Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHCtfU3syM4
[Music] I was just breaking down mentally of like what have I done? I have I don't know what else to do with my life. And I think I wrote a letter to my best friend like I'm losing it, dude. What did it say? It's a deep one. Jesus. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Jimmy, I was reading through your business portfolio and it's extremely extensive. You found a production company, a ride shoes, you got the ice cream, the tonight dough. But the through line here is about making people happy. I've always wanted to please people since I was a kid. And in your eighth grade class, you were voted most likely to replace David Letterman on the Late Night Show. Is that crazy? Cuz I ended up doing that. Well, it does feel like you pulled that into existence somehow. Well, I was beyond obsessed. I wanted to be on Saturday a lot. So, I worked at the improv where I think the paycheck was $7.25. You didn't really eat much. Like, I would turn cardboard boxes on the street into tables. It's tough. It's a lot of rejection, but the stage time was priceless. And eventually, you get a phone call. I got an audition for Siren Live. This was my big opportunity. I remember going on stage, did my first impression, and I blew it. That was probably my lowest moment. It was very depressing. You'd said that if you didn't make it on SNL before the age of 25, I was going to kill myself. Did you mean that? Yeah, but I just knew that I would be on Sarah. It was going to happen. And against all odds, I did it. How old were you? 23. So crazy. Jimmy, I found some photos. Can you tell me about this one? Oh my god. Uh, wow. This has always blown my mind a little bit. 53% of you that listen to the show regularly haven't yet subscribed to the show. So, could I ask you for a favor before we start? If you like the show and you like what we do here and you want to support us, the free simple way that you can do just that is by hitting the subscribe button. And my commitment to you is if you do that, then I'll do everything in my power, me and my team, to make sure that this show is better for you every single
week. We'll listen to your feedback. We'll find the guests that you want me to speak to, and we'll continue to do what we do. Thank you so [Music] much. Jimmy, what do I need to know about you to understand the man that you are? And when I ask that question, I'm specifically trying to understand your earliest context because you're in many respects an anomaly, but you're an anomaly that was very, very clear on where you wanted to go in your life from a shockingly young age. So, I'm wondering what gave you such clarity and what the context was that made made you the unique way that you are. Gosh, that's a great question. That's going to be the whole that's going to be the whole show right here because I want to find out. Uh I you know maybe uh um entertaining or being funny is probably or wanting to just satisfy people. I think you know wanting to please people. I've always wanted to please people since I was a kid. Like I don't know if it was my parents or my grandparents or I wanted to make people feel good and and give everyone or if I'm at a party I want to make sure it's the I'm it's the best party, you know, and I'm giving everything. I want to make sure. So, it's pleasing or appeasing, one of those words. But I think I've always wanted to do that. And that's kind of what I do now. Do you have like an earliest memory of that behavior? I think wanting to do good in like I don't know at at uh sports maybe or you know in grade school or or I I remember I was an alter boy you know. So I I I was uh at one point at one point in my life I want to be a priest. Yeah. Which I thought I think I'd be a pretty good priest. I would be funny and you know I could have good delivery. You know someone said to me once they said maybe you got your first taste of uh wanting to be an entertainer from being an alter boy because you're up on stage kind of. Yeah. Yeah. Technically and there's an audience. Yeah. And you're up kind of performing. I mean, walking around and you're wearing an outfit kind of, you know, wearing costume and, you know, so it's kind of theater in a weird way, but I remember just kind of wanting to do good for like be like make my parents proud or my grandparents proud or there was a kind of I mean it it all happened
so fast that I don't I don't I don't have problems with it or or go back to it and go that was traumatic, you know? I just think that I was always like a people pleaser. Your parents were very strict. Yeah. Very Catholic, very strict. No cursing, no sex, you know, very Catholic, you know, no no dirty words, no my I would listen to comedy albums, you know, and my dad would take a key and scratch the curse words out of the record. He would find where the dirty word was and stopping and scratch it out of the record so I wouldn't hear it. So I would hear Rodney Dangerfield and it would skip to the end of the joke. It was like tell and then cut to people clapping and laughing. I go, "Well, I don't even know what the joke was." I mean, it kind of ruined it. I go, "Why are they laughing?" But I didn't quite But he would, my dad would tape music videos, you know, on these shows in America, you know, called like uh USA Nightflight or Friday Night Videos, and they he tape these music videos. He would watch them on Saturdays and go tape to tape of what videos we could see that wasn't offensive at all or sexually inappropriate or something too advanced for us or something. What was he like as a man? Funny, life at the party, hardworking, very Brooklyn, very New York. He sang in a doo-op group uh on the street corners. So he would go, you know, not professionally, but just that was one of the things he did in high school. And then he also fought in gangs like um not just beat each other up gangs. Like I don't think anyone killed each other, but this was back in the 50s where they just would one street corner would fight another street corner and they got together and just have a fist fight or something. Tough guy. He was a tough guy. Yeah, he's emotional. No, not emotional. Uh, I've never seen my dad cry or any of that stuff. Affectionate. Yeah. I mean, I got I love yous and hugs and stuff like that. Yeah. I mean, not overly. Not the way I think I am. I'm I'm hugging my kids every single day and telling them how proud I am of them and saying I love you and they say I love you back and you know I I'm I'm overly, you know, where I didn't have that, you know, I I think it was just my mom was more that and I think that was kind of
put on my mom is you're the emotional, you know, you hug the kids and love them and he was just more like, "Yep, I I love you." You know, that's great. He was rooting for me always, you know, but you know, a little harsh, but not not crazy harsh like we, you know. Yeah. Not nothing that crazy. Gloria, your mother. Yeah. Gloria is my mom. Yeah. Uh, sadly passed away. Uh, miss my mom. My mom's name is Gloria. My sister names is Gloria. My dad's name is Jim. And I'm named Jim. very unoriginal parents. Couldn't come up with any other name. Like th those are the perfect names for you. But yeah, my mom was my she rooted for me. That was my number one fan. I was the golden child in her head, you know, like whatever I did, she was like, "That's that's my kid. That's my Oh my god, you're fantastic. You got to go. You're great." You know, and she would always root me on whatever it is I did. She would laugh, you know. And uh I I I miss her not being around, you know, cuz I would talk to her every day, you know, sometimes multiple times a day and you know, talk about Sarah Live and she'd watch the show and see Sketchers thought was funny. I mean, I would she was part of my life and I think part of what built my confidence even as an adult. Yeah, completely. You talk to her almost daily as an adult. Yeah. I would call her and just go, "What's going on?" You know, she loved to talk. That was her. She was great at that. She had one of those phones that had the phone cords that was so stretched out from walking all around the house and talking all day that the phone cord probably was 2 miles long. I mean, it's it was a pile of spaghetti on the floor. I'm like, it's so I go, gosh, you should get a cordless phone. You won't even believe how your life changes. You can go anywhere, Mom. Uh, but she loved to walk around and talk. So she could talk all day long. But then she would call me and she like I saw you on TV or you know if she saw I go I know mom. I'm on that show. But she was like you're on Ellen today. I know I I was there. I was that was me. I was on it, you know, but she was my number one fan and loved bits that I would do and she was one of the most interesting people ever and like they, you know, both of them together are kind of cartoon
characters, you know, and by the end, you know, they both kind of would couldn't really hear each other, you know, it was a lot of like what? And my dad would go, "Huh?" You know, I said what? Huh? What? Huh? And they just say what? Huh? Until I interrupted. Go stop. just stop talking because let's just move on. You can't hear each other. This is uh insane. But I wish I can give you the best story of kind of what my mom was like. I mean, I remember going home to the house where I grew up in so New York after I was on Sarah Live and or maybe even during and I came home and mom's like, "Let's go out to dinner." And I go, "Okay." I go, "But I I don't really need to. I live in Manhattan. There's some of the best restaurants. I I come home because I want home-cooked, you know, meals, you know, but but I was I go, "Sure." I go I go, "But just don't make a big deal. Don't embarrass me." She's like, "I'm not going to embarrass you. I'm not." I go, "Okay, let's go." So, we go into this restaurant and we sit in and we sit down and she goes, "I'm kind of getting a draft." And I go, "No, no, no. We're not moving. We're not making a big deal. Remember, that's the deal. We're just not making a scene. We're having dinner like you said. We're going to go out." Okay, fine. So, we're sitting there and she goes, "Let's order." I go, "You're great." And she goes, "I'll have this." My dad's like, "I'll have steak." And I go, she goes, "I'll have the lamb chops or something." Great. So, we're waiting and they come over with my dad and my meal, but they forget my mom's meal. They go, "You know, we didn't put in the uh lamb." She's like, "Okay." So, we can't really eat. So, she goes, she go, "Thank you." As they leave, she goes, "I'm not going to eat." I go, "You can't do that because you're going to make a scene. You have to eat whatever." She goes, "No, I'm just I'm fine. I don't care." I go, "Please don't make a big deal." She goes, "I'm not making pizza. Just where's my thing? I ordered it." I'm like, "Okay." I go, "Don't make a big deal." Finally, they bring over this lamb thing after this whole thing. I go, "Great. Just eat it." She's like, "So, she's eating out of spite." And she takes the first bite and she goes, and I go, "Oh, oh my god. She's not joking." And she's like pointing at
