Taylor Swift Breaks Internet Announcing Her 12th Album The Life of a Showgirl at 12:12am on 8/12 | Austin Butler, Judd Apatow | Tuesday, August 12

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Taylor Swift Breaks Internet Announcing Her 12th Album The Life of a Showgirl at 12:12am on 8/12 | Austin Butler, Judd Apatow
Release Date: August 13, 2025
Guests: Austin Butler, Judd Apatow

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Opening Segment and Monologue

The episode kicks off with Jimmy Fallon welcoming viewers from Studio 6B in Rockefeller Center, New York City, setting the lively tone for the evening. Right after the opening remarks, Tariq Trotter delves into the major news of the day:

Taylor Swift’s Surprise Album Announcement

At precisely 12:12am on August 12th, Taylor Swift made a groundbreaking announcement on Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast, revealing her 12th studio album titled The Life of a Showgirl. This unexpected revelation caused Taylor's official website to crash immediately, followed by Ticketmasters. While the exact release date remains unspecified, theories abound regarding the symbolism of the number "12":

• Timestamp [01:09]: Tariq highlights various fan theories, noting, "The release date could be October 12th, but given the patterns, September 12th seems more plausible," emphasizing the intricate clues left by Swift's team.
• Timestamp [03:01]: The discussion escalates to include Lady Gaga’s connection, linking the song "Applause" and its release date to conjecture about the album's themes and timing.

Political Commentary: Trump-Putin Summit

Transitioning from pop culture, Tariq provides a satirical take on President Trump’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska:

• Timestamp [05:22]: A humorous clip plays where Trump mockingly refers to Canada as "our greatest enemy," eliciting laughs with his exaggerated portrayal of geopolitical tensions.
• Timestamp [05:55]: Tariq quips, "He said, suck it, hosers," referencing Trump’s playful taunt towards Canadians.

The segment continues with Tariq offering a comedic spin on the seriousness of the summit, poking fun at the dynamics between Trump and Putin and the nature of such high-stakes meetings.

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Guest Interviews

Austin Butler – Nominated Actor in Caught Stealing

Introduction and Recent Activities

Austin Butler joins the show amidst discussions of his recent appearances and projects. Tariq initiates the conversation by highlighting Butler’s presence at the Cannes Film Festival:

• Timestamp [08:25]: Tariq introduces Butler as "an academy award-nominated actor starring in the new movie Caught Stealing," setting the stage for an engaging interview.

Cannes Film Festival Anecdote

Butler shares a humorous and unexpected encounter on the red carpet:

• Timestamp [09:10]: Butler recounts, “She said, bee, bee, bee. And then I look, and there's actually a bumblebee that was attacking Emma Stone.”
• Timestamp [09:35]: Tariq comments, "A Bee is attacking poor Emma Stone, we love."

This lighthearted story underscores the unpredictable nature of live events and Butler’s ability to handle unexpected moments with humor.

Wrigley Field Experience

Butler discusses his first visit to Wrigley Field during the filming of his movie with Jeremy Allen White:

• Timestamp [10:07]: Butler expresses his admiration, "How exciting is that? Oh, man."
• Timestamp [10:25]: An amusing incident is shared where Butler, under the influence of an edible, experiences a memorable concert moment.

Behind-the-Scenes of Caught Stealing

Butler provides an inside look into his latest film:

• Timestamp [17:40]: He describes his character’s predicament involving a $4 million stash hidden in a cat's litter box.
• Timestamp [16:50]: Butler reflects on his long-time aspiration to work with director Darren Aronofsky, sharing personal anecdotes about his early career and influences.

Memorable Moments and Challenges

Butler recounts the intense and humorous challenges faced during filming:

• Timestamp [25:19]: He narrates a scene where a wax strip is mistakenly applied to his nipple, adding a layer of unexpected comedy to the shoot.
• Timestamp [25:52]: Tariq jokes, “He's funny, man.”

Butler’s stories not only highlight his dedication to his craft but also his ability to maintain humor and composure in challenging situations.

