Trump Hosts Jeff Bezos at Mar-a-Lago | Nate Bargatze, Jessica Williams, Nicole Avant | Wednesday, December 18

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – "Trump Hosts Jeff Bezos at Mar-a-Lago | Nate Bargatze, Jessica Williams, Nicole Avant" (Released December 19, 2024)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, hosted by NBC Universal, remains the longest-running talk show on television and the top late-night program in the digital realm. In the episode aired on Wednesday, December 18, Jimmy Fallon engages viewers with a blend of humor, insightful interviews, and entertaining segments featuring comedian Nate Bargatze, actress Jessica Williams, and author Nicole Avant.

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1. Opening Monologue

Jimmy Fallon kicks off the episode with his signature monologue, blending current events with comedic twists. He humorously recaps a fictional scenario where President Elect Donald Trump hosted Jeff Bezos at Mar-a-Lago, only to have Bezos "stolen from the front porch." The monologue further delves into playful banter between Bezos and Elon Musk, highlighting mock interactions and exaggerated statements such as Musk asking Bezos, “so was this, like, a casual thing?" at [01:30].

Fallon transitions into holiday-themed humor, mocking the modernization of classic Christmas songs. He jokes about titles like “Grandma Got Carried Away by a Drone” and “Rudolph Tries Wegovy,” emphasizing the unexpected changes with repeated affirmations like, “I don’t think they should” at [02:50].

Notable Quote:

• Jimmy Fallon [02:50]: "Instead of Hallelujah, they change it to Haktua and you go, I don't think they should."

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2. Nate Bargatze’s Segment

Comedian Nate Bargatze joins the stage to promote his upcoming Netflix special, Your Friend Nate Bargatzi, set to release on December 24th, and his CBS special, Nate Bargatze's Nashville Christmas, airing the following day. Fallon and Bargatze engage in a light-hearted conversation about mispronunciations of Nate’s name, with Fallon admitting, “I thought it was bargazi, but it's Bergetzi” at [11:10].

The duo shares amusing anecdotes about Nate's tour bus, showcasing their camaraderie. Fallon humorously describes an overnight mishap on the tour bus, comparing it to a “Squid Game” scenario where he becomes trapped in his bunk, leading to comical frustrations and misunderstandings at [13:00]. Nate adds to the humor by recounting how they navigate early morning wake-ups driven by loud music, specifically the "William Tell Overture" at [14:33].

Notable Quotes:

• Nate Bargatze [11:15]: "I just play that when people don't know how to say my name."
• Jimmy Fallon [13:03]: "It's like squid game on your tour bus."

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3. Jessica Williams’ Segment

Jessica Williams, an Emmy-nominated actress from the hit show Shrinking on Apple TV, takes the spotlight to discuss her latest projects and personal endeavors. Fallon congratulates her on her Emmy nomination and shares a viral moment from the awards where Jessica's emotional reaction became a talking point at [25:02].

Williams delves into her new film, The Six Triple Eight, a true-story drama about African American women serving in World War II by sorting mail to support troops in Europe. She emphasizes the critical role these women played in boosting troop morale amidst challenging conditions lacking modern communication tools like Wi-Fi or cell phones at [33:19].

Notable Quotes:

• Jessica Williams [34:21]: "These women were patriots. They were courageous."
• Jimmy Fallon [35:07]: "He's brilliant."

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4. Nicole Avant’s Segment

Author and producer Nicole Avant discusses her recent work, including her bestselling book Think You'll Be Happy and the upcoming film The Six Triple Eight, which premieres globally on Netflix. Avant shares a deeply personal and traumatic experience that inspired her book, recounting a home invasion incident where her mother was fatally shot at [29:21].

She explains the significance of her book’s title, stemming from a heartfelt conversation with her mother about maintaining a positive attitude—“be positive, be powerful, and be productive”—even in the face of unimaginable loss at [32:10].

Avant also touches upon her collaboration with Tyler Perry on The Six Triple Eight, highlighting Perry’s dedication and brilliance in bringing the true story to the screen. She reflects on President Roosevelt’s strategic decision during World War II to utilize the skills of African American women to manage troop mail, showcasing their patriotism and excellence despite systemic challenges at [34:16].

Notable Quotes:

• Nicole Avant [31:26]: "Are you going to let him take your life, too, or are you going to live?"
• Jessica Williams [35:07]: "He's brilliant."

