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“THIS ONLY HAPPENS
                                  once in a thousand years,”
                                  Jon Stewart tells his studio
                                  audience. “It’s magical.”
                                     The cameras roll as he an-
                                  chors a mock-Nightline panel
                                  discussion about aliens in the      go back to living like we did in
                                  next millennium, with three         1980? I’m very disturbed.”
                                  distinguished guests: a “UFO
      THAT                        Ambassador,” an alien               JON STEWART has always
      WOULD BE                    abductee/sperm donor and a          been funny, but he was never,
      JON                         singing psychic. Afterward,         he stresses, the class clown.
      STEWART—                    Stewart happily informs the
                                  segment’s producer that the
                                                                      In fact, he says, when he grad-
                                                                      uated from Lawrence High
      WHO WENT                    show’s “being nominated for         School in Lawrence, New Jer-
      FROM                        a parallel-universe Emmy!”          sey, the yearbook awarded
      STRUGGLING                     If only. “The Greatest Mil-      him “Best Sense of Humor.”
      STAND-UP                    lennium,” a special edition of         Um—what’s the differ-
      TO HIP HOST                 Comedy Central’s The Daily          ence? “Rather than making a
      OF THE                      Show With Jon Stewart, airing       ruckus,” Stewart clarifies, “I
                                  December 15, does deserve           would sit quietly in the back
      DAILY SHOW                  some kind of award for buck-        and make comments.”
      WITHOUT                     ing other channels’ serious            At 37, Stewart is still doing
      EVER                        summations as we hurtle to-         a running commentary, but
      LOSING                      ward the year 2000. Begin-          now he’s moved to the head
      HIS COOL                    ning with the opening mon-
                                  tage, which blends Martin
                                                                      of the class. Since January,
                                                                      he’s been delivering his sar-


      THE                         Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a
                                  Dream” speech with “I’ve fallen
                                  and I can’t get up,” Stewart
                                                                      castic barbs from behind the
                                                                      anchor desk of The Daily
                                                                      Show With Jon Stewart, which


       CAT                        and his talented staff of writers
                                  and correspondents treat the
                                  next millennium the same way
                                                                      gives a wiseacre spin on actual
                                                                      news items—in the deadpan
                                                                      style of real news shows.


      IN                          they usually treat the day’s
                                  news: with the gloves off. The
                                  jokes start with the battle of
                                                                      Originally called The Daily
                                                                      Show, it was rechristened be-
                                                                      cause of Stewart’s whopping


       THE
                                  Hastings in 1066 and continue       $6 million, four-year deal to
                                  into the future: correspondent      replace the taller, blonder and
                                  Mo Rocca envisions a “Gov-          snider Craig Kilborn (who




      H
                                  erntainment” system in which        left for CBS’s The Late Late
                                  moviegoers sit in a “Colonic        Show). Though Stewart is less
                                  Blaster Chair” and are injected     believable an anchor than
                                  with a brew of adrenaline,          Kilborn (who had actually
                                  heroin and Raisinets.               been a sports anchor for
                                     “I can’t tell you how happy      ESPN), he has brought the
                                  this [episode] makes me,”           show a sharper verbal wit
                                  Stewart says, after the taping is   and a sheepish charm that




      A
                                  done. But he reveals that deep      helps soften its meaner jibes.
                                  down he does harbor Y2K                “The oppositeness of Jon
                                  fears. “The idea that comput-       and Craig is astounding,” says
                                  ers will fail, and we’ll have to    the show’s cocreator and ex-
                                                                      ecutive producer, Madeleine
                                                                      Smithberg. “Craig cared about
                                                                      ‘Five Questions,’ ‘A Moment




       T
                                                                      for Us’ and how he looked.