Judd Apatow – Writer, Director, and Producer

Celebrating Milestones

Judd Apatow joins the conversation to celebrate significant anniversaries:

• Timestamp [18:16]: Tariq acknowledges, “Trainwreck is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin is celebrating its 20th.”
• Timestamp [24:16]: Apatow shares memories from his early career, including the infamous waxing scene from The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Creative Process and Comedy Insights

Apatow delves into his creative process and the evolution of comedy in film:

• Timestamp [24:33]: Discussing iconic scenes, Apatow explains, “We hired this woman and we said we want an actress that also waxes. And the woman shows up and it is clear she has never waxed before in her life.”
• Timestamp [24:47]: He humorously details the mishap with the waxing scene, “She put the wax on his nipple, which is the one thing you can't do because you'll rip off the nipple.”

Impact and Legacy

Apatow reflects on the lasting impact of his work and the importance of memorable comedic moments:

• Timestamp [24:54]: He emphasizes the significance of authenticity in comedy, ensuring that every scene resonates with the audience.

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Closing Remarks

As the episode draws to a close, Jimmy Fallon thanks his guests, Austin Butler and Judd Apatow, for their engaging and entertaining appearances. The show wraps up with acknowledgments to the audience and a heartfelt sign-off from Fallon, ensuring viewers leave with memorable moments from both the monologue and the insightful interviews.

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Notable Quotes

• Tariq Trotter on Taylor Swift’s Album Theories [01:09]: "The release date could be October 12th, but given the patterns, September 12th seems more plausible."

• President Trump’s Satirical Clip [05:22]: "This is President Trump, and with this trip, I'm selflessly going all the way to Alaska, where I'll be right next to our greatest enemy."

• Austin Butler on First Job [16:37]: "The first job I ever got cast in was a movie where I play a dog who turns into a boy."

• Judd Apatow on the Waxing Scene [25:25]: "She put the wax on his nipple, which is the one thing you can't do because you'll rip off the nipple."

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This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon seamlessly blends pop culture moments, political satire, and in-depth interviews with prominent figures in the entertainment industry. From dissecting Taylor Swift's cryptic album announcement to exploring the creative genius of Judd Apatow, the show offers viewers a rich tapestry of humor, insight, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6B in Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City, the Tonight Shows starring Jimmy Fallon tonight joins Jimmy's guest, Austin Butler, Scott Apatow. And featuring Phoenix legendary Ruth Crew 2173. And now here he is, Jimmy Fallon.

[Tariq Trotter]

Man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love you. Thank you very much, everybody.

[Tariq Trotter]

Enjoy yourself. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Tonight Show.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're here.

[Tariq Trotter]

You made it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you for watching at home. I appreciate it.

[Tariq Trotter]

The Tonight Show. Well, guys, this morning at 12:12am on Jason and Travis Kelce's podcast, Taylor Swift announced her 12th studio album, the Life of a Showgirl. Americans are like, wait, there's good news out there. I don't know what to do with myself. Seriously, we all need Taylor Swift right now. Cause without her music and her merchandise, we end up doing weird stuff like starting a Labubu collection, stuff like that, you know? What are we doing? Yeah. Following the announcement, Taylor's website immediately crashed. Yep. And then out of habit, so did Ticketmasters. As of now, we don't know the exact release date, but we do know that no one else is releasing music that day. That's right. Taylor Swift announced her 12th album, the Life of a Showgirl. And fans have already uncovered a lot of hidden clues about the new album. Man, all that stuff is just random conspiracy theories. I don't know, Tariq. I mean, the clues are everywhere. Like what? Okay, so the release date, we know the number 12 will be involved since it's her 12th album. And the announcement was shared on Instagram at 12:12am on Tuesday, August 12th. You follow? So the question is, which 12th? Well, her website says pre orders will ship before October 13th. So you'd have to assume October 12th. Exactly. You'd be wrong. I would, yes. Because yesterday on August 11, the Instagram account Taylor Nation posted a carousel of 12 pics of Taylor. And when they posted it, Taylor's website crashed at exactly 9:12pm and that means, well, nothing by itself. But when you factor in that, Taylor Nation first teased the album with a different post also made at exactly 9:12pm now there's two 9:12s, which points to September 12th. And we haven't even. We haven't even talked about the Lady Gaga connection.

[Austin Butler]

Lady Gaga.

