Jimmy Fallon Surprises Drew Barrymore With A Clip From Her First ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance In 1982: “My Legs Don’t Touch The Ground”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published May 17, 2024, 8:59 a.m. ET

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The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

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Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has come a long way since she made her first Tonight Show appearance at the ripe age of seven.

The actress, now 49 years old, looked back on her iconic interview while chatting with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday night’s (May 16) episode of The Tonight Show.

“You had to build a house on a legacy show. I mean, I did The Tonight Show for the first time in 1982. That’s so crazy. With Johnny Carson,” Barrymore said, adding that she was only seven years old at the time.

Fallon then surprised the daytime talk show host with a clip from her sit-down with Carson in which she showed off her mastered scream.

“I practiced so much at home that I was able to do it,” a young Barrymore says in the clip. “So the other day I screamed my throat off. When I got home, I was sweating. I needed to take a shower badly. I was filthy!”

By the time the video ended, both Barrymore and Fallon were in hysterics. “Who is that person? That is so charming — that person. And look at what a great woman you’ve become. That little baby. Come on,” Fallon gushed.

Barrymore then replied, “You know what’s so wild when I look at that? My legs don’t touch the ground. We all are growing up together. I’m 49 years old and I’m just growing up with everyone and that’s it. And my legs touch the ground now!”

The actress previously recalled the embarrassing moment when she tripped over her “slippery” shoes while walking out for her Tonight Show debut.

“I tripped when I walked out, too, which really humbled me,” she told Anne Hathaway during a December 2023 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Because I was already, like, seven years old. [It was] 1982, The Tonight Show, and I walked up to the thing and I ate it.”

Hathaway, on the other hand, was more impressed with Barrymore’s responses during her interview with Carson.

“I was just marveling at you. You’re so quick on your feet at seven, so authentic, so speaking from your heart and like making a genuine connection,” she said. “And then I watch you doing this and you know how proud I am of you.”

The Tonight Show airs on weeknights. Check the website for local listings.