The candid moment came during Tuesday night’s episode of The Tonight Show, when actress Isabela Merced, known for her role as Dina in HBO Max’s The Last of Us, joined Fallon as a guest. The conversation took an unexpected turn when they discussed video games.
Fallon admitted that The Last of Us was “one of the scariest computer games” he had ever played, prompting Merced to dig deeper with a cheeky callback.
“Was that the game you were playing when you bombed your date with Nicole Kidman?” she asked with a grin. Attempting to laugh it off, Fallon joked, “It’s a pleasure meeting you. We’re out of time,” clearly trying to sidestep the now-infamous story.
But Merced wasn’t letting it go that easily. She pressed further, asking if The Last of Us had been the game in question during his cringeworthy moment with Kidman.
Reluctantly, Fallon clarified that they had actually played Mario Kart on Nintendo, not The Last of Us. The confession marked a new detail in the already well-documented tale of what might have been one of Hollywood’s most surprising missed connections.
The story of Fallon’s date with Kidman was first revealed in 2015, when the Oscar-winning actress appeared on The Tonight Show and playfully confronted Fallon on-air about how clueless he had been during what she thought was a casual setup for a potential romance. The clip quickly went viral, with fans loving the palpable awkwardness and Fallon’s genuine embarrassment.
During her recent appearance, Merced admitted that the 2015 segment remains one of her “favorite clips on the show”—a moment that clearly still haunts Fallon nearly a decade later.
“Thanks for bringing it up!” Fallon said with mock frustration, throwing his hands in the air to close the conversation.
While Fallon’s gaffe with Kidman may have cost him a romantic opportunity, it’s undeniably gifted fans one of late-night television’s most endearing and talked-about stories. And judging by Tuesday’s light-hearted exchange, it’s a moment Fallon won’t be allowed to forget anytime soon.