Trump Launched Iran Attack Because of a "Good Feeling" | Jamie Lee Curtis, Sam Heughan, Andrew Jarecki | Wednesday, March 4

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Episode Date: March 5, 2026
Guests: Jamie Lee Curtis, Sam Heughan, Andrew Jarecki

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Episode Overview

This lively episode blends the usual topical humor with in-depth interviews, featuring Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, "Outlander" star Sam Heughan, and Oscar-nominated director Andrew Jarecki. The main themes cover current political events, pop culture news, a comedic exploration of "Game of Thrones," and the creation of acclaimed works in TV and film. The conversations range from backstage stories and industry insights to social justice issues, all in Jimmy Fallon’s trademark upbeat, quick-witted style.

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Key Segments & Insights

Jimmy Fallon's Monologue: News, Politics, and Pop Culture

Timestamps: [01:09] - [06:42]

• Iran Attack & Trump’s “Good Feeling”

  • Fallon opens with sharp jokes about President Trump’s military decision, satirizing its spontaneous, vibes-driven nature:
    • "This could be the first war ever launched based on vibes. Yep. Trump's one step away from telling us his whole strategy is a Magic 8 ball." [01:17]
    • "You know, when most 79-year-olds get a good feeling, it's just their knees predicting rain." [01:32]
  • Quick, punchy jabs about Trump’s decision-making, gas prices, and cultural references keep the mood light despite geopolitical tension.

• “Game of Thrones” Wordplay Routine

  • Fallon and his team riff on the Game of Thrones movie announcement by spinning an escalating series of puns on its title:
    • “Is it the one about curling?” — “No, that’s ‘game with stones.’” [04:19]
    • “When Judi Dench eats pastries, that's a dame with scones.” [04:44]
    • Ends with: “Is it the popular fantasy series with multiple spinoffs?” — “Yes…I love Lord of the Rings.” [05:31]

• Pop Culture Quips

  • Playful bits about Harry Styles, magazine covers, and the new Disney cruise ship:
    • "It's perfect for anyone who's ever looked around Disney and thought, if only I could be trapped at sea with these people." [06:32]

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Jamie Lee Curtis Interview: “Scarpetta,” Early Career, and Nicole Kidman

Timestamps: [07:12] - [17:11]

• Rocky Theme & Early Audition Routines

  • Jamie shares her habit of pumping herself up for auditions as a teen:
    • "I would sit in my car and listen to the theme from Rocky to pump me up..." [08:27]

• Showbiz Beginnings and The Tonight Show

  • Reminisces about her second acting job, a waitress role on Columbo, and how a clip was used on The Tonight Show, marking her early career milestone:
    • "My second job in show business was on the Tonight Show." [10:18]

• “Scarpetta” Series Backstory & Nicole Kidman Connection

  • Details how she became a producer on the new series “Scarpetta,” ultimately starring alongside Nicole Kidman:
    • “I called Jason Blum...we produced the movie the Lost Bus last year and now we’re producing Scarpetta…we were trying to cast the show...” [12:28]
  • Curtis recounts the serendipitous, emotional moment Kidman expressed admiration for her at the Oscars:
    • “She looked at me and she said, I see you. I see what you do and I see how you do it...I want you to know you need to keep doing it.” [14:08]
    • "That's how I am in this show. Because Nicole Kidman said. And of course you're in it. And you know what? It's called the Nicole Kidman effect." [15:33]

• Cast and Story Details

  • Jamie Lee Curtis enthusiastically plugs the cast (Bobby Cannavale, Ariana DeBose, Simon Baker) and the family dynamic at the show's core.
  • On Nicole Kidman’s character: “She was the first woman medical examiner 30 years ago. And now 30 years later, she comes back... it’s very intense.” [16:58]

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Sam Heughan Interview: “Outlander,” Stage Roots, and Whiskey

Timestamps: [17:27] - [24:13]

• Return to Theater and RSC Macbeth

  • Sam describes his recent turn as Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Company, staged with immersive Scottish bar flavor:
    • "It was kind of immersive for the audience because they were right in amongst it. So they got, you know, they got blood, they got sweat, they got spit on them." [18:41]

• Upcoming Projects: “Embassy”

  • Shares his current filming adventures involving action and working with Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons. [19:02]

• Tartan Day Parade Grand Marshal

  • Heughan expresses pride in Scottish heritage and excitement about leading the 2026 NYC Tartan Day Parade:
    • "Scotland takes over Sixth Avenue...lots of bagpipes...a real celebration of Scotland." [19:53]

• Whiskey Brand and Galloway Distillery

  • Discusses launching his Sassenach whiskey and building a distillery in his home region:
    • "We're producing our own spirits down in the southwest of Scotland. So you must come down." [20:57]