[Tariq Trotter]

Okay. During the Eras tour, the second to last song that played before Taylor came on stage was Applause by Lady Gaga, which is followed by a countdown clock that started at 2 minutes and 24 seconds. Today is the 224th day of the year, August 12th. And when did the song applause come out? That's right. August 12, 2013. Exactly 2012 years ago today.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And what does.

[Austin Butler]

What does any of that mean?

[Tariq Trotter]

What does it mean? What does it mean? Think about it, Tariq. I explained this theory at exactly 11:39. And what's three plus nine? They get it. They get it. They get it. They get it. Well, some political news today. The White House said that President Trump's upcoming meeting in Alaska with Vladimir Putin will take place in the city of Anchorage. The temperatures should be overcast and in the 50s, or as Putin put it, beach weather, baby. The White House also said that the meeting with Putin will be a listening exercise for Trump. And we all know listening and exercise are Trump's two favorite things. So this should go well. It'll be a listening exercise. Yep. Then a series of role playing games followed by an hour of trust falls and then dollaritas at Applebee's. Meanwhile, Trump said that in his meeting with Putin, he will know probably in the first two minutes whether a deal is possible. It's reassuring when a president talks about ending a war. Like a Tinder date. Yup. Trump says that he'll know in two minutes, which makes sense because according to Stormy Daniels, two minutes is plen mushroom. But get this. A top European official said that Putin just wants a photo op with Trump and is not actually interested in making a deal. Yep. It's the first wartime summit done strictly for the gram. Yep. Trump is gearing up for his trip to Alaska to meet with Vladimir Putin. It's a big deal and the stakes are high. I mean, just check out what Trump's saying about this.

[Donald Trump]

This is President Trump, and with this trip, I'm selflessly going all the way to Alaska, where I'll be right next to our greatest enemy. Where I'll be side by side with Trump. True evil. Where I'll be directly beside the most dangerous and most despicable threat to all mankind. Of course I'm talking about Canada.

[Tariq Trotter]

Shove it, hosers. He said. He said, suck it, hosers.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I miss that.

[Austin Butler]

I saw this.

[Tariq Trotter]

That's it. Suck it, hosers. That's what the President said. Yeah. To the people. To the people of Canada. To the people of Canada. God bless them. Switching gears, Spirit Airlines warned investors that they might not be able to survive if they don't raise more money. Not really the news you want to see mid flight on your seat back screen, it's like, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It's Spirit. They don't have seat back screens. Yeah, Spirit is really struggling. It's not a good sign when the flight attendants Come around asking you for food and blankets. Some more business news. I saw that the film company Kodak said that they may go out of business, mostly because the only people still developing photos are professional photographers and serial killers. Yep, they're $500 million in debt, but if one more hipster throws a wedding, they should be good. Listen to this. I read that according to new research, fast walking is the key to longevity. In that case, every tourist in Midtown has about 10 minutes to live. And finally, before we move on, I'd like to take a moment to thank some of our sponsors for tonight's show. They don't always fit in commercial breaks, so we want to make sure that we mention all of them. It's time for tonight's show sponsors. Here we go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sponsors tonight, show sponsors.

[Tariq Trotter]

Lowe's. Can someone help us catch the bird flying around in here? American eagle. So we're gonna lay low for a bit. Baskin Robbins. You'll find us inside a Dunkin, which is inside a Pizza Hut, which is inside a Nathan's Hot Dog designer shoe warehouse. One of these things is true, and it's not designer or sh. Boeing. We don't want to jinx it, but it's been a while since, you know, right. Paramount, Sears, you can watch and finally come and go. Yep, we know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's all for tonight's show's sponsors, we have a great show. Austin Butler is here tonight. Jed Apatow is joining us to grab.

[Judd Apatow]

Justin.

[Tariq Trotter]

What?

[Judd Apatow]

If you could just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Our first guest is an academy award.

[Tariq Trotter]

Nominated actor who stars in the new movie Caught Stealing, which is in theaters August 29th. Please welcome Austin Butler.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome back. The best.

