Johnny Carson Revealed the 9 Golden Age Guests Who Were ACTUALLY EVIL | HO!!

For three decades, Johnny Carson reigned as America’s late-night king, welcoming Hollywood’s biggest stars onto his Tonight Show couch with effortless charm and a famously warm smile.

To millions of viewers, Carson seemed like the ultimate host—gracious, witty, and always in control. But behind the scenes, the real Carson was a shrewd observer who kept a mental blacklist of guests he considered not just difficult, but genuinely evil.

In his later years, Carson became increasingly candid about the celebrities he secretly despised. According to producers, crew members, and close friends, Carson’s private stories paint a disturbing portrait of beloved icons whose public images hid dark, sometimes monstrous, behavior.

From legendary actresses to iconic comedians, these nine “golden age” guests left Carson convinced that not all stars shine bright when the cameras stop rolling.

1. Joan Crawford: The Hollywood Queen With Ice in Her Veins

When Joan Crawford appeared on The Tonight Show in 1970, viewers saw the gracious Hollywood legend they’d admired for decades. But staffers saw something else. “She was one of the coldest people I’ve ever interviewed,” Carson reportedly confided to his biographer.

Crawford’s arrival was preceded by pages of demands—precise lighting, chair angles, studio temperature set at exactly 67 degrees. She brought her own makeup team, snubbed the show’s award-winning artists, and treated staff with calculated cruelty.

The most shocking incident came when a young production assistant entered Crawford’s dressing room with water she’d requested. Crawford exploded, calling the assistant a “brainless little [expletive]” and demanding she be fired. The tirade was so vicious that the assistant fled in tears and security had to intervene.

Yet, when the cameras rolled, Crawford transformed into a picture of grace—every answer rehearsed, every smile calculated. Carson, unable to connect with her, later remarked, “I’ve interviewed corpses with more personality.” When Christina Crawford’s memoir Mommie Dearest exposed Joan’s alleged abuse of her children, Carson simply nodded: “I saw who she really was.”

2. Frank Sinatra: The Charming Bully

On screen, Frank Sinatra and Carson appeared friendly, trading jokes and stories. Off camera, Carson harbored deep disdain for Sinatra—not for his talent, but for his treatment of others.

According to Tonight Show staff, Sinatra arrived with an intimidating entourage, creating an atmosphere “like being under surveillance.” He bullied crew members, once grabbing a floor manager by the tie for giving him a time cue, and made disparaging comments about female staff.

Carson, usually detached, once snapped at Sinatra for insulting a staff member: “We don’t talk about my staff that way here.” After witnessing multiple incidents, Carson instructed producers to limit Sinatra’s appearances to once a year, a rare move for a host who almost never banned guests outright. “If he didn’t sing, he’d be a mob enforcer,” Carson allegedly quipped. “And sometimes, I think he was both.”

3. Orson Welles: The Genius Who Thought Rules Didn’t Apply

Orson Welles was a Tonight Show spectacle—booming voice, legendary stories, and a presence that filled the room. But Carson and his staff saw a man whose ego eclipsed his talent. Welles routinely dismissed prepared questions, ignored time cues, and hijacked segments, once staying on air for 25 minutes instead of his allotted seven.

Welles treated staff with disdain, refusing to speak directly to assistants and attempting to direct camera angles from his seat. After one appearance, Carson told Ed McMahon, “Genius doesn’t excuse everything. Being brilliant doesn’t give you the right to hijack someone else’s show.” Welles became a cautionary tale for Carson—a reminder that unchecked ego can turn even the brightest stars into nightmares backstage.

4. Bette Davis: Hollywood’s Queen of Verbal Violence

Bette Davis was a Tonight Show legend, but her off-air behavior was so abrasive that even Carson was taken aback. She interrupted other guests, especially younger performers or women, and physically turned her back on them. Davis demanded whiskey before appearances, and her alcohol-fueled tirades included sexist and racist language that shocked staff—even by the standards of her era.

Carson, who rarely confronted guests, once quietly told Davis, “Miss Davis, on this show we speak to everyone with respect or we don’t speak at all.” After her final appearance, Carson declared, “Life’s too short to spend it being verbally flogged by Bette Davis, no matter how many Oscars she has.” Davis’s undeniable talent made her difficult to dismiss, but Carson ultimately chose his staff’s well-being over ratings.

5. Mickey Rooney: The Aging Child Star With Wandering Hands

Mickey Rooney was Hollywood royalty, but his Tonight Show appearances became notorious for inappropriate behavior, chaotic energy, and occasional intoxication. Rooney developed a reputation among female staff for unwanted touching and suggestive comments. Young production assistants would ask to be reassigned when Rooney was booked.