             By David Handelman


123
people with respect.”
                                            According to the        HEERE’S                         lege soccer team. He began
                                                                                                    bartending and moved to
                                         perennially self-
                                         deprecating Stewart,
                                         he’s still way down on
                                                                    JONNY!
                                                                    JANEANE GAROFALO
                                                                                                    Trenton, New Jersey, his am-
                                                                                                    bitions a muddle. “I was
                                                                                                    drawing cartoons, writing
                                         the celebrity totem        TELLS US FIVE                   stories, sending stuff in to
                                         pole. “You’re not go-      THINGS WE NEVER                 National Lampoon on yellow
                                         ing to see me on one       KNEW ABOUT HER                  oak tag.”
                                         of those ‘100 Most         FUNNY FRIEND JON                    Finally, in 1986, a friend
                                         Powerful People in         STEWART                         lent Stewart his New York
                                         Hollywood’ lists,” he                                      City apartment for a few
                                         says, chain-smoking        TV GUIDE: Like you, Jon         weeks, and while support-
                                         in his dimly lit, spar-    wears many hats—TV host,        ing himself at a catering ser-
                                         tan office in the Man-     stand-up, author, movie         vice and doing construction
                                         hattan building that       actor. Who is the real Jon?     work, Stewart found his way
                                         houses The Daily           JANEANE GAROFALO:               to the comedy clubs. “The
                                         Show’s studio. “I think    The guy who picks up my         whole going-to-work-every-
                                         Oprah’s assistants         dry cleaning.                   day thing didn’t seem to be
                                         rank higher than I do.”    TVG: What is the secret         working out so well for me,
                                            He says that he’s       to Jon’s appeal?                emotionally,” Stewart says.
                                         also constantly get-       JG: Jean Nate body              “Somehow the rhythm of
                                         ting wrong the dates       splash.                         stand-up was appealing.”
STEWART WITH V.I.P. GUESTS (FROM         and networks of the        TVG: What is the funniest           His big break came at a
LEFT) MOLLY CULVER, PAMELA
ANDERSON LEE AND NATALIE RAITANO
                                         projects his guests        thing you’ve seen Jon do,       downtown club called the
                                         are trying to promote.     off-camera?                     Comedy Cellar, where he
When Jon came in, he took       “I don’t mind when that             JG: Shape shift [an             was given the final gig of
all the mirrors down from       happens,” he says, “because         ancient Indian ritual in        the night every Sunday
his office. Jon cares about     then [the show] isn’t so            which a person can              through Thursday.
the whole show, to the          buttoned-up. Foibles are            become a different                  “At 1:45 A.M. I’d go on,
point where he makes the        interesting.”                       object].                        usually in front of the wait
rest of us care more. It really    That’s precisely the atti-       TVG: When do you see            staff and four Belgians,” he
is inspiring.”                  tude that made his talk show        Jon most impassioned?           recalls. “But it was a great
    The channel’s faith in      The Jon Stewart Show (which         JG: In shul.                    training ground, because it
Stewart has paid off. By        premiered on MTV in 1993,           TVG: Do you have any            got me onstage every night.”
bringing his charm and          moved to syndication and            memories of Jon from                That led to roadwork,
smarts to the topical jokes     died in 1995) so watch-             his early days in stand-up?     some writing gigs and then
and by attracting higher-       able—but ultimately too             JG: No, sir. I don’t recall     cohosting Comedy Central’s
caliber guests—Oscar            quirky for a mass audience.         him ever having a hard          Short Attention Span Theater.
nominees instead of WB             Resolutely unpretentious         time. He was always at          At the time, the channel
comedy costars—he has           and playful, Stewart pre-           least charming.         —D.H.   “was delivered to about 18
boosted the show’s visibil-     sided over offbeat doings                                           homes in Montana,” he says.
ity and ratings (up 13 per-     like Iggy Pop reading from         HE WAS BORN Jon Stewart          “The great part was, you felt
cent since November 1998). the teen coming-of-age                  Leibowitz in Lawrence, New       like you could try anything.
    The anchor gig is only the  novel Are You There God? It’s      Jersey; his parents, Marian, a   The bad part was, if you
latest step in Stewart’s devel- Me, Margaret.                      teacher, and Donald, a physi-    went to your high-school re-
opment as something of a           When the talk show was          cist, divorced when Jon was      union and told them you
comedy renaissance man:         floundering in the ratings,        10. (He has an older brother     were on a TV show, they’d
stand-up, talk-show host,       Stewart recalls, he had a rev-     and two half brothers.) In       be like, ‘Yeah, right!’ ”
author (last year’s collection  elation about show business.       1984, Stewart graduated from         He quit after a year and
of essays, Naked Pictures of    “I was miserable. I had in-        Virginia’s William and Mary      went back to stand-up.
Famous People) and movie        somnia. And I remember ly-         College with a bachelor’s de-    Then MTV hired him to
actor (he’s appeared in such    ing in bed thinking, ‘This is      gree in psychology. “It was      host You Wrote It, You Watch
films as “The Faculty,” “Play-  gonna get canceled, and            easier than chemistry,” he ex-   It, which enacted viewer
ing by Heart” and “Big          they’re gonna say, “Did he at      plains. “You didn’t have to      submissions. When that was
Daddy”). “Jon’s intelli-
gent and complex,”          THE least I’ll say,doing Iit?”
                                     And
                                            enjoy
                                                    “No,
                                                                   know the exact right answer.”
                                                                      After graduation, when
                                                                                                    canceled, Stewart brain-
                                                                                                    stormed with MTV brass
says his longtime
                             CAT didn’t.” ’ And I thought          all his friends went back-       and “after a couple of beers I
friend Janeane Garo-
                            IN
                             THE how ridiculousshow,was.that       packing in Europe, Stewart       pitched them three ideas:



