In a nostalgic moment on The Drew Barrymore Show, Jay Leno shared a surprising anecdote about his early encounter with Drew Barrymore. The revelation came during a segment aired on September 12, where Leno recounted meeting the actress when she was just three years old.
“I met Drew when she was a toddler,” Leno told Barrymore and co-host Ross Mathews. “I was dating her aunt, who was asked to babysit. I picked up little Drew and bounced her on my knee.” Leno added with a chuckle, “It was quite amusing.”
Barrymore, clearly taken aback, turned to Mathews with a mix of surprise and excitement. “How did we never talk about that?” she asked, then inquired, “Do you remember anything about me?”
Leno, reflecting on the encounter, said, “Well, you were just a baby at the time. I was simply the boyfriend of the babysitter, and you would come in and make the kid laugh.”
Although Barrymore did not recall Leno’s babysitting days, she reminisced about her own early television experiences. “I remember my first appearance on The Tonight Show was when Johnny Carson was still the host and Jay was a guest host,” she shared. Barrymore also acknowledged the profound impact of mentors like Steven Spielberg and Leno, who played pivotal roles in their respective careers.
Addressing Mathews, who started as an intern on The Tonight Show in 2001 and later became known as “Ross the Intern,” Barrymore said, “I understand what it’s like for a gentleman to take a chance on you and change your life. For me, that was Steven Spielberg, and for you, it’s Jay Leno. It’s a deeply meaningful experience.”
Leno expressed his pride in both Barrymore and Mathews. “I’m very proud of both of you,” he said. He then fondly told Mathews, “I still think of you as a kid, but now you’re a grown adult. We enjoyed having you. I always liked you because you were kind.”