• Final Season of Outlander

  • Talks about wrapping up the show, the emotional impact, letting go of his character, and rumors of Jamie Fraser’s fate:
    • "In the trailer...he gets a book from the future that tells him...he’s gonna die in a battle. Does he die? I don’t know. You'll have to tune in." [22:23]
    • "We shot multiple endings. I don't know how it ends. So I'll be watching with you." [22:47]
    • "It’s emotional, it's bittersweet. Really hard to say goodbye...I'm very, very grateful." [22:59]

• Outlander Whiskey—The Jamie Fraser Collection

  • To commemorate the series’ end, he launches a special edition with a personal letter to his character inside:
    • "I've written a letter to my character, Jamie, to say thank you. So you'll get the letter inside. It's wax sealed..." [23:21]

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Andrew Jarecki Interview: “The Alabama Solution” & Documentary Filmmaking

Timestamps: [24:45] - [35:40]

• Choosing Stories and Unexpected Twists

  • On picking documentary subjects:
    • "We always try to go in without a preconceived notion...It was so surprising because we never expected to have access to the Alabama State Prison system." [25:24]

• Filmmaking Access, Truth & Barbecue Scene

  • Describes gaining rare entry to an Alabama prison and witnessing a staged “feel-good” barbecue for the sake of cameras:
    • “They said, what you're seeing right now has nothing to do with our daily life...Our food says, not fit for human consumption on the packages.” [28:22]

• Systemic Corruption: How Cellphones Expose Abuse

  • Incarcerated men, with contraband phones (smuggled in by guards), collaborate to document conditions and even a murder for the film:
    • “It's ironic that the cellphones that are brought in by the prison guards to be sold to the men are the same thing that we were able to use in this investigation…” [30:27]

• Unsung Heroes & Motivation

  • Profiles central figures like Robert Earl Council (“Kinetic Justice”), their motivation, and moral complexity:
    • “Honestly, it’s like talking to Mandela. This is a guy who never should have been incarcerated.” [32:07]
    • “It’s kind of true that they’re unlikely heroes, but heroes nevertheless.” [32:50]

• Political Reaction from Alabama

  • The film prompted pushback from state leadership—Governor Kay Ivey’s only comment:
    • “She came out with a statement that was, ‘We always knew the Oscars had a low bar.’” [33:00]
  • Jarecki describes a hopeful attempt to open dialogue, inviting the governor and attorney general to screen the film with victims’ families before the Oscars. He hasn’t received a response yet. [34:33]

• Impact and Change

  • Jarecki notes emerging protests and the growing movement ignited by the film:
    • “We've shown the film maybe 125 times...suddenly you see these many people in Alabama who felt shame because they've had a relative who's incarcerated...We’ve seen these protests emerge now...” [34:44]
    • “When you see hundreds of people standing out there asking for changes, you’d like to believe that a public servant is willing to change.” [35:39]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jamie Lee Curtis on Nicole Kidman’s Influence:

  • “That's how I am in this show. Because Nicole Kidman said. And of course you're in it. And you know what? It's called the Nicole Kidman effect.” [15:33]

• Sam Heughan on Outlander Fans’ Dedication:

  • “The fans were out overnight in the freezing cold. They waited 18 hours.” [21:52]

• Andrew Jarecki on Prison Reform Documentaries:

  • “I felt so lucky. And people say, well, these are unlikely heroes. It's kind of true that they're unlikely heroes, but heroes nevertheless.” [32:50]

• On Political Reactions to the Documentary:

  • “She came out with a statement that was, ‘We always knew the Oscars had a low bar.’ So...in a way, let's try to meet this with kindness.” [33:00]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:09] – Monologue (Trump, Iran, Game of Thrones jokes, pop culture)
• [07:12] – Jamie Lee Curtis interview
• [17:27] – Sam Heughan interview
• [24:45] – Andrew Jarecki interview

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Tone & Style

• Energetic, fast-paced, and witty, with a balance of topical satire and warm, genuine conversation.
• Seamless blend of humor ("Game of Thrones" puns) and substantive discussion on entertainment and social issues.

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Summary:
This Tonight Show episode is a dynamic mix of zippy political and pop culture jokes, heartfelt industry stories, and eye-opening documentary insights. The interviews with Jamie Lee Curtis, Sam Heughan, and Andrew Jarecki offer both entertainment and significant depth, from the intricacies of Hollywood casting to the sobering realities of the American prison system. The episode is a showcase for the emotional range and social consciousness accessible even in late-night television’s buoyant format.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6B in Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City, it's a Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Tonight, join Jimmy and his guests, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sam Heughan, Andrew Jarecki. And featuring the legendary Roots crew, Jimmy. And now, here he is. Jimmy. That's proud. Yes. Thank you very much. Enjoy yourself.

Welcome, welcome, welcome, everybody to the Tonight Show. You're here. You made it.

Aww.

It's gonna be fun. Thank you for watching at home too. Let's get to some news. Well, guys, of course, everyone's still talking about Iran. And today the White House said that President Trump attacked Iran based on a good feeling that they were planning to attack the U.S. it's historic. This could be the first war ever launched based on vibes. Yep. Trump's one step away from telling us his whole strategy is a Magic 8 ball. It's like, ask again later, Ask again later. You know, when most 79 year olds get a good feeling, it's just their knees predicting rain. You know?

