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*The Tonight Show* is a famous American talk show and NBC's flagship program.
The visit of the *Titanic* crew naturally received significant attention from the entire production team. With all the recent rumors swirling around *Titanic*, the show's producer had secretly told host Jay Leno to dig up as much juicy content as possible.
*The Tonight Show* has always been the ratings champion among American talk shows, but with ABC's acquisition by Disney, its position was challenged. The timing was perfect to ride the wave of *Titanic*'s success to solidify its leadership in the industry.
The combination of *The Tonight Show* and *Titanic* was a win-win.
Jay Leno, the "big chin," is an excellent host, known for his humor and fearless approach—he's even bold enough to mess with the President. He has an edgy style and a lot of guts.
"Now, let's welcome *Titanic*'s director, Dunn Walker, along with his rumored girlfriend Kate Winslet and her on-screen love interest, Leonardo DiCaprio!"
Jay Leno's opening line instantly electrified the atmosphere of the recording.
The audience responded by standing and applauding, showing just how popular *Titanic* had become.
Leonardo was the first to appear, and the studio was instantly filled with piercing screams. Regardless of age or gender, everyone stood on tiptoes to get a better look, their faces flushed with excitement.
Leonardo adjusted his suit jacket, flashed a charming smile, waved to the crowd, then spun around with a flamboyant gesture, striking a pose with his right hand outstretched.
Kate Winslet's appearance was met with equally thunderous applause, especially from the male audience members, who clapped their hands red with excitement.
"Hello, everyone."
Compared to Leonardo's exuberance, Kate was much more reserved. She gently tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and greeted everyone with a warm smile.
Dunn Walker was the last to appear, as planned by the show's producers, and he knew there had to be a twist!
Sure enough, Jay Leno immediately shouted, "Hey, kid, who are you? This is *The Tonight Show*, not a bar or a nightclub. What are you doing here?"
The studio erupted in laughter.
Dunn, who had a great sense of humor, put on a terrified expression. "What? This is *The Tonight Show*? My bad, I came to the wrong set! I was supposed to be on *Night Live*, and I can't stand that big-chinned host on *The Tonight Show*!"
Jay Leno is known for his large chin, and almost every guest takes the chance to tease him about it.
Dunn's performance delighted Jay Leno, who responded with a gleam in his eye and a deadpan expression, "A big chin is still better than being brainless like those guys on *Night Live*! Fine, fine, you're here to see the stars, aren't you? As the host, I grant you special permission to take a photo with these two superstars."
"Really? Stars? Where?" Dunn joked, then his eyes lit up as he looked at Kate Winslet. "Hey, isn't this my rumored girlfriend?"
"Pfft! Hahaha!"
The studio burst into laughter, even Jay Leno couldn't hold back, thinking, "This show is going to be great!"
It's rare for Jay to see a director with such a good sense of humor, but Dunn's next line shocked everyone even more.
"Wow, I didn't expect my rumored boyfriend to be here too!"
If this line were delivered ten years later, it would have seemed normal, but in 1997, a comment like that was quite bold.
Jay Leno and the audience were stunned for a moment, then erupted into applause and cheers.
Dunn Walker, it turns out, is a witty, humorous director full of charisma!
In North America, the more humorous and self-deprecating public figures are, the more they win over the audience. Clearly, Dunn Walker is one of those people.
The opening banter was about wrapped up, so Jay Leno raised his voice and shouted, "Now, let's give the warmest applause to welcome *Titanic*'s director, Dunn Walker!"
The audience stood up and thunderously applauded, showing their respect and admiration for Dunn.
After the three of them sat down, Jay Leno received a cue through his earpiece from the producer to focus on the "rumored girlfriend" topic. Given Dunn's openness, Jay decided to go for some spicy, attention-grabbing questions.
"So, are you two really dating?" Jay Leno asked directly.
Dunn smiled, appearing very calm. "With *Titanic* being such a hit, Kate has become the dream goddess of men all over the world. I wouldn't dare to have any improper thoughts."
Jay Leno played along, deadpan, "That's right, if you dare desecrate my dream goddess, I swear I'll pixelate your face for the entire episode!"
Another wave of laughter filled the studio.
"But you two really seem to get along well. I thought you were really together," Jay Leno cleverly steered the conversation back.
Leonardo chimed in with a smile, "In fact, the three of us get along very well! Most importantly, Kate is already engaged, so the rumors... can be put to rest."
Before Jay Leno could respond, Kate suddenly interjected, "No, no, Leo, your information is outdated. I've already called off the engagement."
"What?"
Dunn, Leonardo, and Jay Leno were all shocked. Dunn especially, as he had discussed this with Kate in depth, but she had never mentioned it. Yet here she was, suddenly announcing it on the show.