her throat. And I go, "Oh my god." So my dad sticks his finger down my mom's throat and he's like and she's like making these noises and I go, "Oh, this is a nightmare." And then some woman runs over. She goes, "I'm a nurse. I'm a nurse." And knocking over tables and knocking everything over and grabs my mom and picks up my mom and gives her the himlick. And my mom is making a noise that I've never heard anyone ever. She was making I've never heard my mom make this. She was going like and and then a and she pulled it and then a lambball flew out of my mom's mouth and hit the wall and the whole restaurant is just looking at us and they sit down and she's crying, you know, and she's, you know, alive. And my dad goes, "All right, let's just finish dinner." And I go, "Finish dinner. It's over. We're going home. We're we're buying a bottle of wine for that lady and we're getting out of here." My dad was like, "That lady should have minded her own business." I go, "What?" Maybe it was mom's time to go, you know,, you know, but it was it they were that weird and funny where they're like odd people, but always making jokes. But that was so and it was embarrassing. But, you know, I remember telling that story, you know, and she at a party and she would love to hear it because that was just very her and you know, she she she just did stuff like that where she's like, "H, this can't be real." A lot of that. Of both your parents, who are you trying to please the most, do you think? Who are you who are you waiting for the well done from the most? God, and that's a great question. I would say probably my my mom. I think she she I I would like to make her laugh, you know, because she had a great laugh. They both did, but I think of both of them, I think my mom would be the one cuz I was like she was a fan of mine. So, it's almost like going like, "Do you like my new song? Do you like the second record?" If you're a fan of the Beatles, you know, like, "Do you like Sergeant Pepper?" You know, you know, and she would be like, "I like it. I like this." You know, that because I could tell that she's a fan of mine. She's like, "Oh, I like this new thing you're doing, or I like the song you did." You know, I I think that was great because I could get
feedback from someone I could tell was kind of studying what I was doing. For me, being a comedian and being comedic is so so I say this with the the most amount of respect, but it's so so strange because it's such a big risk and it's such a unique career to pursue with very little promise of it of financial return or any real Yeah. Yeah. notoriety. Like when I spoke to Jim uh Jimmy Carr and other comedians that I've interviewed, there's something a little bit Say it crazy. Crazy mental. Yeah. Crazy about it. You know, I never and I still to this day I don't care about money. I never cared about money. I never did anything for I don't I I just don't do it. I never did it for money. And I I was just I worked because I liked working, you know. I liked I worked since I was 13 because I enjoyed I guess getting a paycheck but you know and paying for things but I don't know what things I was paying for. I was 13 years old. But I mean, I I liked the idea of going into work and working a 9 toive day and, you know, doing overtime. And I I I looked forward to working wherever it was. And like maybe it was because I was trying to be my dad cuz he would go to work in the mornings and then I would see him at night, you know, when he came home. But I I remember just not caring about money. And my mom I would always put our laundry in the laundry basket or whatever and my mom would do the laundry. She go, "Jimmy, I found $5 in your jeans." And I go, "Okay." Yeah. Yeah. She go, "Thanks." She goes, "Next time I'm going to keep it." And I go, "Do it. I could care less. What am I going to do? I take" She's like, you know, and then my dad's like, "You got to start caring about money." I go, "I don't I don't I don't think I ever will. I just don't It never was a thing for me. I never cared about, oh, I got the most or I I got paid blah blah." I just loved the experience of it all. the experience of work uh of any work or any work it led to comedy as well as you know when I did comedy shows you know when you when you worked at the Improv in LA which is a great comedy club in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue you would go up and I think the paycheck was
$725 that's what you get paid total there's no way you could do that for the money because I mean it's worthless what's $7 going to do for you. But it was the getting on stage, the stage time that was priceless and building an act and trying to get a persona and build a brand and build a character and work in your act that could lead to a bigger act or a Saturday night gig. A Saturday night gig paid maybe $20 a a gig. And that was kind of okay money. And they would also feed you on a Saturday. So, which is great because I had no food, you know. I was just like living there going like, you know, I make got to $7. I can buy some things, but I you didn't really eat much. Saturday, they would feed you. And I remember my first Saturday gig at the improv. I go in, it's a big deal. And I'm brand new, uh, probably out in LA, maybe six months or something. And I worked my way. You have to do any week night, anytime they call, you have to be up there. And so I did that and I put my dues in for that and showed up and I had I did pretty well. I had a good 10-minute act and um Saturday night gig and I get there and I see Jerry Seinfeld in the restaurant. I go and I go out to the pay phone and I call my parents 1800 collect. Do you know what that is? Yeah. At least just about. Yeah. It's like a way to make a collect call so that you don't pay for it if you have no money. So you would call 1800 collect and someone would have to pay for the my parents would pay for the phone call from LA. And I call my mom 1800 collect and she goes, "What's Hi, Jimmy." I go, "Mom, Jerry Seinfeld is at the club at the improv tonight." She's like, "Oh my god, Jerry Seinfeld. Oh my god, I can't believe it." Uh, she's like, "This is the peak of Seinfeld." She goes, "Is he going to go do stand up?" And I go, "I don't think so. I don't know. He's just eating at the restaurant. He's I know he's a fan of comedy." And uh the owner was name is Bud Freeman. And so he was there with Bud. So I go So I go in and I'm getting ready to do my act which is a lot of impressions and I'm waiting there and who goes on stage but Jerry Seinfeld. He just walks on they go we have a surprise for you tonight and he gets a standing ovation cr before he even says anything comes out does his greatest hits. I mean crushing every
joke the famous ones the sock missing from the dry the whole bit. He did everything. Then he says, "Good night, standing ovation." And he leaves. And the guy goes, "Okay, who's on next?" "Uh, Mark." And this guy, Mark goes, "I'm not following that." And he goes, "Uh, how about uh you?" And he, you know, there's two other guys like uh uh Darl or No. He goes, "I'm not following that." He's like, "Who's Jimmy Fallon?" And I go, "That's that's me." He goes, "Yeah, you're up next, kid." I go, "Oh my gosh, my first Saturday night, I have to follow the greatest comedian of all." I mean, he was the hottest comedian. Might be one of the best comedians of all time now. I He's the greatest. I had to follow that was my first act. I'm like, and so I went up and I had this doll and I would do these impressions about a troll doll and different impressions of celebrities that would be the host of the like this one. Wow. You do your research. Unless you just carry that around like that one. So I would have this doll. Oh my gosh, this is my act. This is So I would have this and I go, "Hello, I'm Jimmy Fallon and welcome to the auditions for Troll Productions Incorporated. We're looking for a star or sponsor for our new line of Troll." I would do like a British accent. I don't know why. I thought that was cool for me at the time. Probably sounds terrible to you. Um, and I don't mean to be offensive. I go, "Uh, we're looking for a star or celebrity to sponsor our new line of Troll Dolls for our new uh line of commercials. Uh, first up, John Travolta." Then I go, "She's like, I swear to God." I mean, like, look at his hair. Like, who does this who does his hair? Like, it's so weird. Like, what kind of doll is this, right? I mean, like, I can't even like play with this thing over here, you know? You know, Sandy, you know, would do something like that. And but this time I came out and I go, "First up for the celebrities, Seinfeld." And I go, "Okay, people. Okay, look at these dolls. They don't Their arms and legs don't move. These aren't fun. He's got no pants on. He's not even wearing pants. What kind of a doll is this? And it worked. And I followed Jerry Cipha and I was like, and that was cool. And then I went down the list and I finished my act and I pulled
out a guitar and I played guitar with the troll doll and that was my act for years. My name is Jimmy Fallon and welcome to the auditions for Troll Productions Incorporated. Remember these little guys with fuzzy hair. We're looking for like a jingle for our new line of throw doll commercials. First up, you two out on the street. [Music] Were you a confident young man? So if I zoom back to when you were 12 and you were a class clown in 1986, were you a confident man? What was going on in your head? I think I was pretty confident. I wasn't cocky. I mean, I remember like my grandfather and my parents being like, "Hey, don't be too full of yourself." They didn't like kids that were too full of themselves or cocky. I was pretty, but I was confident. In your eighth grade class, you were voted by your peers most likely to replace David Letterman on the Late Night Show and you're 13 years old at the time. Is that crazy? Cuz I ended up doing that. Crazy. I ended up doing that. I replaced David Letterman. But you were aiming at that. I wasn't. you aiming at the SNL thing. Yeah, Saturday Night Live was my aim. I wanted to be a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Um, which I ended up doing, but then Saturday Night Live is what got me Late Night, you know, to which is Letterman's show. And then Late Night got me the Tonight Show. When you look back at how at that age you were aiming, you know, as a young man to be on SNL, which is exceedingly rare, but you also went on to, you know, replace David Letterman on the the late night show, when you look back in hindsight and go, so if you if one if your child came to you and said, "Dad, how does one aim at a goal and then accomplish it? And how did you aim at such a goal? And in hindsight, what were the factors that went into you accomplishing that goal? Are there like principles that you could transfer to somebody to make them accomplish such a goal? Because you know, one of your best friends, I think it was Frank Gentile, recalled that you are, he says, I've never met anybody more focused on what their goal was in life. It's, you know, I'm not a huge believer in manifestation as people often describe it, but it does
feel like you pulled that into existence somehow. I remember just being I I don't know what it is. I I wasn't that well read or anything like that, but I just knew that what I wanted to do I think from around 12 or 13 and maybe it's because people said I was good at it or I was making people laugh, you know. So, I think when my peers and my friends said like you should do this like I I think you're going to be famous one day or I think you're going to be a comedian, you know. I think you start believing it and you're like, "Oh, maybe I am good at this." Like I don't even remember watching Late Night or David Letterman around that time. I knew Siren Live and I probably did watch Letterman and Johnny Carson the Tonight Show, but I think I started thinking, "Oh yeah, Siren Live will be that's what I want to do. That's that would be the ultimate dream." Because that felt exciting and electric and show business, but also cool and edgy. And I was like, if that would be my goal, like how would I do that? And I remember like secretly if I threw a coin in a fountain or if I made a wish on a birthday cake, you know, which I still do, you know, that's not my wish anymore. But I remember I would blow out the candles and I'd say, I want to be on Saturday Alive every year, all of my birthdays, any wish that I could make, that's what I wished, that I could be on Saturday live. And so maybe that pressure that I put on myself drove me to figure it out and see what were the right steps. I think, you know, my big decision, you know, was going into standup and doing impressions. I knew the show could always use impressions and people doing impersonations of celebrities, you know, and so I thought that was one way in. And so I remember doing that. And then I remember reading that people that uh study at the Groundlings, which is an improv troop, uh if they study there, some people go from the Groundlings Society Lab. So I moved out to LA and started taking classes at the Groundlings just in case that could help me. I also knew that there was a management company named Brilstein Gray that managed a lot of the people that were on Sarant Live. And if I could get seen by Brostein Gay, maybe they would put me in touch with, you
