Jimmy Fallon

James Thomas Fallon was born on September 19, 1974, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, to Gloria (née Feeley) and James W. Fallon. His family relocated to Saugerties, New York, where his father took a position as a machine repairman for IBM in Kingston. Fallon attended St. Mary of the Snow, a Roman Catholic school, and later Saugerties High School, where he participated in most stage productions and served twice as class social director. He won a young comedian's contest with an impression of Pee-wee Herman. A self-described class clown, he began playing guitar at age 13 and performed comedy and music in contests and shows throughout his teens. His fascination with Saturday Night Live began in adolescence, when he and his sister Gloria would re-enact sketches with friends.

Fallon enrolled at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, initially as a computer science major before switching to communications. He left a semester before graduating to pursue comedy full-time, moving to Los Angeles at age 21. There he performed stand-up at the Improv, earning $7.50 per set, and trained with the Groundlings improv troupe. After an unsuccessful SNL audition in 1997, he secured a second audition at age 23, performing a celebrity impression segment that drew laughter from creator Lorne Michaels. He was subsequently cast as a featured player for the show's twenty-fourth season, debuting in September 1998. In May 2009, Saint Rose awarded him a Bachelor of Arts in communications, granting experiential learning credits for his television work, along with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

During his six seasons on Saturday Night Live, Fallon became the program's most featured impressionist, known for portrayals of Robert De Niro, Jerry Seinfeld, and Howard Stern, among others. He originated recurring characters including Nick Burns and Pat "Sully" Sullivan, and was promoted from featured player to repertory player in his second season. He co-hosted the Weekend Update segment and released a book of email exchanges with his sister, I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life, in 1999. He also appeared in the film Almost Famous in 2000. Fallon departed SNL in 2004 and subsequently starred in the films Taxi and Fever Pitch.

Fallon returned to television in 2009 as host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC, a program noted for its emphasis on music and video games. In 2014, he became the sixth permanent host of The Tonight Show. Across his career he has released two comedy albums and seven books, the latter primarily aimed at children. His awards include four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.

In 2024, Fallon made his Broadway debut in All In: Comedy About Love, adding a stage credit to a career that had previously been centered in television and film.