The Funniest and Most Incredible Guests Johnny Carson Ever Had! – HT

 

 

 

And the next day I end up I usually wake up in some strange place with a kid with an accent playing with my feet. [laughter] Johnny Carson interviewed thousands of guests over the years. Actors promoting movies, musicians plugging albums, and authors selling books. But some guests were completely different.

 They made Johnny laugh so hard he could barely keep the show going. Some were so funny that Johnny would just lean back in his chair and let them completely take over the room while he wiped tears from his eyes like everyone else watching at home. These are the 15 funniest guests Johnny Carson ever had on the Tonight Show.

 Number one, Don Rickles, the undisputed master of insults. Every time Rickles walked onto the Tonight Show, it felt like total chaos was about to happen. He mocked Johnny right to his face, roasted the audience, took shots at Doc Seinson and the band, and targeted almost anyone sitting nearby. Nobody was safe once Rickles got going. His unpredictable energy made every appearance unforgettable.

 One of the most legendary moments came from the famous cigarette box incident. While guest hosting the show, Rickles accidentally broke Johnny’s treasured cigarette box during a comedy bit. Days later, Johnny Carson got his revenge by unexpectedly crashing the set of Rickles sitcom CPO Sharky, creating one of the most iconic late night TV moments ever.

>> You know how long I’ve had the cigarette box? >> It happened last night. >> Who? >> Don Rickles. >> I did not see the show. >> Rickles did it last night. He’s taping across the hall. >> Somebody broke my cigarette box. [cheering] >> I just started the show. I picked my box up off my desk that [laughter] I’ve had for 9 years. My box is broken.

 They told me you broke it on the show last night. Well, I I I REALLY I I >> But just keep me on your show. You mean so much to me. Can I >> No, please. No. No. Don’t Don’t humble yourself. Please. I want to be with you. So, don’t humble yourself, brother. I want something back. Okay, carry on. Help me. Carry on.

 Johnny, [applause] you know who I am. Number two, Robin Williams, the explosive maniac. Robin Williams didn’t do normal interviews. He turned every conversation into a full comedy performance. Random characters would appear out of nowhere. His body never stopped moving, and the jokes came so fast that Johnny Carson could barely catch his breath from laughing.

 If you think about Shakespeare, you think about a man basically with the education, second grade education, wrote some of the greatest poetry of all times. I think maybe not. I don’t know. wandering around Stratford after a couple of beers, knocking on doors, GOING, “IS THIS 2B OR NOT TO BE?” [laughter] I WROTE THAT AS MINE. THAT’S MINE.

>> I’M WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, RIGHT? KISS MY TIGHT. >> Williams could suddenly become a Russian poet, then switch into a British preacher, then turn into a southern grandmother, all within 30 seconds. >> It’s exciting to wear tights and have people go, “I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING. [laughter] NURV, >> someone give him a dagger.

>> Thank you. There’s a [cheering] dagger I see in my hand. >> What is this I hold BEFORE ME? [laughter] >> Number three, Rodney Dangerfield, the king of oneliners. Nobody could keep up with Rodney’s speed. Joke after joke after joke with every punchline somehow landing even harder than the one before it.

 No respect became his legendary catchphrase and he delivered it with flawless timing every single time he stepped on stage. Johnny Carson absolutely loved Rodney. You could see Johnny sitting there almost waiting for the next punchline to hit, laughing harder as Rodney pulled at his tie, tugged at his collar. >> I tell you, my neighbor don’t get no respect either. No respect at all.

 Are you kidding? No respect of anybody. I bought some rat poison. A girl asked me, “Should I wrap it up? You’re going to eat it here?” I mean, the girls always gave me a hard time. I’m not a ladies man, that’s why. You’re kidding. I know I’m ugly. I stuck my head out the window, got arrested for moaning.

 [laughter] >> And Rodney Dangerfield delivered every joke so perfectly that even when you knew the punchline was coming, you still laughed. Johnny Carson would try to ask follow-up questions, but Rodney would immediately steamroll through with another five jokes in a row. The interviews barely even felt like interviews anymore.

 They felt like Rodney doing standup right at the desk while Carson leaned back and let him take over. Sometimes Johnny wiped tears from his eyes. Sometimes he pounded the desk laughing. But most of the time he just shook his head in amazement at how fast the jokes kept coming. >> As a kid the first time I had my picture taken. The pony threw me.

 [laughter] It’s >> another one I should have. >> You got to try them out of town, right? You got can’t bring them. >> Take them on a road to you. Take them on a road. You got to break them in. [laughter] You ever get the feeling you wasted your whole life? >> I don’t know. It’s not easy. I got no respect the day I was born.

>> Really? >> No respect. The doctor picked me up and smacked me. I found out the nurse. You got a few in two. YOU [laughter] >> number four. Joan Rivers. The comedian with no filter. Joan Rivers attacked Hollywood, marriage, celebrities, and herself with non-stop rapidfire jokes that regularly left Johnny Carson pounding the desk laughing.