know, the Adam Sandlers of the world or the, you know, people that, uh, you know, they they had everyone from, I think, Belushi on till, you know, they probably have people on the show now, but I remember getting a call from a manager who used to work at Broing Gray, just left. Her name was Randy Seagull, and she was great, and she was my manager. I moved out to LA with a manager and so I thought she would know how to guide me to Ser Live. What are your parents saying at this time? Because if you're if one's kid says, "I'm going to go out to LA to do comedy and improv and these kinds of things." Your dad was a a career man. He was working at IBM, I believe. Yes, he was working at IBM. And he said to me, I said, "Uh," he said, "Look, just guarantee me two years of college. just just go to college for at least two years. Uh, I think we made a deal where we said, "If you go for four years, I'll I'll pay for two years and you pay for two years." Like, okay, that was kind of a deal for us. And so, I remember going to college for three and a half years. And on that half of that last semester, I I got kind of an opportunity to go to LA to meet with this manager. And I said, I called my parents and I said, "I think I'm gonna drop out and move and go to LA." and go for it and just try to take acting lessons and take class at the Groundlings and try to get an audition for Saturday Live. And they were like, "All right, well, really think about this. You know, this is really what you did. Who is this person that you're going out to?" And I go, "Her name is Randy Seagull. She's a manager." And I had met her through a guy that I used to work for in in Troy, New York. I was a receptionist at a news weekly called Metroand. I used to answer the phones and I would also do the personal ads like, you know, men seeking women and blah blah blah. And I type those things out and I remember he moved to LA to be a music manager. And so I gave him my tape on his way out, a videotape of me doing my troll act. And I said, "Uh, if you see anybody," he goes, "I'm not doing comedy. I'm doing music." I go, "I know, but if you see anybody, maybe pass it along." And so he passed it along to this manager. So, she talked to my parents and they got a phone call where she was like, "I think
Jimmy's got something. You know, he's green, but I think if he gets, you know, if he goes to work and puts in the work, I think that he'll get something. You know, I I I I think he'll be successful. He's green, amateur. He's, you know, he's not ready yet. If you, you know, you're not ripe. He's he's green. So if you're green, you're you're like uh you know a green banana, you know. You know, did you ever give up on yourself or did you ever doubt yourself while you were out in LA? Yeah, definitely a bunch of times. It's tough when you're just not getting the the it's not working and you want to tell everyone that it is working, but it's hard. It's a lot of rejection and you end up like you just trying so hard and you go I know what I want but it it takes it takes so much time to get there but in the meantime you have to take auditions. You you have to cuz I was like I I didn't want to take acting lessons cuz I read somewhere that James Dean would go to acting class and just watch and never do the acting lessons and I like James Dean for some reason. So I would go and I just sit in the back of the and watch everybody. And finally the acting teacher came up to me. He's like, "Are you sure you want to do this? Because I mean, you can get so much more out if you did this and started working with other actors. I think you should because you're a stand-up comedian. You don't perform with anyone. You're by yourself on stage. I think you should learn how to act with other other actors." And I was like, "Yeah, maybe he's right." Like I'm I'm not James Dean. So, I started acting and then you realize, "Oh gosh, I'm really not good at this. I got to learn how to do this. It's a skill to play off of other people and to listen to other people." So, then I started doing auditions because that's my manager would get me an audition for movies and stuff. And I think my first audition was to play a lifeguard in the Brady Bunch 2 movie or something. And I had to say like one line like, "Get out of the pool." Something like that. And uh so I remember going and my my my line was printed on fax paper. They faxed it over when fax machines were a thing. And so I had and they they would tell you bring in the paper when you do the audition. Hold the lines so that they don't think
that you're off book so they think that you have a chance of getting better. I go okay great. So I'd hold the paper and I go and action. I go get out of the get out of the pool. Go. Okay. You want to just do it one more time? I go, "Okay." It's quiet and it's just so awkward. And I go, "Get out of the pool." Or whatever it was. And she goes, "Okay. Uh, bye-bye." It actually said, "Bye-bye." And I was like, my face got red. I got so embarrassed. And I got back to my apartment and my manager called me and I go, "Uh, did you hear feedback?" She goes, "Yeah, you didn't get it. Uh, they said that." Weirdly, she goes, "They said you're uh too green." And I go, "Okay." She goes, "But we have to work on it, you know, just keep doing it and keep doing auditions and working on these lines and you should get an acting coach and go bring the lines to the acting class and go here's can you do get out of the pool, you know, whatever better." So, it just got over and over again you get rejected and you you wouldn't get parts. I got no parts. I probably auditioned for, you know, 30 shows and movies and stuff like that. And I you just kind of It's tough. It's really tough. say anyone going into the business or acting or or any of that stuff, the entertainment stuff, you're gonna get beat up. Really, it's going to be to the point where you're like, I'm so depressed I can't do it. But just know that if you can just get through it and keep working eventually, whatever it is is going to happen in life will work out. Maybe you won't even be an actor, but maybe you'll be a lighting director. Maybe you'll work on sets. Maybe maybe it won't be acting, but it will get you to where you're supposed to be if you just keep going and keep doing. I just kept kind of telling myself that. And I, you know, I ran out of money. And I was like, I'm going to have to go home to live with my parents and probably go back to college if I can if they can let me back in. And I think I even might have looked into it. But I was just so bummed out because that's not what I wanted at all. I wanted to be on Siren Live. And um you know it's just reality was like oh you almost didn't feel like of living in this world cuz it's like people couldn't believe that they're like that's not reality. You can't just say I'm going to be on
Saturday live. I remember going to my ground's class my first teacher who's great. His name is Jim Wise and he goes uh what do you want to do? And he would go around the horn and people like I want to be in movies. I want to be in a TV show. I want to be in a sitcom. And I said I want to be on Saturday Night Live. like that's very specific. That's like it's one in a zillion. That's what I want. Like and he brought that up to me. He brings it up every like I'll never forget that you said that that's what you wanted to do. And that was my ultimate ultimate. I said if I do nothing else in life, that's all I wanted to do. And like even if that if I got on for one season or one episode, then I could do whatever I could. I I didn't care what I did after that. That was what was the fixation with Saturday Night Live? I think my parents loved it and and their friends loved it, but that was what they would watch and that was like the pinnacle of comedy. That was the best comedy show in America. And so that was the best. So it's like playing for the greatest team, you know, playing for the Yankees or, you know, whatever. I don't know soccer, but Arsenal, I have no idea. Manchester United. Oh, Manchester United. You couldn't help yourself. Oh my gosh. But yes, playing for that. You're playing you want to play play for the best. If you can make it there, that's the best team. Then you could do whatever for that if you play for Manu. But it's slightly different with you because a lot of upcoming football players would be happy to play for any Premier League team. Man United is, you know, of course great, but they would aim for any Premier League team ways. You seem to be like religiously intent on it being Saturday Night Live. Yeah. Had to be that because I think that's what we we would watch, we would talk about as a family. As kind of a family. Yeah. As a family. They would uh they would tape it. You know, we were one of the first families to have a VCR, which is uh anyone young listening to this podcast, a video cassette recorder. So, it would tape. It's like a DVR digital video recording. So, it's a video cassette and you would tape it on these giant tapes and they would record two hours, you know, on television. And
so, we would tape the show and then you could rewatch it and then I would rewatch it and study it and watch the sketches over and over again and watch repeats and watch the greats and watch Belushi and Dan Akroyd and people I want Bill Murray and Steve Martin, people I wanted to be like. As it got into high school, I was taping it, watching the best sketches, and I would go to my friend's party and show the best sketch that week and go, "Oh, this is the best sketch. It's Chris Farley, and it's blah blah blah." Or, you know, I I I would be obsessed that way. I be almost became so obsessed in high school that I couldn't really hang out with anyone while I watched the show because I didn't like it if anyone didn't like the show. And my parents used to let me drink if I stayed in the if I stayed home. So if I didn't go out, they would buy me a six-ack of beer and I could drink at probably, you know, 16 or something or something like that. you know, not the smarts, but but they would, you know, I would hang out with my friends and they would say, "Yeah, they're gonna have a couple beers and, you know, but I would watch Siren Live with a six-pack and watch it and um study it." And I ended up just stopped watching it with anyone else. I, you know, I guess I still drank. That's sad to say. I drank by myself, but uh I became an alcoholic at 16. Uh uh but but it was it was a thing that I would do and I would just study it and I would every Saturday night and it continuing into college my friends would have parties and they go you got to come right I go I'll be there at 1:00 they go you no the parties you got to come I go Saturday live can't go they go just tape it go I can't just tape it I have to watch it live obsessed yeah I was beyond obsessed obsessed Without a doubt, that was it. That was the pinnacle. Like even I went on like an NBC tour with my dad, like a bus trip to New York City and took me on a tour of NBC to see Siren Live and you know, this is I was older. I was just so nervous to go in the building and oh my gosh, this is the building. This is what it looks like. And this is the, you know, the the the the doorway and the revolving door. I know all this and I know everything. I know the what the walls look like. I know what the ceiling is painted like. I
