Vin Diesel is an actor known for taking it to the next level in action movies such as the xXx flicks and the Fast and Furious franchise, which is set to continue soon with the bonkers sequel The Fate of the Furious. And so it makes sense that his recent appearance on The Tonight Show went to the next level in terms of karaoke performances. He didn't play an arena or wear a snazzy costume or anything like that. Rather, his vocals were altered to make him sound like the titular lead of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Check it out!
Hot damn. It's hard to know whether to applaud with glee or to step back and wonder if everyone involved really missed the mark here. It's strange, since I'm inclined to believe Vin Diesel really didn't know what he was getting into during the interview. He looks genuinely shocked and you can almost see all the gears turning in his head as he tries to get comfortable with the idea of singing in the very near future. And then once the whole voice-altered element comes into it, things got even more off-center.
Of all the song choices in the world for Jimmy Fallon to set Vin Diesel up with for his high-pitched late night debut, "Lean On Me" was used, which is really the perfect final piece in this non-puzzle curiosity, especially with the backdrop of the people on the beach with their arms out like birds. Part of me wanted to hear the actor performing more songs, perhaps some from this century, while the other part of me was making plans to set my ears on fire. It's like the kind of video that makes you instinctively embarrassed of your parents for some reason.
Vin Diesel has not been ashamed of his karaoke inspirations in the past, and he is more than down to do some tuneful traveling with James Corden for his beloved Carpool Karaoke segments. But maybe this shouldn't count as part of his audition process, seeing as how he wasn't exactly made to look like the most crowd-pleasing entertainer. I'd almost expected Showtime at the Apollo's Sandman to come out and take Diesel off the stage with his cane.
That wasn't even the only awkward performance The Tonight Show gave its audiences last night, as former NBA great and current analyst Shaquille O'Neal popped in for a rousing rendition of the segment Lip Sync Battle, during which he busted a move (and maybe the stage) to Bobby's Brown's "My Prerogative.," which featured a surprise appearance from Pitbull. Perhaps a lip-syncing Shaq and a chipmunk Vin Diesel could combine forces to create the greatest lounge act in late night history.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights on NBC, and you can bet that we'll get to see more awkward moments from microphone-holding actors in the near future. Until then, head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV guide to see what new and returning shows are hitting your TVs soon.