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5. Closing Remarks and Highlights

As the episode wraps up, Fallon emphasizes the importance of the guests' contributions and upcoming projects. He encourages viewers to tune into Nate Bargatze’s specials and to watch Jessica Williams' Shrinking series. Additionally, he promotes Nicole Avant’s book and her film, urging the audience to engage with their inspiring stories.

The show concludes with performances from The Roots, adding a musical finale to an evening filled with laughter, heartfelt moments, and meaningful conversations.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon successfully balances humor with substantive discussions, highlighting the talents and personal stories of Nate Bargatze, Jessica Williams, and Nicole Avant. Through engaging monologues, candid interviews, and supportive interactions, Fallon fosters a warm and entertaining atmosphere, making the episode both enjoyable and memorable for listeners.

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Note: All timestamps referenced are based on the provided transcript and serve to locate specific moments within the episode.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6B in Rockhampters center in the heart of New York City, it's the Tonight Show. Starring Jimmy Fallon. Tonight joins Jimmy the guest, Paper Kennedy, Jessica Williams, Nicole Avon. The legendary Luke 20:71 Jimmy. And now here he is, Gimmy Mallon. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Come on. Thank you. Come on. Welcome. Thank you. Yeah. Love you. Welcome, welcome, welcome. Thank you. Thank you. That feels good. That feels great. Love right back at you. Enjoy yourself. Welcome, everybody. Welcome, welcome. Welcome to Tonight Show. You here the Tonight Show. Welcome, everyone. Well, guys, today President Elect Trump hosted Jeff Bezos for a meeting at Mar A Lago. Unfortunately, right after Bezos was dropped off, someone stole him from the front porch. And it's sad when you hear, that's right. Trump hosted Jeff Bezos at Mar a Lago. It was a pretty successful meeting. And he. Here's what they had to say about it. First up, Bezos said, I enjoyed discussing the future of Amazon with the President Elect. Then Donald Trump said, I'm eager to help Amazon grow into an even greater company. Then Elon Musk chimed in and said, so was this, like, a casual thing? I just think it's weird that you didn't tell me about it. And Jeff Bezos said, I look forward to meeting with Trump again soon. And Elon Musk said, whoa, Jeff, you know Trump already has a billionaire, right? I mean, we're a pretty public item. Elonald. Then Bezos said, dude, I'm not trying to replace you. Relax, we're just friends. And finally, Musk said, hands off my zaddy. Someone's. Wow, someone's jealous. Hey, listen to this. I read that uber just donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration. Not to be outdone, Lyft changed their pink mustaches to this. And I just think, well, guys, Christmas is one week away. Everybody's enjoying their favorite Christmas music. Yeah, I love Christmas music. But I noticed that they've updated a lot of classic songs this year to make them feel a little more modern. Like, for instance, instead of Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer, there's Grandma Got Carried Away by a Drone. I don't think, like, instead of Run Rudolph, Run, there's Rudolph tries Wegovy instead. And you go, no, just. And then finally, instead of Hallelujah, they change it to Haktua and you go, I don't think. I don't understand. I don't think they should. Wow. I don't think they should.

[Nate Bargatze]

North Pole.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Some movie news this week. Mufasa, the Lion King hits theaters now it's a live action movie, but all the animal characters are completely digital. And tonight, via satellite, we have a couple people who helped bring this movie to life. Please welcome Zack French and Everett Woodley. Welcome, guys. So why don't you tell me a little bit about your roles here? Oh, with pleasure, James. I have the honor of performing all the mocap. Now that's the motion capture for several of the film's characters, including Masigo Quiros and of course, the titular Mufasa. And I made pizza bagels. I'm really fascinated by this whole process. Tell me more. Of course. Of course. I was challenged with creating a completely distinct physicality for Kiros and Mufasa from the way they roll. I'm sorry, no, no, I meant tell me more about these pizza bagels. How did that, Zach? Well, I had just finished cleaning the porta potties when I overheard the director say, oh, man, you know what I could go for right now? Let me guess. A pizza bagel. Yes. Right on. Anyways, I was like, I can make you a pizza bagel. And then the director was like, sweet, from now on, you're our pizza bagel guy. And I was like, tell you what, throw in a set of these cool looking skin tight jammies and you got yourself a deal. That's charming, Jimmy. In our craft, we called this a full body inertial motion capture suit. I got a full body, blah, blah, blah. But they look really comfy, by the way. So comfy. Plus, if you spill pizza sauce on them, you can just turn them inside out. Good as new. I lived among a pride of lions in the Serengeti for six months to prepare for Mufasa. I gained the lions trust. I hunted with them, I put on weight, I ate with them. I mate. Amazing. So what, what, what.