[Tariq Trotter]

Austin. Welcome back to the show. That's a stud right there. That's a movie star. Come on, bud. Welcome back to the show. Thank you. I love having you on. You had a very busy summer. I want to get through some of the highlights that I think that you should be remembering during your summer. Yeah. Because I want to get to your film, too. But first, you were in Cannes Film Festival, which is a very exciting place to be. And you're on the red carpet. And you're.

[Scott Apatow]

My second time.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. So you're on the red carpet with Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone. And Emma. What's happening?

[Scott Apatow]

Her face. How funny is that?

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. Is that the greatest?

[Scott Apatow]

Some things just happen and you don't realize what's happening in the moment.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

She said, bee, bee, bee. And then I look, and there's actually a bumblebee that was attacking.

[Tariq Trotter]

That's attacking Emma Stone. A Bee is attacking poor Emma Stone, we love.

[Scott Apatow]

And then you, Pedro, starts laughing. And then I started blowing the bee away. That was my reaction.

[Tariq Trotter]

Your reaction is just to blow it off of her. Did that work?

[Scott Apatow]

Well, I don't know. I. I didn't want to hurt the bee.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

But it kind of looks like I'm blowing the bee at her. So I. I was doing my best to try to get the beat and just.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, playfully. I think that was great. I think you acted. That was your reaction. You went for it. It was perfect. I thought that was good. Then the other thing I want to discuss with you, you were recently at Wrigley Field. How exciting is that? Oh, man.

[Scott Apatow]

That was my first time.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, I've never been amazing, but it's gorgeous. That's so legendary.

[Scott Apatow]

You were in Chicago doing a movie with Jeremy Allen White.

[Tariq Trotter]

Jeremy Allen White.

[Scott Apatow]

Y.

[Tariq Trotter]

Watching a Cubs game, and an interesting moment was caught on camera between you and Jeremy. And the announcers caught this. Yeah. Interesting moment. And look at the clip. Hey, welcome back. Yeah, check out the guns. Jeremy Allen White from the Bear. Austin Butler with him. That's hilarious.

[Scott Apatow]

He's got great muscles.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know.

[Tariq Trotter]

I know. I know. He has great muscle. I know.

[Scott Apatow]

He's got great forearms, great biceps.

[Tariq Trotter]

He has been showing you his muscles.

[Scott Apatow]

No, I asked him. I said. I said, tell me about your tattoos. We're getting to know each other, you know, and that's what you do. I was like, tell me about your tattoos.

[Tariq Trotter]

Do you have any idea? You're on camera.

[Scott Apatow]

I had no idea.

[Tariq Trotter]

No.

[Scott Apatow]

And then there's cameras everywhere, and so they capture this moment. It looks like I'm just. I was admiring his biceps.

[Tariq Trotter]

He does have great biceps, so. He definitely does. But that wasn't.

[Scott Apatow]

He does so many pull ups.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, he does.

[Scott Apatow]

Every day he's doing pull ups.

[Tariq Trotter]

Does he really? Yeah. Yeah. Did he reach out to you about when he was doing the Springsteen biopic?

[Scott Apatow]

You know, we weren't friends before. I mean, we didn't really know each other beforehand, so we didn't talk, you know, but it's cool. We got this community, you know, Like, Timmy and I talked before, you know, Dylan and I talked to Rami Malek before Elvis.

[Tariq Trotter]

Is that right?

[Scott Apatow]

So, yeah, you got this little group of people.

[Tariq Trotter]

Everyone's helping each other out.

[Scott Apatow]

I just saw. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but I just saw Jeremy's film.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, really?

[Scott Apatow]

Yesterday, where he plays Springsteen, and he is sensational.

[Tariq Trotter]

Really?

[Scott Apatow]

He is so good. And so I just have to of course.

[Tariq Trotter]

He's gotta be great.

[Scott Apatow]

He's amazing. The movie's amazing.

[Tariq Trotter]

I love him. I love him. Oh, let's talk about your movie, Caught Stealing. This is a great cast right here.

[Scott Apatow]

Thank you.

[Tariq Trotter]

Zoe Kravitz. You got Matt Smith, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, and my favorite, Bad Bunny.

[Scott Apatow]

Bad Bunny.

[Tariq Trotter]

Bad Bunny is great in this movie.

[Scott Apatow]

He's so good.

[Tariq Trotter]

Did you know that Bad Bunny could act?

