Trump Says He "Never Had the Privilege" of Visiting Epstein Island | Lindsay Lohan, Benny Safdie | Monday, July 28

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Episode Summary Episode Title: Trump Says He "Never Had the Privilege" of Visiting Epstein Island | Lindsay Lohan, Benny Safdie | Air Date: July 29, 2025

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1. Opening Monologue

[00:00 – 05:22]

Jimmy Fallon kicks off the episode with his characteristic humor, addressing recent political news and personal anecdotes. A significant portion of his monologue focuses on former President Donald Trump's recent statements regarding Jeffrey Epstein's island.

• Trump's Defense: Fallon highlights Trump's attempts to distance himself from Epstein Island, quoting Trump:

  "I never went to the island. I never had the privilege of going to Epstein Island." [02:15]

• Fallon's Commentary: He humorously critiques Trump's choice of words, noting the inflated language used to downplay the situation:

  "Trump was like, I'm sorry. What I really meant was I never had the honor." [03:45]

• Trump's Golf Antics: Fallon also mentions Trump's behavior during a recent golf round, mocking the incident where Trump's caddy allegedly favored his shots:

  "It's just refreshing to see someone cheating without being at a Coldplay concert." [04:50]

Aside from political satire, Fallon briefly touches on international affairs, including Russia's new direct flights between Moscow and North Korea, and shares his excitement about Time magazine's list of the 100 best podcasts, leading into his promotion of new podcast ventures.

2. Introducing New Podcasts

[05:22 – 12:15]

Fallon transitions into discussing his latest podcast projects, introducing the "Pod Podcast" and teasing the collaboration with comedian Benny Safdie on the "Pod Pod Reaction Show."

• Pod Podcast: Fallon describes it as a platform where he listens to and reviews Time's top 100 podcasts, blending humor with insightful commentary.

• Pod Pod Reaction Show: Benny Safdie chimes in, expressing his enthusiasm:

  "All new podcast, the Pod Pod Reaction show, where I react to Jimmy listening to podcasts." [05:22]

The segment is filled with playful banter between Fallon and Safdie, highlighting the comedic chemistry between them.

3. Lindsay Lohan on "Freakier Friday"

[12:15 – 16:49]

Guest: Lindsay Lohan

Lohan discusses her role in the highly anticipated sequel, "Freakier Friday," set to hit theaters on August 8th. The conversation delves into both her professional and personal life.

• Personal Life: Lohan shares insights about her two-year-old son, reminiscing about his recent dinosaur-themed birthday party:

  "Yes, he just turned two. It was going so fast." [12:08]

  She recounts the joys and minor disappointments of parenting:

  "We're not getting a chicken." [13:02]

• "Freakier Friday" Insights: Lohan elaborates on her character and the film's dynamics, emphasizing the evolution from the original:

  "Anna is older now. She has a teenage daughter, and she's fallen in love with a guy who also has a teenage daughter." [16:11]

  She highlights the increased humor and physical comedy in the sequel:

  "It's a lot funnier this week. There's more physical comedy. We have more music. There's just a lot more going on." [16:32]

• Career Reflection: Lohan reflects on her career trajectory, addressing typecasting and her desire to diversify her roles:

  "I don't want it to be like that. Don't put me in a box." [16:05]

4. Benny Safdie on "Happy Gilmore 2" and Beyond

[16:49 – 24:46]

Guest: Benny Safdie

Safdie joins Fallon to discuss his multifaceted role in "Happy Gilmore 2," as well as his unique background in physics.

• "Happy Gilmore 2": Safdie describes his character and the film's plot, emphasizing the comedic rivalry:

  "My character wants to include Happy in his league because he is so inspired by Happy's kind of rambunctious like that." [23:40]

  He explains the creative process behind his role:

  "I kind of put it into, like, oh, this is character development. Because it was just like. It was better that Frank was the worst golfer." [24:35]

• Directing and Method Acting: Safdie discusses the challenges of maintaining character consistency while directing:

  "I have to forget that I look this way to be okay with it." [19:20]

• Physics Background: Delving into his past aspirations, Safdie shares his passion for physics and cosmic rays:

  "Cosmic rays are these high energy particles that are rushing through the universe everywhere." [22:21]

  He connects his love for physics to his filmmaking, illustrating how storytelling became his true calling:

  "I kind of loved the story behind the physics instead of the physics, you know?" [21:21]

• Humor in Physics: Safdie injects humor into scientific concepts, making the discussion engaging:

