everyone is scheming and plotting, and those who are naïve and honest have long since been chewed up and spit out; still, no one is willing to admit that they are crafty.
Even top stars like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Brad Pitt are no exception.
Look at how Brad and Jennifer Aniston reacted when the "Friends" crew revealed that Brad had demanded Anson be kicked off the show. They didn't dare take the risk, didn't dare risk tarnishing their image, and in the end, they had to patch things up with Anson.
Naturally, you can imagine that a newcomer like Anson wouldn't want to be labeled that way either.
And that was Jay Leno's trap—
He didn't spell it out, just hinted at it.
So, if Anson explained, it would be equivalent to admitting it; if he didn't, he might be caught in a storm of public opinion.
Jay Leno was curious about how Anson would react.
Although "The Tonight Show" isn't usually all about "being nice to everyone," Jay Leno rarely attacks his guests either. Everyone's in Hollywood, crossing paths all the time, so there's no need to be confrontational.
Today, Jay Leno became interested because of Anson's performance and, before he knew it, he had revealed a sharper side of himself.
However! But! To Jay Leno's surprise—
Anson just broke it wide open.
Not only did he break it open, but he also took the opportunity to promote his movie.
Now, it was Jay Leno who found himself in an awkward position.
If Jay Leno didn't recover quickly, he might be the one branded as "calculating, attacking his interview guests," which wouldn't be a good look with the summer movie season just around the corner. "The Tonight Show" couldn't afford to get caught up in that kind of controversy.
More importantly, Jay Leno admired Anson's decisive response.
Instead of retreating, he advanced.
With a straightforward and open stance, he turned the hidden scheme into an open strategy, which made him seem honest and upright, instantly transforming his image.
Just look at the audience's first reaction in the studio, and you'll see the outcome—
After all, let's be honest, isn't every guest who comes on "The Tonight Show" there to promote something?
So, what's the difference between promoting a band and promoting a movie?
Respect, true respect.
Jay Leno was momentarily stunned, his mind racing, and then, a smile began to spread across his face, a genuine smile that started to bubble up from within.
Finally, he laughed out loud.
"Ha."
Jay Leno shook his head lightly, and once the studio's fervor had subsided a bit, he spread his hands.
"Anson, you've stolen my job."
This was essentially him giving Anson the green light to promote his movie.
Behind the audience, Edgar was dumbfounded. The crisis had been defused just like that.
That was Anson for you.
That's why he was Anson.
But then Edgar thought, maybe this was an opportunity, a chance for Anson and Jay Leno to become friends, a chance for Anson to break into the world of talk shows.
The actions that had paused now resumed with renewed urgency.