[Nate Bargatze]

What, what?

[Jimmy Fallon]

What recipe did you use for the pizza bagel? Oh, that's actually a pretty cool story. I googled what is a pizza bagel. Then bagel bites popped up, and so I bought some at the store, popped them in the oven, and I guess the rest is Lion King history. I killed an antelope with my bare hands just to impress a lioness. That's commitment. Hey, how about you give us a small demonstration of what you do? My pleasure, my pleasure. Oh, incredible. This is an amazing bagel bite. Mufasa's pizza bagel chef, Zack French and his co worker, everyone. That's amazing. Hey, I. I heard about a amazing pizza. Yeah, I heard about a woman in Ohio who just celebrated her 106th birthday and she credited her long life to a positive attitude and a love of fireball whiskey. Then she blew out the candles and her house exploded. Guys, finally 2024 is coming to a close. And honestly, it's hard to believe how much happened this year. Here, I'll show you what I mean with this song. Jason Kelsey shirtless scream that became a viral meme. He probably had a couple beers. Can't believe that was this year. Senator Katie Britt gave her position on a live stream from her kitchen. That whole thing was super weird. Can't believe that was this year. Stanley tumbler target brawl fighting boomers like Jake Paul bring your gladiator spear what else happened this past year? 2, 3, 4, everybody got Ozempic Snoop Dogg was at the Olympics Pommel horse guy on a roll French Paul Walter hit his pole Farewell to the Heiress tour Very mindful and demure. The debate was such a slog Trump said they're eating the cats, they're eating the dogs. 2, 3, 4, singing that's @ me Espresso Oompa Loompa. So Jim Preso, inside out and Dune and twisters. Omg I met the Rizza H o t t o g o Caitlin Clark's a total goat Wicked defy gravity what the hell's a Skibidi? 2, 3, 4 Met got Soto, he got paid Crazy statue of Dwyane Wade Classes for the big eclipso we all love this baby hippo Elon jumping was so nuts JD Vance can't buy donuts look alike for Chalamet Boeing door just flew away Bluey beetle juice brat, summer pardon turkey, pardon Hunter, penguin bear and baby reindeer Jake Elordi has a be and hot frosty. It did premiere, but Yellowstone has disappeared. The drones in Jersey so unclear. Did I mention that the Rizzler was here? I can't believe that was all this year. Happy 2024, everybody. We have a great show. Give it up for the Roots. Welcome to the show, everybody. Come on. Thank you very much for being here. What a show. What a show we have for you tonight. He is one of my favorite comedians. Oh, my gosh. His new special, your friend, Nate Bargetzi, comes to Netflix December 24th. And Nate Bargetzi's Nashville Christmas airs tomorrow on CBS. Nate Bargetzi is here this evening. The funniest, the best to me. I love it. She stars in the hit show Shrinking, which airs new episodes every Wednesday on Apple tv. Jessica Williams is joining us. Come on, get Emmy nominated. She is the bestselling author of Think youk'll Be happy, which is out now on paperback. This is fantastic. She's also the critically acclaimed producer of the new film the six Triple eight, which premieres globally this Friday on Netflix. Nicole Avant is here tonight. Great. We'll be right back with Nate Bargetti, everybody. Congrats. Our first guest is a very funny comedian. His new special, your friend, Nate Bargetzi, comes to Netflix December 24th. And Nate Bargetzi's Nashville Christmas airs tomorrow on CBS and streams on Paramount. Please welcome Nate Bargetzi, everybody. They love you. We love you. I love you. Welcome back to the show.

[Nate Bargatze]

Were y'all saying Bargetti or. You said paparazzi. You did, right?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Nate Bargatze]

All right, dude.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, they switched.

[Nate Bargatze]

I just play that when people don't know how to say my name. I just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Like, I said it wrong for it.

[Nate Bargatze]

First couple said it wrong for a long time. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I thought it was bargazi, but it's Bergetzi. No, I'm sorry about that.

[Nate Bargatze]

Well, what was I gonna do? You know?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I guess nothing.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah. I would like to say a little fun. Side note. Jimmy texted me to go have dinner. He's never texted me to have dinner after this taping. We've now hung out a lot since, and I didn't respond for 20 minutes, and then I text him back and go, what time are you eating dinner? He has already made other plans.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Why would you tell that story? That's not a great story.

[Nate Bargatze]

I moved fast. He's already out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, I'm out, man. I'm done. I'll see you some other time. Yeah, no, we've hung out many, many times.

