Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to Barbara Walters on his late-night talk show on Tuesday, as he revealed some advice the veteran journalist had once given him as he prepared to interview former President Barack Obama.
Legendary journalist Walters died at the age of 93 on December 30. Her career spanned over 60 years and included presenting multiple primetime news shows and specials, as well as hosting the daytime talk show The View, which she also created.
Walters' publicist said in a statement that she had "passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones." The rep added that Walters had "lived her life with no regrets," while praising her as "a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women."
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Fallon joined the host of high-profile figures paying tribute to Walters as he revealed how she helped him out more than a decade ago.
Fallon told how when he was still hosting Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2012 he landed the opportunity to interview Obama, who at the time had just embarked on his campaign for a second term in the White House.
"As any smart talk show host would do, I wanted to be as prepared as possible for this interview," Fallon recalled. "So I called three people for help. I called Jay Leno, Howard Stern, and Barbara Walters."
Fallon recounted how Leno advised that he keep the interview funny, while Stern suggested that he ask Obama about how he was able to maintain romance in his marriage with the constant presence of Secret Service agents.
As for his conversation with Walters, comedian Fallon said: "I got a number for Barbara Walters and I called it around 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. And she picks up the phone. It's Barbara Walters' voice. She goes. 'Hello?' I go, 'Hi Barbara, this is Jimmy Fallon. Thank you for taking my call.' She said, 'Jimmy, I will have to call you back. It is Sunday and I'm about to take my bubble bath.'"
When Walters did call back, "she goes, 'Okay, here's an interesting question. I think this could be interesting. He lives in the White House with his wife, his mother-in-law, his two daughters. Besides the dog, he's the only male in the family at the White House. What is that like?'
"She nailed it. That was a great question. I used it. That was my opener. So I thanked her for that and I thanked her for helping me and for the great advice."
"After that, she came on the show a bunch of times," Fallon, who also interviewed Obama in 2016, continued. "And I did keep asking her if she would want to do bathtub interview with me talking in a giant bathtub with bubbles.
"It was probably until her third appearance, she said, 'Jimmy, I'm coming on the show, but please don't ask me again about the bubble bath interview.'"
"She was a legend in journalism and in television and throughout her career," he added. "She always did it with dignity, class, and a sense of humor. Always very interesting, always very charming. I don't know what her secret was, but maybe it was the bubbles. We will miss our dear friend, Barbara Walters."
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Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
