Colin Quinn Tells Conan Why He Turned Down Johnny Carson

Back in the late 1980s,  there was no bigger starmaking opportunity than a slot on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, but as Colin Quinn reveals in this Conan clip, he got a rare invite and turned it down.

"I have a lot of delusions of grandeur," Quinn explains. "One of the things I was thinking was 'I'm not changing my act to go on The Tonight Show,' because... I grew up watching [Richard] Pryor and [George] Carlin, so even though they went on The Tonight Show, they kinda looked down on it. So I didn't notice that I wasn't Pryor or Carlin... He told me 'you just can't curse on there,' I go 'forget it, then.'"

Apparently the incredulous Tonight Show booker just laughed in his face.

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Andy Hunsaker has a head full of sitcom gags and nerd-genre lore, and can be followed @AndyHunsaker if you're into that sort of thing.