[Nate Bargatze]

We've hung out many times.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you're very nice. You let me. I did two shows with you.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This. When did we go out? That was a couple of months ago.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you have a tour bus. Nate has a tour bus, and he tours with other comedians on the tour bus.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Which is, I think, a dream to me. It's like. I think like a rock.

[Nate Bargatze]

Sounds like I'm the only one that has a tour bus. You go, I'm the first to have it in the States.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, no, no. But I just think it's so cool. And. And so can I just show everyone? This is the inside of the tour bus. So this is the inside back there. That's Nate's room. And this is where I'm sleeping.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

In this bunk. And then that's maybe who.

[Nate Bargatze]

Julian was in there. Joe Zimmerman was in there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Joe Zimmerman was.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's got, like, electric doors that shut and so I did not tell him that. Because you have to realize, like, when Jimmy comes out with this, we've become very close friends. So it's not necessarily Jimmy Fallon. It's like, you're just part of the dudes now, and we're hanging out. So I did not tell Jimmy how to open those doors.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I didn't know. First of all, I didn't know there were doors right here. It just looks like open. Your room's there. And then behind this fourth wall is a bathroom. So I got up in the middle of the night. Because I'm older than you, Nate.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I got up, and I'm enclosed in pajamas.

[Nate Bargatze]

He's got. But he wears pajamas. Full on pajamas. He gave us pajamas. I was like, I never wore pajamas in my life. I guess I'm wearing pajamas now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're giving away too much. But anyways, while I was sleeping in my bunk, I was not bothering anyone. Sleeping pleasantly. And while I was sleeping, you enclosed me in. You trapped me in. Like, it's like squid game on your tour bus. And I get out and it's pitch black. And I don't know what is going on because all the walls have changed and everyone's asleep. And I'm like. And I was feeling the walls. I go, is there a button? Like, what? And I don't want to go in your bedroom. I don't want to bother anyone. So I'm like. And I was trying to move. I was like, There was no sound.

[Nate Bargatze]

Like, it's emotion sick.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I didn't know what was happening. I go. I go to the bathroom. It was a disaster. But I found it. I found the button, opened it up, and it was.

[Nate Bargatze]

Well, then you got your revenge the next morning. So when you go out with Jimmy, it's. Imagine if you took your child on the bus. We stayed up late, and I was like, we can stay up late. I was like, jimmy, are you going to sleep in, though? I need you to sleep in tomorrow. All right? Don't be waking up too early. You're not at home. We don't get up super early. Sleep in does not sleep in. We all wake up to a speaker. I think they're going to play William. What is it?

[Jimmy Fallon]

William William Tell Overture.

[Nate Bargatze]

So it starts playing super loud.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Nate Bargatze]

Duh. It's the longest song so long, the whole book. And it was all for this joke. It finally stopped. And then we just hear from his bunk. He goes, hello. Hey. I can't talk right now. Everybody's asleep.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I was so proud of that joke.

[Nate Bargatze]

It was a. We were mad then, like, that's pretty good. You know? Then we were like, that's a pretty. We did like that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Cranked it up. That was early.

[Nate Bargatze]

Another fun one was when we were in Syracuse. Comic Steven Rogers is on the road with us. You're talking to his parents and his dad brought up Fever Pitch. I'm a big fan of Fever Pitch, everybody. We love. We love that movie. We just brought it up, thought it'd be real quick. Turns out, inside the actor's studio on Fever's pitch over here, he's like, going through it. I'm looking at the guy's dad. It's like he's talking like it's the Godfather. He's like, Jimmy's like, here's the choices I made to Fever.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And we're like.

[Nate Bargatze]

I had to be like, Jimmy, I think he, like, you know, we all love it. He's just being nice. He's like, just trying to say something. Hey, Fever Pitch is good. Let me tell you why we chose Boston in the city.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Is that right? I forgot that thing, you know, I was just so happy to hang out with you. And like, I was too. And do a little stand up.

[Nate Bargatze]

Killed it at stand up to go up. Cause you starting to get back out and to go up in front of that many people and just be. I mean, they go, let me tell you, if you can go to a show that he's going to be a surprise at, I would try to shoot for that show, probably.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How would they do that? I don't even know.

[Nate Bargatze]

He doesn't even know. That's the.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Nobody knows what's great about you. And I want to thank you for this because I love watching your career. I enjoy what I'm. You came in nice enough to come on our show. I saw you at a club in front of maybe 20 people. And I go, I love this kid. He's unbelievable. He's so funny. And then let's have him on the show. I pronounced your name wrong. And I had you on the show. And I go, nate Bargetzi. And you came on you. Thanks a lot. And then you came back and you were going, I'm doing theaters now, so there's more than 100 people. And now I'm doing. I'm selling out 500 people. 500 people. And I saw you through that. And then we got to the Tonight show and you came back and you were nice enough to come back, and you go, yeah, I'm doing like 2,000 seaters now, Nate. When I Opened for you, there was 20,000 people in the audience.

