James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an Americans comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2004. He was the host of the late-night talk show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014 and became the anchor of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon following his departure from Late Night.
Fallon grew up with a love of comedy and music, moving to Los Angeles when he turned 21 to pursue stand-up comedy. He joined Saturday Night Live as a cast member in 1998, fulfilling a lifelong dream. During his six years on SNL, Fallon co-hosted the program's Weekend Update segment. He left the show in 2004 to star in films such as Taxi (2004) and Fever Pitch (2005).
Following his film career, Fallon returned to television as the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC in 2009, where he became known for his emphasis on music and video games. He moved from that show to become the sixth permanent host of The Tonight Show in 2014. In addition to his television work, he has released two comedy albums and seven books, mainly aimed at children.
Fallon's father spent his adolescence singing in street-corner doo-wop groups then served in the Vietnam War. Shortly after his son's birth, he started working as a machine repairman for IBM in Kingston, New York. In preparation, the family moved nearby to Saugerties, New York. Fallon has described his childhood as idyllic, while his parents have been described as overprotective. He and his older sister, Gloria, were unable to leave their home and had to ride their bicycles in the backyard. Fallon attended the Roman Catholic school St. Mary of the Snow. He considered becoming a priest, inspired by his experiences as an altar boy, but became more interested in comedy instead. He spent many nights listening to the radio program The Dr. Demento Show, which exposed him to both comedy and music; he often recorded it on a reel-to-reel recorder.
As a teenager, Fallon developed an obsession with the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live. He watched it religiously, although he was only allowed to see "the clean parts" that his parents taped for him. He and Gloria would re-enact sketches such as "The Festrunk Brothers" with friends. In his teens, he impressed his parents with impersonations, including of actor James Cagney and comedian Dana Carvey. He was musically inclined and started playing guitar at age 13, going on to perform comedy and music in contests and shows. By his junior high years, he was labeled a class clown but was also described as "nice and well-mannered".
At Saugerties High School, Fallon was a performer in most stage productions and was twice a class social director. He won a young comedian's contest with an impression of Pee-wee Herman. He graduated in 1992 and then attended The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, where he was a computer science major before switching to communications in his senior year. He was an average student who would perform stand-up comedy on weekends. He would often board buses from his aunt's house in Fort Hamilton to perform sets at Carolines on Broadway in Times Square. He did not graduate, leaving college a semester early to pursue a comedy career.
Fourteen years later, in May 2009, Fallon returned to receive a Bachelor of Arts in communications, awarded by Saint Rose officials who granted him experiential learning credits for his television work. He joined his classmates at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center to collect his degree, where along with his BA, he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
He remained fixated on joining Saturday Night Live. After two years of working with the Groundlings, he auditioned for the program in 1997 but was unsuccessful. When he was cast in a pilot episode for The WB, Fallon made sure to include a clause in his contract specifying that if he were to join SNL he would be released from his contract. His manager sent videotapes to Marci Klein and Ayala Cohen, producers for SNL.
Fallon landed his second audition at the age of 23. At the "notoriously difficult audition," he was told by several people that creator Lorne Michaels almost never laughed during auditions. He feared being outshined by the comic before him, who came armed with an arsenal of props. Despite this, Fallon went onstage and did well, performing a "celebrity walk-a-thon" with impressions of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, and Adam Sandler, an SNL alumnus who had recently left the show. Michaels and others laughed.
Head writer Tina Fey, who was in the room, later said, "He's one of two people I've ever seen who was completely ready to be on the show. Kristen Wiig is the other one.... And Jimmy was ready—like, if there had been a show to do that night." He rushed through his original characters in order to arrive at his musical impressions, which he felt were stronger. Three weeks passed, and despite his feeling that he had not gotten the position, he was asked to meet with Michaels at the Paramount lot in Los Angeles. Michaels informed him that they wanted him for the show, and Fallon characterized the moment as being in "slow motion", remarking to Michaels before he left, "I'm going to make you proud."
