Jay Leno Says He Went for a 'Sleazier Version of Myself' to Play Ed Sullivan inMidas Man(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jay Leno and Ed Sullivan.Photo:Monica Schipper/Getty; Hulton Archive/Getty

Monica Schipper/Getty; Hulton Archive/Getty

Leno, 74, recently spoke with PEOPLE about taking on the cameo role of the iconic host Sullivan, who died in 1974 at 73, inMidas Man, a biopic that centers around the life and career of Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Leno, who was around 14 when the Beatlesplayed their first concert in the United Stateson the program in February 1964, appears as Sullivan in the film opposite Jacob Fortune-Lloyd’s Epstein. The formerTonight Showhost admits he was not sure he could accurately portray Sullivan when he was first approached for the role.

“But that’s not what they wanted. They just wanted me to play some kind of sleazier version of myself, I guess, if that’s possible,” he jokes.

Jacob Fortune-Lloyd and Jay Leno in Midas Man.Midas Man StudioPow

Midas Man StudioPow

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Leno filmed his scenes as Sullivan — negotiating the Beatles' appearances onThe Ed Sullivan Showwith Epstein — well over a year beforeMidas Manfirst released in the U.K. in October 2024.

“It was a nice surprise. I thought it was good. I thought it had great empathy. I thought it was a sad movie because it is not really about the Beatles, it’s just about Brian Epstein,” he says. Epstein died of an accidental overdose at 32 in 1967. “It was just fun for me to hear [bands like] Gerry and The Pacemakers, just all the different acts, you know? It just sparked back old memories.”

Jay Leno and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd in Midas Man.Midas Man StudioPow

Leno holds fond memories of watching the Beatles perform onThe Ed Sullivan Showback in 1964 with his family. “It was so funny ‘cause my father was sitting deliberately with the newspaper in front of his face so he couldn’t see the screen,” he recalls.

“I said ‘Dad, watch,’ and he said, ‘I’m reading, I’m reading.’ So I said to my dad, ‘You know, you know, pop, they write all their own music.’ My dad drops [the paper] and he goes, ‘Some guy gives these kids a couple of bucks to go out there and act loony and you all fall for it.’ That was my dad’s review of the Beatles. It was so ridiculous.”

Midas Manis available to watch on the movie’swebsite here.

source: people.com