Steven Wright Made Late-Night History On Johnny Carson's 'The Tonight Show'

By Andrew Sanford | TV | May 10, 2023 |

By Andrew Sanford | TV | May 10, 2023 |

I tried my hand at stand-up for about three years. At a certain point, I realized I didn’t love doing it enough to give it my full attention. Still, since briefly dipping my toes into that world, I have a deep love for it. Not just stand-up itself, though I do love that, but the space it inhabits. The rumors, the politics, the feuds, the friendships, I love it all. I will listen to comedians talk about comedy any chance I can. One person who often gets brought up in those talks? Johnny Carson.

Carson’s Tonight Show was the mecca for comedians for decades. If you got to do a set on Carson, your career had meaning. If you got invited to sit and talk with Johnny after your performance? It could be as good as being a made man. There was a level of respect that came with it. One comedian not only got to sit next to Johnny, they got invited back to the show less than a week later. That comedian was Steven Wright.

Wright is a dry joke machine. His delivery and structure inspired a generation of comedians. Even still, there is no one like Wright. Primarily because, as he puts it, none of it is an act. He speaks how he speaks, writes how he writes, and jokes how he jokes. All of those elements happen to combine into an arguably perfect comedian. Carson certainly thought so, even if that freaked Steven out.

On a new episode of Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Wright told the story of being invited back to The Tonight Show based on the strength of his performance. I love these kinds of stories because one of the things Wright reveals is that the situation was stressful at first. He had more material to perform, but if he returned, that was three years of work out the door in a week!

Wright did return, and the rest is history. He would go on to write more jokes and make more late-night appearances. He would continue his career in such a way that even the oft-unserious O’Brien can’t control his reverence for the man. I can’t say I blame him.