  "There’s humor in physics. I was into dark matter. You know, there's wimps and machos." [23:16]

5. Notable Clips and Performances

[24:46 – 25:11]

The episode features clips from "Happy Gilmore 2," showcasing Benny Safdie's comedic prowess alongside Lindsay Lohan's familiar charm. One standout moment includes Safdie's character questioning the longevity of golf:

"- Why is golf so boring and dumb?" [24:58] "- Golf was invented, like, 800 years ago, something like that. I thought about it, and I was like, wait, if society could change, how come the rules of golf have stayed the same? And that's why I created Maxi." [25:00]

6. Closing Remarks

[25:11 – End]

Fallon wraps up the episode by thanking his guests and teasing future segments. He encourages viewers to watch "Happy Gilmore 2" on Netflix and "Freakier Friday" in theaters. The episode concludes with uplifting farewells and reminders to subscribe to the show's podcast offerings.

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Key Takeaways:

• Political Satire: Fallon maintains his role as a commentator on current events, blending humor with critique.
• Celebrity Interviews: In-depth conversations with Lindsay Lohan and Benny Safdie provide insights into their personal lives and current projects.
• New Ventures: Introduction of Fallon's new podcasts indicates his expansion into digital media.
• Humor and Science: Benny Safdie's unique background adds a layer of intellectual humor to the show's dynamics.

This episode exemplifies "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" by combining topical humor, engaging celebrity interviews, and innovative content offerings, ensuring entertainment for a diverse audience.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6P in Rock and Honor center in the heart of New York City, it's a Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Hey, hey, hey, hey. I joined Jimmy and his guests, Lindsay Lohan, Benny Softy. And feature Steve legendary Ruth Cruz. Three more seconds. And now here he is, Jimmy Fall. That's what I'm talking about. Thank you very much. I love you. Enjoy yourself. Welcome, everybody. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Tonight Show. You're here. You made it. Thank you. Thank you for watching. Well, guys, President Trump has spent the last few days in Scotland, and today, when reporters there asked him about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, he had an interesting way of defending himself. Watch this. I never went to the island. I never had the privilege of going to his island. Trump's staff was like, a simple no would have been fine. Never had the privilege of going to Epstein Island. Trump was like, I'm sorry. What I really meant was I never had the honor. The honor, yeah. Trump then added that turning down an offer to go to Epstein island was, quote, one of my very good moments. Well, that's an incredibly high bar for himself, huh? I mean, believe me, you had no idea how tempting it was. Trump said he was invited to the island but didn't want to go. I get it. It's so annoying when you get invited to a destination crime scene, isn't it? Some more news from Trump's trip to Scotland today. During an event with the British Prime Minister, it was a little difficult to hear what Trump was saying. Check this out. Do you have any questions? Well, we're in great shape. The trade deal was made with uk. The Prime Minister did a great job in terms of even the relations. Our relationship is unparalleled, but it keeps it even closer. You know, when you're able to have a good trade deal, somebody should say thank you, but other nations are gonna have to step up. He was like. He was like, fine, fine, fine. I went to the island. Okay, just stop the bagpipe. Stop it. I went. I went. Terrible. Put that instrument down. Meanwhile, during a round of golf over the weekend, cameras caught. I'm still hearing it, by the way. I wasn't even. During a round of golf over the weekend, cameras caught Trump cheating when his caddy dropped the ball into a better spot. Watch this. It's just refreshing to see someone cheating without being at a Coldplay concert. And it is done. That's too much. Yeah. Well, today was Trump's last day in Scotland, and he's got a big week ahead. His schedule is always packed. It's a Lot to take in, but I'll catch you up. Monday, Scotland Tuesday home Wednesday Epstein tell reporters I don't know Thursday, steal a FIFA trophy go online talk trash at Rosie Friday's T Fantastic Four I look just like the Human Torch Bad inflation every day blame it all on Beyonce Bruise on hand is very Sora Add some makeup. Thanks, Sephora. Work then golf then call from Vlad Catch up on and just like that, watch new south park smash the screen Cry at night I miss Epstein work off Tangoff sugar Coke Call New Superman 2 Woke Tangoff Tan tan Time for bed. But first I have some things to shred. Catching you up. Well, switching gears, I saw that Russia just started direct flights between Moscow and North Korea. It's one of those rare trips where the fun part really is the journey and not the destination. Well, Time magazine just released their list of the 100 best podcasts of all time. It's such an incredible list. I actually inspired me to make my own podcast. Take a look. Hi, I'm Jimmy Fallon, the host of a brand new podcast, the Pod Podcast. On the Pod Pod. I'm gonna listen to all of Time magazine's top 100 podcasts and share my thoughts. Comedy history. Did you guys know that? I mean, I didn't. Politics, please. You're gonna talk about that? I'll listen to what other people have to say and then say the things I want to say about it. It's gonna be riveting. Yes. And when you're done with the Pod Pod, make sure to check out my.