In his off-time, Fallon released a book comprising e-mail exchanges with his sister Gloria, titled I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life (1999), and played a minor role in the film Almost Famous (2000). During their time at SNL, Fallon and Horatio Sanz often drank together. Sanz has described himself and Fallon as "super-functioning alcoholics", and said, "They say that kind of goes hand-in-hand with SNL, some kind of substance-abuse issues, because it's so stressful you easily find yourself blowing off steam a lot." On one occasion, they spent a Friday night watching The Strokes perform a midnight show, staying up drinking until the early morning, despite having to do SNL that night. "We actually took what we thought being on SNL was, what people think is awesome about it, and we made it happen," said Sanz, who said that he and Fallon got in more than a few bar fights.
In his later years on SNL, Fallon co-starred in a skit, " The Barry Gibb Talk Show", in which he and musician Justin Timberlake portrayed Bee Gees brothers Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb. It marked the beginning of a long-running friendship and collaboration with Timberlake.
Fallon became known for his tendency to break character in sketches, an attribute he, as well as Michaels, disliked. It began in the famous "More Cowbell" sketch, when Will Ferrell wore a tighter shirt than expected, causing Fallon to crack up. After this, other cast members would try to get Fallon to break. Some cast members believed he was attempting to steal the moment, to make the sketch about himself. The joke became near-constant during Fallon's final year on the show. During this time, Fallon parlayed his SNL success into co-hosting the 2001 MTV Movie AwardsSouter, Ericka (June 11, 2001), "talking with...Jimmy Fallon." People. 55 (23):28 and 2002 MTV Video Music Awards,Soriano, Cesar G. (July 23, 2002), "Fallon: He's a 'kinder, gentler' MTV awards host." USA Today and recording his debut comedy album, The Bathroom Wall (2002), which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. He also modeled for Calvin Klein. Fallon was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002, an honor Fallon found embarrassing.No byline (May 13, 2002), "Jimmy Fallon." People. 57 (18):173
Fallon appeared in blackface in a 2000 episode of Saturday Night Live, impersonating Chris Rock. After the sketch resurfaced online 20 years later, Fallon issued a Twitter apologizing for an "unquestionably offensive decision".
In the fall of 2003, he split his time between shooting the film in Los Angeles and returning to New York City for SNL. With his contract ending, his sixth season at SNL was his last; Fallon signed off at the conclusion of the show's twenty-ninth season in May 2004.
With big expectations from the studio, Taxi premiered in the fall of 2004. A flop with critics and audiences, it was Fallon's first failure. 20th Century Fox had already signed him for his second major role, starring opposite Drew Barrymore in the 2005 romantic comedy Fever Pitch. Fever Pitch fared little better than Taxi, receiving mild reviews and tepid box office returns. He met his wife, producer Nancy Juvonen, during production of the film, and the two wed in December 2007.
Fallon began receiving fewer film offers. He had entered what he has called a "lost period", drinking more alcohol and beset by confusion over his next career moves. Fallon moved back east to New York, spending "a couple of years aimlessly knocking around." He wrote a screenplay during this time "about a guy in a goth band who has to pretend to be a country-music star."
Before leaving SNL, Michaels had told Fallon that he would be a good fit to take over NBC's Late Night franchise when then-host Conan O'Brien left for The Tonight Show. Michaels urged NBC to give Fallon a holding deal in February 2007 so that he could not be lured elsewhere.
To prepare for the role of a late-night host, Fallon toured college campuses and comedy clubs for eight months, where he tested out a new 50-minute routine. He also began watching the comedy of Chevy Chase, Dick Cavett, and Johnny Carson, as well as The Larry Sanders Show. In May 2008, Fallon was announced as the successor to O'Brien's Late Night.
Fallon was considered an odd choice for the job, both by executives at NBC (who "hated" the idea and predicted it to be a failure) and among the general public. This was alluded to in an early promo for the series: "You loved him on SNL! You hated him in the movies! Now you're ambivalent."
Fallon proved himself different from other late-night hosts, with more of a reliance on music, dancing, impersonations, and games. Between his own musical sensibilities and the recruitment of his house band, hip-hop collective The Roots, Fallon's incarnation of Late Night "evolved into the most deeply musical of TV's musical-comedy variety programs," with sketches in which he parodies Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen going viral online.
Fallon's show found its footing in 2010, during The Tonight Show debacle. The program embraced social media and the Internet, and online interaction and its presence on the show became crucial to its success. In 2010, the show scored its first viral clip: Fallon and Timberlake performing a "History of Rap."