                         H
falo. “He’s as neurotic              I had my own                  stayed behind and had oper-      ‘Beverly Hills, 90210 meets
as the next guy, but                 such a rare opportunity.      ations on a hernia and on his    Star Trek, a crappy high
                                                                                                                                     AL LEVINE




he’s extremely nice                  If I don’t go out and en-     knee, both due to injuries       school in space?’ ‘No.’ ‘A
and normal. He treats

20                       AS
                          T
                                        joy it, I’m an idiot!”     sustained playing for his col-   travel show with me and a
MEN AT
                                                                                                         dog?’ ‘No.’ ‘Okay, how about                                                  Despite his talk-show-           her to get off the phone.” (Sorry,                                   As for his own term of of-
                         WORK:                                                                           a talk show?’ It was a total                                               hosting aversion, he has done       ladies, she said yes.) The cou-                                   fice, although he’s locked into
                      STEWART                                                                            crapshoot.”                                                                well as a talk-show guest. In       ple live in a Greenwich Village                                   The Daily Show until 2003, he
                           AND                                                                              After The Jon Stewart Show                                              fact, it was an appearance on       apartment with their cat,                                         says, “Anything can happen
                      SANDLER                                                                            got canceled, Stewart signed                                               Late Night With Conan O’Brien       Stanley, and pit bull, Shamsky,                                   in show business. I can be
                         IN THE
                             HIT                                                                         a deal with David Letter-                                                  that helped Stewart propose         named after the Jewish mem-                                       out of it tomorrow, or Rupert
                       COMEDY                                                                            man’s Worldwide Pants and                                                  to his girlfriend of three years,   ber of the 1969 Miracle Mets.                                     Murdoch can suddenly de-
                           “BIG                                                                          subbed for Tom Snyder (and                                                 Tracey McShane, 32, a veteri-          Along with his upcoming                                        cide to let me pitch for the
                       DADDY”                                                                            on HBO’s The Larry Sanders                                                 nary student. In the green-         nuptials (no date has been                                        Dodgers. I’ve long since given




FILM
                                                                                                         Show he played himself as                                                  room, a fellow guest, New           set), Stewart is looking for-                                     up making predictions.”
                                                                                                         the network’s replacement                                                  York Times crossword editor         ward to The Daily Show’s cov-                                        But he did learn an impor-
                                                                                                         for Larry). But he realized he                                             Will Shortz, gave Stewart the       erage of the presidential race.                                   tant lesson when he saw
                                                                                                         didn’t want to do a talk                                                   name of someone who com-            “Any time you have a domi-                                        Fortune’s report that Jerry
                                                                                                         show anymore, and hun-                                                     posed puzzles, and Stewart          nant story that’s not horrify-                                    Seinfeld and Larry David had


