Jimmy Fallon praised for quick reaction after Anne Hathaway question took an uncomfortable turn

Jimmy Fallon and Anne Hathaway were caught in a terribly awkward moment when the audience really didn’t respond during an interview.

It is easy to imagine that doing late night TV guest appearance to help promote a project can actually be a fit of fun for celebrities.

Many stars get a chance to show their personality and give insights into their work in a slightly less formal situation - sounds great for everyone, right?

But every now and again, there is an awkward moment that is too hard to hide from and that is exactly what happened to actor Anne Hathaway and talkshow host Jimmy Fallon.

Back in April 2024, while promoting her film The Idea of You, Hathaway made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The film was received relatively well by critics (Prime Video)

The movie, which follows character Solène Marchand (Hathaway) a single 40-year-old mom who becomes romantically involved with 24-year-old lead singer of a boy band Hayes Campbell (played by Nicholas Galitzine), is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Robinne Lee.

So before going into details about the flick, Hathaway asked the audience if anyone was a fan of the source material.

However, rather than being met with cheers of agreement, any sort of answer or even just some awkward tittering laughter, you could 'hear a pin drop'.

Hathaway could be seen widening her eyes, with her hand flying to her mouth and quickly looking down as the awkwardness grew.

Thankfully, Fallon swooped in to save the day, responding: "No, we don’t read. This is The Tonight Show. You want to go to Stephen Colbert if you want to get people to read books. Lame! We do Audible here."

Neither of them could hide the awkwardness of the moment (NBC)

The actor and the audience similarly dissolved into laughter before carrying on with the interview, although not without Hathaway noting the book is 'fabulous' but joking back: "What's a book?"

Fallon's quick-thinking and Hathaway's dealing with the moment was praised online by viewers.

One X user said: "Jimmy actually was a great host in this situation!"

Another added: "Don’t always love him as a host, but I totally agree! Moments like this really showcase the years of experience he has and why he got the job in the first place."

And a third wrote: "This is seriously so funny I can’t stop thinking about it. Anne is fighting for her life up there and handling it like a pro."