know art deco decor, you know, I knew everything. I geeked out and I was like, this is the best day just going on tour there. Now I've worked there for 20 something years, you know, it's my home. I I've been working in that building since 1998. I don't even think about it anymore. That's the door I go into work. Every now and then I'll walk to you know I I walk to work almost every day but I'll get that feeling again like oh yeah don't lose that. This word obsession it seems to be earlier when I said you know the principles of all the characteristics that got you to to where you are today but clearly obsession is one of them. I mean you're you're obsessed to an extent that I didn't actually realize with becoming a host on Saturday Night Live. Yeah. An obsession is a powerful force isn't it? because it it means that one can bang their head against an immovable object over and over again until the immovable object moves out its way. And that's kind of what you found yourself doing in LA. You're sat you're going to these auditions. You're getting rejected. What was your mental health like in that period when you're in LA? Because you're dealing with constant rejection. You're you're running out of money. You're contending with having to go home. It wasn't the greatest and I'm a pretty positive guy in general, but I think that was probably my lowest looking back. I mean, I remember like, you know, trying to see what therapy was or if I could afford a therapist or what that meant or why because I was just breaking down mentally of like what what what have I what have I done? Like what have I done? And I' I've kind of made these decisions and I wasn't getting anywhere. And it was like I mean I had really kind of no friends and no social life. Just obsessed with work and obsessed with standup and trying to make my act better and trying to see if I can get on Saturday live and having no money and just going like what is this all about? You know, I can't I don't know if I could afford to keep failing. you know, I can't live in an apartment if you don't make money, you know, and I I can't can't afford gas to get to the audition. You can't eat. You you just like you just go, "Oh, yeah. I just got to keep doing gigs, but I'm running out
of space, so maybe if I go home, I can go back to doing like these little clubs and make some money, save up money, then go back out and try again in LA." I remember they became a moment where I'm like, "Oh, I think I wrote a letter to my best friend like I'm losing it, dude." And in fact, I know I did because he still has the letter and he works for our show now. And he says, "I have it and I'll publish it one day. I'll give it to people if I need the money. I I'll I'll I'll release your letter you emotionally broken." I go, you know, but that's what best friends do. They hold it over your head. He's a sick dude. Yeah, exactly. I'll sell it on eBay. And I go, gosh. I mean, you know, it's one of those embarrassing things. I probably wish I didn't write that. But what did he say? I go, I I don't even ask, but I think it was something to the point like I'm losing it and I don't know if I can make it and I have I don't know what else to do with my life. And you know, something to that or effect or you know, I miss college. I miss my I miss you. I miss having friends. I miss going out. I miss, you know, I think it was that it was like maybe regretting my decision to to move to LA. Was there anything that this Jimmy might go back to that Jimmy and say to him at that time if you could to a message that maybe he needed to hear that he wasn't hearing? Maybe advice or Yeah. I mean, of course, the advice would be like, "It's going to be okay." You know? I I I I think probably the best would to go back and be like, "Hey, I'm proud of you, dude. Like, you're doing exactly what you have to do. You're doing what you have to do to become me. So, I'm so proud of you. So, keep it up." you know, you know, I mean, I would all the things that like I remember just in LA and like I remember like finding cardboard boxes that were thrown out in this garage next to me and bringing that in, not dirty or anything, but new boxes, and I would put sheets over and they would become tables. So, I would use that as like kind of an end table next to my bed, stuff like that. And you go, "Oh, yeah, those are It's creative. You know, it could you could look at it so sad to talk about now and go, "Oh my god,
you're by yourself. You had cardboard boxes as tables and you go, I didn't think about that. I was just trying to be that would look nice if it had a sheet over it and that looks kind of cool." It was very kind of dormy, you know, but I think about I don't know why it just made me think about it now. I'm just so maybe I mean having cardboard furniture was depressing but you know you know I I think that's where you have to dig and see if you can make the find the funny in and go like if you can perform now then get ready when if you're if you get if you step in the ring you're an animal. Why I'm proud of you? You didn't quit. you didn't you're really like against all odds. You're doing something that no one in the family has done that none of your friends have done. You really don't know where this is going to end. And you're kind of in adventuring into an odd place. You're discovering all new stuff that's never been done. And it's it's it's it's great to do this because one day you'll get tested in a different way and you'll be mentally stronger. And so I I'm proud of you because this is all tough now, but it will pay off when when you need to show your strengths or you know, it's almost like you're going to the gym. You know, it will pay off one day. Like I don't want to do it. I don't want to run. I don't want to lift. I don't want to do anything. I don't want to eat. You go. I know. But the future me is telling you this is great that you're doing this because you're going to have a it's just going to be when when you need it, you'll be strong enough. And so I think I was becoming stronger as I was building it. And uh I look back and I I wouldn't change anything. You know, at the time, you know, if anything, I you know, I would say I want it to happen faster, but not really. I think you have to live through all the stuff and go, "Oh, now I remember that. That was cringey. Oh, that was rough. Oh, I remember that. That was bad. But that was a good one." And then you go, "Oh yeah, that was another great one." And then, "Oh, yeah." And then you start thinking of all these stuff that you thought was depressing then. It's kind of charming now. And you go kind of I love those days. And I love the days
where you bombed and that was the biggest problem. The biggest problem in your life was that you didn't do a great impression of Jerry Seinfeld. Like that was the biggest problem in your life. Okay. Then I think your life is pretty good. Like, dude, you look back and go, that was it meant so much to me, though. You know, and I think about that now with my daughters, you know, they tell me stuff that's going on in school and stuff and to me, I'm like, you won't even see these kids. They mean this will mean nothing to you. These kids, maybe you'll be friends with them for life. I hope that' be great, but I don't think so. I don't remember anyone. I don't talk to anyone from my grade school, but it's the biggest thing in their life now. So, you can't say that because it's like, "Dad, this is my life. What are you talking about? This is the biggest thing. Like high school is so slow when you're in high school. Right now, four years is a joke. Four years is like a joke to me. I go, "Oh my god, I can do anything for four years." When you're in it, it's long. Four years feels like 25 years. You know, could you have imagined a reality where you didn't end up getting on to SNL at some point? So, if we were sat here now, you're 50 years old and you're sat here and you'd never done it. I would have done it. But so this is what I'm I'm getting at is I would have found a way and done it and even just walked on or something. I would have found a way to get on it. I I would have found some way to either be an extra or walk in the background or do something or I I would have There's no way. There's no way. I I'd have to. But you're saying if I didn't, what would happen? or you saying I don't think it would ever happen. I had to be on it. I was going to make it happen and I had to do it. You know, I don't think there was an option. I don't think there I would have done it. I don't think there's ever an option. I wouldn't ever have been on that show. I asked the question because there are areas of my life where I sometimes reflect and go, I always thought that that was going to happen. And the consideration that that might not have happened makes it's almost like this like then life wouldn't have been real. Like then everything I believed would have been a lie. There's small
things in my life that when you look at me as a young man and I'm filming myself pretending that a TV show have asked me to do something that ended up happening 10 years ago and I go it was that was always how in my brain I did that too. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, I I think a lot of us performers have done this where you interview yourself and you pretend you're on a radio show and you go like, "Here I am. I'm counting down the top 10 songs and here's the and I have cassettes of me doing that." You know, I think a lot of people do that. When I ask you the question about SNL, you are so convinced that that's always the way that it was going to go. And I'm like, that's what I'm trying to I wanted to see your reaction when I make you consider that it didn't go that way. I can't see it not happening. I had to It was going to happen. I I don't know. I I don't know if I can tell you honestly that I could imagine another path. I I don't even know if I could fake it cuz I would be lying. I know I would be on Sarah. I have to. I just That was I I can't even I can't lie and say, "Well, I guess I could have done it." I just know. So, how did you go from that kid who's writing the letter to his friend saying that he's considering giving up and seeking out therapy and those kinds of things? How did you get from that moment to that first Saturday Night Live audition? I think you get little things, little good things happen to you. You were going to use the word luck, right? It sounded like you paused on the word luck there, but uh I could use luck, but I I'm just going to say good things. I mean, it probably is luck. I I I feel like I am a lucky person, but I think they're just like uh like you I I think I got a holding deal at Warner Brothers television to do like to act for a sitcom or something. Even though I didn't want a sitcom, I remember putting in the contract that if I get Siren Live while I'm doing the sitcom that I can contractually get out. And they said, "No, that's the whole reason. No, no one can. You can't." I go, "Well, that's that's the only reason I could I have to get this in this clause in my contract." And they said, "No one's ever asked for that, but um okay." So, they put it in my contract. So if I was on the show, the
show didn't get picked up. But if the show got picked up and I got a chance to audition for Sent Live, I could leave the show contractually cuz they were like, it's just no, it's not going to happen. But so I I ended up acting and getting a little money which is great because it actually I could stay at my apartment and actually still work on my goal of Sarah live you know while not doing I didn't want to act in sitcoms but that that helped me take a breath and like okay I got a couple more months of opportunity and eventually you get a phone call. Yes. Um, my manager sent tapes and tapes and tapes to Sant Live saying, "Can you know this is he really wants it, blah blah blah." And so I got an audition for Siren Live. This was my first of two auditions. Um, my first one I went to do standup, my troll bit on stage at the comic strip here in uh in in New York. And I remember going in and having my one outfit that I owned that I thought was the best and you know some shirt from the Gap or something and Nike sneakers that were like such a big deal. I only wore them on special occasions and this was it. And uh I went on stage with my troll doll and I saw Lauren was in the audience. He had his hat on. He's the founder creator. Yes. his creative siren live and now the late night on the Tonight Show. And I remember going on stage as soon as I did as I did my first impression, I knew it just didn't work if I didn't have the audience. It was cut down from a 10-minute act to I think 3 minutes. And I had to catch the audience, hook them in 3 minutes and leave. And I started the first 20 seconds. I could tell this is bad. And it was sweaty. It was a bad audition. And I left and I go and we went to a diner next door to the club with my manager and I had coffee and it was very depressing like wow that was my this that was it that was my just for Saturday Night Live. Lauren Michaels who's the creator of the show was there that was my big opportunity and I blew it. All right, let me figure it'll be fine. Let's figure it out. Went back to LA. They said you didn't get it. How did that feel? For some reason at that point I don't remember I was a bit numb I think then and I think I was
on I was starting to work on my act and really getting into standup and I just kind of kept thinking in my head I have to get another shot another chance at auditioning or showing them what I could really do because that was just not the best that I could do. But it wasn't too long after that where I got another phone call from Sarah. How old were you when you got that second call? 23. So I heard you had said um that if you didn't make it on SNL before the age of 25, you were going to I was going to kill myself. Were you actually? Yeah, I wrote that in something in some journal or something. You wrote what? If I don't get on Sent Live by the age of 25 that I'll I'll kill myself. Did you mean that? Yeah, I did. But again, I knew that I was going to be on Sar Live, so I guess I didn't really mean it because I I was going to be on Sar Live before I was 25. So crazy. I I just I I knew that I was going to be honest, so I wasn't really a threat. So funny. Do you know what's funny is the um actually it's in my book behind there. There's a screenshot of my diary and in the front page of my diary it says before I'm 25 and it has my goal written in the front of my diary and I've published it in my book which is on the shelf somewhere. Isn't that funny that I had the same thing where I'm like before I'm 25 years old I will have to do this. Yes. Yeah. And it's and and it happened thankfully. But did you think in your when you were typing? I didn't say I was going to kill myself, but yeah, I don't I think I typed it out, but again, I was into computers, so I think I typed it. I think it's on some file somewhere. Okay. I think I said I will kill myself. Um but uh I definitely said, you know, uh yeah, 25 was my thing. I started my first business at 12 years old and then I started more businesses at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. And at that time, what I didn't realize is that being a founder with no money meant that I also had to be the marketeteer, the sales rep, the finance team, customer service, and the recruiter. But if you're starting a business today, thankfully there's a tool that wears all of those hats for you, our sponsor today, which is
Shopify. Because of all of its AI integrations, using Shopify feels a bit like you've hired an entire growth team from day one, taking care of writing product descriptions, your website design, and enhancing your products images, not to mention the bits you'd expect Shopify to handle, like the shipping, like the taxes, like the inventory. And if you're looking to get your business started, go to shopify.com/bartlet and sign up for a $1 per month trial. That's shopify.com/bartlet. And you get the second call for the second audition around 23 24 years old. Yeah. So I then I said, "Do you want me to do the troll doll?" And they go, "No, we'd rather you not do the troll dolls cuz we've seen that already." Okay. Was that the end of the troll doll? Well, that was my whole act. I don't have any I don't have much more. That was that's all I did was the troll doll act. So I'm like, what do I do? So, I just kind of did the troll doll act under a guise of a different thing where it's like a celebrity charity or you know, so you know, I think it was a how you doing? Here we go. Uh, oh my god. You know, my mom always told me to, uh, get a lot of how you doing to get some exercise. And so she used to say all the time she'd say, "Why don't you go to the store with your mother?" And I skinny kid. And I would say, uh, I'd say, "Uh, why don't you shut up?" That That was the big That was my big moment. That was the biggest moment for me. That was That's crazy. That was the moment in the audition too that changed everything because I was doing a bunch of impressions and before I did that I'm so nervous. But now I'm on the actual stage and you're there and um uh the producer comes over and says Jimmy Fallon go yeah come with us. They go just to let you know Lauren Michaels doesn't laugh so don't let that throw you if you're doing your act. They go great thank you. And then they go now go get hair and makeup. I go wow cool hair and makeup. I go get hair and makeup. They're doing my hair. They're putting makeup on me because they're broadcasting my audition to California so that the heads of NBC can and the guy and girl doing my hair and makeup go just so you know Lauren doesn't really laugh in these auditions so don't let
that throw you when I go okay yeah that's what I heard great thank you I go get your microphone on so they're putting a microphone on me and a mic pack and the audio goes just a little advice doesn't really laugh so if you do your thing I go what is this guy's problem why is he not laughing he's in the wrong business. I mean, he's in a comedy show. And so, as I was doing that audition, I did an impression of Adam Sandler, which was what you just played. And I remember at the time, it was kind of new because Adam just left Siren Live and no one was really doing Adam Sandler. And I was doing, you know, like whatever. And I remember Lauren started laughing and I go, "That's cool. That's a cool story. even if I don't get sire alive. But I just knew that he started laughing. He put his head in his hand and was laughing. And I go, "That's a good story. I'll tell my kids." I made Laura Michaels laugh and on on Sarah Live, on the set of Sarah Live. I wasn't really on the show, but I was on the set and uh uh I remember doing that and feeling good about the audition. Like I left that going, "That that went as good as it could go." You know, that was the best I can that's the best I can give him. That was it. And I remember one of the uh producers, Marcy Klein, came up to me and said, grabbed my hand. She goes, Jimmy, that was fantastic. You got to feel good. And I was like, and I just felt like, okay, if they're saying it, I feel good. Then you didn't hear I didn't hear back for a couple weeks or whatever. It's like it's crazy how long you wait cuz you and they go, "Look, we like Jimmy. We saw him at the comedy club. We were looking for a different direction, you know, for that audition. I think they hired Tracy Morgan. So, they were going in a different direction, the first audition. But this one, they called, they go, Lauren wants to meet you and talk to you. He's going to be out in LA. And he had an office on the Paramount lot. And so, I drove into the Paramount lot. I get my name to the front gate. It's a great It's a great studio. It It feels like you're in the business. I don't know if you've ever been to the Paramount Lot, but the giant gates and you you're it's a movie set and the gates open and you go to a parking spot like and there's actors walking around and it just feels like
you're in the business and it's nerve-wracking. I went into Lauren's office. He had like a you know some office on the on the lot and I remember going into his office and everything was white and it kind of felt heavenly almost and you're just like and I sat across the desk from him and he goes, "Uh, Jimmy, do you wear wigs?" And I was like, "Oh, no. I just I do this to my hair. I just spike it up." He's like, "No, no, no. I'm saying like for characters and stuff like do you uh have you done characters like where you wear wigs and stuff?" I go, "Uh, no." He goes, "Because we want you for the show." And I just think, you know, with more practice and if you try to do different PE and as soon as he whatever he was saying, I couldn't hear. The rest was slow motion. I was like, "Oh my gosh." He just said, "I got some life. I did it. I got Sarah laughed. It's happening. I couldn't believe it. And I go, "Okay." And I shook his hand. I go, "I hope I make you proud." And I left. And I think I pulled over to the first pay phone I could get to and called my mom. I'm like, I just got sized. And it was like, you know, you know, you know, it was just, it's crazy. The whole thing is crazy. I'm coming back to New York because I'm going to be on the show that I tried to be on my whole life. I did it. It's happening. And here we go. And it was like, wow. And I said goodbye to LA and my roommates and everyone's just so happy for me. And and then I went to New York and got an apartment and in Midtown and it was the greatest uh thing. I took Silent Live and went from there and did a couple movies. I met my wife. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. And then uh I didn't work for a while after the movies and then Lauren asked me to be on to host Late Night and replace Conan O'Brien. I did. I worked hard at that and then I got asked to replace Jay Leno on the Tonight Show and I did that and here I am. and I'm host of the Tonight Show and crazy life and crazy opportunities and it's just so interesting and fun. There was a motion in your face where you talked about getting SNL and calling your mom. It's so interesting that it's decades ago. Yeah. You know, again, like it's the end