Fallon also hosted the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2010. In 2012, Fallon released his second comedy album, Blow Your Pants Off, which compiles many of his musical performances on Late Night. The album won a Grammy in 2013 for Best Comedy Album. Discussions for Fallon to take over The Tonight Show began in early 2013.
, Fallon was earning a salary of $11 million a year for his work on Late Night.Battaglio, Stephen; Schneider, Michael (August 26, 2013). "What They Earn." TV Guide, pp. 16–20.
Fallon's third book, Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada, a children's book, was released in June 2015.
On September 15, 2016, Fallon hosted Donald Trump on The Tonight Show during the United States presidential election. Following the appearance, Fallon was criticized by some media critics and viewers on social media for the uncontroversial questions he asked of Trump. David Sims, writing in The Atlantic, called the interview an "embarrassment". In response to the criticism, Fallon said to TMZ: "Have you seen my show? I'm never too hard on anyone. We'll have Hillary Clinton on tomorrow, and we'll do something fun with her too." Fallon apologized in March 2017 for the interview, saying "I didn't do it to humanize him. I almost did it to minimize him. I didn't think that would be a compliment ... After this happened, I was devastated. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to have fun." He again apologized for the interview in June 2018 on a podcast with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that he "made a mistake" and added "I did not do it to 'normalize' him or to say I believe in his political beliefs or any of that stuff."
In 2020, Fallon and pacifier company WubbaNub created limited-edition pacifiers based on the penguin and cow characters from his children's books.
In January 2022, Fallon was criticized for discussing NFTs (and promoting one of his own) on his show during an interview with Paris Hilton, which may have breached conflict-of-interest policies set by NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast; his own NFT was deduced to have most likely been purchased in November 2021 for about $216,000, and his promotion of it on the show could have boosted its asking price. NBC responded to the criticism by stating that it did not believe Fallon had broken its conflict-of-interest rules.
On November 16, 2022, a Twitter hoax spread with the hashtag #RIPJimmyFallon, which started trending nationwide. Fallon asked Twitter owner Elon Musk for help, who joked "Say something that only the real Jimmy would say..." On his show the following day, Fallon made fun of the rumors in a skit described by Vulture as "tent revival-esque."
On August 30, 2023, Fallon began hosting the comedy podcast Strike Force Five with Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver to support their staff members out of work due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
On November 4, 2017, Fallon's mother Gloria died from undisclosed causes at the age of 68 at NYU Langone Medical Center. Scheduled tapings of the following week's Tonight Show episodes were canceled. One week later, Fallon paid tribute to his mother following that night's monologue, becoming emotional and calling her "the best audience".
Fallon was raised Catholic Church. In a 2011 interview with NPR, he expressed his fondness for the Latin Mass, but he stated he was no longer a regular churchgoer.
On January 4, 2022, Fallon announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 over the holiday season. He thanked medical professionals and credited the COVID-19 vaccine with making him "lucky enough to only have mild symptoms".
