Jay Leno performed around 150 shows in 2024. Mind you, this is the year after he received horrific burns from a garage accident, and the same year that he suffered injuries after a nasty-looking fall (which had no ties to the mob – at least that’s what he tells us…). Love him or be a proud member of Team Coco, Leno is a machine. But that’s really just part of the comedian DNA: it’s constant work and, even when you get to your 70s, that’s really no excuse to stop. And as much as the world has shifted since Leno emerged, he’s only willing to adjust so much. For example, Jay Leno insists he’ll never do a special for Netflix.
Speaking with People, Jay Leno said that his time on the road is far more valuable to him than anything Netflix could offer. “You know, I like it. I like to tell jokes. People [say,] you should do like a Netflix special. I don’t wanna do it once and get a big check. I’d rather do it a hundred times and get a bunch of smaller checks, you know what I mean? It’s more fun for me. That’s what I like.”
Netflix is doing its damndest to put itself as the premiere streaming spot for stand-up comedy. Last year, there were over 60 specials, with everybody from Pete Davidson to Ellen DeGeneres to Joe Rogan to Jamie Foxx getting in on the action – and paycheck. Go back to 2023 and you’re looking at Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and John Mulaney. But one fish Netflix will never snag is Jay Leno, who, yes, is in the position to turn down anybody he wants, I think is missing out on a huge opportunity. Forget the cash and the cars he could buy with it; it’s just kind of that next evolutionary step right now for a stand-up comedian.
Then again, despite his stand-up career going back 50 years, Jay Leno has never been known for his stand-up specials (you’d be hard-pressed to name a single one) so it’s not like he feels obligated to hit Netflix next. So, objectively, good for him for not giving into that premiere spotlight. Instead, this month you can catch him in Port Chester…
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