Jimmy Fallon paid tribute to retiring “Late Show” host David Letterman on Monday by thanking Letterman for years of “innovation, fun and just plain weirdness.”
“I, like every kid who grew up watching him, will miss him,” Fallon said. He then pulled out a page from his eighth grade yearbook in which Fallon’s teacher had predicted he would one day take over for Letterman on “The Late Night Show” — a prediction that came true when Fallon took over the show from 2009-2014.
Fallon then shared a story about being invited onto Letterman’s show once he was hosting “Late Night.”
“You don’t want to see a talk show host go on another guy’s talk show to talk about the talk show,” Fallon said.
Nevertheless, he went and was surprised when Letterman asked to see him before their segment. Fallon peaked his head around the “Late Show” curtain to see Letterman sitting at his desk with a smile on his face waving at him.
“I think he taught us how to be smart and stupid for comedy,” Fallon said. “He just wants to have fun and be goofy, and I’ll always remember that.”