[Andrew Jarecki]

That's right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's now day five of Trump's military operation in Iran. Remember the good old days when he was just demolishing the White House? That was.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

That was.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Things in Iran are continuing to escalate, which is surprising because usually when Trump gets involved, the escalation stops. Yeah, Trump got into Iran, but he has no idea how to leave. It's the same problem he has sitting on a deep couch. He's like, okay, put my arms on three, one. Roll me and pull me, roll me. Trump attacked Iran suddenly and without a clear plan. So that's two rash decisions he made this week. Well, people are talking about this. Amid the ongoing conflict overseas, gas prices here in the US Are skyrocketing. It's bad. Today I saw a guy filling his tank with Four Loko. What? Yeah, yeah, yeah. These are tough times. If you need oil, I mean, Iran is under attack and P. Diddy is still in jail. So, I mean, it's. I don't know how I'm gonna get oil. How am I gonna get.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Now listen to this. I read that one of the favorites to replace Iran's supreme leader is his son. Oh, yeah. Right now it's actually between two of his sons, Ayatollah Eric and Ayatollah junior. Meanwhile, with the war ramping up, I saw that the military is starting to run some new recruitment ads. Take a look at this.

[Marine Recruiter]

Do you want to serve your country?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, sir.

[Marine Recruiter]

Do you have what it takes?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I do.

[Marine Recruiter]

Can you do 50 push ups?

[Sam Heughan]

Are you crazy.

[Marine Recruiter]

How about 25 push?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I can't do it.

[Marine Recruiter]

Alright, can you do one push up close? Zero. Well, how much can you lift? Never mind. Everyone else, join the Marines.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Switching gears to some big entertainment news, I just heard that a Game of Thrones movie is in the works. I can't wait. I love the Game of Thrones dude.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Same. I absolutely love Candy Crush.

[Andrew Jarecki]

What?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, Tariq, that's a game on phones. I'm talking about Game of Thrones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Oh, oh, right. Wait, wait. Is it the one about curling?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, that's game with stones. I'm talking about Game of Thrones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Oh, right, right. Wait, is it the fibula and tibia?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, that's name of Bones. This is Game of Thrones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Oh, right. Wait, is it Dolly the Sheep and Jim Carrey?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, those are famous clones. This is Game of Thrones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Is it the grocery store where cashiers flirt with you?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, that's Trader Joe's.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

When Judi Dench eats pastries, that's a dame with scones. Some random Irish guy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's Seam S. Jones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

When someone's shy in the bedroom, that's ashamed of moans. Okay, when your ice cream stand catches

[Jimmy Fallon]

on fire, that's flaming cones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

When you compliment your detective friend Sherlock, that's glazing Holmes. When you trade whimsical garden ornaments, that's exchanging gnomes. This noise,

[Jimmy Fallon]

that's lame trombones.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

When you always find fault with the chiefs quarterback, that's Blame Mahomes. Hang on, hang on, hang on. I think I've got it. Is it the popular fantasy series with multiple spinoffs?

[Sam Heughan]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Awesome.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

I love Lord of the Rings.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Tariq Trotter, everyone.

Did you see this? Harry Styles is getting a lot of attention. For appearing shirtless on the COVID of Runner's World magazine. Take a look at this. Yeah, but he's not the only celebrity to appear on the COVID of Runner's World. There was also, of course, Oprah Winfrey in 1995, George W. Bush in 2002, and this is a little embarrassing, but a few years ago I also appeared on the COVID And there you go. How was that?

Wow. Was that the only magazine cover you were on?

No, I was also on the COVID of Bon Appetit. Oh, really? Yeah.

Oh,

Hey, this is fun. I saw that Disney Cruise Line just launched their largest ship ever. Yeah, it's perfect for anyone who's ever looked around Disney and thought, if only I could be trapped at sea with these people.

We have a great show. Jamie Lee Curtis is here tonight. Sam Heughan is Joining us, award winning director Andrew Jarecki is here. Stick around. We'll be right back with Jamie Lee Curtis.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Come on back, everybody.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Our first guest is an Oscar and Emmy winner who stars in and produces the new series Scarpetta, which premieres March 11 on Prime Video. Please welcome Jamie Lee Curtis.

Talking about standing ovation, Jamie Lee Curtis.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was trying to figure out what you were gonna play for me, Isma. I thought you were gonna play. You know what I think you were gonna play?

[Andrew Jarecki]

What did you think I was gonna play?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

The Rocky theme. I told Questlove on his pod. Is that what you call it?

