Stephen Colbert Proved He's Nothing Like Jimmy Fallon During His Tom Holland Interview

Summary

• Stephen Colbert's "eye contact rule" with women and interviews with elusive personalities have been praised.
• Holland's engaging 2019 interview with Colbert showcased his competitive nature and storytelling charm.
• Fallon's interrupting style was contrasted with Colbert's as Holland's virtual appearance lacked appeal.

Stephen Colbert may have been slammed for his aggressive criticism of Donald Trump that even the FCC investigated The Late Show at one point. But when it comes to celebrity interviews, the host has always been commended for his flawless "eye contact rule" with women and his ability to score rare sit-downs with elusive personalities like Steven Spielberg. Even the admittedly "no-rizz (charisma)" Tom Holland had one of his "better" interviews with Colbert.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe star seemed more engaged when he came on The Late Show in 2019. Two years later, fans noticed that Holland was back to "awkward" interviews during a virtual appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It then sparked comparisons between Colbert and Fallon. Here's a side-by-side look at their interviews with the Spider-Man actor.

Stephen Colbert Brought Out The "Storyteller" In Tom Holland During Their 'Late Show' Interview In 2019

During his guesting on The Late Show in 2019, Holland told Colbert about his "competitive" hangouts with his Spider-Man: Far From Home co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal. "Are you hitting the clubs?" the host asked about their "bromance". The English actor made the audience laugh when he started his story, saying: "We were in China recently and Jake asked me if I wanted to go to the gym. And I have to be honest, I didn't want to go, because Jake Gyllenhaal is ripped, right? [...] And I'm really competitive."

Colbert then told his guest, "You're fit." But the latter admitted that his ego might have pushed things too far. "I'm not Jake Gyllenhaal. He's a big guy," he prefaced. "We're doing ab exercises and leg exercises, and he turns to me and says, 'Tom, you want to hop on the treadmill and warm up?' I said, 'I'm roasting, I'm fished.' He said, 'We'll do a quick mile.' I said, 'A mile? Are we pressed for time? Come on, let's do two.'"

Holland continued: "I'm regretting saying that. We start off and there's a law in the gym that you can't run slower than the guy next to you. So I'm running next to him, two minutes in, I've got a stitch, and am wishing everything is over, but I am saying [...] I will beat Jake Gyllenhaal in this race. Three or four minutes he says, 'Tom, this is too easy, let's up the incline.' I'm, like, 'Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, let's do it!'"

The viewers were invested in the story at this point. "So we upped the incline. Four or five more kilometers go by," said the Uncharted star. "He goes, 'This is too easy. Let's up it to three.' Goodness, fine, Jake. Yeah, sure, absolutely. By the end, we've got a kilometer left. He said 3.5 I'm like, 'Dude, let's do 4. Why 3.5? Why stop there?'"

Later that day, they're "doing press [...] and I can't walk," shared the actor. "I'm sitting there and they said, 'What's wrong with you?' I said, 'I do my own stunts,' which I've done, by the way." The audience cheered and applauded. The episode was a hit. In the comments section of the interview's clip on YouTube, someone said "Tom Holland is a [storyteller]."

"He does it well and that's why you need a host who doest interrupt every single second. Good job Colbert, you get my vote (coughs in Fallon)," added the netizen. Another fan wrote that "this is one of his better interviews, the way he weaves and tells his story reveals such a relaxed and confident charm. He's literally beaming with confidence and humor and I have to restrain myself from crushing too hard."

Tom Holland previously said he had no rizz, but his girlfriend Zendaya praised him for his "beautiful charisma" — being "great at just talking to people and getting to know people."

Jimmy Fallon Is Known For Interrupting His Guests During Interviews On 'The Tonight Show'

For context, that "coughs in Fallon" was a shade at The Tonight Show host's reputation for interrupting his guests (just check the compilation above). Even Taylor Swift got uncomfortable about it that she confronted Fallon about his bad habit. Another victim of this treatment is Dakota Johnson who stopped the comedian mid-sentence and told him to take their interview seriously. It was a cringeworthy moment that made Colbert's inappropriate-wardrobe-request moment with Johnson a little more bearable to watch.

The issue was put under the spotlight when Fallon was slammed with toxic work environment allegations in September 2023. In a Rolling Stone exposé, 14 former employees accused the host of creating a "pretty glum atmosphere" behind the scenes of the show. The sources alleged that the late-night personality had a history of "outbursts" and would lash out or bully staff under pressure. The guests' dressing rooms even served as "cry rooms" for employees to release all of that stress.

"Nobody told Jimmy, 'No.' Everybody walked on eggshells, especially showrunners," said an ex-staffer.

They added: "You never knew which Jimmy we were going to get and when he was going to throw a hissy fit. Look how many showrunners went so quickly. We know they didn't last long." Fallon soon apologized via Zoom during a staff meeting. "It's embarrassing and I feel so bad. Sorry if I embarrassed you and your family and friends," he reportedly said. "I feel so bad I can’t even tell you."

Fallon stated: "I want this show to be fun, it should be inclusive for everybody, it should be funny, it should be the best show, the best people."

Despite calls to cancel The Tonight Show star, the Taxi alum managed to make a comeback following the writers' strike that was also happening back then. "I miss interviewing everyone so much; I was just interviewing my wife for the last five months, and she got bored of me, so she's so happy I'm out of the house," Fallon said when he returned, not acknowledging the controversy. "The show is back, we're back to telling monologue jokes, back to making people feel happy. I'm so thankful and happy to be back."

Here are Fallon's 8 most awkward interviews on The Tonight Show:

Tom Holland Only Made One "Awkward" Virtual Appearance On 'The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon' In 2021

Holland only had a single appearance on The Tonight Show and it was just online. Unlike Colbert, who brought out the storyteller in Holland, Fallon failed to impress fans with his clickbait interview titled, "Tom Holland Shows Off His Viral Pants-less Look for Virtual Interviews." While it went viral due to the actor showing off his pants-less virtual press look, Fallon was visibly off his game.

"Why does Jimmy look and sound like he hasn't slept in 3 days," one wrote in the YouTube clip's comments section. Another viewer replied, "He just aggressively laughs at everything and it freaks me out." Fans assumed it was due to Covid. But fans were quick to call out Fallon for his "fake persona."

Luckily, the fans enjoyed watching Holland trying hard not to spoil Spider-Man: No Way Home. "They do keep things from you, though, don't they?" the host asked after his guest refused to confirm Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's cameo in the film.

"Yeah, and actually, it's getting to the point where it's really frustrating," Holland responded. "Because I feel like now I've progressed. I'm a trustworthy member of the Avengers. And I haven't really ever spoiled anything."

The Chaos Walking alum has a history of spoiling every Marvel movie he's in. So that progress was a big deal. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his then-new film, Cherry. As one commenter summed up: "'I haven't really spoiled anything'...... also Tom Holland: So in my new movie, we added some scenes where my wife dies." Then again, like another fan said, "Getting mad at Tom Holland is impossible. It's like getting mad at a pet. He's too cute..."

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon saw its fourth-lowest ratings ever, a month before Tom Holland's virtual interview in 2021.