of Rocky, you know, it's the thing. It's like, I did it. It's like, yes, you know, you you did it. That's insane. You you you got to be kidding me. You you you you did it. What we all said you were going to do, but you went and actually this is it's crazy. It's it's not many people get do this. And I was like, yeah. and to talk to your mom who was your biggest fan and always believed in you, you know, that's emotional and it's like it's just this is how can this be? It's just I don't know. It was just un it's just the whole thing is kind of crazy. It's it's it's amazing. Is there anticlimax? No. Because if you aim at that one goal and put it on a pedestal for that long in your life, no. It paid off. It was ex everything was what I dreamt. It was crazy. Everything. Uh the the announcer Jimmy Fall and him saying my name. I was like dreamt of it. He was really saying it. I could watch him. I enjoyed every second of it. Every bit. The internet was happening at the time. And then people started getting sending me fan letters and then web pages and it was just like you started getting famous. And here's the New York City street. I walked on not too long ago being kind of afraid and intimidated. Now I'm walking and people are going Jim, you know, and and it's and it's cool and you go, "Yeah." What weren't you prepared for? Getting rejection, you know, getting your sketches cut, being told you're not funny, you know, haters. This is before Twitter and all that stuff, which is a different ball game that I wasn't ready for either. But you you think that it's just going to be, oh, this is cool. Everyone will be great. But then just people not everyone's rooting for you. You some people want you to fail. People's jobs are to take me down, you know, and and to put bad press out and stuff. It's just that's their job. And that's and you're just like, oo, I didn't think it was I I don't live in that world. I don't believe that it's real, but it kind of is real. and you go, "Oh, people are just going to be mean." And you got to again just toughen up and get through it and just keep your head down and keep being funny and just keep doing things and keep keep being creative and just if you move that out,
you realize it's not even real. That's not it's it's real, but it's noise and it's just it doesn't affect you. Uh you can only believe in yourself and and know that you have to keep going and if you keep scoring that will show. your work will show that that stuff I wasn't prepared for of of dealing with the overcoming that you know overcoming that. Yeah. Overcoming like hating on you or or you know saying you're not good or something. It's like you don't think that's going to happen, but it, you know, it will if you're successful because someone will be like, uh, you know, someone's not going to like you no matter what. As someone that's always trying to please, is that the antithesis of pleasing for for one's brain who is orientated towards making people happy? It's the worst. Yes, it is the absolute worst. You're I hate it. I I want everyone to like me. I I can't stand it. I go, "Oh my gosh, what can I do to make you like me?" I think the answer is you can't you can't make everyone like you. You just have to do what you do and do the best that you can at what you do and be happy with yourself. I mean, like, what's the what's the alternative? The alternative is you you quit. You Yeah. you quit or you you you change you to be I guess what the person who hates you likes and someone else will just hate that then what yeah the original people will will hate that that you change and you go oh yeah I mean I and then you'll hate yourself yeah I mean there's I used I I love music but I remember like I love the Beasty Boys um growing up and there's that one line Mike D says like um be true to yourself and you will never fall And it's like kind of is the move. It's just be that's be true to yourself. Then there's no everyone can say whatever they want. It's like that's who I am. How did you cope with that stardom being thrust into public spotlight? You're getting feedback from everywhere. You're getting the good, the bad, the ugly. You're someone that wants to please. Do you Did you seek any professional help? Did you get any support? No. No. I just kind of live through it and go like, "Yeah, I think I'll I'll figure it out." You know, I think fame was fun, you
know? It's it's cooler. It's cooler than cool. It's like, "Wow, this is what I thought it would be." But it's also at the end of the day, it's it's the work and the the I than the stuff that you do and the stuff that comes out of it where I'm most proud of where I'm like, "Oh, I get to do this. I think this bit could be fun." You know, like I remember we had Mick Jagger on the show and Lauren said, "Mick, we'll do a sketch if anyone has an idea." And they go, "I could do an idea where I'm the reflection of Mick Jagger in the mirror." And I'm like, "You know what? Why don't shut that what?" And Lauren goes, "Please don't do that. Absolutely. Please, please don't do that." He goes, "It's been done. The Mark's brothers have done it. It's just Lucille Ball is just it's been done. Don't please don't do that." I go, "Okay." He goes, "But go pitch Mick ideas." I go, "I don't want to pitch him ideas. I'm You're the producer. I'm nervous. I don't I don't know MC Jagger. He's like, "Just go in and pitch me the ideas." I go, "So, I wrote out like 10 ideas." I'm like, "Uh, hi Mick." He's like, he's very nice. And uh and I go, "Um, you know, I was thinking maybe me and you uh I play you play Keith and I'm you and you know um we work at a you know, sunglass hut or something like that." And he's like, "Not that." And I go, "Uh, well, then I have this other idea, you know, where, you know, you and I work in an ice cream shop, but we're, you know, blah, blah, blah." And he's like, "Nah, nah, I don't really like that. I don't not I don't want to do that." And I go, "All right." Um, and I'm going down the list and the ideas are getting worse and worse. And I'm just like, "Oh my gosh." And then out of desperation, I go, "Or we could do something where you come in your dressing room and I'm your reflection in the mirror and you're like, "What? Why am I doing this shot? Done in the 70s and done in the ' 80s and what why am I doing that? Walmart that. And he goes, "Oh, I like that." And I go, "So I go back to Lauren's office. I go, "Good news, bad news. Good news. Mick wants to do a sketch. Bad news is it's the mirror sketch." And he So Lauren was like, "Okay, we'll do it." And uh we wrote it in a night, which never been done, I don't think, when I was on the show. We wrote it on a Thursday night, rehearsed
it once on Friday, and did the show on Saturday. And it worked. And it really worked. It was might be the one of the best sketches I was ever in. And Mick was so happy that he like was so giddy. And he kind of shook my hand through the mirror, which is funny cuz we I'm supposed to be his reflection. And it was just kind of cool. And I I remember one of those things where I'm like the room was shaking and I go, "That's cool." Like, dude, that's beyond what I dreamt I I could do. You know, being on S Live is one dream, but now you you're doing it sketch with one of your rock idols, you know, and and scoring and it's great. It's really funny and everyone's having a good time. Like, you really like But that's something. And it was wasn't meant to be. It wasn't written. It was all just kind of happened last minute. And you know, but those little moments all kind of add up and you go, "Oh my gosh, this is so crazy that this is all happening." How was that? I was looking before you arrived at all the people you've interviewed going back more than a decade and it's just everybody. It's like Floyd Mayweather to you insert the name of the person who's at the top of an industry. You've sat with them. They've been on your show. I was thinking like how has that altered your perception of not just what fame is but like what life is about because you've met the best of the best, the top of the top, the richest of the rich, the most famous of the famous. I'm interested, you know, in people, whoever it may be, whether it's Bruce Springsteen or, you know, Angelina Jolie or something, you know, you're talking to them just like talk to me about this thing or what I don't know. It's like uh also with my show I got to jump right in. I have probably Yeah. 10 minutes interview, you know, which is you got to get in there fast and you go like I got to make them comfortable and know that I'm not going to make them look bad. I just want to talk to them and go like, "Hey, blah blah blah." Or I'll make a thing or I'll just say some joke or I don't know what I'll do. And they're like, "Really?" And then they'll be themselves. And then you go, "Now it's flowing." and you go, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." And then you can get into the movie talk and you know, you
know, and sell the product or whatever, you know, which is whatever. But it's that first kind of five to seven minutes where you get in there and then you start playing with them and you start like if you can get a laugh out of Floyd Mayweather or something, it's cool. How do you make them feel comfortable? Is this You must have something that you have learned about what it is that makes someone feel comfortable. I don't know. Oh, I don't have an exact recipe. I I will tell you that I go in before the show to their dress room to say hello before the show. Okay. Just to say hi, how's it going? Then I'll just talk to them. Sometimes I talk to them longer than the interview cuz I we'll get talking about something or life or some bit or you know, you know, their parents or something, you know, just get into real life talk and by the time they come out, they feel like we've already talked. So, it's less pressure. I think also after 16 years of talking to I've seen everyone at their highest. I've seen everyone at their lowest. I've seen people date people they shouldn't date. I've seen people get married and have babies and just really fun to watch. And it's fun to go back and now even if I see these people once a year, twice a year, I feel like I know them a little bit and you're like, "Oh yeah, Floyd, good to see you. What's up?" Or Mick, you know, you know, how's it going? has, you know, has your kids what, you know, we can just talk and we're caught up and you're like, "Oh, yeah." And it's kind of feels like maybe it doesn't to them, but to me it's it's it feels like I just saw them yesterday and that we're, you know, even though it's probably I haven't seen them in a year, it feels like I just saw you. They go, "Oh, yeah." How do you stop it from getting old? And I say this because I um obviously have been doing this podcast now, really for about four years. That's really that I consider the starting point when we started on YouTube. And I wonder what I've got to do to make sure that I never get bored of doing this. I don't think you ever will. There's just so many interesting people. Yeah, there's so many people in this world and it's it it doesn't end. I mean, four years. I'm trying to think of where that was. That was round at the end of late night for me. I mean, you're just you're
you're doing all the things. You're you're just expanding. I mean, but you're working hard. I mean, you're you're trying. I think just keep trying. If you stop trying, you get boring tomorrow. But here you are in New York with 10 cameras. I mean, you're not in London. You're not in your kitchen. This is fake. Don't Don't break the illusion. This is fake. This wall's not real. This is not This is There's a light here. This is all fake. This is all a fake thing. This is how This is how you don't make it old. You don't You have to work. This is all nothing here is real. This is all a studio. But that's how you make it now. Get old. This is Yes. But this is I think how you make it uh exciting is you you got to put the work in. Don't get tired. You got to show up and you you always got to show up. You got to be there and you got to be there for your uh audience. And you do that. You you show up. You you you do all the stuff. I mean, you have to. And that's like you said, it's kind of a seven days a week thing, but it's every day you go, what can I do? What can I do? What can I do? It just becomes part of your life. It's brushing your teeth. It's like, oh yeah, I guess brushing your teeth. Someone at one point told me I had to do that. You know, but now I do it every day, so I don't think about it. I brush them three times, four times a day. Now I'm like, how do you keep yourself challenged? Uh, is there something that you're doing to to push yourself? because you know we expand around the world. We go to different places. We have increasingly more interesting different guests and challenge ourselves in that way. But you when I looked at your show I was like he started with the biggest in the world. I know you started in the biggest city in the world. Start putting more pressure on yourself for any little challenges or trying something. You go like I've always wanted to put out a Christmas album, you know, uh and and and just come out with and and write original songs. You know, trying to write songs is hard enough. trying to write 20 original Christmas songs. It's insane. And what's what's what hasn't been said? I have an idea for a kids book that I think could be funny, you know? Yeah, data was the first one that was a big deal. It's really the same word on every page. It's just getting your kid to say