[Sam Heughan]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Okay.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's called a podcast.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

All right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Talking about his pod.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

No, I wasn't ill. God, so fast, so early in the performance here. I know I'm dressed a little slutty, but.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, you are.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You. Oh, I am. I'm. No, no,

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was telling Questlove that I used to listen to the theme from Rocky before auditions.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, I love that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I would sit in my car and listen to the theme from Rocky to

[Jimmy Fallon]

pump me up and get pumped up.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was like 18 or 19 years old and I was sitting in my car.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love that. I was actually just going to ask you about your first appearance on tv. Well, the second one.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, this is my second time with you. I don't know. Why have you rejected me? No, no, it's like, yeah, right. Why have you rejected me?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Y' all, give me a break. You are unbelievable.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I was only here twice.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Have you lived in la, I think is the only reason we love you.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, thanks for, like, ridiculing me from where I live. I'm born and raised in the City of Angels.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes. City of Angels.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

It is the City of Angels.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know, but no one calls it that. You're here. But, Jamie, anytime you're in New York.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Wow. Are we gonna get into, like, a thing?

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, the thing is this. You have an open invitation, and I want you to come on the show anytime you're in New York.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Ok. Open.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I don't care what you had going on, anything. I absolutely adore you and everyone on the staff.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Absolutely. Thank you. That's very nice of you. Yes. Here's what's weird. I was on. It's weird. I was on the Tonight show, my second job in show business. I was under contract at Universal and I did a couple shows. My first job was a Quincy, and then my second job was a Columbo, and I played a waitress in a diner that he walks in, you know, Peter Falk. Peter Falk. And he. And he walked in with a donut. And I play a bitchy waitress, and he walks in with this donut and. Well, anyway. And he took that clip on the. Tonight. No. On the Tonight Show.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

To promote the show. So I was on the Tonight Show. My second job in show business was on the Tonight Show.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yes. Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What's the scene? I want to hear what? He walks in with a donut.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Well, he walks in with a donut, and of course she says, you can't eat that here. And he goes, oh, oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Oh, oh, oh, I'm so sorry, man. I'm sorry. And then he hands me the donut.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And then I glare at him, then I leave, then they do something about the show. And then I come back and I go, have you decided what you want? And he goes, oh, oh, I'm sorry. Oh, I'll have a donut. And then I glare. But the thing that's so good about it is that it's a patented glare. So I've kind of. So here, I'm going to do it to you right now.

[Andrew Jarecki]

All right. Yep.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Ooh, wow. Wow. That was. That's fantastic. Because I could tell that in your brain, you're nothing but love.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

For you. Yes, I do. You're a very nice man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You're handsome.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you. I love this.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You have a very talented group of people. You're a nice audience.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

You're the best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is why I want you to

come back every week. So good for my ego. I want to talk about Scarpetta, by the way. This is massive. You and Nicole Kidman.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

I know. It's so fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Ooh, it's so good.

It's based on the popular books. Oh, my gosh. I want to say it's 120 million easily.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

120 million books have sold. But she's written 36 books. She is a friend of mine. We are friends. And, you know, I'm a producer now. So one of these one day I said to her, hey, what's up with Scarpetta?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And she was like, nothing. I was like, what do you mean? She goes, nothing. I said, ok. So I called Jason Blum. I'm sure you've met Jason Blum.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You guys are very similar. Do you know Jason Blum?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I do know Jason Blum.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Like, the two of you, you're immature but handsome. But no, wait. Happily married parents.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I think we're booked for the next year.

[Sam Heughan]

No, no.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

You have A youth, full exuberance about your life and your passion for what you do.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's very.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Ok, so he's my boss.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

He's my boss because I have a deal with him. We produced the movie the Lost Bus last year and now we're producing Scarpetta. So I brought them to him. We're now producing the show and we were trying to cast the show. And so then the question of who's going to play Scarpetta? And this is a true story that no one has ever heard. And I know you have something here that has to do with ed. So in 2021, I was presenting the Oscar to. It was the In Memoriam to Betty White. Right. And my idea was I was part of the show and it was during COVID So we were at these cafe tables and my idea was Betty White was an animal rights activist. I should get a rescue puppy to take on the show with me and live on television in front of a billion people say, in spirit of Betty White, someone adopt this puppy. And, you know, let's honor her that

[Jimmy Fallon]

she would love that.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Do you know who adopted that puppy? John Travolta, backstage at the Oscars. John Travolta took that puppy home.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's my dude.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And he still has a puppy. So anyway, I am sitting at. I'm sitting at a table, minding my own dang business.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I was talking to my friend Heidi, looking up like this, and she said, jamie, somebody wants to talk to you. I said, what do you mean? She said, somebody is behind you. And I turned around like this, and Nicole Kidman is standing like this, just standing behind me in this seat. And I looked up and I was like, hello. Hi, Nicole Kidman.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Hello.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And she looked at me. Never met her. Never. I've seen her obviously, in her work. And she looked at me and she said, I see you. I see what you do and I see how you do it, and I see what you say and what you care about. And I want you to know you need to keep doing it. And you're amazing now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

This. This does not happen. That does not happen.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That doesn't happen.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Like, that doesn't.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And I just was like, okay, wow, you're really good, too. And she was nominated for an Oscar that year for Lucille Ball. And then she walked away and I was like, so anyway, so it turns out Nicole has always wanted to play Scarpetta because we had a meeting with her producing partner. And so all of a sudden she hears we're producing a Show of Scarpetta. She says. We hear she wants to be in it. But then of course, she says to me, and you're producing the show, Jamie. And I'm like, yes. She goes, and you're in it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I am now

queen.