Notes
Career
Comedy beginnings
Saturday Night Live years
Early seasons (1998–2000)
Later years (2001–2004)
Film career (2004–2008)
Back to television and Late Night (2009–2013)
The Tonight Show (2014–present)
Toxic work environment allegations
Influences
Personal life
Health problems
Filmography
Film
Filmed in 1998 Cameo Uncredited cameo Ted 2 Cameo Jem and the Holograms Documentary film Cameo Documentary film Documentary film; archive footage from Episode 994 of The Tonight Show
Television
120 episodes Episode: "The Marrying Men" Episode: "Crossroads" Television special 2002 MTV Video Music Awards Episode: "June 27, 2003" Television special 4 episodes 969 episodes; also writer 8 episodes Alongside The Roots, 7 episodes Episode: "Wild Nature Survivor Guy" Episode: "We Love You, Conrad" Episode: "The Grandfather: Part II" Television special Episode: "Kim's Krafts" 3 episodes Episode: "Jimmy Fallon/The Roots" Episode: "iShock America" 17 episodes; also co-creator, writer, and executive producer Also writer and producer Episode: "Dwayne Johnson vs. Jimmy Fallon"; also executive producer Episode: "A La Carte" Episode: "The Trip Trap" Episode: "My Friend the Priest" Episode: "Pilot" Television special Episode: "4.2" Episode: "The Name of the Game" Episode: "Pilot" Episode: "To Protect and Serve" Television special April Fools' Day
Video games
Himself Himself (in You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream)
Theatre
Broadway
Discography
Studio albums
+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;" Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;" Album details
! scope="col" colspan="2" Peaks "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Singles
As lead artist
+ List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" Year
! scope="col" colspan="5" Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" Album "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist
+ List of singles as featured artist
! scope="col" style="width:16em;" Title
! scope="col" Year
Other charted songs
+ List of other charted songs, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" Year
! scope="col" Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" Album
Guest appearances
+ List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
! scope="col" style="width:18em;" Title
! scope="col" Year
! scope="col" Other artist(s)
! scope="col" Album
Bibliography
Awards and nominations
2001 Teen Choice Awards Saturday Night Live ! align="center"
2002 ! align="center"
2003 Grammy Awards Best Comedy Album The Bathroom Wall ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Saturday Night Live ! align="center" rowspan="2" Choice Comedian 2004 ! align="center"
2005 Fever Pitch ! align="center" rowspan="5"
Choice Hissy Fit Taxi 2009 Webby Awards Lifetime Achievement Award ! align="center"Coyle, Jake. "Jimmy Fallon, Trent Reznor among Webby winners." AP Online, May 5, 2009.
Teen Choice Awards Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Nonfiction ! align="center" HBO Tops 2009 Creative Arts Emmys, NBC Leads Nets from the official Emmy website; retrieved September 13, 2009.
2010 Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center" Winners of "Teen Choice 2010" announced. TeenChoiceAwards.com; accessed August 15, 2010.
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media – Nonfiction ! align="center"
2011 People's Choice Awards Favorite Online Sensation ! align="center"
The Comedy Awards Late Night Comedy Series ! align="center" "30 Rock," "Toy Story 3," "Saturday Night Live," "Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2," "Modern Family," "South Park," and "Late Show With David Letterman" Among the Nominees in First Annual "The Comedy Awards" , comedycentral.com, February 15, 2011.
Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety Series ! align="center"
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media ! align="center"
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series ! align="center"
2012 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night TV Host ! align="center"
Writers Guild of America Comedy/Variety (including talk) series ! align="center"
The Comedy Awards Late Night Comedy Series ! align="center"
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Talk Show ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety Series ! align="center"
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live ! align="center"
2013 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night TV Host Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ! align="center" Nominees Announced for the 'People's Choice Awards 2013', tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com, November 15, 2012.
Grammy Awards Best Comedy Album Blow Your Pants Off ! align="center"
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Talk Show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety Series ! align="center"
2014 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night TV Host ! align="center" Glee, Katy Perry Lead People's Choice Award Nominations, 2 Broke Girls' Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs to Host E! Online; retrieved November 5, 2013.
American Comedy Awards Best Late Night Talk Show ! align="center"
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Talk Show The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety Series ! align="center"
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series ! align="center"
Outstanding Interactive Program ! align="center"
Outstanding Variety Special Best of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Primetime Special ! align="center"
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live ! align="center"
2015 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night TV Host The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ! align="center" "People's Choice Awards 2015: The winner's list" , Entertainment Weekly; retrieved January 8, 2015
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Talk Show ! align="center"
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media — Social TV Experience Outstanding Interactive Program Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center" rowspan="2"
Choice Social Media King 2016 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host ! align="center"
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Talk Show ! align="center"
! align="center"
Writers Guild of America Comedy/Variety – Talk Series ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety Talk Series ! align="center"
2017 People's Choice Awards Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host ! align="center"
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Personality ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Interactive Program ! align="center"
2018 Teen Choice Awards Choice Comedian ! align="center"
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Short Form Variety Series The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – Cover Room ! align="center"
People's Choice Award The Nighttime Talk Show of 2018 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ! align="center"
2019 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series Beto Breaks the Internet ! align="center"
People's Choice Award The Nighttime Talk Show of 2019 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ! align="center"
2020 The Nighttime Talk Show of 2020 2023 Webby Awards Best Web Personality/Host, Performances & Craft The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Variety, Video Series & Channels
See also
External links
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