[Scott Apatow]

Well, I'd seen him in Bullet Train, and he was wonderful in that. And I've seen. You know, I've seen his music videos in one of.

[Tariq Trotter]

Great.

[Scott Apatow]

He's so good.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

He plays a Puerto Rican gangster, I guess.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

He's tough and he's got a red beard. He dyed his hair. He's got. He dyed it. He plays a guy named Colorado.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

So he's got. Yeah. The color red.

[Tariq Trotter]

But you just saw Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico.

[Scott Apatow]

He's in Puerto Rico for his residency.

[Tariq Trotter]

For his concert that he's doing.

[Scott Apatow]

Amazing. I'd never been to Puerto Rico before.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, it's. I love it so much.

[Scott Apatow]

It's amazing. I fell in love with the concert.

[Tariq Trotter]

People are great.

[Scott Apatow]

People are amazing.

[Austin Butler]

Food is.

[Scott Apatow]

The food is insane.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

The water is so warm. People are amazing. And we went to his show.

[Tariq Trotter]

How was the concert?

[Scott Apatow]

It was amazing. I mean, the night before his concert, Darren Aronofsky, the director of Caught Stealing, he said, we gotta go out with the locals, you know? And so we went to the spot and we went salsa dancing in the rain. It was amazing.

[Tariq Trotter]

That's so fun.

[Scott Apatow]

It was just on the little street, you know, and people were like, how did you end up here? Because there's no tourists.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

That was amazing. And then we went to Benito's show, and we had lunch with him earlier in the day, and he was kind of telling us about the show, but I didn't realize what it was gonna be.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, you know, Biggest thing in the world.

[Scott Apatow]

It's insane.

[Tariq Trotter]

They love him.

[Scott Apatow]

Yeah, well, they love him to see what he means to Puerto Rican culture, but also the actual show, how they structure it. You have the main stage, and then I thought we were just gonna be in an audience, you know, like, with everybody.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

And so somebody gave me an edible right before the show, and I thought that was a good idea at the time. And so I ate the edible, and then I. And then it turns out we're in a. Like a casita, a house. That is basically the second stage that he comes and he's on that stage at one point.

[Tariq Trotter]

No. So you're on stage.

[Scott Apatow]

So you're on stage at one point. And I also don't really. You know, it's. I'm in an ironic job because I don't really like. I don't even like people singing Happy birthday to me.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

Suddenly I'm on stage as Bad Bunny.

[Tariq Trotter]

And you just took an edible, and.

[Scott Apatow]

The edible is working.

[Tariq Trotter]

You know, this sounds like a disaster.

[Scott Apatow]

It was wild and so part of me. So it's like my brain's in two movies because one. One is like, I. I. Benito and I had lunch earlier in the day.

[Tariq Trotter]

I'm just.

[Scott Apatow]

I'm so proud of him. And I'm, like, watching him going, oh, my God, look how much you. And I'm, like, falling in love with Puerto Rican culture and the dancing, and everybody's so sexy and amazing. And then the other part of me is like, don't dance because you'll take attention away from him. This is his moment.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yes. You're not there for you. You're there for him.

[Scott Apatow]

So I'm like, hide. My body's kind of saying hide, but then the music's so good, and it's, like, in my bones at that point. So I'm, like, wanting to dance, but then the other voice inside is saying, don't take attention away. So I ended up just, like, swaying my hips while crossing my arms.

[Tariq Trotter]

The Internet's talking about the way you dance during the show. Cause you can't. It remains undefeated. The Internet.

[Scott Apatow]

For whatever reason, every time I uncrossed my arms, I felt like I was drawing attention to myself.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yes.

[Scott Apatow]

So I was like, this is okay. This is not okay.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, but you can't do everything you should just do. But this would look like you're not having fun. Well, all right.

[Scott Apatow]

And then I think of, like, the Ben Affleck thing at the Grammys where he said he wasn't having a good time.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. Sad Ben Affleck.

[Scott Apatow]

So you're like, I don't want to be the sad guy.

[Tariq Trotter]

No. Yeah, but you also don't want to.

[Scott Apatow]

Be the guy who's, like, dancing crazy and drawing attention. But have you normally situation like that?