dada. So, I thought that no one's done this. So, I go basically if you get to the end of the book, it's you saying the word da so many times that I think your baby has to eventually just go da da. So, it'll work. But then you released Mama. I had to because my wife and and all my female fans were like, "Really? You have two daughters and you're not going to write mama because this is the real truth. Everything is mama." So, that's kind of the same book except I changed it to you want the kids to say dada and they just keep saying mama. I have a I found some wonderful photos of your childhood which I adored. Go these photos. You probably recognize quite a few of them. Did I post these? Where would you find these? I went through your house. Oh my god. This is my Catholic uh teacher, kindergarten teacher. Um that's Mrs. Fulling. That's Frank Gentiel we talked about earlier. Friend Steve Tabboutout. These are my dorm room friends. I would do stand up with Frank and Steve was kind of the artist in the group. Is that Gloria underneath? This is Yeah. Gloria. Yeah, that's my mom. That's my mom in our kitchen. Um where we spent many a time. We we parted many times in that kitchen. In November 2017 when she passed away, you said as a tribute on the Tonight Show, which I watched, the best audience, referring to your mother that she was the best audience. She was the one I was always trying to make laugh. Mom, I'll never stop trying to make you laugh. And I heard you talk about squeezing her hand three times when you were younger and her squeezing yours back. In a fraction of like public attention I've experienced, one of the things that acts as an insulator to all of that for me is knowing that I have a home to return to. And home for me isn't a place, it's people, you know? Yeah. And that's the thing that makes all of the noise feel fake and like it's not real and that there is something real. And so when I was thinking about all of that and you losing her and her being the audience, her being home for you, I I have to understand like how that changed you. Yeah. It's it's it was it's the toughest thing that I had to go through. I think see it. You know that it's going to come eventually, but it's just it was
uh just so sad because just she was so much joy in my life. Uh, I just miss her. Yeah. But you don't stop thinking about the people, you know, and you think about all these things and you look at all these other photos and you go, "Yeah, that was probably she probably gave me the microphone. My mom was probably here giving me the microphone." And when you think about people dying, especially when it happens for the first week, you go, I'm going to forget about them and I can't. And you go, it's so sad. And then the truth is it just you don't you don't forget about them ever. They will never they're in your life. You think about them in the weirdest moments. And you'll hear a song and I'll hear like Duran Durant or something. I don't even know if my mom liked Randran, but something remind me of me and my mom listen, you know, think of my mom like, "Oh my god, can't believe I'm listening to Hungry Like the Wolf or whatever Rio and I'm thinking about my mom and getting sad." But you do you have those moments when it's like but but it's it's more happier moments and you don't get that emotional. You know, if I you know want to I can just start crying because I just miss her. But I I I I think of the best times and you know I think I wouldn't be who I am with without her. You know when you say that you miss her, you've said that a few times. What what precisely is it that you miss? She had a great sense of humor and she was always, you know, and I think there's so many things. uh talking about probably talking about myself a lot. I go like did you see the thing I did or the thing or I want her to bring it up like that thing you did was great and then it makes you feel good. So, I kind of miss the positive reinforcement, the feedback, positive feedback of something that I did that I kind of miss. And her, you know, complaining about something or talking about something she doesn't like or I feel like that would kind of give me material and I miss like, you know, calling on my birthdays and, you know, just she's so much love. She just loved me so much. I do worry about I worry about this because I I think sometimes we don't realize the importance of certain
relationships until we lose them and my parents are getting older and I think I have some kind of like subconscious existential fear that there will be words unsaid or I will I will learn the hard way that there's things I should have said, you know. Yeah. Yeah. You kind of Yeah. I I think I said everything. I think I said everything. Sounds like you spoke to her a lot. I I did. I said everything. She knew that I loved her. And you know, it just it kind of happened fast, which I kind of hope uh I I think that was a good thing. I I hope it doesn't happen slow for you cuz I don't know if I could take that. This happened really quickly. And so I was like, are you able to grieve? Were you able to grieve? Yes, I went for it. My wife was really helpful with that. She was like, go for it. just you just cry and just grieve because eventually you actually just have to stop crying. There's no way you can keep crying. There's no way. But you feel like there's a hole in your heart and a hole in your lungs. You feel unhealthy and you feel like like you have to go to the hospital that you're going to die. You know, you just have to go through that and you go and then you just just get it out of your system. And then, you know, as time goes on, you just start be able to laugh at the things kind of happy memories, you know, and sad she's not here anymore, but glad for what she gave me. And when all the memories, I mean, it's way outweighs the the sad thing. I just wish it was around is the only thing. And if you harp on that, then it's too depressing. Did it change your perspective on your own work? Cuz it's funny. I I remember thinking about my old business when it was like the it was my entire life. I was thinking if I lost this person in my life now. I don't know if my business would mean the same to me because in part I'm doing this for them. Yeah. Yes. You still do it for them. In a weird way. I still do this for my mom. I I think of her when I do things. I go she would be she would be psyched. She would be proud. She would that would make her laugh. I still think of her for most things I do. Like she would love that. That would make her laugh. That would make her proud. She'd be like, "Oh, that's funny." Or, "That's that's good that you did that." Her
loss, you turning 50. Yeah. putting all these pieces together, it seems like this might have inspired your increased concern and uh I guess drive for longevity and health because we talked just before we started recording and I asked you what's sort of front of mind for you at the moment and one of the things you mentioned was longevity and health. Yeah. When did that emerge? I maybe around I mean I'm 50 right now but I think you know I I think about my my parents are they were never healthy. you know, they used to drink a lot at the time they smoked, you know, when everyone smoked. I think there's a picture of my mom pregnant with me drinking and smoking. Um, which is fantastic. I mean, gosh, terrible. Um, but man, I turned out okay, right? Sure. Wink. We see listen to this back. Yeah, maybe I didn't turn out. Maybe this is a lesson. Uh but uh yeah, I think about uh being around for my kids and trying to be alive and kind of um uh financially stable for my kids, too. Cuz I I don't think my parents thought about any of that stuff. They just go, "No, this just have it was a lot of fun and like a lot of support and like we're that was a lot of the thing, you know, but they didn't really didn't work out. I think I think we bought a treadmill twice, you know, different times, just tried to make it something that we would all do and no one ever did it. So, what does that actually mean for you in terms of your longevity and health journey? Does it mean that you're you're going to the gym, you're thinking about what you're eating? Yeah, I'm definitely eating better. I'm I'm work out when I can. You know, I walk every day. Um I love walking. Um, but yeah, I try to uh, you know, I don't drink as much as I used to. And, you know, uh, I I get checkups. Not that I'm unhealthy, but I think, you know, I I I just want to be around for a long time. I don't even know how long I want to live, to be honest. I don't want to be that old that I'm older than everyone in my I mean, I want to have people my age. I don't want to be 130. Yeah. and no one else is like, "Dude, that guy won't die." I mean, eventually it's it should happen. I just want to be I want it to all happen kind of in the right way and then
eventually as you get you go on and they'll all pass away, but I want to be able to be enjoying everything. Now, for anybody that likes matcha, for anybody that likes lattes, one of my companies has just launched canned matcha lattes. I was speaking with the founder, Marissa, and she said that creating this product has been no easy feat. They tried launching in 2021, but as is often the case in business, the development process turned out to be extremely complex. So, they've spent the last four years testing and refining every single detail to create this, which is a perfect Ted matcha vanilla latte and a perfect Ted matcha strawberry latte. So, what we have here in these cans is barista quality matcha straight from the can. And it tastes like it's just been made from your favorite cafe. Naturally sweet and naturally creamy in a can. And the reason why I've invested in this company and I drink matcha is because matcha as an energy source gives me lasting energy without the big crashes that I get from other products. Grab their ready to drink canned matcha lattes at Waitros, Tesco's, and Holland and Barrett and perfected.com where you can use code stephven 40 for 40% off your first order. Make sure you keep what I'm about to say to yourself. I'm inviting 10,000 of you to come even deeper into the D of a CEO. Welcome to my inner circle. This is a brand new private community that I'm launching to the world. We have so many incredible things that happen that you are never shown. We have the briefs that are on my iPad when I'm recording the conversation. We have clips we've never released. We have behind the scenes conversations with the guest and also the episodes that we've never ever released. And so much more. In the circle, you'll have direct access to me. You can tell us what you want this show to be, who you want us to interview, and the types of conversations you would love us to have. But remember, for now, we're only inviting the first 10,000 people that join before it closes. So, if you want to join our private closed community, head to the link in the description below or go to daccircle.com. I will speak to you there. Is there a next chapter in your mind that you're looking at already? Are you