Rooney’s generational gap showed in his confusion over what constituted appropriate conduct. After one appearance where Rooney made repeated comments about a young actress, Carson personally apologized to her, saying, “That’s not how professionals act on my show, and it won’t happen again.” Rooney’s appearances dwindled, and Carson insisted on daytime pre-tapings to minimize risk.

6. Zsa Zsa Gabor: The Diva Who Drove Carson to Despair

With her glamorous persona and distinctive accent, Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Tonight Show staple. But behind the scenes, she was one of the most demanding guests in the show’s history. Gabor’s requirements included a specific dressing room temperature, fresh orchids (no carnations), her own lighting technician, and no female guests under 40 on the same episode.

Her diva behavior created logistical chaos—delaying tapings, keeping other guests waiting, and throwing the show’s schedule into disarray. Carson once joked, “Next time she wants to be on, tell her we’ve renamed the show The Tonight Show, starring Zsa Zsa Gabor, and I’ll be happy to be her sidekick.” Despite the headaches, Gabor’s entertainment value kept her on the guest list, but Carson’s patience wore thin.

7. Shelley Winters: The Unpredictable Powder Keg

Shelley Winters, a two-time Oscar winner, was infamous for her volatility. Instead of light-hearted anecdotes, she launched into intense political diatribes or deeply personal revelations that left Carson visibly uncomfortable. Winters was known for physical outbursts—once throwing a glass of whiskey at Oliver Reed on a British talk show—and Tonight Show staff would remove items from the set before her appearances.

While Winters’s passion stemmed from genuine conviction rather than malice, her unpredictability made her a challenge for Carson. After one fiery appearance, he remarked, “I may not want to vacation with her, but at least she means every word she says.” Winters’s appearances became less frequent as Carson preferred guests who complemented the show’s format.

8. Jane Russell: The Star Whose Politics Carson Couldn’t Stomach

Jane Russell, Hollywood’s iconic sex symbol, quickly fell out of favor with Carson due to her extreme political views and treatment of LGBTQ+ staff. Russell reportedly refused to allow a gay makeup artist to touch her face and made derogatory comments about Rock Hudson’s sexuality. Carson, ahead of his time in not tolerating discrimination, drew a hard line after Russell made dismissive remarks about civil rights legislation during a commercial break.

Russell was effectively blacklisted from the show—a rare move for Carson, who usually avoided banning stars with Russell’s level of fame. “He was ahead of his time in not tolerating that kind of discrimination on his show,” recalled a talent coordinator.

9. Jerry Lewis: The Comedian Carson Called “Truly Hateful”

Jerry Lewis was a groundbreaking entertainer and humanitarian, but Tonight Show staff described him as one of the most demeaning celebrities in Hollywood. Lewis hijacked interviews, talked over Carson, and once adjusted Carson’s tie without permission—a well-known taboo. He refused to learn staffers’ names, referring to them by their function, and launched into tirades over minor infractions.

The contrast between Lewis’s public persona as a champion for children and his private cruelty toward staff disgusted Carson. After Lewis’s final appearance, Carson reportedly said, “Never again.” Years later, he told friends, “In a town full of phonies, he stands out as truly hateful, and that takes some doing.”

What Carson’s Blacklist Reveals About Hollywood

Johnny Carson’s private blacklist—Joan Crawford, Frank Sinatra, Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Mickey Rooney, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Shelley Winters, Jane Russell, and Jerry Lewis—offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into Hollywood’s reality behind the facade of glamour. Carson wasn’t looking for enemies; he wanted every interview to go smoothly. But when he disliked someone, it was because they made it impossible not to.

Carson’s unique position as gatekeeper gave him unparalleled insight into celebrity culture. His simple test: “How did they treat the pages, the assistants, the guys working the cameras?” That told him everything about a guest’s character.

In the years since Carson’s death, many of his judgments have been validated by broader revelations. Christina Crawford’s allegations, stories of Sinatra’s mob connections, and reports of Rooney’s behavior have all been corroborated. The studio system protected these celebrities for decades, maintaining pristine public images while hiding abominable conduct.

Today, one cell phone video could end a career. But in Carson’s era, stars could behave terribly in private, secure in the knowledge that the story would never leave the building. As we look back on Hollywood’s golden age, Carson’s unvarnished assessments remind us that our cultural icons are fallible, complicated, and sometimes truly disturbing behind their public personas.

As Carson’s longtime producer put it, “The camera doesn’t just add 10 lbs. It adds a layer of fiction.” Carson’s greatest skill wasn’t just interviewing people—it was seeing through that fiction to the truth underneath.