“Almost Famous” writer-director Cameron Crowe surprised Jimmy Fallon with an invitation to reprise his role in the 2000 film on Broadway during an appearance on “The Tonight Show.”
Crowe, who wrote book and co-wrote the lyrics of the forthcoming stage adaptation, sat down with Fallon on Tuesday ahead of the musical’s Nov. 3 premiere.
“My dream has always been to have you come and be the link between the two casts, the cast of the musical, who also became a really tight family, and the movie,” Crowe said. “So, I would like you to come on the Broadway stage and play your part again of Dennis Hope.”
“I’m in! Absolutely, I am in,” Fallon said as the audience cheered. “Oh, my gosh!”
It was later confirmed that Fallon will take the stage in “drop by” performances as his slick band manager character, currently portrayed by Jakeim Hart on Broadway. No dates have been announced yet.
On the show, Crowe told Fallon that he had written a scene for Hope into the musical with Fallon in mind.
“The thing is, knowing you might step in, I rewrote the scene for, kind of, advanced Jimmy fever,” Crowe explained. “I really wanted to get a scene worthy of you and the beard. And so I wrote a new version of the scene for you, which turned out to be so great that that’s what’s in the play, and Jakeim does that version.”
“I’ll talk to Jakeim,” Fallon joked. “We’ll work it out.”
Fallon described working on the film as “the most fun experience of my life.”
“I had so much fun and you loved everybody — everyone loved you,” he told Crowe. “It was just magic.”
Following their conversation, the cast of “Almost Famous” closed out the episode with a performance of “Tiny Dancer.”
Watch the full clip of Crowe and Fallon’s conversation above. Crowe asks Fallon to reprise his role just after the 7:00 mark.