[Tariq Trotter]

I went to a Harry Styles concert and felt so old. Give it to him. I was there, and I didn't know what to do. And I just stood there and I folded my arms. You did the same. Yeah, but I didn't do. I didn't do this. But I was like. More like Zach. Yeah.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah.

[Tariq Trotter]

I look like a dad or something. I don't know what I Look like I just felt so old.

[Austin Butler]

But you're like.

[Tariq Trotter]

But the music is so good that.

[Scott Apatow]

You want to move. Exactly.

[Tariq Trotter]

I think I moved a little bit, and it went viral on TikTok, and I was embarrassed. But everything is going to be filmed. Everything is going to be filmed. But I think it's great. Now we know the backstory of the dancing. There you go. And then next time I see you at a concert, we got to do it.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah, yeah, I'll do it.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, completely. Let's talk about cause stealing, and let's set up what it's about and who you play.

[Scott Apatow]

Yeah. Oh, I have to do that.

[Tariq Trotter]

Well, you don't have to. It's Darren Aronofsky. First of all. He's brilliant. Who I.

[Scott Apatow]

So I'd seen. The first job I ever got cast in was a movie where I play a dog who turns into a boy. It was a student film. I was about 12 years old.

[Tariq Trotter]

Wow.

[Scott Apatow]

And so the director of that film told me his favorite director was Darren Aronofsky. So Since I was 12, I've had this dream of working with this guy. And so I watched Requiem for a Dream. Far too young, I was gonna say.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

Made me never want to do hardcore drugs.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, my gosh.

[Scott Apatow]

Edible's different thing. But I. There's that. And then he directs Black Swan, the wrestler, the whale. So he came to me with this, and he just wanted to make a real fun movie that reminded us of the 70s. There's a great movie called After Hours that we were really inspired by with Griffin Dunn. Scorsese directed it.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

Griffin Dunn's brilliant. And Griffin's in our movie. He plays the guy who owns the bar that I work at. So I'm basically this guy who has something happen to him at one point when he's young and he's moved to New York to sort of. It's in the 90s. I'm sort of just numbing myself through life, drinking and, you know, not really living an extraordinary life. And then I'm thrust into this crazy situation when somebody. Matt Smith's character, who's amazing.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, he is good.

[Scott Apatow]

He's got a mohawk in this.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Scott Apatow]

He asked me to watch his cat. And in the cat's litter box, innocent enough, is a key to a storage unit of 4 million bucks in cash that he owes to all these bad people around town.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on. That's what I'm talking about. Austin Butler. Everybody Talks stealing his theaters August 29th. We'll be right back with Judd Apatow. Stick around, everybody.

[Judd Apatow]

Mr. Old Ass's Drop Top. Cause my joints could go happen.

[Tariq Trotter]

Our next guest is a talented writer, director and producer. His movie Trainwreck is celebrating its 10th anniversary. And his movie the 40 Year Old Virgin is celebrating its 20th in honor. Both are being re released in theaters August 22nd. Everyone, please welcome Judd Apatow. Judd, you're one of my favorite guests. I'm so happy when you come on the show. Congrats on the anniversary of the movies. But on this book.

[Austin Butler]

Yes.

[Tariq Trotter]

Comedy nerd.

[Austin Butler]

That's it.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. I think you consider yourself a comedy nerd.

[Austin Butler]

Yes. Since I was like 10. Like a crazy comedy nerd. Were you a comedy nerd?

[Tariq Trotter]

I was a comedy nerd, yeah. I thought my first records, those, most of my records were all comedy records. I mean, Danger, Rodney Dangerfield.

[Austin Butler]

Yes.

[Tariq Trotter]

Smothers Brothers. I think comedians. And it's a thing that you'll probably agree with, like no matter where you go, if you can go to like, you'd be meeting the queen or whatever. But if there's a comedian, you'll go straight to them and talk about working the comedy store, doing the improv and what sets it. It's just the way comedians are.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah. And so what I wanted to do is make a book. Like when I was a kid, there was a Saturday Night Live scrapbook and it had all the sketches and photos and behind the scenes stuff. And that was the only way we understood what was happening there. And I thought that I would make a scrapbook of all the movies and TV shows that I worked on in my career and put all the memorabilia. Because I'm a hoarder and I saved everything since I was a little kid. And it's not hoarding if all your is great. By the way, that's a derogatory term to say hoarder.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yes. Okay. Yeah. Okay. But this is a lot of your autographs you have. Man, oh man, you got some famous people.

