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Here’s why Jay Leno is so happy to be back in New England
In Newport, R.I., Jay Leno talks rare cars, Andover High days, and getting peer-pressured into calling Obama.
When I reach Jay Leno, the Andover native is in his happy place: in New England, surrounded by cars.
“I started working on cars before I had my license. Uptown was seven miles from my house. By the time you rode your bike seven miles, everybody had gone home,” Leno, 74, tells me while taking a break from filming “Jay Leno’s Garage” in Newport, R.I.
“The worst thing is being 15-and-a-half on your bike, and your friend drives by with a car full of girls. ‘Hey, Jay, I’ll see ya uptown!’ ‘Eh. Yeah. Okay, guys.’”
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Safe to say the former Andover High kid doesn’t have that problem anymore.
The noted denim-clad car collector (Insta bio: “denim and drive”) — and Newport, R.I. mansion-owner since 2017 — talks shop and soaks up the vibes at Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week this week. He’ll host two seminars Oct. 4 and 5, and serve as “sort of like the grand marshal, or whatever you want to call it.” (Audrain calls it “Honorary Chairman of the Motor Week.”)
A fixture and part-mascot of the annual high-end Newport car show, the former “Tonight Show” host is all over the event’s Instagram and website. He’s filmed “Jay Leno’s Garage” here before.
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So I called the ’73 Emerson College alum this week. We talked growing up New England, rare cars, pizza joint drama, “New England compliments” — and that time he was peer-pressured into calling Obama’s cell.
Boston.com: You told me you’ve been to this event the last four or five years. What do you like about it?
Jay Leno: It’s very New England-y. It’s like Pebble Beach [Concours] East, but not quite as crowded. Pebble Beach has gotten so crowded. This is a nice, intimate thing. Newport’s a whole different flavor. [Car] shows in California, you meet one guy with 100 cars. Here you meet 100 guys with one car. You hear, “I got this in high school. As soon as my kids get out of college, they’re going to finish restoring it.” Those stories make it fun.
That’s awesome. So you’re taking part in two seminars this week. “Entrepreneurship, Charity & Speed” with John Paul DeJoria and Alexis DeJoria on Oct. 4, and “From Race to Road: Ford Mustang, a New Chapter” with Jim Owens on Oct. 5. What will you talk about?
A lot of different things. You know, we started some things that are interesting. Like this thing called “30 under 30,” where anybody under age 30 who restored a car themselves for less than $30,000 can compete on the same field with the Duesenbergs and Ferraris. It just makes it a bit more egalitarian. It gets the next generation up. You have the kid who restored a Miata themselves. A lot these [car] shows, it’s all rich guys: “Don’t go near the car. Hey! Don’t touch that. Hey!”
[laughs] I bet.
And there’s so many early cars in this part of the country — early 1900s, even late 1800s — that don’t get out [to West Coast shows], because California is too far away. Cars you don’t normally see — Duesenbergs, pre-war Mercedes. It’s fun.
You told me you didn’t bring any of your own cars this year. But what’s a favorite car you own?
I don’t have one favorite. But I have one of the original [experimental] Chrysler Turbine cars from the early ’60s. [Of the 55 built, only 9 remain, reportedly.] We found some guys — all over the age of 80 — who worked on the original project. They said, “You just pay for parts, we’ll build your new motor.” So it’s like the movie “Cocoon.” One guy was 94, in a wheelchair, working on it, sharp as a tack.
This is amazing.
Because a lot of it is lost technology. After it was canceled, these guys were supposed to burn all their blueprints, but of course, being engineers, they took them home. The chance to come back and finish one was, I think, too great to pass up. I was very grateful.
You had the motorcycle crash and burn accident almost two years ago. How are you feeling now?
Oh I’m fine. I’m in good shape. I’m fine. I’m fine. It’s so stupid [that people make a big deal of it].
You’ve been into cars since you were a kid in Andover. Were you always into comedy?
I was the class clown: “Jay has the ability, but does not apply himself.”
[laughs] Right.
But I was lucky. When I went to school, I had teachers that were career teachers. Mr. Robichaud was in the same homeroom for 45 years. Nothing against California, but every teacher I meet is writing a screenplay, or teaching for a few years until they [land] something.
