The Room mastermind Tommy Wiseau actually opened up about his secret origins

If you're familiar with Tommy Wiseau, the zany writer-director-producer-star behind The Room, then you know he likes to keep his personal information close to his paisley vest. Even the end credits for The Disaster Artist, James Franco's film about the making of Wiseau's "Citizen Kane of bad movies," mentions that nobody to this day knows how old Wiseau is, where he's from, or where he got all his money. So that's why Franco was so stunned to hear Wiseau actually open up a bit about his background to Jimmy Kimmel on the late-night talk show Wednesday night.

"No, I can tell you," Wiseau said when prompted. "I'm originally from Europe, but I'm, right now, American like everybody else. Long story short, I used to grow up in New Orleans, Louisiana. So, people ask me, 'Where you come from?' Right? So, what'd you wanna do? Which country do you pick? Um, you know, I pick New Orleans."

"Wait, wait! This is news!" Franco, sitting next to Wiseau on Jimmy Kimmel Live, exclaimed. "No, he has never said this before! Jimmy, this is new!"

Wiseau admitted his European roots in a recent interview with The New York Times. "It's not important, and No. 2, it's a personal question," he said. "Long story short, I grew up in Europe a long time ago, but I'm American and very proud of it. Do you have any questions about the movie?"

So the mystery is at least partly solved…kind of.

Franco directs The Disaster Artist and plays Wiseau in the film, while his brother, Dave Franco, takes the role of Wiseau's costar, Greg Sestero.

Watch Wiseau and Franco on Jimmy Kimmel Live in the clip above.