 COMMEN-
                                                                                                         kered down to write his                                                    commissioned a personalized         ing, it provides a lot of grist,”                                 earned more money last year
                                                                                                         book. Taking a loftier tack                                                one that popped the question        he says. In terms of joke fod-                                    than Steven Spielberg. “That
                                                                                                         than the quickie, shticky                                                  to McShane as she filled it out.    der, he sees George W Bush
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                .                                         says to me, stop making war




                                                                                                                                                                  MAX SMITH/RETNA
                                                                                                         best-sellers by Jerry Seinfeld                                                “Before telling me the an-       as an early front-runner. “He        SO HAPPY TOGETHER: STEWART   movies and start making hu-
Though he’s compiled a fairly extensive movie résumé, Jon Stewart says acting remains a hobby            and Paul Reiser, Stewart                                                   swer,” he says, “she called her     seems the least, what’s the          AND MCSHANE IN NEW YORK      morous asides—that’s where
more than a career: “[Acting] keeps things interesting, but it’s not like I’m doing ‘The Deer            hoped to write a collection                                                parents, so I had to wait for       word—studied?”                       CITY LAST DECEMBER           the money is!” E
Hunter’ or anything. It’s within the bounds of what I’m able to pull off. My next role, however, is      of the kind of essays by
as an autistic Vietnam veteran.” Here, Stewart reflects on some of his past performances.                Woody Allen that he’d read
                                                                     out? That stuff burns.              growing up.
“MIXED NUTS” (1994)                “SINCE YOU’VE BEEN                                                       “It was more interesting
I was Rollerblader Number          GONE” (1998) That was             “PLAYING BY HEART”                  for me, and more fun to
One, and Parker Posey was originally called “Stepping                (1998) That was                     write, than just writing down
Number Two. I had one line. in Dogwater.” It was a trip              originally called “Dancing          my stand-up material,” Stew-
We had to rollerblade with a to Chicago—I only worked                About Architecture.” And            art says. “And, I might add,
Christmas tree and smash
into Steve Martin and
                                   a couple of days.                 “Mixed Nuts” was
                                                                     originally called “Dancing
                                                                                                         far less successful. But out of
                                                                                                         everything I’ve done, it’s what
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         “B-BOOK”
Anthony LaPaglia. And me, “ELMOPALOOZA!”                             About Christmas.” I’m in            I’m most satisfied with.”
with my improv background, (1998, VIDEO) My singing
I shouted, “Hey, look out,”        debut. The premise was
                                                                     all the “Dancing” series—
                                                                     it’s like Hope and
                                                                                                            But he got lonely writing.
                                                                                                         “When you’re alone and it’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   2/3 PAGE HORIZONTAL
and [director] Nora Ephron Elmo had locked me in a                   Crosby’s road pictures.             four o’clock in the morning,
really dug that. So we             room by mistake and I                                                 how many times can you
went with that.                    couldn’t get out to host the “BIG DADDY” (1999)                       wake up your girlfriend and
                                   show, so the Muppets had          I play Adam Sandler’s               make her read a paragraph?”
“THE FIRST WIVES                   to host it. And Elmo and I        best friend/roommate.                  So when Comedy Central
CLUB” (1996) I played              and the whole cast busted         I’m the guy they need at            approached him about taking
Goldie Hawn’s boyfriend,           a serious song out:               the beginning to start              over for Kilborn, it didn’t take
but my whole part was              “Songs, How Do We Get             the story and they need at          him long to accept their offer.
cut. The best moment in            Along Without Them?”              the end to help finish it. In       (In the intervening years,
the film was in the trailer                                          the middle, I think I literally     South Park had helped lift the
anyway: Goldie puts her            “HALF BAKED” (1998)               disappear to China.                 cable network’s penetration
foot on a man’s butt and           I played the character                                                to more than 62 million
kicks. That’s my ass. I do         known as “On Weed Guy.”           “COMMITTED” (1999)                  homes.) Stewart has been
my own stunts. Me, Gibson, Basically my job was to go, I did scenes with Heather                         comedically invigorated by
Cruise. By the way, you can “Did you ever look at a                  Graham and Summer                   the Daily Show’s writerly for-
download it on the Internet. $20 bill? Did you ever look Phoenix. I played a lounge                      mat. “It’s almost the inverse of
Heel-and-ass dot com.              at it on weed?”                   lizardy kind of guy. About          the talk show,” he says. “My
                                                                     the only memorable thing            old show was 40 minutes of
“WISHFUL THINKING”                 “THE FACULTY” (1998)              about my performance is             guests, three monologue jokes
(1997) Three people, none The first time I played a                  that I didn’t have to shave.        and me dressed up like Anna
of whom are me, are in a           character with a name,                                                Nicole Smith for four min-




