Jimmy Fallon

b. 1974 · American comedian, television host and actor

Biography

James Thomas Fallon Jr., known as Jimmy Fallon, is an American comedian, television host and actor born in Brooklyn in 1974. He is best known for his work on television, though his supporting roles in comedies during the 2000s gave him a recognizable presence in Hollywood. He belongs to the generation of comics who came up through Saturday Night Live and later carried their style into American late-night television.

He grew up in Saugerties, New York, where his father, a Vietnam veteran, worked for IBM. As a child he re-enacted Saturday Night Live sketches that his parents had taped for him, and as a teenager he was already impressing family with impressions, including one of James Cagney. He began playing guitar at 13. He enrolled in communications at The College of Saint Rose in Albany but left before graduating to pursue comedy full-time. In Los Angeles he took improv classes with The Groundlings and picked up minor work, including a brief appearance on the series Spin City.

In 1998 he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live after an audition built on impressions of figures such as Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler. He established himself there through celebrity impressions and original characters, and later co-hosted the Weekend Update segment with Tina Fey. He left the show in 2004 to focus on films, alternating comedies such as Taxi and Almost Famous with supporting parts and voice work in animated features.

In 2009 he took over Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, a program noted for its emphasis on music and video games. In 2014 he succeeded Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show, which he still hosts, mixing interviews, comedy and musical performances. He has also written books, mainly for children, and released comedy albums. His legacy is tied to the modern late-night format, in which his show has kept a large audience and a strong online presence.

Key films

Almost Famous (2000): a small role that marked an early step into Hollywood film comedy.
Taxi (2004): the lead in an action comedy opposite Queen Latifah.
Arthur and the Invisibles (2006): a voice role in the animated film directed by Luc Besson.
Jurassic World (2015): a cameo in one of the decade's biggest box-office hits.