 She openly joked about plastic surgery, her career, and her personal life at a time when most comedians were too afraid to touch those subjects. Rivers never softened her material for television, and Johnny loved how fearless she was. He encouraged her wildest jokes and gave her room to push boundaries other guests could not cross.

 Their chemistry felt real because Johnny genuinely respected Joan as a comedian and she rewarded that respect by being hilarious every single time she appeared on the Tonight Show. The tragedy is how their relationship ended over the Fox show incident. But during those years when Joan was a Tonight Show regular, she was one of the funniest guests Johnny ever had.

>> And the staff was crazy. You know that. I mean, backstage again cuz I’m used to, you know, they they really treat me like scum. I’m not going to say anything. Oh, please. I asked for a glass of water. They go here. I’m so flat. You know, >> she is uh healthy. She’s healthy. >> Healthy.

 Healthy. It’s just She asked to iron her blouse on my chest. That’s how she’s [applause] >> I have a friend who ODed in the beauty shop on dandruff. This poor woman. [applause and cheering] [laughter] >> It’s crazy. >> Not a nice way to go. >> Drugs replace sex. I’m using my coil now as a roach clip. I mean, IT’S IT’S [cheering] [applause] [laughter] number five, Tim Conway, the master of slowburn comedy.

 Tim Conway had a way of making Johnny Carson laugh so hard he would nearly fall out of his chair. Conway’s secret was stretching a simple joke far past the point where it should have ended. He would slowly drag out an ordinary story until the audience almost felt uncomfortable, then suddenly hit them with one tiny expression, pause, or movement that made the entire room explode with laughter.

 What made it even funnier was how completely serious Tim stayed the whole time. While Johnny was losing control, laughing across the desk, Conway kept talking like nothing funny was happening. Even simple stories about everyday things like going to the dentist turned into hilarious adventures because of his timing.

 physical comedy and total commitment to the bit. By the end, Carson was usually wiping tears from his eyes and begging Tim to stop because he could barely breathe from laughing. >> Having to go down here and so on so we ought to be able to sit and we’re professionals. You’ve been in the business a long time.

 Sit and just rap without all of this the silliness. Sure. [laughter] >> [laughter] [laughter] [laughter] [applause] >> Number six, Jonathan Winters. The king of improv comedy. Jonathan Winters could turn anything sitting on Johnny Carson’s desk into a hilarious character or story. Sometimes Johnny would hand him random objects just to see what chaos would happen next.

 Winters didn’t need scripts or preparation. One small idea was enough for his imagination to completely explode. A pencil could suddenly become a fishing rod. Then Winters would turn into the fish, the fisherman, and even the fisherman’s angry wife within seconds. Johnny loved that unpredictability. He never knew where Winters was going and that made every appearance feel dangerous and exciting.

 Sometimes Jonathan got so deep into a character that Carson had to stop him just to go to commercial and even then Winters would stay in character through the break. >> One of my favorite stories um I love to maybe you know be an old person or and someone will say uh hello uh is uh Jonathan Winters. No, the boys the boy is in the basement.

 [laughter] He’s uh combing the kitty. Say, [laughter] “Oh, who’s this?” >> Well, just an old man who wanders around his house. >> Number seven, Bob Hope. The man who could turn every Tonight Show appearance into an event. His timing was razor sharp, his jokes perfectly polished, and he delivered every line with effortless confidence built from decades in show business.

 Bob Hope and Johnny Carson had incredible chemistry. The moment Hope walked through the curtain, Johnny lit up. Carson clearly admired him, and their conversations felt like two comedy masters trading punches for fun. Johnny would set up a joke, Bob would knock it down instantly, then fire one right back.

 Even in his later years, when many comedians had slowed down, Hope still came prepared with fresh political jokes, quick oneliners, and hilarious comments about his age, the audience wasn’t just watching another interview. They were watching two legends at work. Number eight, Bert Reynolds and Dom Delooi. Every time they appeared on the Tonight Show, the entire interview turned into pure chaos.

 Whipped cream fights, broken chairs, water getting thrown around, and Johnny Carson completely losing control of the show. Reynolds and Delucy had unbelievable chemistry, and the second they started making each other laugh, everything fell apart in the funniest way possible. Dom would crack up at his own jokes. Bert would start attacking him, and before long, the set looked like a comedy battlefield.

 Johnny usually tried to ask questions, but eventually he learned it was better to just sit back and watch the madness unfold. Their appearances became must-see television because nobody ever knew what insane thing was about to happen next. Number nine, David Letman. Before becoming a late night legend himself, Letman brought a sharp, sarcastic style that worked perfectly with Johnny Carson’s calm reactions.

 Every time Dave appeared on the Tonight Show, you could sense that Johnny genuinely enjoyed watching him work. Letman loved poking fun at the show itself. He would joke about the desk, the curtain, even the whole idea of a talk show, and Carson always played along. Their dry back and forth felt effortless, almost like Johnny was quietly watching the next generation take over.

 What made it special was how similar their comedy instincts were. Both had that dead pan delivery and that ability to make comedy feel natural instead of forced. Carson clearly respected Letterman because Dave understood something most comedians missed. The funniest moments came from timing, honesty, and not trying too