[laughs]
I had an English teacher, Mrs. Hawkes, at Andover High School. I’m dyslexic, so I was a terrible student. She said,”Instead of writing something, why don’t you do a monologue? Did you ever think of being a comedy writer?”
I love that. You went on to Emerson. Did you want to eventually work in comedy?
I didn’t study comedy there, but I figured I’d do it until I had to get a real job, then I never had to get a real job.
You started out at Lennies on the Turnpike in Peabody.
Lennie [Sogoloff] was great. He gave me a big break, and I got a chance to work with a lot of big stars. Nowadays [artists] come to Boston and do Symphony Hall, a stadium. Back then, Miles Davis would come to town for 10 days and do Lennie’s. Instead of doing one show for 3,500 people, you do 10 shows for 50, 100 people.
How did you eventually get to the Tonight Show from there? What was the road?
A bit of a long road. You move to Hollywood, work all the comedy clubs. They send scouts around. They say, “Yeah, you’re good. You’re not quite ready. Call me in six months.” [laughs] It’s funny, when I was a kid, I’d read show business biographies: “I was on the streets living out of trash cans. After I got my own show…” Wait, go back! How did you get your own show?!
[laughs]
They never tell you. Then I realized: Oh, you don’t really know how you got it. It just happens one day.
OK. So you’re staying at your Newport place right now. What do you like about living in Rhode Island?
It’s very New England-y. New England is unique. It’s just a funny place. I got a New England compliment the other day. This guy goes [in Boston accent], “Hey Jay, how ya doin? You know my friend met you in California. He said you’re not an a—hole.” I said, “Thank you, sir!” I mean, that’s about as good a compliment you’re going to get in New England. This guy was so sincere.
[laughs] Classic. Do you have favorite spots to eat in Boston or Rhode Island?
I tend to get all my food from people in paper hats. I’m not a real connoisseur. I’ll tell you a funny story. There’s a place here I used to always get pizza. Somebody told me a new pizza place opened, so I went there. I’m standing in line. I hear: “Jay. What are you doing here?” I turn around. It’s the guy who owns the other pizza place.
[laughs] Oh geez.
I go, “Oh. Hi. Well, you know … I got a coupon.” He goes, “Coupon? We all agreed not to use coupons. Is he using coupons? That sonofabitch!” Now I’m caught in a lie. It’s the most awkward situation.
This is like a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode.
New England, it’s just such a funny place to be from. I remember when Dukakis ran for president. Back then, seatbelts weren’t mandatory. He wanted mandatory seatbelt laws. There were guys in Boston selling t-shirts that had fake seatbelts in case a cop went by. Just put on the seat belt, will ya please? Really? You go to the trouble of putting on a t-shirt with a fake seatbelt?
[laughs] That’s great.
It’s just that Yankee, oddball, cantankerous — you know. It’s New England-y. Just makes you laugh.
You live mainly in California. When you come back to Newport, do you visit Boston or Andover?
Oh yeah, I still got the same friends I had in high school. I’ll tell you, one time I had President Obama on the show when he was running for president. So I’m talking to my idiot high school friends. I said, “Hey, Obama gave me a cell phone number. It’s kinda cool.” After he became president, they said, “Hey, let’s call him up.” I said, “I’m not gonna call him; he’s the president of the United States.” They go [in Boston accent] “You don’t have the numbah! No way. You don’t have the numbah.”
I can picture this.
So I open my phone [contacts] and go, look. See? It says President Obama?” They go, “Then what’s the numbah? Then call the numbah.” Finally, I say OK. I call. I hear: “Barack here.” “Mr. President, it’s Jay Leno.” “Jay, what can I do for you?” “Well, I’m here with some friends of mine.” “Lose the number, Jay.” Click.
[laughs] Another “Curb” moment.
That’s something you do only with your stupid high school friends.
Is there anything you want to add about being back in New England?
You know, my wife grew up in LA — not only is her school not there anymore, the hill it was on is gone. Like it was in the witness protection program. I go back to Andover and the same guy’s running the corner store. It just makes it fun to be back.
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Tickets are still available to the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week events this weekend.
Interview has been condensed and edited. Lauren Daley is a freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1, and Instagrams at @laurendaley1. Read more stories on Facebook here.
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