[Benny Safdie]

All new podcast, the Pod Pod Reaction show, where I react to Jimmy listening to podcasts.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I never heard Jimmy cry like that before.

[Benny Safdie]

I like the Reaction show way more than the Pod Pod. If you're like me, you should join me on Reddit@podpod+podpodreactionshowtalk. It's a great place where fans can.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Share their thoughts on both shows and then go download my podpod Pod Pod Reaction Reddit Reaction Podcast. This is laughable. Get this out of my face. Finally, if you're a fan of true crime, follow me on TikTok for updates about my upcoming podcast, where I investigate the mysterious deaths of annoying podcasters. Who's she? Give it a shot. And finally, a new study found that half the dogs in the US Are overweight. You know your dog's overweight when you have to drill extra holes in their collar. You know your dog's overweight when you throw a ball to play fetch and they're like, get it yourself. We have a great show Give it up for the Roots, ladies and gentlemen. 2:15, the legendary hot man tonight. Thank you, Higgins. Hello. Great crowd. We have a great show for you tonight. She is starring in the highly anticipated new movie Freaky or Friday, which is in theaters August 8th. Lindsay Lohan is here, the best. He stars in the hit comedy Happy Gilmore 2, which is streaming now on Netflix. Benny Safdie is joining us. He's funny. He's good in this. But right now, guys, it's time for my latest installment of my do not read list. Here we go. Do not read. Do not read. Do not read These books. Big book. Now, before we start, I just want you all to know that every book that I'm about to show you is 100% real. These are actual books. You can find them on Amazon. You can check them out at your local library. They are real. All right, let's see what's on my do not read list. This first one here is a cookbook. Ooh. It's called Be Bold with Bananas. The original title. The original title was Ew, it looks awful. Let's check out a bold banana recipe here. Look at this one here. Banana and fish salad. Oh. All you need are three ripe bananas, some tinned fish, gherkins, and mayonnaise. Hang on a second. Let's see what else. Hankins. You have a lot of dinner parties, right? Yeah, of course. Ever serve anything like this? Oh, well, in all fairness, it wasn't a dinner party. Oh, okay. It wasn't my banana. That's all I'm illegally allowed to say. But I am happy to see it. Yes. Yikes. Thanks. This next one is for pet lovers. Oh, we love pets. A lot of people love their pets. This is tricks your cat can do. I even like the back cover, too. Look at this. Oh, I got it. I got it. Let's see one of these tricks here. Oh, yeah. This trick is called sit trick. Yeah. How do you do that? Wow. Yeah. Let's see. Well, there's a photo here. Just begins with step two. Apparently, you put the cat on the stool, then the cat kind of smells the stool, Then you point at it, you point at it again, and then the cat sits. Oh, there you go. Not bad. Good trick. All right, here's one. This next book is called It Must have been the fish Sticks. Okay. I didn't know fish had genitalia. Fish sticks. Oh, sticks. Yes. I mean, I heard something else. Yeah, you certainly did. Yeah, I did. I heard something totally different than that. Sticks. Yeah. S t. I. It must have been the Fish sticks. And it's kind of a cryptic, weird cover there. I don't see the fish sticks at all. But let's just. Let's just read. Let's read the last page of the book. Oh, that'll explain everything. Hopefully. Yeah. There we go. What's she like, Brian? My real mother. Imogene. Yeah, she's okay. I like her a lot. Do you love her, Brian? I guess so. Yeah, I love her. So how come you didn't stay? I don't know. Must have been the fish sticks. Huh. I could never explain, Denise. So don't ask. I roll up my duffel bag and toss it into the closet. The end of the book. What? Huh. I guess we'll never know. You never know. It was the fish sticks or what. Very frustrated. Yeah. We're down to our last book here. This is called Preposterous. Preposterous Erections. Oh, Higgins is not what you think. It's about English Towers. Oh, wow. Any bananas in there? No. Yeah, there's a banana in here. Yeah. Yeah. That's all we have for the musicians. Do not read. If you have a book you think should be on our next Do Not Read list, send it to do not readatoniteshow.com. we'll be right back with Lindsay Lohan. Hey. And to say, New York City, just to let you know, our first guest is a talented actress who stars in the highly anticipated new film Freakier Friday, which is in theaters August 8th. Please welcome Lindsay Lohan. Freak out. Feel the love right there. Come on. They love you. We love you. Welcome, welcome. Welcome back. I want to get into the movie and talk about everything. You look great. Thanks for watching. Coming back. I know it was your son's. Did he turn two?