"Could you tell us why?" Jay Leno cautiously asked.
Kate Winslet responded openly, "As some of you might know, we faced many challenges while filming *Titanic*, and I almost drowned at one point. During that time, I had a high fever, and it was Dunn, Leo, and our crew members who took care of me. My fiancé never showed up. I was really disappointed."
This was only partially true, but with Kate Winslet's acting skills, no one would doubt her sincerity.
The audience murmured sympathetically, feeling sorry for Kate for having such an unreliable fiancé.
Dunn blinked and joked, "So, does this mean I have a chance of becoming the real boyfriend instead of just a rumored one?"
Kate immediately crossed her arms and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Dunn, that's not funny at all. The rumors have already gotten out of hand, and you're just making it worse."
However, their playful banter only reinforced the idea that they were just good friends.
Jay Leno's eyes gleamed as he steered the conversation, "Kate, you mentioned you almost drowned during filming. Can you tell us more about that?"
"Of course!"
With a smile, Kate exaggerated the difficulties they faced during filming, particularly emphasizing the support she received from Dunn and other crew members who came to check on her late at night.
Jay Leno quickly picked up on this, "So, you're saying Dunn wasn't the only one who visited your room at night?"
Kate chuckled, "Of course, I was sick, and many people came to see how I was doing."
Leonardo raised his hand, "I even spent an entire night taking care of her. But don't be fooled by how gentle Kate seems now. When she's bedridden..."
"Leo!" Kate playfully glared at Leonardo, as if he had let slip a secret.
Watching the two of them banter so naturally, Dunn found it amusing. He wondered how many fans would be fooled by their performance once the episode aired.
After the laughter died down, Jay Leno quickly regained control of the conversation. "Nearly drowning during filming—how terrifying!"
But before he could finish, Dunn interjected seriously, "Actually... that wasn't even the worst of it."
"What?"
The entire audience, including Jay Leno, was stunned. If nearly drowning was considered minor, what else had happened during the filming of *Titanic*?
Leonardo's expression grew serious as he said in a grave tone, "That's right. While we were filming in Mexico, something truly horrifying happened—someone poisoned the crew's food, leading to dozens of people being hospitalized."
"What?!!"
The entire studio fell silent, except for Dunn and Kate, as everyone gasped in shock.
Poisoning! Such a terrifying and shocking event had occurred!
Even Jay Leno, known for keeping his cool, was visibly shaken. After a long pause, he finally managed to ask, "What exactly happened? Was it ever solved?"
Dunn sighed, "The full details might remain a mystery."
Jay Leno frowned, "Didn't you report it to the authorities?"
"Mexican police..." Dunn shook his head with a dismissive smirk. "We had a tight filming schedule, so we couldn't afford to halt production for long. We had to leave it to Fox Studios to investigate without disrupting filming."
"Was there any progress?"
Sensing a major news story, Jay Leno pressed on, determined to uncover more details.
Dunn shook his head, "You know, if handled poorly, this could have jeopardized the entire film's production, release, and distribution. So, some details of the investigation were never made public."
Kate added at just the right moment, "That's right. We were all puzzled as to why the company didn't disclose the investigation results. All they did was fire one of the producers."
"A producer was fired?" Jay Leno's eyes lit up, clearly understanding the implications.
Everyone could sense that Dunn and Kate were setting a trap with their words.
Jay Leno eagerly took the bait, leaning forward with anticipation. "Can you reveal the name of that producer?"
Dunn didn't hesitate and directly answered, "Jon Landau!"
Jay Leno's heart skipped a beat as he thought, "I knew it!"
Who didn't know that Jon Landau was the one leading the smear campaign against Dunn Walker and Kate Winslet?
Once this episode airs, the whole of America will know the "truth."
Jon Landau, unable to handle the hardships of the crew, lashed out by poisoning their food. Fox Studios, to protect the movie's reputation, kept the details under wraps and quietly fired him. But instead of repenting, Jon Landau escalated his attacks by fabricating lies to tarnish Dunn and Kate's reputations out of spite.
How could someone like him ever work in Hollywood again?
"This is big news—this will definitely be a nationwide sensation!" Jay Leno couldn't hide his glee. If this episode became a hit, who would care about the downfall of one film producer?
Even if Jon Landau was a top-tier producer, so what?
*The Tonight Show* was backed by NBC, one of the three major networks in the U.S., and NBC's parent company was none other than General Electric!
Seeing Jay Leno's nearly twisted expression, Dunn gave him a slight smile while thinking coldly to himself, "Jon Landau, you brought this on yourself!"