Doris Day, the multi-faceted singer and actress, made an appearance on “The Tonight Show” in 1974. Not only did Day use the show as a platform to show off the long list of men she starred alongside (James Garner and Clark Gable, to name a few), but she discussed her role as an animal welfare activist.
In addition to her on-screen success, Day was also an accomplished singer. Her most memorable songs included “Sentimental Journey” and “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time.” Truth be told, there was nothing particularly awkward about this interview. Doris Day is just impossible to ignore.
Donna Summer
When Donna Summer appeared on "The Tonight Show" on November 28th, 1979, she came with a message. Anything men can do, women can do as well. She was a fan of Johnny Carson as a child, and the "Queen of Disco" made sure that not only was she musically and theatrically talented, but she also made sure that Carson and the fans at home knew of her other skills.
Carson remarked that Summer was mechanically talented, with the ability to fix cars, and made a rather politically incorrect comment about girls not being mechanically inclined. That's when Summer put Carson in his place, as she should!
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Thanks to Johnny Carson and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Twister became a household favorite. When the "Moulin Rouge" actress made an appearance in 1966, the two spent the entire episode playing the game. It was released earlier that year, and it was expected that the Milton Bradley game would blow up.
Unfortunately, upon its release, it was not as popular as expected. Thanks in large part to seeing the two celebrities creatively play together, Twister sales skyrocketed with over 3 million in the following few months! Now that is definitely one way to make a game's popularity sore through the roof!
Cassandra Peterson
As one of the more prominent guest hosts of "The Tonight Show," Joan Rivers welcomed many esteemed guests. During her stint on the Halloween night episode in 1985, Rivers welcomed the Mistress of the Dark, Elvira.
She was known for her exposing attire, which made Peterson the envy of Rivers for most of the night's episode. The original and perhaps the most famed goth girl, Elvira was Peterson's sexy vampire alter ego. Elvira was featured in film, television, and comic books throughout the '80s. Is it just us, or is Cassandra giving off some real Bride of Frankenstein/Morticia Addams vibes?
Ann Margret
It comes as no surprise that often, actors and actresses get typecast into roles they may or may not genuinely enjoy. In the case of Ann Margret, to fans, she was labeled no more than a "B" movie actress, which was solely based on her early movie roles. On February 29th, 1972, she was a guest on Johnny Carson's couch.
During their conversation, Margret talked about being taken seriously as an actress. She had five Golden Globe awards to her name, along with several Golden Globe, Academy Awards, and Emmy nominations! She got a chance to fix her reputation with her appearance in "Carnal Knowledge," alongside Jack Nicholson, a role that would show audiences a more genuine side of her acting skills.