Jay Leno Definitely Done on 'Tonight Show,' Doesn't Want to Be 'Creepy Old Guy'

The host reveals there won't be a repeat of 2009.

ByABC News
January 27, 2014, 4:29 PM
In this file photo, Jay Leno is pictured on Oct. 13, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
In this file photo, Jay Leno is pictured on Oct. 13, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Rodrigo Vaz/Getty Images

Jan. 27, 2014 — -- Jay Leno is done with "The Tonight Show."

When his last show airs on Feb. 6, when he'll hand off his two-decade run as host to Jimmy Fallon, there definitely won't be a repeat of what happened with Conan O'Brien.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter that if plans with Fallon and Seth Meyers don't work out, would he return, Leno, 63, said, "No."

"The last time I got canned I said that it didn't really seem natural at 57 to be leaving, but 63, 64 feels about right," he said. "Last time I was told, "You're leaving"; this time, honestly, I was asked. ... I genuinely like Jimmy, and I think that he's the guy most like Johnny was when he started, silly and very musical."

He continued, "You can't be [resentful]. What does anger get you? What does negativity get you? It doesn't get you anything. Now you're like the creepy old guy."

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Of what happened in 2009 when O'Brien took over "The Tonight Show" for Leno only to hand the role back to Leno months later, Leno said he hasn't spoken with the now TBS host.

"No. Why would I do that? No. God no," Leno said of reaching out to his former successor.

Leno is no stranger to drama with other late-night hosts. When he took over for Johnny Carson in 1992, there was a lot said about his supposed feud with David Letterman, who was also up for the gig.

Leno said his and Letterman's relationship was actually in a pretty good place and filled with mutual respect for each other.

"Dave and I have an interesting relationship in that when he came to town I think he admired my ability to perform, and I admired his ability to weave sentences and phrases," Leno said. "When he would get up at the Comedy Store, he was not a natural stand-up, so he was a little nervous. I think he'd watch me and I would just sort of plow ahead and be loud. He sort of admired that, and I admired his ability to be subtle. So I learned from Dave the subtleties of doing a joke, and I think he learned from me how to really sell a joke."