[Jessica Williams]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's now global.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's global.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's so fun to watch you. You work so hard at it. I know you, and I know how you take it very seriously. But you're great to other comics, but you take it seriously. You work on jokes in between sets. I had so much fun talking to you and the other comedians. We're going over different jokes, and you're changing little things. You go, ah, I would do that. And you're helping each other out. And like, Jimmy, I would say maybe spirit Halloween. I would do this thing. I would do that. And go, oh, yeah, that's good. Like, we're just helping each other.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's like the old beginnings. It's like comics hanging out. Yeah. Look, all of it is. You were giant for me in my career. Still are giant for my career in this building. Was. I mean, coming here and coming to Fallon. When you were on Late Night with Fallon. You saw me that night. And to all that, to the Tonight show and just to. Our relationship is. I'm always mentioned, usually with you. Like, they always ask me about you. And he is exactly this. So if you can't handle this here.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Imagine sleeping in a. Sleeping with him in a. In a bus. Yeah. But you. You have a new tour. It's called Big Dumb Eyes.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, we're working on a new. But, dude, you're going all over the place.

[Nate Bargatze]

I am.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're going to Australia.

[Nate Bargatze]

Australia, Europe. We went to Europe last year. Europe's very old. That's what I learned last time in Europe, like, because you think we're old as a country, and you get there and you're like, good night. You know? How long have y'all been over here? Australia, very far away. Farther than I thought. Our Earth, little bigger than I thought it was. And I think we should have went the other way as well. But the pilot had different plans. I had jet lag there. I did not mind it because I Woke up at 5:45am And I don't ever wake up that early. So it was like a new life, you know, I was like, first in line at the breakfast buffet. Here's what I'll tell you. If you get up at 5:45am Noon is pretty far away, though. I mean, I thought you think it's. You bet your life. It's noon and it's maybe 8:36pm you're like, I don't know how people are out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How are they doing this. What are they doing?

[Nate Bargatze]

Why won't the sun go down?

[Jimmy Fallon]

You have two giant specials. One is on CBS tomorrow night. It's called Nate Bargetzi's Nashville Christmas.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is sketches. Family friendly. So many good shows. Sketches, stand up. Musical performances.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah, musical performances. Big what Lauren produces. I mean, it's crazy. And then maybe a friend that pops by. Maybe you just say it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm in.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's a secret. Sorry. It's a surprise.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's definitely not. Jimmy tomorrow.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, but I'm. Yeah, you can plan your surprise for tomorrow night. I'm on the.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah, yeah, you can plan your surprise. Yeah. Mikey day come tomorrow night. Mikey day.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Actually, Mikey D. And Peter.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yes. It's the best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The guys that wrote the George Washington sketch, if you love that when Nate host is hired. They did this. They did this. And they wrote another. A new sketch where you're aiming.

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah.

[Nate Bargatze]

We have a nativity scene that's very George Washington vibes. It's very funny.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's super funny. You're telling. You're talking about walking the line.

[Nate Bargatze]

We're not making anybody mad.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No. Just explain to Joseph and Mary what's about to come. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you have a special and brand new hour of fresh, great, great comedy that's on Christmas Eve.

[Nate Bargatze]

Christmas Eve.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Netflix. Yeah, that one's called your friend Nate Bargetzi.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You have all this happening in one week, bud.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's a lot of stuff.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's a lot of stuff.

[Nate Bargatze]

It's too much. And I feel. And I really apologize for how much I've probably been around. I think it's a lot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, it's not enough. We need more Nate Bargetzi.

[Jessica Williams]

Come on.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We need more of them. We'll talk about all this over dinner.

[Jessica Williams]

We're going to dinner.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, not tonight. But one day we'll be on, bud.

[Nate Bargatze]

Thanks, bud.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So proud of you. You're the best, dude. Thank you so much for everything. Nate bar gets everybody. Your friend n. Nate Bargettzi comes to Netflix December 24th. Nate Bargetzzi's Natural Christmas airs tomorrow on CBS. We'll be right back with Jessica Williams. Stick around, everybody. Our next guest is an Emmy nominated actress who stars in the hit show shrinking, which airs new episodes every Wednesday on Apple tv. Please welcome Jessica Williams. Jessica Williams, welcome back to the show.

