According to Rich Little, The Man of a Thousand Voices, Johnny put on this tough guy act but was entirely capable of having his feelings hurt. The voice actor claimed that he had been tossed off of Carson’s set because he shot back at him after being targeted by Carson’s jokes, and Johnny apparently couldn’t take the heat. As Little also worked as an impressionist and gave Johnny a sneak peek at himself on his set, Carson probably was not very impressed.
Richard Little released a tell-all memoir that he titled: “Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been,” in which he actually went so far as to say that he thought Johnny hated him. Although, like Johnny, Little himself had a list of people in Hollywood who didn’t like him very much. After all, he made his money performing impressions of celebrities, and some of them didn’t take it very kindly.
Just Being Frank
President Ronald Reagan had a beautiful and glamorous inauguration in 1981, which was produced by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra had his heart set on having Johnny Carson host the evening, but Carson resisted early on. He didn’t really want to say no to Sinatra, who asked him personally to do him this special favor.
But as it turns out, that special favor came from a little higher up than Mr. Frank Sinatra, as Reagan actually asked for Carson himself. But Carson still didn’t really want to go and joked that he’d already served his country before. Johnny did end up hosting the event and afterward commented on the fact that it was very extravagant, like a Hollywood premiere. Carson was truly unhappy during the entire experience and apparently wouldn’t even include a drunk Dean Martin during the inaugural.
Johnny Hates Reality TV
Before Johnny Carson passed away in 2005, he had dinner with Jerry Seinfeld and Garry Shandling and expressed his disgust with how television was evolving. He considered reality TV to be trashy, and he was not impressed in the slightest. According to Peter Jones, a Hollywood filmmaker, Carson felt good comedy was fading away and being overrun with this tabloid-like nonsense.
After he passed, waves of celebrities hit the screens and papers, paying their respects to the late television star. But Johnny clearly wanted nothing to do with modern television anyways, according to the source, and said that he felt lucky to have gotten out at the point he had. The former late-night king of comedy may have been considered somewhat controversial during his time, but he would have really hated the way reality TV has taken over the world.
The Flighty Blonde
Carol Wayne played this “valley girl” type of persona on various talk shows, including Carson’s. While appearing on "The Tonight Show," she played the character of the “Matinee Lady.” She had quite the reputation around tinsel town for being able to portray this type of on-screen persona better than anyone else – so she was frequently typecast, including her stint on the "Skelton Show."
Unfortunately, playing these types of roles may have gotten to Carol, especially after her work on Carson’s show. After losing her job on Carson’s show, she started to experience a serious downfall due to financial difficulties. This downfall would lead Ms. Wayne down a devastatingly dark path, one which would ultimately cost her her life.
The Blonde Loses Control
When Late Night with David Letterman emerged on TV, the "Tonight Show" received several cuts in airtime, which resulted in “The Matinee Girl,” Carol Wayne’s character, being cut from the show altogether. Because of this, Carol found herself facing some tough times as far as finances were concerned. When she started to lose the luxurious life she was so accustomed to, she began drinking and taking illegal substances.
When she reached a point where she could no longer sustain herself with the money she’d earned from acting, she became a working girl to pay for her rent. Going into this line of work introduced her to some dangerous people, one of which possibly includes her former companion, Edward Durston. Durston was the last person who was seen with Carol before her body was discovered by a fisherman in Mexico, days after she and Durston were seen arguing on the beach.