Jimmy Fallon, the late-night host and comedian, began performing stand-up comedy in high school and later dropped out of college to pursue his comedic career. Fallon obtained his dream job as a member of the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1998. Following a failed attempt at a film career, the comedian achieved fame as the presenter of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon beginning in 2009. On February 17, 2014, he made his debut as the new host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Early Years
James Thomas Fallon Jr., a comedian and actor, was born on September 19, 1974, in Brooklyn, New York. He had been a fan of Saturday Night Live since he was a child, and the caption on his 8th grade yearbook photo read, “Most likely to replace David Letterman.” He attended Albany’s College of St. Rose before leaving out just before graduation to pursue a career in comedy in Los Angeles, California.
‘Saturday Night Live’
In the late 1990s, Fallon returned to New York and realized a lifetime ambition by auditioning for his favorite show, Saturday Night Live. When Fallon met with co-creator and producer Lorne Michaels, he won him over with his Adam Sandler impression. He joined the show’s cast in 1998-1999, alongside Will Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, and Molly Shannon.
Fallon became well-known for his impersonation throughout his stint on the show. He played notable characters such as Robert De Niro, John Lennon, Chris Rock, and Mick Jagger. In terms of creative characters, Fallon created a varied range of personas. Among those there were a snobbish department shop employee, a boy band member, and a melancholy Boston teen.
Fallon also co-hosted Tina Fey’s periodic news comedy “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. The combination proved to be a popular coupling, and Fallon used the “Weekend Update” platform to announce his departure from the show in 2004.
Movies
The comedian then tried his hand at feature films, with mixed results. He collaborated with Queen Latifah on the 2004 criminal comedy Taxi, which was a commercial and critical flop, and with Drew Barrymore on the 2005 baseball-themed romance comedy Fever Pitch. In Factory Girl, Fallon displayed a more dramatic side. Guy Pearce played Andy Warhol, and Sienna Miller played his muse, Edie Sedgwick. Fallon took on the role of promoter Chuck Wein.
‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’
Fallon acquired a hard, high-profile assignment in 2008. The following year, NBC announced that the young comic will take over Conan O’Brien‘s late-night talk program. When his show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, premiered in March 2009, he was under a lot of pressure. De Niro and Justin Timberlake were among his first guests.
While he garnered mixed reviews at first, Fallon gradually rose to prominence as a late-night host. His boyish charm, as well as his amusing spoofs and antics, won over fans. Fallon conducted comic bits, such as playing games with guests and filming humorous videos, in addition to interviews and monologues.
‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’
Following the end of Jay Leno’s contract, it was announced in April 2013 that Fallon will take over as host of The Tonight Show, with production shifting from Los Angeles to New York.
On February 17, 2014, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon premiered. “I just want to do the best that I can,” he explained. “And take care of the show for a little while.”
During his early years on The Tonight Show, Fallon frequently knocked over competition from Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel’s broadcasts, thanks to the hip-hop band The Roots and fan-favorite segments like “Slow Jam the News” and “Thank You Notes.” However, as the 24/7 news cycle’s tone became increasingly divided, Fallon found himself losing ratings ground to fellow late-night anchor Stephen Colbert, who was not afraid to criticize President Donald Trump‘s behavior.
The situation was compounded when then-candidate Trump appeared on The Tonight Show in September 2016, and Fallon purposefully messed up his guest’s hair. Although the conversation was not unusual for a presenter recognized for being a pleasant guy, he was chastised for “humanizing” a candidate who had previously outraged many with his remarks.
After Fallon expressed guilt for how he handled the interview with The Hollywood Reporter in June 2018, Trump advised him to “be a man” on Twitter. In response, Fallon tweeted that he was donating in Trump’s name to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAISES), a Texas group coping with the repercussions from the administration’s arrests and detentions of immigrant families at the border.
After The Tonight Show’s production was halted due to a coronavirus outbreak in March 2020, Fallon made news for hosting “at home” versions of his show with the assistance of his family.
Comedy Albums & Books
Fallon has two comedy albums to his credit: The Bathroom Wall (2002) and Blow Your Pants Off (2012). In addition, he has hosted the MTV Movie Awards, the Emmys, and the Golden Globes.
In addition, he has written several books, including I Hate This Place: The Pessimist’s Guide to Life (1999), which he co-wrote with his sister. He’s also the author of various children’s books, such as Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada (2015), Everything Is Mama (2017), and This Is Baby (2019).
Wife & Kids
Fallon currently resides in New York City. On December 22, 2007, he married Hollywood producer Nancy Juvonen on Necker Island in the Caribbean. In July 2013, the couple had their first child together. Winnie Rose is the name they gave to their daughter. Frances Cole, their second child, was born on December 3, 2014.