[Nicole Avant]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Happy holidays. Happy holidays. I love having you on the show. Thank you. I also love since you've been coming on the show, you always talk about your dad. We always talk about your dad. Leon and your mom, Maria. But they're in the audience tonight.

[Jessica Williams]

They are.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, bud. Welcome. Good to see you. Always welcome. You're always welcome to the show. Even when your daughter's not on the show, you're allowed to come here.

[Nicole Avant]

Don't tell him that. He's like obsessed with you. You, like flew in from la. He's like, oh, I just love to see what they be doing on there. Yeah, they be having fun. All the roots and them and they be doing all that. They just have fun up there. Like he's obsessed, my dad's obsessed with how much fun you have all the time.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I do.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We always have a good time. You're always welcome. We have fun together. Yeah. I love that he watches.

[Nate Bargatze]

Yeah.

[Nicole Avant]

Oh yeah, he does. He watches everything.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, you're now living close to each other, right?

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah, yeah. I'm from outside of Los Angeles, so I moved back home. I moved back home to be closer to them, my parents. And they're like thrilled.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So yeah, yeah, you get to hang.

[Nicole Avant]

Out and I get to hang out, like try and fill my time. That did shrinking and we start shrinking again next month, which is really exciting.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Also, you told me that you're learning the guitar. Jessica, I'm very impressed with this. You brought me a photo of your guitar. Yes.

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Which is the first step. I mean, that's good.

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah.

[Nicole Avant]

So I have this really cool like 2000s heart shaped guitar I wanted to learn for forever. I have a really awesome instructor, his name's Lucas. And I've just soft quit on him so many times, but he always lets me come back, so. Hi, Lucas.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hi, Lucas. Thank you. But what makes Lucas so great?

[Nicole Avant]

Lucas is great because he's just like a normal guy and he's like got his snacks and he just loves all music. He's not like, he doesn't discriminate. He's down the jam with anything. But the best thing about Lucas is that when I soft quit, he just doesn't judge me at all when I come back. That's like the nicest life. That's a good teacher. Yeah, it's hard. Like guitar is really hard.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's difficult. Yeah. But once you get through it, you'll never forget it.

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah. The program I do, it's like kind of based on like a dojo where every time your belt is the equivalent, you get a pick and it's a certain color, like a guitar pick. And so you learn kind of cumulatively. So you learn the fundamentals and you learn like seven nation army first and then you, like, keep going. And so I'm at my, like, blue belt right now, so I have my blue pick right now. But I did soft quit a few weeks ago, so I need to get that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow. I can't do 70. Will you come back and play something?

[Nicole Avant]

Okay, wait. Cause I feel. I knew you were gonna ask me that. That's gonna take, like, three Fallons like that if I come.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No way. No, not the next Fallon. No, no.

[Nicole Avant]

Dude, you're crazy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on. Next Fallon debuted Jessica Wiz on the guitar shredding. Get to work, Lucas. Get to work. No soft quitting.

[Nicole Avant]

Now I have an accountability partner.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I want to talk to you about shrinking. Congratulations on the last time you were here.

[Jessica Williams]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You just announced that you're working with Harrison Ford and Jason Segel on this new show, and now it's become one of the most popular shows on tv, and you got your first Emmy nomination for it. Congratulations. Well done. By the way, your reaction at the Emmys went viral when they announced the winner. Yeah. Let's just take a look really quick.

[Nicole Avant]

IO get your ass up here.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You were crying.

[Nicole Avant]

I was a lot of fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You were really upset.

[Nicole Avant]

A lot of people didn't know that was me for, like, a long time, I think. Cause my hair is short, and I'm, like, a deeply unserious person. I knew. I thought, thank you. But, like, funny, but, like, I like to be silly. Like, my parents are silly. I like it. But I knew when they said, like, in the beginning, like, Jessica Williams, like, I wanted to do something, but I. But I didn't realize they were gonna go so fast when they say your name initially, that I was like, all right, I'm gonna do this. Really happy for iOS. She's the best. Like, let's just kind of combine those two moments.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're like, are people gonna get this bit? Yeah.

[Jessica Williams]

If I start fake crying.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It was a risk.

[Nicole Avant]

It was a risk for sure.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And people kind of half didn't get the bit.

[Nicole Avant]

I get it. I get that, too.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. People were like, is she really upset? And, like.

[Nicole Avant]

No, no, no. It was just. I mean, I know people say it when they get nominated, but it was, like, just an honor to be nominated.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Aw, come on. See? You really meant it. I did.

