Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart

Oprah Winfrey: In 1993 you were a finalist to replace Letterman on NBC. Weren't you disappointed when you didn't get it?

Jon Stewart: Oh, yes. The Letterman job was big. But, you know, this is a business of rejection. I remember my first night onstage was at the Bitter End at 1 in the morning on a Monday. I was heckled almost immediately. On your first day of work at McDonald's, there's at least someone behind you who knows how to work the register. At some point, you can say, "Could you come over here, please? This guy just ordered a McFlurry, and I don't know what the hell that is." In stand-up, there's just you. You have no idea whether what you say will work. I was always funny in a back-of-the-room way. I can make my friends laugh. But the people at the Bitter End weren't my friends. They were drunk—and they thought I was going to be good.

Oprah Talks to Jon Stewart / From the June 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine