Jamie Lee Curtis Plays Elizabeth Holmes on Fallon, Becomes First Person in History to Get a Real Result Out of That Act

Late-night television finally ran the one test Theranos never could. It drew a single drop of truth, and the result came back positive for promotion.

On Wednesday's "Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon played Nathan Fielder and Jamie Lee Curtis played Elizabeth Holmes, spoofing A24's documentary "You Can See Everything." Curtis wore a blonde wig, stared deep into Fallon's soul, and lowered her voice to the register usually reserved for submarine sonar and men selling whiskey.

Fallon opened with Fielder's signature move, which is asking a simple question so politely it becomes a deposition. "Now, be honest. Do you really want to be on the show tonight?"

"Of course I do. I love talking to you," Curtis replied, in the tone of a woman who has never once loved talking to anyone without a term sheet on the table.

Then came the killer follow-up: "So, you're not just here to promote your new show, 'Newlyweds'?" Curtis did not blink. Holmes did not blink for a decade, and the method acting was flawless. "No, I'm engaging with you as a human being," she said, which is exactly what every human being says right before asking for your Series B.

"Why would I deceive you? There's no reason for me to do that. There's nothing for me to deceive you on." Three denials in a row. Even Peter got a rooster first.

Fallon, who has believed every guest since 2014, said, "Good chat." Then one last check: "You're being real right now?" "I'm always being real," Curtis said. The blood test was pending. The blood test is always pending.

Then Fallon left, and the truth arrived on schedule: "Thank God! F---, what an a--hole!" It was the most honest thing said on a talk-show couch in years, and it only took a wig, a fake baritone and a man walking out of the room.

For the record, Curtis was absolutely there to promote "Newlyweds," her NBC sitcom that premiered Oct. 23, starring Téa Leoni and Tim Daly as a couple who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship. Curtis co-created it with Gail Lerner, who was fired this month over "creative differences" and still called it "the most joyous TV experience of my life." Hollywood is the only industry where getting fired is described like a honeymoon.

Meanwhile, "You Can See Everything," which Fielder and Lance Oppenheim spent more than three years secretly making, has grossed more than $45 million. Holmes promised investors a revolution from one drop of blood. Fielder got $45 million from one awkward stare. The difference is that his product exists.

The documentary catches Holmes a month before she began an 11-year prison sentence for defrauding investors. That is a long time to keep a deep voice, but she has practice. In prison, everyone eventually confesses what they're in for. She'll say "a misunderstanding about volume."

Late night has found its new format: celebrities impersonating liars to sell things they swear they aren't selling. Give it a season. Fallon will interview himself as Fielder interviewing Holmes, and the ratings will need a finger prick to detect.

Curtis, at least, delivered a real result. One drop of honesty. Tested on live TV. And unlike Theranos, it worked the first time.