[Nicole Avant]

I did. I get it. I get it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I want to show this piece from an LA Times article just because it's so cool that I want to embarrass you a little bit, because they're talking to Harrison Ford and he gives you one of the greatest compliments Harrison Ford said this about you. And look at this. She gets where the jokes are, and she doesn't require a lot of talk about it with her. I think of Yoda. There is no talk only do. She stretched my imagination. Han Solo. Han Solo compared you to Yoda? Come on. What do you think he hates?

[Nicole Avant]

He hates. He hates talking about it so much.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, he hates talking about Star wars.

[Nicole Avant]

But I could not believe that he, like, volunteered it. I accidentally. I don't think I've told this story. I accidentally, like, walked into bringing up Star wars to him so organically, and I didn't mean to. We were, like, in between. It was, like, a break. And I had just gotten on that Star wars ride at Disneyland, and it was like, that ride is, like, the best technology that money can buy with a ride. I was, like, giggling. I was, like, giggling like a kid. Like, you know when you get on an electric scooter and you're like, I'm gonna live forever? That's what I felt like. And so anyway, I was, like, genuinely talking about it, like, in between takes. And then I turned to him. I was like, have you ever been like, you know, on that ride? And he was like, what the hell? No.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Last thing in his life, he. Whatever you want to do is going that ride.

[Nicole Avant]

I also accidentally told him he was in a Fortnite game, which he did not know when he was in a Fortnite game. Why he did this, I don't know. I genuinely, like. He's such an icon that he naturally comes up in conversation for me, and I forget, actually, that I'm telling him about himself because he's that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But you guys love. Get along. You love each other.

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah, I love him. Like, I got to see him last week, and he was on one. Cause we were like, finally. They were like, harrison's gonna come to this panel. Like, he's gonna come to this press. And he was just like. He was out of control. So I was sitting between him and Ted McGinley, and they were just, like, muttering things. They were, like, rolling around on their chairs. It felt like I was sitting between two preschoolers. It was really funny.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The season two finale premieres next week on Christmas. Is that right?

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah, I think Christmas Eve. Ish. Like, a little clear.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Nicole Avant]

So it's like a cozy moment. I mean, it's a really cozy show. So that's like.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you said this one's a real.

[Nicole Avant]

Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, I'm in it, and I just saw it, like, a few Weeks ago. And even I was like, this is so good.

[Jessica Williams]

Look at all these people.

[Nicole Avant]

You.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Jessica Williams, new episode of Shrinking Air Wednesdays on Apple tv. Plus more Tonight show after the break. Stick around, everybody. See if it's real. What if it's? Our next guest is the best selling author of Think youk'll Be Happy, which is out now in paperback. She's also the critically acclaimed producer of the new film the Six Triple Eight, which premieres globally this Friday on Netflix. Please welcome Nicole Avant. Oh, you look fantastic. Welcome to the show and thank you so much. I can't wait to get into the movie and talk about everything, but I, I have to talk to you about your book and you for a second because I met you at a party and we just hit it off and started talking about music.

[Jessica Williams]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And talking about your dad, who is Clarence Avon, legendary in the business. If you ever saw the documentary you produced called the Black Godfather. The Black Godfather. If you love music, it's on Netflix. It's on Netflix. You've got to watch it. You're gonna love it. He's a character and he's so great. And then we're talking about your dad and I was asking about your mom and you told me this story and I hope you don't mind obviously talking about this, but how old was your dad when this happened, this event?

[Jessica Williams]

91.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So your dad's 91 years old and then you get a phone call from your brother, right?

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah, I get a phone call. My brother was trying to find me. The phone is off. It's in the middle of the night. And I finally got a call from Ted, my husband, and he says, nicole, listen, you have to get up. I don't know what's going on, but your mom's been shot and you have to get to the hospital. And you know, it's 2:30, 3:00 in the morning. I was shot. Where? What, what are you. What? You know, and you think you're dreaming. I was discombobulated. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa. What he said, Nicole, get up, get to Cedars and I'll meet you there. Which is kind of the title of his new forward of the book is I'll meet you there. And unfortunately, she did not make it. And it was during a home invasion and, and my life was turned upside down. But as I was saying backstage, you know, that was December three years ago.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Jessica Williams]

And three years ago this week, guys, this was. I didn't think I was going to be able to function. I didn't want to. I didn't know what to do. My father had to come live with us. And it was the worst day of my life. And you don't know when you're in that much shock and that much trauma, you can't see one second even before you. You don't know. Your life just changes. But I, you know, I stood in my faith. I love being alive. I love my life. I have a blessed life. And I thought, you know, my dad had said something to me when I didn't want to finish this book. Yeah, I didn't want to finish the 6888. And my father looked at me and he said, nicole, this man already took a life. Are you going to let him take your life, too, or are you going to live?