thinking about life beyond TV? Media is changing so much. I mean, you were one of the sort of real pioneers that rode the shift towards the internet and digital, and you've got more bloody followers on YouTube and Twitter and Instagram than anybody, I think, of I think you've got like 100 million followers or something crazy. Um, but are you thinking about the next wave of Jimmy? Not not really. I feel like this is a good gig for that type of aging. I think the older you get, the kind of the better the talk show gets. Like, you know, Johnny Carson did it for 30 years, I want to say. And, you know, I think I can do it as long as there's an audience. And I feel like there is always going to be an audience. I feel like I know everyone's like, "TV is dying. You know, the ratings are dying." But I don't think it is. I think TV is just as powerful as it ever was. I think they're making some of the best entertainment, the best shows are on television. If you call it something else, if you call it Netflix or if you call it, you know, live podcast or whatever it is, you're still watching, you need entertainment. And thank God for entertainment because you just find yourself when you're when you're needing some out outlet or creative or something or even a break, whatever you want to call it, meditation. Television is there for you. You can turn on television, watch a movie, watch a show, and you're like, "Ah, this is great. For an hour of my life, I don't have to think about my problems. I'm thinking about their problems." or watching a reality show, whatever show you it is you're watching, but your brain's moving. It's not like your brain's shut off. You're you're listening to this podcast. It's not you're not just zoning out going, you're actually thinking while you're listening to this and this is changing the way you think. You may not agree that I think you might think, oh, television's over what, but that's interesting. It's still your brain's moving and this is fun for people to listen to. And this is I think entertainment is always going to be there. has to be around. And I think it's it's just in it it it's moving this way and that way, but I still feel like eventually there's a screen in your
house or wherever you're living that you're going to want to see things on. You know, whether it's going to be through your eyeglasses or if it's going to be through your, you know, contact lenses or uh your phone or whatever it is, you know, I don't think it's going to be the Apple goggles, but they have to try. Outside of um TV, you're very busy. I was reading through your business portfolio and it's extremely extensive. You founded a production company. Oh, yeah. Producing several shows, series, films. You made a comedy a series of comedy albums. Yeah. The last one was called Holiday Seasoning, which I I it's a it's a Christmas album, but I I wanted to create like a new verb like, hey, we're all we're all holiday seasoning. Like, are you holiday seasoning? I'm celebrating Hanukkah. I'm, you know, I'm celebrating Quanza. We're all holiday seasoning. Uh, it didn't take off, but you know what? Maybe in the future, maybe, you know, at 2050, people will all be saying, "Hey, are you holiday seasoning?" You know, yeah, we're all I don't know. I didn't I don't know if I created what I wanted to on that one, but but you got the ice cream, the Tonight D. Tonight dough ice cream. We've raised a lot of money for uh Serious Fun, which is a great charity. It's a great ice cream, by the way, but it's actually goes to a great cause, so it's win-win. Beautiful. I was reading about it before. It's really cool. Yeah. And outside of that, there's lots of other things from uh a ride at the Universal Studios to spinnies to Yeah, we got our own roller coaster. Yeah. Crazy. Gob God stompers skate shoes. Yes. Gobstoppers were a sneaker that um we came up with that the more you wear them, the more the leather wears down and they become different colors. So eventually every pair of shoes become unique to that person. There's no two pairs of the same shoe. The through line here, Jimmy, is about making people happy. from rides to ice cream to the creativity and the fun of the products that you've made. That's appears to be the through line. I like that. Yeah. But that's the through line of your life in many respects. It's it's a really relentless attempt to to please others and to make people smile and to make them happy. Yeah, I I I do. I like that.
I like making people happy. It it makes me happy. And now you've got two beautiful children. It's the greatest thing. You're a dad. It's the greatest thing. I'm a dad. Can you believe that? This guy would be This guy would be a dad. This guy would be a dad. This is silliest. And I I think I'm a good dad. Uh they're the best kids. I love them so much. They're so fun. They're funny. They They make jokes. They're interesting. They're interested. How did that shift the meaning of life for you becoming a father? Because I I'm in the process of hopefully having children at some point. I'm I'm trying. You I'll tell you one thing that surprised me. I I don't want to tell you about your own kids cuz no spoilers. You're going to you're just going to figure it all out. And when they get to a certain age, we'll talk and you be like, "Dude, and they go, "Yeah, of course." I didn't I didn't want to ruin it for you. It's it's great. It's a lot. It's great. Um, but the one thing I didn't think I would happen to me is I like other kids more. I I actually appreciate other kids and they go, "Hey, are you not sharing with that or that kid's got no friends, go talk to that kid or cuz you go that could happen to me, my kid." So you start thinking about other hey no no no no be nice to him or he's you know it's like you and then the screaming baby in the restaurant that once when you were younger you go like will you shut that baby up now you go like dude give me the kid I'll take the kid for a walk I will shut the baby will cut I understand what it's like to get out and be a parent and you don't want the kid to cry and I I get all that now and you go oh I'm much more patient with that. What advice would you give your two daughters for life? A life well-lived. They said, "Dad, listen. How do we how do we live a good life?" Be nice to people. Give when you can. Make people smile. What if they say, "Dad, I I want to know how to be successful." Then go do what you want to do. I think that will make make you successful. Do what you want to do. If you do what you want to do, you'll be
successful. How are you misunderstood? Because we're all misunderstood in some way, you know? Maybe someone that laughs at everything. I don't really laugh at everything. I do have a good time, but I don't laugh at everything. I think one way I'm misunderstood is maybe people don't think that I know what I'm doing or that I, you know, I'm just living through life like I don't know what's going on. But I do know what's going on. And uh I do care and and I I I put a lot of work into what I do and I really put a lot of thought and care into things that I put out. What does your gravestone say, Jimmy? If you could write it yourself, I would say he had a good time. That's not bad. I like that. Jimmy, thank thank you for doing what you do. Um, it's uh it's so unbelievably apparent to to me as someone that's just spent a little bit of time for you that in your heart you are an incredibly pure, well-intentioned, happy, radiant person who has a really authentic desire to spread that to other people. and in fact gains a tremendous amount of energy and happiness from making people like me and everyone that you met in my team behind the scenes happy. And we need more people like that in the world, especially in times like these where there's so much division and the the internet is an absolute war zone. It feels like everybody's frankly losing if I'm being honest because everybody's just firing shots at each other on both sides of the aisle, but just generally just all sides of life. So, it's wonderful to have people in the world and safe spaces and fun places that maintain a bubble of happiness and joy and humor. And you're one of those incredible spaces on the internet, but just generally in life as well. So, thank you. It's such an honor to have spent time with you and you're someone that I've looked up to forever. You know, I've you've been on screen for most of my adult life and I've before I was interviewing people and I had the privilege of doing this. So, you're one of my idols as well and so thank you for that as well. It's been um tremendous honor and I feel somewhat it's it's
incredible that I'm like in New York and I'm sat across from you. It's really something special. Keep doing what you're doing. You're great. You're fantastic. And I had the greatest time. It was so fun. I want to say thank you to every camera. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We have a closing tradition. Oh. Where the last guests leaves a question for the next guest not knowing who they're leaving it for. and we'll ask you to do the same. The question left for you is an interesting one. It was how would your view of yourself change and how would your behavior change if you learned beyond doubt that reality is not objective but exists only in what you do and your actions. God, the edibles kicked in whoever wrote that one. It's a deep one. Jesus. I wouldn't be shocked. I I wouldn't be shocked. I go, "Wow." I I probably would take credit for it. I'd probably say, "I knew that." And then you go, "Wait, what? You knew that?" You go, "Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if if all of this was just my based on what I'm doing." It's fascinating I if that's the real truth. How fascinating that what a great experiment this was and I hope I can't I hope I I passed and again I'm a people pleaser. I I whoever is playing this game I hope they're enjoying the game they're playing. I sometimes think it's a simulation and we we think we've like banned that as a conversation and someone's playing us. Yeah. They're just like messing around. It would make sense. But do do you think whoever's playing us is enjoying themselves? Like we're we're good characters. Maybe they like started the game and they've like wandered off and they'll Oh no. It's like Toy Story. They don't play us anymore. Yeah. They just like they're off into things and they like forgot and we're like [ __ ] around. Yeah. And then they go I didn't play that in so long. Jimmy Fallon game. Oh god. Ste the No, we don't I didn't play that game anymore. Yeah. No, I had him create a business. They forgot to turn it off. Gosh. But yeah. Well, hopefully that you don't have to use You don't have to play me anymore. I'm going to get to the next level. You will, Jimmy. Thank you.
You're the best. This was so fun. Thank you so much. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me in your in your kitchen. Oh my god. Really? I like what you've done with the place. This has always blown my mind a little bit. 53% of you that listen to this show regularly haven't yet subscribed to the show. So, could I ask you for a favor? If you like the show and you like what we do here and you want to support us, the free simple way that you can do just that is by hitting the subscribe button. And my commitment to you is if you do that then I'll do everything in my power, me and my team, to make sure that this show is better for you every single week. We'll listen to your feedback. We'll find the guests that you want me to speak to and we'll continue to do what we do. Thank you so much. [Music] Where? [Music]