Of course I'll be in it.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yes, of course I'm in it. I'm in.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's a funny way that those things happen.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

That's how I am in this show. Because Nicole Kidman said. And of course you're in it. And you know what? It's called the Nicole Kidman effect. It's an extraordinary thing what happens, you know, right away we got a two season pickup at Amazon. Like that.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Cause that's right.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Nicole Kidman.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here she is, Charlie.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

This was the picture. Somebody took a picture of me meeting her at the Oscars.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is actually a historic moment.

[Sam Heughan]

That's.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Isn't that amazing?

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Isn't that crazy?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Isn't that crazy how life works, that

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

there's a picture of that moment?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

It just blew my mind. Yeah, Absolutely blew my mind.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What a cast, by the way. You and Nicole Kibben at Meridian.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Fantastic. Bobby Cannavale plays Marino. I know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm like a pimp. I'm like a pip bomb.

[Sam Heughan]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come out of here. Duplicate my moves.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

He plays Maria.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Ariana DeBose.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

She plays my daughter.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's my pal.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And Simon Baker.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, plays.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Wow.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. He plays Nicole's.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

He plays Nicole's husband.

[Sam Heughan]

Yeah, I was.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

And we all live together in a house. So the way it happened is Lucy's had a tragedy and the whole family comes together, and now these four adults are all now living in this house that was part of Simon Baker's family legacy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. And it's odd because Nicole Kidman plays a medical.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

She's a medical examiner. She was the first woman medical examiner 30 years ago. And now 30 years later, she comes back and she's taken the same job and we're all living together and it's very intense.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, she is.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

She is. I mean, she is.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's how you do it right there. Jamie Lee Curtis, everyone. Scarpetta premieres March 11th on Prime Video. More tonight's show entrance break. Stick around.

Our next guest stars in the very popular scene, Outlander. The eighth and final season premieres March 6 on Starz with new episodes every Friday. Please welcome Sam Heughan.

Ah, it's a hot show tonight. The hot show.

Come on.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Wow.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sam, welcome back to the show.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome. We always love it when you're here. You obviously Know how to perform in front of a crowd, an audience. Your theater background.

[Sam Heughan]

Yeah, I am, yeah. Yeah. I started in theater and actually I was very lucky. I got to do a sort of full circle moment where I went back to my roots. I just played Macbeth. I can say it.

[Andrew Jarecki]

There's no.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, yeah. No, not in the theater.

[Sam Heughan]

Superstition or anything.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Superstition. You're not allowed to say the word.

[Sam Heughan]

I think if you say you've got to, like, stand up, turn around three times.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Touch.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But here you can say. Cause you were not.

[Sam Heughan]

I was Macbeth. So I think I'm all right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah,

[Sam Heughan]

it was cool. We were the rsc, the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon, which was.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, my gosh, that's a good.

Yeah.

[Sam Heughan]

And we set it in a bar, in a Scottish bar, because obviously I'm

[Jimmy Fallon]

very home at home there.

[Sam Heughan]

Yeah. And. But it was kind of immersive for the audience because they were right in amongst it. So they got, you know, they got blood, they got sweat, they got spit on them.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[Sam Heughan]

It was fantastic.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My gosh. They had to wear ponchos. Yeah, that was a lot. That was a lot. I guess I ride a zoom flume. You've just stopped filming a new series now.

[Andrew Jarecki]

You just.

[Sam Heughan]

I'm just filming right now, actually. About two days ago, I was hanging partially upside down in an elevator shaft. I'm doing, like, this action thriller called Embassy. It's with an amazing cast. We've got Anna Kendrick, who's incredible, and the brilliant J.K. simmons, who is just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, he's fantastic.

[Sam Heughan]

I could stare into that man's eyes all night.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, he's quite like yours, I'm feeling. I know what you mean. I'm looking at it right now. Wow, you are? Yeah. Woo.

[Jamie Lee Curtis]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But I do want to get into Outlander and talk about all that, but I know that next month you're going to be the grand Marshal for the 2026 New York City Tartan Day Parade.

[Sam Heughan]

Come on. Come on down.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Come on.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Now, talk to me about the Tartan Day Parade.

[Sam Heughan]

Look at it. Isn't it fantastic?

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's great.

[Sam Heughan]

A great day where we take over. Scotland takes over.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Sam Heughan]

Sixth Avenue. We're walking down there, I believe. Actually, we walked past your offices here.

[Jimmy Fallon]

By the way, I have a photo of you back. This is you waving on 6th Avenue. And here's our marquee, the Tonight show right there. 2014.