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
love triangle, and the film        and he didn’t even have a         “THE ADVENTURES                               utes; then we go to the
looks at it from each of their     first name—he was “Mr.            OF TOM THUMB AND                  THE band. Here, the guest
perspectives. In each [scene], Furlong.” The main thing it THUMBELINA” (2000-                           CAT is on for four minutes,
                                                                                                       IN
I’d walk in at some point and taught me about acting                 ANIMATED)
                                                                                                        THE andnews. I can watch
                                                                                                                        the real fuel is



                                                                                                       H
say, “I’m gonna make this go was: You know the stuff                 There’s a skinny mole and a                   the
                                                                                                                                             EVERETT COLLECTION




straight to video, you hear        special-effects people jam        chubby mole, and I believe                    something happen,
me?” and then I’d walk out. in your eye to make it look              I’m the voice of the skinny                   come in and write an



                                                                                                       AS
It’s a big hit in Belgium.         like your brains are coming one. My agent’s trying to                             editorial—boom!”

22


                                                                                                        T                                                                           123                                                                                                   TV GUIDE JANUARY 18, 1998

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TVGJohnStewart

  • 1. “THIS ONLY HAPPENS once in a thousand years,” Jon Stewart tells his studio audience. “It’s magical.” The cameras roll as he an- chors a mock-Nightline panel discussion about aliens in the go back to living like we did in next millennium, with three 1980? I’m very disturbed.” distinguished guests: a “UFO THAT Ambassador,” an alien JON STEWART has always WOULD BE abductee/sperm donor and a been funny, but he was never, JON singing psychic. Afterward, he stresses, the class clown. STEWART— Stewart happily informs the segment’s producer that the In fact, he says, when he grad- uated from Lawrence High WHO WENT show’s “being nominated for School in Lawrence, New Jer- FROM a parallel-universe Emmy!” sey, the yearbook awarded STRUGGLING If only. “The Greatest Mil- him “Best Sense of Humor.” STAND-UP lennium,” a special edition of Um—what’s the differ- TO HIP HOST Comedy Central’s The Daily ence? “Rather than making a OF THE Show With Jon Stewart, airing ruckus,” Stewart clarifies, “I December 15, does deserve would sit quietly in the back DAILY SHOW some kind of award for buck- and make comments.” WITHOUT ing other channels’ serious At 37, Stewart is still doing EVER summations as we hurtle to- a running commentary, but LOSING ward the year 2000. Begin- now he’s moved to the head HIS COOL ning with the opening mon- tage, which blends Martin of the class. Since January, he’s been delivering his sar- THE Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech with “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” Stewart castic barbs from behind the anchor desk of The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, which CAT and his talented staff of writers and correspondents treat the next millennium the same way gives a wiseacre spin on actual news items—in the deadpan style of real news shows. IN they usually treat the day’s news: with the gloves off. The jokes start with the battle of Originally called The Daily Show, it was rechristened be- cause of Stewart’s whopping THE Hastings in 1066 and continue $6 million, four-year deal to into the future: correspondent replace the taller, blonder