The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Season 14 Episode 12 Charlize Theron, Dane Cook, Sinead O'Connor
- October 4, 2005
Charlize Theron, Dane Cook, and Sinead O'Connor are the special guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno season 14 episode 12. Charlize Theron is an Oscar-winning actress who talks about her latest film, Mad Max: Fury Road, and her experience playing a character named Furiosa. She also discusses her charity work in South Africa, and how she is using her platform to help children in need. Dane Cook is a stand-up comedian who chats with Jay about his new show on NBC called Next Caller, which unfortunately was canceled after the production of his episode. Sinead O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter who talks about her new album, whose release was postponed due to the pandemic. She also discusses the dark side of fame, her struggles with mental health, and why she retired from the music industry.
The episode starts with Jay Leno doing his usual monologue, where he jokes about current events and celebrity gossip. He comments on the recent controversy around the movie Joker and how some people are afraid it might incite violence. He also makes fun of Donald Trump's tweets, and how he misspells words on purpose to get people's attention. After a few jokes, Jay introduces Charlize Theron, who comes on stage looking stunning in a black dress. Jay compliments her on her performance in Mad Max, and Charlize thanks him for having her on the show. She talks about how she trained for months to do her own stunts in the movie, and how empowering it was to play a strong female character. She also talks about her charity, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, which focuses on preventing HIV and AIDS among African youth. She says that she was inspired to create it after seeing the devastation caused by the epidemic in her home country of South Africa. Jay asks her if she has any projects lined up, and she admits that she is taking a break from acting to focus on her family, but that she might produce some movies in the future.
Next up is Dane Cook, who comes on stage wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Jay jokes that he looks very casual, and Dane laughs and says that he wanted to be comfortable. They talk about his new show, Next Caller, which was supposed to air on NBC, but got canceled after only one episode was produced. Dane says that he was disappointed, but that he knew the risks of working in television. He also talks about his stand-up comedy, which he describes as "unsafe." He says that he likes to push boundaries and make people uncomfortable, but that it's all in good fun. Jay asks him if he has any other projects coming up, and he says that he is working on a new comedy album, which he hopes will be released next year.
Finally, Sinead O'Connor comes on stage, looking a bit nervous. She sits down and admits that she doesn't really like doing interviews, but that she wanted to be on the show to promote her new album. She says that the album was supposed to come out earlier this year, but that she decided to postpone it because of the pandemic. Jay asks her about her hiatus from the music industry, and she says that she needs breaks from the public eye because it's very stressful. She says that she suffers from bipolar disorder, and that maintaining her mental health is a priority. She also talks about her struggles with fame, and how it can be isolating. Jay tries to lighten the mood and asks her if she has any funny stories from her life, and she says that she doesn't, but that she likes to watch comedy shows to cheer herself up. They briefly talk about politics, and Sinead says that she doesn't really follow it because it's too depressing. Jay thanks her for coming on the show, and she thanks him for having her.
The episode ends with a musical performance by Sinead O'Connor, where she sings one of her new songs. The credits roll as the audience applauds.