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I thought, well, okay, I'll tell you. I'm going to finish the book. I'm going to do the movie. I'm going to do the Brian doing it. And that is the best. And when I read this book, and I just. If anyone's grieving or just read it, it's just a great book. And I can't believe you're strong enough to write this, but I think you'll be happy. Can you explain the title?

[Jessica Williams]

The title. So it was the last. I spoke to my mom via text maybe 6 hours before I got that phone call. And we were talking about sweet potato pie. Cause it was right after Thanksgiving. And. And my dad being my father, when you see the documentary, my father. My father, they brought a sweet potato pie for us.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Very nice.

[Jessica Williams]

And my mom was so proud that she brought this great homemade sweet potato pie. And then they took leftovers. And my father took the pie because we didn't touch it. So he decided to take the pie home with him. And my mom was.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So, the pie he brought.

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah, the pie he brought. And my mom was so mortified and so angry. And so she kept calling me up until this day as Nicole, please come get this pie. I want to see you. And I said, okay, mom, enough with okay. I'll get to it. I'll see you tomorrow.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'll try that pie.

[Jessica Williams]

I'll get the pie. And then she wrote, okay, think you'll be happy? Last time I ever heard from her. So that is why it's called think you'll be happy. And also, really, because she was a woman who believed that your thoughts and your words, your behavior, all of it, you have to focus. You have to tell your brain to be positive. She believed in being just the three p's. From Jackie Avon. Be positive, be powerful and be productive. Thank you to the diva. Thanks.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I loved it so much.

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you. Thank you. And so now let's talk about this movie you're previewing. Yes. The six aaa. Congratulations, Tyler Perry. You got based on a crazy story.

[Jessica Williams]

True story.

[Jimmy Fallon]

True story. That I did not know.

[Jessica Williams]

Yeah, I know. And we've all heard of Kerry Washington. She's extraordinary in this film.

[Jimmy Fallon]

She's fantastic.

[Jessica Williams]

And it's a true story. All female, all black women of color. Battalion, World War II. I've seen a million World War II movies. Read about it. Respect everyone have never heard of this story.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Never heard this story.

[Jessica Williams]

And so they were basically given the task to get to Europe, sort out 17 million pieces of mail to get to the troops. And I know a lot of people think, oh, the mail. Oh, it's so hard. That had nothing to do with it, by the way. They helped win the war. These women. They were patriots. They were courageous. What I loved about these women, they loved their country, even if their country didn't love them. And they didn't wait for things to be perfect in order to be excellent. They chose to be excellent and help us win this war. So they got to Europe and they sorted out this mail in three months.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. But that's still 90 days communication.

[Jessica Williams]

So you guys think about it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

There's no cell phone. There's no WI fi, there's no wifi.

[Jessica Williams]

Remember, this is World War II. No wi fi, no cell phone, no nothing. The only means of communication is the mail.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep.

[Jessica Williams]

And so when you have troops on the ground, they have to feel love, they have to feel support, they have to feel alive. Their life force needs something. And so their morale is down. And thank God President Roosevelt figured it out. All the men couldn't do it. And they kept trying to sort the mail. They kept coming up with all these excuses. So the joke was, we'll send these black women over there and let them try to do it, and then we'll be able to say that they couldn't do it either. And guess what?

[Jimmy Fallon]

And guess what? And you got Tyler Perry.

[Jessica Williams]

I got Tyler Perry, who is. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's a dream.

[Jessica Williams]

He's a dream to work with. Brilliant.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's brilliant.

[Jessica Williams]

He's brilliant. And he's put the work into focus.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep.

[Jessica Williams]

And I mean, it's great. It's great.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Nicole Avant, everybody. The six Triple eight premieres this Friday on Netflix. And her book Think youk'll Be Happy is out now. Thank you so much for being here. You're the best. I love you. Love you more. Tonight show after the break. Stick around. That was how you do it. Yeah. Some of y'all just a legend in your own mind. Let the drum talk to me? Cause I'm online. Please don't try to kill it, but it won't die. Keep him coming back to feeling like a doom. My thanks to Nate Bar? Gy, Jessica Williams, the and the Roots right there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3, 4. 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 podcast, watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.