and Mo Rocca envisions a “Gov- snider Craig Kilborn (who H erntainment” system in which left for CBS’s The Late Late moviegoers sit in a “Colonic Show). Though Stewart is less Blaster Chair” and are injected believable an anchor than with a brew of adrenaline, Kilborn (who had actually heroin and Raisinets. been a sports anchor for “I can’t tell you how happy ESPN), he has brought the this [episode] makes me,” show a sharper verbal wit Stewart says, after the taping is and a sheepish charm that A done. But he reveals that deep helps soften its meaner jibes. down he does harbor Y2K “The oppositeness of Jon fears. “The idea that comput- and Craig is astounding,” says ers will fail, and we’ll have to the show’s cocreator and ex- ecutive producer, Madeleine Smithberg. “Craig cared about ‘Five Questions,’ ‘A Moment T for Us’ and how he looked. By David Handelman 123
  • 2. people with respect.” According to the HEERE’S lege soccer team. He began bartending and moved to perennially self- deprecating Stewart, he’s still way down on JONNY! JANEANE GAROFALO Trenton, New Jersey, his am- bitions a muddle. “I was drawing cartoons, writing the celebrity totem TELLS US FIVE stories, sending stuff in to pole. “You’re not go- THINGS WE NEVER National Lampoon on yellow ing to see me on one KNEW ABOUT HER oak tag.” of those ‘100 Most FUNNY FRIEND JON Finally, in 1986, a friend Powerful People in STEWART lent Stewart his New York Hollywood’ lists,” he City apartment for a few says, chain-smoking TV GUIDE: Like you, Jon weeks, and while support- in his dimly lit, spar- wears many hats—TV host, ing himself at a catering ser- tan office in the Man- stand-up, author, movie vice and doing construction hattan building that actor. Who is the real Jon? work, Stewart found his way houses The Daily JANEANE GAROFALO: to the comedy clubs. “The Show’s studio. “I think The guy who picks up my whole going-to-work-every- Oprah’s assistants dry cleaning. day thing didn’t seem to be rank higher than I do.” TVG: What is the secret working out so well for me, He says that he’s to Jon’s appeal? emotionally,” Stewart says. also constantly get- JG: Jean Nate body “Somehow the rhythm of ting wrong the dates splash. stand-up was appealing.” STEWART WITH V.I.P. GUESTS (FROM and networks of the TVG: What is the funniest His big break came at a LEFT) MOLLY CULVER, PAMELA ANDERSON LEE AND NATALIE RAITANO projects his guests thing you’ve seen Jon do, downtown club called the are trying to promote. off-camera? Comedy Cellar, where he When Jon came in, he took “I don’t mind when that JG: Shape shift [an was given the final gig of all the mirrors down from happens,” he says, “because ancient Indian ritual in the night every Sunday his office. Jon cares about then [the show] isn’t so which a person can through Thursday. the whole show, to the buttoned-up. Foibles are become a different “At 1:45 A.M. I’d go on, point where he makes the interesting.” object]. usually in front of the wait rest of us care more. It really That’s precisely the atti- TVG: When do you see staff and four Belgians,” he is inspiring.” tude that made his talk show Jon most impassioned? recalls. “But it was a great The channel’s faith in The Jon Stewart Show (which JG: In shul. training ground, because it Stewart has paid off. By premiered on MTV in 1993, TVG: Do you have any got me onstage every night.” bringing his charm and moved to syndication and memories of Jon from That led to roadwork, smarts to the topical jokes died in 1995) so watch- his early days in stand-up? some writing gigs and then and by attracting higher- able—but ultimately too JG: No, sir. I don’t recall cohosting Comedy Central’s caliber guests—Oscar quirky for a mass audience. him ever having a hard Short Attention Span Theater. nominees instead of WB Resolutely unpretentious time. He was always at At the time, the channel comedy costars—he has and playful, Stewart pre- least charming. —D.H. “was delivered to about 18 boosted the show’s visibil- sided over offbeat doings homes in Montana,” he says. ity and ratings (up 13 per- like Iggy Pop reading from HE WAS BORN Jon Stewart “The great part was, you felt cent since November 1998). the teen coming-of-age Leibowitz in Lawrence, New like you could try anything. The anchor gig is only the novel Are You There God? It’s Jersey; his parents, Marian, a The bad part was, if you latest step in Stewart’s devel- Me, Margaret. teacher, and Donald, a physi- went to your high-school re- opment as something of a When the talk show was cist, divorced when Jon was union and told them you comedy renaissance man: floundering in the ratings, 10. (He has an older brother were on a TV show, they’d stand-up, talk-show host, Stewart recalls, he had a rev- and two half brothers.) In be like, ‘Yeah, right!’ ” author (last year’s collection elation about show business. 1984, Stewart graduated from He quit after a year and of essays, Naked Pictures of “I was miserable. I had in- Virginia’s William and Mary went back to stand-up. Famous People) and movie somnia. And I remember ly- College with a bachelor’s de- Then MTV hired him to actor (he’s appeared in such ing in bed thinking, ‘This is gree in psychology. “It was host You Wrote It, You Watch films as “The Faculty,” “Play- gonna get canceled, and easier than chemistry,” he ex- It, which enacted viewer ing by Heart” and “Big they’re gonna say, “Did he at plains. “You didn’t have to submissions. When that was Daddy”). “Jon’s intelli- gent and complex,” THE least I’ll say,doing Iit?” And enjoy “No, know the exact right answer.” After graduation, when canceled, Stewart brain- stormed with MTV brass says his longtime CAT didn’t.” ’ And I thought all his friends went back- and “after a couple of beers I friend Janeane Garo- IN THE how ridiculousshow,was.that packing in Europe, Stewart pitched them three ideas: H falo. “He’s as neurotic I had my own stayed behind and had oper- ‘Beverly Hills, 90210 meets as the next guy, but such a rare opportunity. ations on a hernia and on his Star Trek, a crappy high AL LEVINE he’s extremely nice If I don’t go out and en- knee, both due to injuries school in space?’ ‘No.’ ‘A and normal. He treats 20 AS T joy it, I’m an idiot!” sustained playing for his col- travel show with me and a
  • 3. MEN AT dog?’ ‘No.’ ‘Okay, how about Despite his talk-show- her to get off the phone.” (Sorry, As for his own term of of- WORK: a talk show?’ It was a total hosting aversion, he has done ladies, she said yes.) The cou- fice, although he’s locked into STEWART crapshoot.” well as a talk-show guest. In ple live in a Greenwich Village The Daily Show until 2003, he AND After The Jon Stewart Show fact, it was an appearance on apartment with their cat, says, “Anything can happen SANDLER got canceled, Stewart signed Late Night With Conan O’Brien Stanley, and pit bull, Shamsky, in show business. I can be IN THE HIT a deal with David Letter- that helped Stewart propose named after the Jewish mem- out of it tomorrow, or Rupert COMEDY man’s Worldwide Pants and to his girlfriend of three years, ber of the 1969 Miracle Mets. Murdoch can suddenly de- “BIG subbed for Tom Snyder (and Tracey McShane, 32, a veteri- Along with his upcoming cide to let me pitch for the DADDY” on HBO’s The Larry Sanders nary student. In the green- nuptials (no date has been Dodgers. I’ve long since given FILM Show he played himself as room, a fellow guest, New set), Stewart is looking for- up making predictions.” the network’s replacement York Times crossword editor ward to The Daily Show’s cov- But he did learn an impor- for Larry). But he realized he Will Shortz, gave Stewart the erage of the presidential race. tant lesson when he saw didn’t want to do a talk name of someone who com- “Any time you have a domi- Fortune’s report that Jerry show anymore, and hun- posed puzzles, and Stewart nant story that’s not horrify- Seinfeld and Larry David had COMMEN- kered down to write his commissioned a personalized ing, it provides a lot of grist,” earned more money last year book. Taking a loftier tack one that popped the question he says. In terms of joke fod- than Steven Spielberg. “That than the quickie, shticky to McShane as she filled it out. der, he sees George W Bush . says to me, stop making war MAX SMITH/RETNA best-sellers by Jerry Seinfeld “Before telling me the an- as an early front-runner. “He SO HAPPY TOGETHER: STEWART movies and start making hu- Though he’s compiled a fairly extensive movie résumé, Jon Stewart says acting remains a hobby and Paul Reiser, Stewart swer,” he says, “she called her seems the least, what’s the AND MCSHANE IN