[Sam Heughan]

This is when you started doing the Tonight show as well. So we've been doing about as long as you have, but it's Fantastic. It's a great day out. Come on down. There'll be lots of bagpipes, and it's a real celebration of Scotland.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know you always. You just said a great spokesman for Scotland. And you have your own whiskey. Very successful.

[Sam Heughan]

Gee, thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sassenach.

[Sam Heughan]

That's right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sassenach.

[Sam Heughan]

Sassenach.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Dude, congratulations on this. And you actually have a giant distillery as well, right?

[Sam Heughan]

You have, yeah. I was born and raised in the southwest of Scotland, a place called Galloway. And it's this most amazing place. People don't really know much about it, but there's so much history. Amazing coastline, castles, lochs. Great, great dark history as well. And we're very close to Ireland. You can see Ireland is only 12 miles away across. Across the water there. But we've built the Galloway Distillery there. So we're producing our own spirits down in the southwest of Scotland. So you must come down. I know you've been to Scotland.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, I had the greatest experience in Scotland.

I know.

[Sam Heughan]

I've heard all about it. And I love that place you went to in Braemar.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's the greatest hotel I've ever fifar, fifarms.

[Sam Heughan]

But also, Braemar itself is where they hold the Highland Games.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, that place was. It's the most charming place. It looks like a Hallmark movie.

[Sam Heughan]

It is. Next time you come, you'll that cute.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's that cute. Like, oh, my God. This is all fake perfect, right? It's the most gorgeous, beautiful place ever.

[Sam Heughan]

It's stunning.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, they all love you there. You got to get a hero's welcome when you go back, huh?

[Sam Heughan]

I love it there. I mean, I love Scotland as a whole, but I would love you guys to come and visit and come down to the Sagittarius.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's the most beautiful place on earth. I can't wait to go back. I'm gonna call you next time I go back, because I cannot wait. I think this is the most beautiful place on earth. Let's talk about the final season of Outlander.

[Sam Heughan]

I mean, do we have to?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know, dude. Last time you were here, we were talking about. You were filming it, but now it's. It's kind of. It's in the canvas.

[Sam Heughan]

It's here. We had our premiere two nights ago in New York. What?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Is anyone there?

[Sam Heughan]

Fantastic. The fans were out overnight in the freezing cold. They waited 18 hours.

[Jimmy Fallon]

They're here right now. Yeah, they're thawing out. They're just thawing out right here. Yeah, they've been here frozen, right? Yeah, exactly.

[Sam Heughan]

But it was such an amazing night to celebrate with the fans, celebrate with all the cast. We're there. It's been, you know, over a decade, 101 episodes. It's your life and we've said goodbye.

[Andrew Jarecki]

A quarter of my life. Yes.

[Sam Heughan]

Playing this character.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And the Internet's kind of going crazy because there's rumors that your character may die.

The Internet? Not me. The Internet.

[Sam Heughan]

Jimmy. How dare you? How could you? No, I mean, in the trailer we do hit. He gets some information. He gets a book from the future that tells him that he's gonna die in a battle. And, yeah, he's obviously not sure if this is true or not, but that is something that he's certainly contending with this season.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Sam Heughan]

Does he die? I don't know. You'll have to tune in and find out. I don't know the ending. I really don't know the ending.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You shot multiple endings.

[Sam Heughan]

We shot multiple endings. I was there. But I don't know how it ends. So I'll be watching with you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You'll be watching as well? Yeah. How are you feeling that the final season is here and what it's done for.

[Sam Heughan]

Honestly, it's done so much for me. I'm so proud of Scotland. I'm so proud of the work we've done. It's emotional, it's bittersweet. It's really hard to say goodbye to these amazing people I've worked with and to the character Jamie, you know? So, yeah, it's been an amazing journey, but I'm very, very grateful.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You did a very cool thing. To mark the end of this series, you have a collection from your distillery.

[Sam Heughan]

That's right. We've collaborated with Starz Outlander, Sony created the Sassenach Special bottling, the Jamie Fraser Collection. It's got a bottle of our whiskey. Thank you. But it's got a wee treat inside. Not only the whiskey, which does taste delicious, but I've written a letter to my character, Jamie, to say thank you. So you'll get the letter inside. It's wax sealed. I won't tell you what's in the letter, maybe the invoice, but it's in there. And yes, you get to read that while you sip your whiskey.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, let's toast to the final season, my friend.

[Sam Heughan]

You have been to Scotland. I can tell.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Exactly. What do you call a poor in Scotland?

[Sam Heughan]

This is. Well, a dram, I guess.

[Jimmy Fallon]

A dram? Yeah.

[Sam Heughan]

This is probably a large dram.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. This is what I'm talking about.

[Sam Heughan]

That's how we do it in Scotland.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on, man.

[Sam Heughan]

Thank you all for Cheers.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Smooth as silk.

Sam Heughan, everybody. The final season of Outlander premieres March 6th on Starz with new episodes every Friday.

You're the best, bud. Thank you so much.

