Jay Leno’s Producer Writes Tell-All About Difficult Celebs
Published on June 18, 2014. Updated October 15, 2014It’s something we’ve always wondered: What do celebrities demand when they’re guests on talk shows? What kind of cash to they command, and what “items” do they need in order to be pacified or tamed? Producer Dave Berg has released a tell-all book from his time on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and it promises the potential of being quite entertaining.
When celebrities are fresh-faced, and enjoying their first gig, the talk show appearances are always different. You can tell. Go back and watch the first interviews from your favorite celeb, and compare them to what they offer now–if they offer anything now. It gets old fast. Some of these celebrities are a little jaded, or just straight odd with their talk show demands. This only happens after they’ve reached that point of contractual obligation–when the studio tells them to make an appearance. Oftentimes, the celebs no longer possess any genuine interest.
Berg’s book focuses on these people, and you know them all. These are big-time celebrities, and they’re not all entertainers. A few of them have gone the way of B-movies, really bad television and political retirement, nonetheless, they still draw a crowd and ratings. A few names on the list: Helen Hunt, Jesse Jackson, Teri Hatcher, Christian Bale, Benjamin Bratt, Bill Clinton, Eddie Murphy, Dennis Rodman–the list goes on and on.
Not all of the celebrities had attitude problems, or even appeared on the show. For Berg, the more entertaining dealings were often while pursuing the segment. Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s View of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show will likely be an enjoyable read.
Check out the video below to hear a short interview with Berg, and score a little more info. on who did what.
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