James Thomas Fallon, born in 1974, is an American television host, comedian, singer, writer, and actor. He is best known as a cast member of a late-night sketch comedy and variety show, Saturday Night Live, and as the host of the legendary late-night talk show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Fallon grew up with an interest in music and comedy and moved to Los Angeles at 21 to pursue his passion, i.e., stand-up comedy. In 1998, he joined Saturday Night Live and remained at SNL for six years. He became well-known during that time and left in 2004 to start shooting for the films, Taxi and Fever Pitch.
In 2009, following his film career, Fallon returned to television as the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In 2014, he left that show and became the sixth permanent host of the long-running Tonight Show.
The Impact of Jimmy Fallon on Pop Culture
Jimmy Falcon is an icon who reinvented the concept of late-night talk shows. His current show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, is a part of Americans’ nighttime routine, and can’t go to bed without watching it. Jimmy Fallon continues to dominate his late-night counterparts, Kimmel and David Letterman. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon is currently the highest rating program in its time slot in the US, and normally attracts an average of 3.6 million viewers per episode.
The legendary host has a profound effect on the media, and the general public. He got featured in multiple TV shows, movies, etc. Let’s learn more about the impact of Jimmy Fallon on pop culture.
Jimmy Fallon in TV Shows
Jimmy Fallon has been a part of many TV shows. Some gathered a huge audience, but others didn’t get significant recognition. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Saturday Night Live (1985-Present)
Saturday Night Live, abbreviated as SNL, is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Dick Ebersol. Jimmy Fallon also served as its cast member from 1998 to 2004. He performed some of the best comedy sketches, which were mostly parodies of contemporary culture and politics. He specifically became famous while co-hosting the program’s Weekend Update segment.
Band of Brothers (2001)
Band of Brothers is an American war drama miniseries based on a 1992 nonfiction book of the same name, by Stephen E. Ambrose. Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, Bond of Brothers first aired on HBO and won the Emmy and Golden Globe awards for best miniseries. Jimmy Fallon had a cameo in the fifth episode of the series as Lt. George C. Rice
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009-2014)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was another American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. The show typically started with a brief monologue from Fallon, followed by a funny “desk piece”, as well as pre-recorded segments and audience competitions. The next segment featured a celebrity interview, with guests ranging from musicians and actors to political figures and media personalities. The show successfully beat its rivals and garnered two Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series in 2011.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014-Present)
The seventh incarnation of NBC’s long-running Tonight Show franchise, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, is a legendary late-night talk show that still rules late-night TV. The show also stars announcer Steve Higgins and house band The Roots.
Fallon starts the show with his typical monologue and then transitions into comedic games/sketches, concluding with guest interviews and a musical performance. As one of the greatest pop culture moments, many clips from the show turn into viral content overnight. It has been nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and won two times.
That’s My Jam (2021)
That’s My Jam is an American music game show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. It is based on the music-themed segments of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The show premiered on NBC on November 29, 2021, and got renewed for a second season in February 2022.
The game consists of music-themed challenges in which celebrity teams compete. Some of these challenges are adapted from recurring segments on The Tonight Show, such as “Slay It, Don’t Spray It”, “Mixtape Medley Showdown”, and “Wheel of Musical Impressions”. “That’s My Jam” was an international success, which resulted in NBC selling the format to France’s TF1 in 2021.
Read more about the 20 most iconic pop culture moments of the 1970s.
Jimmy Fallon in Movies
Jimmy Fallon also made it to the big screen, but till now, he hasn’t been as successful in films as he is on TV. Some were a blockbuster, but others barely managed to save face. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Almost Famous (2000)
Almost Famous is an American comedy-drama film starring Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, and Patrick Fugit. It is the story of a teenage journalist working for Rolling Stone, his touring with the rock band Stillwater, and his efforts to publish his story.
Jimmy Fallon’s character, Dennis Hope, is the new manager of Stillwater, who comes only to squeeze every dime out of the band. He is condescending, pragmatic, and 100% in it for the money. “Almost Famous” received four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay.
Taxi (2004)
Taxi is an American action-comedy film starring Jimmy Fallon, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Esposito, Gisele Bündchen, and Ann-Margret. It is a remake of the 1988 French film by the same name. The story is about an unfortunate NYPD Detective, Andrew “Andy” Washburn (played by Jimmy Fallon), who is banned and suspended from driving and asks for assistance from a talented taxicab driver to help him solve many bank robberies throughout New York. In 2005, the movie got nominated for Teen Choice Award in three different categories.
Fever Pitch (2005)
Fever Pitch is another American romantic comedy film starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon and is a remake of the British 1997 film by the same name. While both the book and the original film are about Soccer, Fever Pitch is specifically aimed at baseball featuring real-life dramatic sporting victories.
It’s a story of Ben Wrightman (played by Jimmy Fallon), who spends most of his time watching Boston Red Sox matches while his girlfriend, Lindsay (played by Drew Barrymore), feels she is being taken for granted.
Songs by Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy is a music genius. He always had a taste for music and gave splendid performances in his shows from time to time. Fallon officially started his music career in 2002 with the studio album titled, The Bathroom Wall. Some of his songs are listed below.
Idiot Boyfriend (2002)
Idiot Boyfriend is a well-executed comedy song by Fallon that excels in cringe. Its music video features Prince and Michael Jackson references, and actress and singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel as Fallon’s girlfriend. Fallon splendidly hit the high notes, and the song is the most prominent of the album, The Bathroom Wall.
EW! (2014)
Fallon sang this song with the rapper, will.i.am., and is based on a sketch from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in which Fallon and guests play teenage girls who were disgusted by things around them. The song debuted on The Tonight Show, and Fallon urged viewers to get it to chart on the Billboard charts, which they did. The song made it to the Billboard Hot 100 one week later at number 26.
Hot Girl Fall (2019)
The famous rapper, Megan Thee Stallion, is a creator of the famous phrase, Hot Girl Summer, which went viral overnight. She and Jimmy Fallon sang the song, Hot Girl Fall, who wore orange velour sweatsuits in the music video, with Stallion telling all the girls to not “cool down” as the fall is here, and we’re just heating up.
Books by Jimmy Fallon
Falcon was not only a TV legend but also a great writer. He wrote seven books mainly aimed at children, four of which were #1 New York Times Bestselling children’s books. These four books included Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA(2015), Everything Is Mama (2017), This Is Baby (2019), and 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas (2020).
His other three children’s books include Snowball Fight! (2005), Nana Loves You More (2022), and Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure (2022). He also released two funny books, Thank You Notes and I Hate This Place: The Pessimist’s Guide to Life.
Jimmy Fallon – the Man with Everything Funny!
Jimmy Fallon is not only a late-night television host but a brand and an icon, who is loved by people from all parts of the world. He is the king of effortless comedy and musical skits. Working in the Entertainment sector for so many years, Fallon is aware of the dynamics of pop culture and has a way of going viral with his funny one-liners, parodies, and sometimes, magical voice. He knows how to influence the masses and has an impact on pop culture like no one else!