[Austin Butler]

That's my autograph collection.

[Tariq Trotter]

That's wild. You have Phil Silvers. I saw Jackie Gleason.

[Austin Butler]

Look, we have Andy Kaufman. And then on the back of the autograph, he wrote me a letter.

[Tariq Trotter]

No way.

[Austin Butler]

And all he basically said was the same thing he said on the front. Like, thank you for asking for my autograph. Look at Billy Crystal. Young Billy Crystal from Soap.

[Tariq Trotter]

Isn't that crazy?

[Austin Butler]

Yeah. And I saved all of it like it was the most important thing and I never treated it badly. So all the hoarding paid off.

[Tariq Trotter]

Well, you were telling me about your book and you said if you have anything that you want to bring from home to show, like from your life or comedy, I was like, what do I have? So I looked through some stuff.

[Austin Butler]

Oh, boy. What's in your hoard?

[Tariq Trotter]

I know I do.

[Austin Butler]

You save things.

[Tariq Trotter]

My dad and my mom saved everything. My mom and dad. Thank goodness for my parents because I would. I don't know where anything would be. But this. This is my first ever stand up act ever. I entered a contest in the Hudson Valley. It was the funniest person in the Hudson Valley. And I wrote out my first act.

[Austin Butler]

Oh, my gosh.

[Tariq Trotter]

My handwriting is still the same, by the way.

[Austin Butler]

Can you read one of those jokes?

[Tariq Trotter]

Hi, I'm Jimmy Fallon. Welcome to the audition for Troll Productions Incorporated. So I had a troll doll.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah.

[Tariq Trotter]

Remember, we're looking for a star to appear as a sponsor to our new line of troll dolls. Let's start. Mr. John Travolta. And then I go up. Well, like, these trolls are so weird. Right? You know, I can swear to God.

[Austin Butler]

So you did famous people talking about trolls.

[Tariq Trotter]

That's correct. Yeah. But then I.

[Austin Butler]

And then you hosted the Tonight Show.

[Tariq Trotter]

I was happy about this because it was a contest. If you won, you win $1,000.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah.

[Tariq Trotter]

And I had my closer. At the time, the big Pee Wee Herman scandal was happening. So at the end at my bit, I put Bullwinkle. I had a Bullwinkle.

[Austin Butler]

He's like, hey, rookie.

[Tariq Trotter]

Or something like that. Like, I want to play with you, but I like to play with myself. And then I pull out a Bullwinkle doll. I pull out a Bullwinkle doll from my pocket. I go. And then I go, next up, Pee Wee Herman. I go, I know what you mean, Buinkle.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I like to play with myself, too.

[Tariq Trotter]

And I did that.

[Austin Butler]

And then you won a thousand dollars for that.

[Tariq Trotter]

I won a thousand dollars. There it is. That was the beginning of my comedy career. And I had that same act my whole life.

[Austin Butler]

You never can go wrong with cartoon characters masturbating. That's just a standard of comedy. It's always gonna work.

[Tariq Trotter]

I brought one I thought you might laugh at because this is. I sent this dated 1995. I sent my stand up act to Letterman. To be on Letterman.

[Austin Butler]

To the Booker.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah.

[Austin Butler]

Did they like it?

[Tariq Trotter]

Dear Jimmy, thank you for letting us take a look at your set. Unfortunately, we're going to pass for now. Thanks again for thinking of Late Show. And close. Please find the videotape you sent us. They actually sent me the tape back.

[Austin Butler]

We don't want it stinking up our office.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah, exactly. That's. Yeah. Zoe Friedman. Yeah. Who was it? That's.

[Austin Butler]

Who rejected you?

[Tariq Trotter]

That's. Who rejected you?

[Austin Butler]

Bud Friedman's daughter.

[Tariq Trotter]

Bud Friedman's daughter from the improv.

[Austin Butler]

And you know what? She was probably right because you probably were doing the troll.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I was doing the troll bit. I wasn't.