More tonight's show after the break. Stick around, everybody.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

Yeah. £21.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Get it.

Our next guest is an Emmy winning director, and he is now nominated for his second Oscar for his latest documentary, the Alabama Solution, which is streaming now on hbo. Max. Please welcome Andrew Jarecki. Looking good, but welcome back to the show. And you've directed. I just don't know how you keep doing this. You make some of my favorite documentaries I've ever seen, but how do you.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, I mean, capturing the Freedmans, the Jinx. How do you know when you have a good story?

[Andrew Jarecki]

I think we always try to go in without a preconceived notion of what the story's gonna be. We just try to see what we can see. And in this case, it was so surprising because we never expected to have access to the Alabama State Prison system. That's a very secretive system. Not that different than when I was making Capturing the Freedmen's. And I thought I was making a film about professional children's birthday party entertainers. And later it turned out to be about child molestation or, you know, the usual. Or we, you know, started out making a film about Robert Durst and his.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, you actually made a film about Robert Durst with Ryan Gosling.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Ryan Gosling.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here's Kirsten Dunst.

[Andrew Jarecki]

And that film was sort of the origin story of Robert Durst, who had never been arrested or convicted of these murders. And then when the film was coming out, he just called me out of the blue and said, well, I hear there's this film about me, and I like that Ryan Gosling, and I'd like to talk to you about it. And then we didn't know that he was then gonna sit down for 21 hours of interviews, that we were gonna do this investigation and he was gonna get arrested based on the material in the film the day before the final episode.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I've never seen a documentary like that in my entire lifetime. I remember sitting in my apartment going, what? Cause it wasn't like something you could just binge and watch all of it. You were waiting week to week to see what happened. And I was just like, this is just great. And then he confesses and you go, what is going on? It was mind blowing.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah, it felt sort of the same way.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I kind of get the Same. Yeah, I could see that.

[Andrew Jarecki]

What's going to happen next?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I don't know. Yeah, yeah, you don't know what's going to happen next. But when I'm watching the Alabama solution, I kind of got that same kind of vibe, because it startsi mean, how did you choose Alabama and seeing the corruption behind the prison system?

[Andrew Jarecki]

You know, I was always interested in the problems with incarceration in America, and I was fascinated by Alabama, but it's such a secretive system. They don't let the press in. They don't even really let the government people in to see what's going on there. So, of course, what's going on there is not good. And I was talking to my daughter, who was 14 at the time and was a big reader, and she was reading a book by a man who had been wrongfully convicted in Alabama, and she said, I know you're interested in this. Maybe we should read it together. So we read it together, and then we just spontaneously decided to take a road trip, kind of father daughter trip. We went down there, and we met a man who was the first black prison chaplain in the state of Alabama. And he said, if you're interested, why don't you come in? And I said, well, I'm a filmmaker. They're never gonna let me bring cameras in. And he said, well, you know, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and let's see what happens. And we ended up being able to film for one day, yes. In that prison.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But you go, and it's kind of like a party. It's like a barbecue almost. This is the truth. And then you're there filming this barbecue, and they're. And then a couple of the incarcerated individuals go, of course you're here on this day. This is not life at all. Yeah, this is. They set you up. This is not what our life is. And you go, right? Yeah.

[Andrew Jarecki]

I mean, you know, I said to the men when we first met them, my partner Charlotte and I, who were making the film, we said to them, you know, how are you doing? And they said, what you're seeing right now has nothing to do with our daily life. You're seeing this beautiful revival meeting, and they're feeding us food that we would never see in a million years. Our food says, not fit for human consumption on the packages. And therefore, you know, you need to get into this. We need you to help. We need you to look in that building over there that you're not allowed to see. That tin building is where they've had men in there in Solitary confinement for five years. Individuals. And so there were so many disturbing things that we're seeing. And then of course, we get a little too nosy and then they kick us out, you know, which I wasn't that surprised by.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You know, I almost make it in the door. Yeah, right. We start getting in, they go, you can't do this. No one's like, no one's allowed to see what's going on in here. But then you've become friends almost.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, you know, we started, the warden said to us, don't talk to the men when you go inside. Just talk to these two men. These guys are okay to talk to. Everyone else is going to be dangerous and scary. And of course we went in there and very quickly we realized we felt much more comfortable with the incarcerated men than we did with the guards who were bringing us in. And it was such a revelation for them to say so openly. This is what you need to look at. These are all the hidden areas in this prison that you're not seeing. And we need you to get the word out. And then, of course, when we did that, the warden and other people said, well, it's time for you to go. And then we were worried that we weren't going to be able to tell the story. And then we had this responsibility because now people have told you this story. Nobody else is going to get in there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You got to dig deeper.