[Lindsay Lohan]

Yes, he just turned two. It was going so fast.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Was it a dinosaur themed party?

[Lindsay Lohan]

Yes, it was a dinosaur themed party.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I mean, that's nice.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Those kids were like, climbing all over the dinosaurs.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And we had a petting zoo with silky chickens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Silky chicken. What's a silky chicken?

[Lindsay Lohan]

They're just really soft and I guess. Silky.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

But he loved them so much. He's like, my chicken. My chicken.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And then the next morning, I was like, he's like, silky chicken.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I was like, no, they're not here anymore. They went home.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's like, we're not getting a chicken.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Get tickets.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Get tickets. Get it. I saw you also post a picture of you and the baby, and it's so cute. Thank you. But then, Dan, you liked this comment from Old Navy. It said Mother, Mommy, and Mamacita. Are you a fan of Love Island? Did you.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I tried to start watching it, but there's just too many episodes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's on. It doesn't end. Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And everyone's like, no, it's on every night.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's still on. Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I was like, yeah, I'm gonna, like, stick with Housewives.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you go with that. Yeah. Remember that you did that one sketch on snl? The Disney Housewives. Yes. Fantastic.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Me and Vanessa Baer were talking about that recently.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, really?

[Lindsay Lohan]

Yeah, I saw her at the premiere last week.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Baby's too young to watch any of your films, right?

[Lindsay Lohan]

No, I mean, he's seen me actually this morning. He was with my in laws and my husband, and I was doing Good Morning America.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And he was like, mommy, come out, Mommy. He thought I was like, oh.

[Jimmy Fallon]

In the tv. Oh, no.

[Lindsay Lohan]

So now I'm like. Now that he's getting older and more aware, I'm, like, kind of scared. I don't want him to think, yeah, you are. Get confused.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. I'm not trapped in a box. Mommy's fine. Mommy's safe. Mommy says hi. We're good, we're happy. Everything's great. What movie would you show him if you.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I feel like maybe Herbie the Love Bug. Cause it's cars and fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Congrats on Freakier Friday. Here's a picture of you and the great Jamie Lee Curtis, who, gosh, we love. This is the first one.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I wore way too much black eyeliner in my teens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, you look cool. Come on. And then here's now. Come on. That's. Does this feel like a full circle moment for you?

[Lindsay Lohan]

It does.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What's. What's going on?

[Lindsay Lohan]

I mean, it's wild.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. And why the sequel now? Obviously, we want to see it, but.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I think Jamie was getting asked a lot about it when she was on a tour for Halloween.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And then I started getting asked about it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I think I asked you about it, too.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Yeah, you did.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Sorry.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And then it made sense that I could, as a very young mom, have a teenager.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Now. So the math was mathing, I would say.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You got to let the math math. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Well, you made headlines last week because they showed you here, I hear. Oh, this is Pink Slip.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Yes. The band is back together.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The band is back together. How was it like playing the guitar? Was it like riding a bike or.

[Lindsay Lohan]

So I was excited. Cause I started my lessons again because I haven't played in a long time.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And Then my guitar coach, who's wonderful at mirror, he was like, yeah, but the solos, it's more difficult this time.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Really?

[Lindsay Lohan]

I was like, ok, great, let's try it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So you upped your game a little bit. Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

So it was really fun. Ah, it's nice to kind of like have that experience of playing guitar and singing in the movie and acting in it. I haven't done that since I was young.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I feel like a lot of your movies, you're playing like three different parts. Like Parent Trap.

[Lindsay Lohan]

That seems to be a theme with me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, Parent Trap was. You did the same. I mean, I would get confused. Do you ever get confused? Like, I mean, not really. Am I playing you? Who am I? Yeah. Are you playing like three characters in this one?

[Lindsay Lohan]

No, no, no. Just the one four way swap.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, but still, you're good at this. You're typecast every movie you're in. You have to.

[Lindsay Lohan]

I don't want it to be like that. Come on.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Don't put me in a box. I know. Don't put me in a box. How do we explain what this movie's about?