[Tariq Trotter]

I was ahead of my. Behind my time.

[Austin Butler]

It was too soon to send the tape.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yes. I shouldn't have sent the tape.

[Austin Butler]

I remember sending a videotape to every booker of every comedy club in America, and I put a letter with it. Like, if you want to book me, check yes. And if you don't, check no. And just not one responded in America.

[Tariq Trotter]

No response at all. I just love that. I was so excited that I even got a letter back from Letterman saying no, that I saved the rejection letter because I thought that was cool.

[Austin Butler]

Right.

[Tariq Trotter]

But that's the type of stuff that you'll read about in this book and just see what makes Judd Apatow's head.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah. I had something like that happen where I tried to write jokes for Jay Leno, and I sent him a whole bunch of jokes, and they probably were terrible. And then one day he called my house. I lived at my grandma at the time. My grandma answered the phone at midnight, and she's like, jay Leno's on the phone. And Jay Leno called me to tell me that my jokes weren't any good. And he was so nice about it that I got excited that I could talk to him. And then recently, I had a movie, and he called me and he said, you know, I really love the movie.

[Tariq Trotter]

Wow.

[Austin Butler]

He's like, I'll tell you the truth.

[Tariq Trotter]

I'll tell you when it's good.

[Austin Butler]

I told you those jokes weren't good when you were a kid.

[Tariq Trotter]

You gotta learn a little something.

[Austin Butler]

I'm an honest arbiter of your quality.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. You're celebrating two anniversaries this year. First one is Trainwreck, which came out 10 years ago. Man, oh, man. Amy Schumer. Unbelievable in that. You directed that brilliantly. And then 20 years since the 40 year old virgin came out. 20 years.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Classic.

[Tariq Trotter]

First movie.

[Austin Butler]

That was the first movie I directed.

[Tariq Trotter]

That is the first movie you directed. Holy moly. And do you remember the waxing scene?

[Austin Butler]

The waxing scene.

[Tariq Trotter]

How did that come about? Did you go, that's gonna be in the movie? I know.

[Austin Butler]

Well, Steve and I were trying to write a scene where they give him a makeover. And that's so corny. And it's Been everyone's done that since like Buster Keaton, like the makeover scene. And then Steve said, what if you wax me and you really do it? And I'm like, what do you mean? He's just like, wax me for real. Like rip my hair out. And I think it'll be funny cause it'll hurt so much. And he's like, the reaction from me will just be so real. And I said, if you want to do it, I'll shoot it. And then we set up like five cameras.

[Tariq Trotter]

Yeah. Because you only got one take.

[Austin Butler]

One rip at it. And they just like ripped his hair off.

[Tariq Trotter]

Do you hire a waxer?

[Austin Butler]

We hired this woman and we said we want an actress that also waxes. And the woman shows up and it is clear she has never waxed before in her life. And then she put the wax on his nipple, which is the one thing you can't do because you'll rip off the nipple.

[Tariq Trotter]

You could rip off the nipple.

[Austin Butler]

Yeah, you could. So we. I mean, we would have used it if we did. No, we don't want to, but. And then it just happened to work.

[Tariq Trotter]

Oh, dang. He's funny, man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Tariq Trotter]

You're the best, dude. Not only is the movie being re released in theaters, the 40 year old Virgin is also available to own with all new bonus content which will be cool. And you're actually doing something cool for our audience. Everyone in the audience is going home with a copy of the movie.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And all proceeds of this book go to charity. I will say Judd Apatow, everyone. Trainwreck and the four year old version are being re released in theaters August 22nd. And the four year old version is now available to own with all new bonus content. More Tonight show after the break. Stick around everybody.

[Judd Apatow]

Hip hop and body rock and do what it do. The living definition of improving the groove. The same tune to shoot that Cooper review. Take your hero to the river giving tuba mcsh Hulu tell me punch one. It's all over now.

[Tariq Trotter]

Over. Come on.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My thanks to Austin Butler, Judd Apatow and the Roots. Right there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvan. Good night everybody.

[Tariq Trotter]

Get into it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Do it.

[Tariq Trotter]

Dad. Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings wherever you get your pocket Podcasts. Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.