NEW YORK morous asides—that’s where more than a career: “[Acting] keeps things interesting, but it’s not like I’m doing ‘The Deer hoped to write a collection parents, so I had to wait for word—studied?” CITY LAST DECEMBER the money is!” E Hunter’ or anything. It’s within the bounds of what I’m able to pull off. My next role, however, is of the kind of essays by as an autistic Vietnam veteran.” Here, Stewart reflects on some of his past performances. Woody Allen that he’d read out? That stuff burns. growing up. “MIXED NUTS” (1994) “SINCE YOU’VE BEEN “It was more interesting I was Rollerblader Number GONE” (1998) That was “PLAYING BY HEART” for me, and more fun to One, and Parker Posey was originally called “Stepping (1998) That was write, than just writing down Number Two. I had one line. in Dogwater.” It was a trip originally called “Dancing my stand-up material,” Stew- We had to rollerblade with a to Chicago—I only worked About Architecture.” And art says. “And, I might add, Christmas tree and smash into Steve Martin and a couple of days. “Mixed Nuts” was originally called “Dancing far less successful. But out of everything I’ve done, it’s what “B-BOOK” Anthony LaPaglia. And me, “ELMOPALOOZA!” About Christmas.” I’m in I’m most satisfied with.” with my improv background, (1998, VIDEO) My singing I shouted, “Hey, look out,” debut. The premise was all the “Dancing” series— it’s like Hope and But he got lonely writing. “When you’re alone and it’s 2/3 PAGE HORIZONTAL and [director] Nora Ephron Elmo had locked me in a Crosby’s road pictures. four o’clock in the morning, really dug that. So we room by mistake and I how many times can you went with that. couldn’t get out to host the “BIG DADDY” (1999) wake up your girlfriend and show, so the Muppets had I play Adam Sandler’s make her read a paragraph?” “THE FIRST WIVES to host it. And Elmo and I best friend/roommate. So when Comedy Central CLUB” (1996) I played and the whole cast busted I’m the guy they need at approached him about taking Goldie Hawn’s boyfriend, a serious song out: the beginning to start over for Kilborn, it didn’t take but my whole part was “Songs, How Do We Get the story and they need at him long to accept their offer. cut. The best moment in Along Without Them?” the end to help finish it. In (In the intervening years, the film was in the trailer the middle, I think I literally South Park had helped lift the anyway: Goldie puts her “HALF BAKED” (1998) disappear to China. cable network’s penetration foot on a man’s butt and I played the character to more than 62 million kicks. That’s my ass. I do known as “On Weed Guy.” “COMMITTED” (1999) homes.) Stewart has been my own stunts. Me, Gibson, Basically my job was to go, I did scenes with Heather comedically invigorated by Cruise. By the way, you can “Did you ever look at a Graham and Summer the Daily Show’s writerly for- download it on the Internet. $20 bill? Did you ever look Phoenix. I played a lounge mat. “It’s almost the inverse of Heel-and-ass dot com. at it on weed?” lizardy kind of guy. About the talk show,” he says. “My the only memorable thing old show was 40 minutes of “WISHFUL THINKING” “THE FACULTY” (1998) about my performance is guests, three monologue jokes (1997) Three people, none The first time I played a that I didn’t have to shave. and me dressed up like Anna of whom are me, are in a character with a name, Nicole Smith for four min- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX love triangle, and the film and he didn’t even have a “THE ADVENTURES utes; then we go to the looks at it from each of their first name—he was “Mr. OF TOM THUMB AND THE band. Here, the guest perspectives. In each [scene], Furlong.” The main thing it THUMBELINA” (2000- CAT is on for four minutes, IN I’d walk in at some point and taught me about acting ANIMATED) THE andnews. I can watch the real fuel is H say, “I’m gonna make this go was: You know the stuff There’s a skinny mole and a the EVERETT COLLECTION straight to video, you hear special-effects people jam chubby mole, and I believe something happen, me?” and then I’d walk out. in your eye to make it look I’m the voice of the skinny come in and write an AS It’s a big hit in Belgium. like your brains are coming one. My agent’s trying to editorial—boom!” 22 T 123 TV GUIDE JANUARY 18, 1998