[Lindsay Lohan]

So Anna is older now. She has a teenage daughter, and she's fallen in love with a guy who also has a teenage daughter. The two girls are in school together. They don't really get along. Tess is still micromanaging Anna a bit and there's a swap. That happens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Lindsay Lohan]

And everyone has to learn a lesson.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, that's exactly right. Everyone cannot wait.

[Lindsay Lohan]

It's a lot funnier this week. There's more physical comedy. We have more music. There's just a lot more going on, which is exciting.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, people love it. Every time you came on, we would mention that maybe it would happen. Everyone goes nuts. So now, everyone, you had a weekend, you asked for it, you got it.

[Lindsay Lohan]

We're giving it to you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on, man. Lindsay Lohan Freakier Fridays in theaters August 8th stick around, everybody. Our next guest is a very talented actor, writer and director who you know from projects like Uncut Gems, Oppenheimer and the Curse. You can see him in the hit comedy Happy Gilmore 2. It is streaming now on Netflix. Everyone, please welcome Benny Safdie.

[Benny Safdie]

Wow, Benny, Great to be here.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Now, welcome back. Yes. You look great.

[Benny Safdie]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You look like your character from the movie.

[Benny Safdie]

Yes, well, it's funny because I always see people come on the show and I think, like, who are they? You know, what are they doing on there? And I thought I'd just make it a little bit easier for people and just be like, this is Who I am in the movie.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So now you actually did it. Thank you very much. I appreciate you doing this. I appreciate that. It's a great look.

[Benny Safdie]

Oh, I love it. It's kind of dangerous. You feel really. You get. It's just like. There's something that happens when you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Are you scared to get rid of the look?

[Benny Safdie]

I am a little bit, but I. But I have to. I was told your wife. Yeah, my wife said as soon as this is over, you're shaving.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's such a great look, though. It's kind of a goatee, but then it's a half.

[Benny Safdie]

It's like the goatee. It's trying. And there's like some kind of roundup up there. Prevents it from roundup.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, but you had. Cause you had this look while you were doing this film. You're also directing the Smashing Machine. Yes.

[Benny Safdie]

So basically, while I was editing the movie Sandler, While I was making the movie, Sandler called me to say, like, hey, do you want to do happy Gilmore 2? And I'm like, yes. I have no idea what I'm at. You're asking me, but I want to do it. And then I had to figure out how to make it work. So I'm editing the project like this, and I look like this. And then I had to go out to London. Oh, yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So I. This is you directing as Frank Manatee. Frank Manatee is your name. So literally.

[Benny Safdie]

This is with Nala Sinefra, who did the score for the Smashing Machine. I show up in London and I go into the studio, and at this point, I've had this for four months, so I don't think of anything different. This is who I am, you know, which I think is important. I have to, like. It's not like method, but it kind of is. You know, you just. I have to forget that I look this way to be okay with it. So in that sense, I go in and I start telling everybody, okay, so this is what we're gonna do with this, this, and oh. Then when this happens, it's really emotional, and I guess they just kind of forgot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

They're like, look at you. How do I take you serious at all? Yeah. What do your kids think?

[Benny Safdie]

It's. At first, they kind of look at me like, what's wrong with you? And then they get used to it. Cause it's for a while that I kind of have to look this way. So eventually they get used to it. And then when it's gone, they're like, oh, yeah, that's what you look like.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So you didn't. You didn't have this look when you were directing Dwayne, did you?

[Benny Safdie]

No, I did not.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, that was.

[Benny Safdie]

That would. That would. That was. I did. I drew the line there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You got to come back for that, too.

[Benny Safdie]

That would be amazing.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love the Smashing Machine.

[Benny Safdie]

The Smashing Machine, yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Based on a real.

[Benny Safdie]

Real fighter, Mark Kerr. And Dwayne is just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, he's next level, Right.

[Benny Safdie]

Unbelievable. It was the best. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know. You worked with. You directed Sandler. Yes. In Uncut Gems. And did you know then that he was gonna ask you to be in Happy Gilmore 2?

[Benny Safdie]

I didn't know he was gonna ever make Happy Gilmore 2. Cause Happy Gilmore was, like, my favorite movie of, like.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, you don't.

[Benny Safdie]

I could close my eyes A to Z. I could watch the movie right now. That's how many times I've seen it. And it was like, just the chance to be a part of it. I was like, this is. I had no idea that ever in my life I would be, like, the bad guy in a Happy Gilmore movie.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on. Yeah, right. You get that this is ins. I was doing some research and learning more about you for this appearance, and I read somewhere that you actually wanted to be a physicist.