[Andrew Jarecki]

And so we realized when we got out that we should start talking to some people who were out. And they said, you know, there's a network of leaders, these brilliant guys inside who have been managing kind of leading a non violent protest effort, doing work strikes and doing hunger strikes. And they have access to contraband cell

[Jimmy Fallon]

phones and they get these cell phones.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, it's funny, I didn't know when I first heard about it. I said, wait, people in prison have cell phones? And everybody said, no, of course they don't have cell phones. But then they did. And I said, you know, how do these phones come in? I was talking to one of the incarcerated men on a cell phone and I said, where are these phones coming from? And he looked at me like I was an idiot. And he said, you know, we don't leave here, right? And I said, yeah. And he said, so who leaves and comes back in every day? And I said, the prison guards. And he said, bingo. Those are the people that are bringing in the cell phones. So it's ironic that the cell phones that are brought in by the prison guards to be sold to the men are the same thing that we were able to use in this investigation where we kind of collaborated with the men to show things like a murder, like there's a murder in the film that happens sort of in real time. And we end up doing a collaborative investigation with the men inside. So it was absolutely extraordinary.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I also thought it was interesting too. They also. They wanted to FaceTime with you.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Because you want to just do this as a phone call.

[Andrew Jarecki]

No, no. It's all video. And they want. They've said, look, we've been doing this for years. We need to get the word out on this. We realize we're taking risks, sometimes life or death risks, to get this information out that if they find us with cell phones, they'll put us in solitary confinement or they'll extend our sentences. We're willing to do this because there are 45,000 people in that state between the prisons and the jails who are locked in these secret institutions. And so they're really very selflessly trying to get the word out on all the other people that are in there. The two main guys in the film both have life without parole. So it's not like they're about to get out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That one guy is just.

[Andrew Jarecki]

They're trying to do this for the other people.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's in solitary confinement and you're talking to him.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah, yeah. When we film the opening of the film, we start talking to Robert Earl Council, who goes by Kinetic justice, and it's like, honestly, it's like talking to Mandela. This is a guy who never should have been incarcerated. His crime had to do with somebody getting shot when he was in the process of getting run over by a car. So clearly that would have been a self defense case. But he's a very, very powerful speaker and motivator. And, you know, you can read his words and really feel inspired. I felt so lucky. And people say, well, these are unlikely heroes. It's kind of true that they're unlikely heroes, but heroes nevertheless. They're worrying about people other than themselves and they're doing these extremely risky things to get the word out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's fascinating and it's shocking, but I also. The governor of Alabama is a pretty big character in this. Have you heard from.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah, yeah. Her name is Kay Ivey and she and Steve Marshall, who's the Attorney General, are kind of presiding over this very deadly system. I'd like to believe they don't know everything that's happening in the system, but one would. That's a little hard to imagine. She didn't react at all to the film since it came out at Sundance. Really, they had no comment. But then when the film got nominated for the Oscar, she came out with a statement that was, we always knew the Oscars had a low bar. So, you know, here she is getting into fisticuffs with the Oscars. So we thought, well, you know, in a way, let's try to meet this with kindness. You know, maybe she doesn't know what she's doing. You know, she's called Meemaw. Maybe there's a grandma in there somewhere that would be worried about this. And so we reached out to her and to Steve Marshall, the attorney general, and we said to them, we'd like you to come to Los angeles. You know, March 14, the day before the Oscars. We'd like you to watch the film with us and with the family members of some of the people who have lost their children in this system. 1,500 people have died in that system since we started making the film. And then we'd like you to acknowledge the problem and then come with us and those families to the Oscar. And so we reached out to her and invited her and invited Steve Marshall in the hope that there can be some kind of, you know, realistic meeting of the minds, or she can say, look, I'm going to stop denying this as a problem or Steve Marshall is going to stop denying this as a problem.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Have you heard back?

[Andrew Jarecki]

We have not heard back yet, but we're hopeful.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow, it's amazing that you did this and keep doing what you do. Has anything.

[Andrew Jarecki]

We have seen a lot of change. We've seen a lot of people in Alabama. You know, we've shown the film maybe 125 times. And it's not just that it's on HBO. HBO was kind enough to let us show it in community centers and in libraries and in people's homes. And suddenly you see these many people in Alabama who felt shame because they've had a relative who's incarcerated. Many of us do. And all those people are looking at each other saying, wait, this happened to you, too? And so we've seen these protests emerge now, like just four or five days ago in Montgomery, there are a few hundred people that showed up on the steps of the Capitol with pictures of their loved ones who have died in the system, and again, peacefully saying, we demand change. We need this system to get better. And I'm hoping that they notice that it's right outside the governor's window. And when you see hundreds of people standing out there asking for changes you'd like to believe that a public servant is willing to change.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Good for you.

Andrew Jarecki, everybody. The Alabama Solution is available now on hbo. Max. Stick around everybody.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

State of the art caffeine over here like Omniverse Screen. Not the average savage. The curse, Mr. Black Prince. Hottest back to back shots to have since.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My thanks to Jamie Lee Curtis, Sam Heughan, Andrew Jarecki and the Roots right

there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Good night everybody.

Thank you.

[Audience Member/Stage Manager]

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 podcasts. Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.