[Benny Safdie]

That's right. Yes. I was very close. It was like, 50, 50, coin toss, really? Because I really loved physics. And in, like, high school, I studied it with the professor. I was learning about cosmic rays. I actually. I pitched the mayor, and I did all these talks with the DOE because I was like, I want to fund this pilot program to get these particle detectors in all of public schools. And it was this whole plan because it was part of this thing I was studying. And I. What I realized, though, is I kind of loved the story behind the physics instead of the physics, you know? And, like, so I got to really enjoy explaining these concepts to people. And that's kind of where I saw the connection to filmmaking.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But.

[Benny Safdie]

And then it was like I was trying to do something with it, but it never happened.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But who knows what particles.

[Benny Safdie]

So cosmic rays are these things that enter. There's these. I'm gonna do it right now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love this. I love this. I love this. I absolutely love this. Okay, Steve.

[Benny Safdie]

Cosmic rays are these high energy particles that are rushing through the universe everywhere. They're passing through us as we speak. And so when one enters the atmosphere, it breaks up into two. Those two break up into two, and so on and so forth. So you have this huge shower of particles that happens from that original particle, and if you set up detectors all over the city, and they're pretty cheap, you can kind of build them. I was, like, working with this physicist from Rochester who had built an mit. They built these little detectors, and you put them in the schools. And then if they all get hit at a specific time because they're moving at the speed of light, you know that you can then work backwards to the original particle and find out that there was an event, a specific cosmic ray hit. And you can kind of backtrack it. Oh, these all hit at 11.27.224. And it was like. Anyway. And it's just impressive.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Benny Safdie]

And it's like. And there's humor in physics. I was into dark matter. You know, there's wimps and machos. And the wimps are the really small dark matter.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I didn't know that.

[Benny Safdie]

And the machos are the big, strong dark matter.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You went from that to playing Frank Manitou. Yeah. Congratulations. This is amazing. Yeah.

[Benny Safdie]

The comedy, the puns.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Benny Safdie]

I'm all about it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How do we tell everyone what Happy Gilmore 2 is about?

[Benny Safdie]

So Happy Gilmore 2. We're catching up with Happy, like, 30 years later, and it's what his life is like today. And you're just kind of trying to see him get by. And my character wants to include Happy in his league because he is so inspired by Happy's kind of rambunctious like that. Kind of like, stick it to the man behavior, that he belongs in this maxi league because my guy has never touched a golf club in his life. He's a disruptor, and he thinks he knows how to make golf better. And so that's his. So he basically starts this brand new league, tries to recruit Happy, and then doesn't quite work out. So they end up going head to head, and there's like a. There's a kind of a war between them.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's fantastic. It's so fun.

[Benny Safdie]

It was so much fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Everybody scores, too, but you're great in it.

[Benny Safdie]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Did you learn how to golf?

[Benny Safdie]

I did not.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay.

[Benny Safdie]

And I actually was like. I kind of put it into, like, oh, this is character development. Because it was just like. It was better that Frank was the worst golfer.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You know, he's so out of it. He starts in league. Yeah.

[Benny Safdie]

He doesn't have any idea what it is, how to do it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's great. I want to show everyone a clip. Here's Benny Safdie in Happy Gilmore 2. Take a look at this.

[Lindsay Lohan]

Why is golf so boring and dumb?

[Benny Safdie]

Golf was invented, like, 800 years ago, something like that. I thought about it, and I was like, wait, if society could change, how come the rules of golf have stayed the same? And that's why I created Maxi.

[Lindsay Lohan]

That's deep.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, yeah. There you go. That is deep. Very deep. Thank you for staying in character for us. I appreciate it. Benny Safdie, everyone. Happy Gilmore 2 is streaming now on net. More tonight's show after the break. Stick around, everybody. Clap your hands. Your hands are clap. If I ask, do you feel a better answer back? See me build a big boy burgundy Cadillac? When I'm rhyming in designer with that joint on my lap? Couple rappers don't like me? But I ain't concerned? Cause I'm more concerned about what my kids don't hold the rep unless I take y' all to la. My thanks to Lindsay Lohan, Benny Safdie, and the Roots ride there from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Good night, everybo. It. Thank you. Got involved, got to get involved? Get, get, get involved? Get into it, do it, get into it? Hey, city just like right? Stop so hard working, Mr. D going up y Going up y let's get it back? Work, work, work, work, work, work, work? Hold them now I said work, work, work, work, work. 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.