Hosting “The Tonight Show” for 10 years is a milestone worth celebrating, as Jimmy Fallon recently did with a special on NBC. But his tenure on the network actually spans 26 years: “Saturday Night Live” (1998-2004), “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” (2009-14); and “Tonight” since 2014. In another decade, it will surpass Jay Leno's career; He'll need another 20 to surpass Johnny Carson as the show's oldest host at 70 years old.
Does Fallon have that much in him? So far, he's faced bad press (for being frisky with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016) and behind-the-scenes scandal (a supposedly “toxic” atmosphere in the writers' room in 2023), but his numbers are promising. : “Tonight” has nearly 100 million followers on social media and its digital content has attracted 2.2 billion views on those platforms.
These days, Fallon seems relaxed, smarter and more confident when it comes to captaining his nighttime ship. He's settled into his place in the world in a corner office at 30 Rock, decorating it accordingly: Buddy Holly window, fish tank, family snapshots, a photo of himself brushing his teeth with Paul McCartney. He spoke to The Envelope from that office about finding his balance, why it's important to show up late at night, and how to get through the next show.
You had a lot of experience before taking over “Tonight,” but Lorne Michaels still had to fight for you. Did you ever ask him why?
I just think he believes in me. He knows that if he passes the ball to me, I will do everything I can to score. I work hard and practice and I just want to make sure it's done as best as possible.
Are you a perfectionist?
I think so. When I started, everything had to be very simple. But as the years have gone on, I'm more open to things falling apart and dealing with it in the moment.
Television as a medium is undergoing many changes. So what is the purpose of late night shows?
They are an escape from reality, number one; No. 2, pop culture needs to show you what's out there, what people are talking about. There is art out there that needs to be amplified. But it is also an escape. You can be in your pajamas and choose to watch it and say, “Make me laugh, entertain me.” That's how I remember Johnny Carson when I was a kid.
In the past, people used to joke that “Tonight” was often the backdrop to conception.
So that's a third reason. We are increasing the population of the Earth.
(Paul Yem / For The Times)
When I started, everything had to be very simple. But as the years have gone on, I'm more open to things falling apart and dealing with it in the moment.
-Jimmy Fallon
How have you grown as an interviewer?
When I started, I was very nervous. I kept going really fast in my interviews and they were like, “We have two more minutes left,” and I was like, “I've already asked all my questions.” Now all is the opposite. I'm in a real conversation, asking questions I probably wouldn't have asked back then. I listen to [Marc] Maron, Howard Stern, all these long [podcast] interviews, and I think it would be great to talk to someone for a lot longer.
David Letterman is also doing extensive interviews with his Netflix shows. I remember when he hosted “Late Night,” there was a sense of spontaneity and anarchy on the show. But recently in the LA Times, critic Robert Lloyd tsk–ed that the night has become a promotional mill. How do you avoid that label?
But did Letterman's show change and become more about that promotion? [mill]?
Once “The Late Show” started, of course. It was a change of era and had a larger platform. But does “Tonight” always have to be brilliant?
There's always a sparkle on “The Tonight Show.” I think I get away with sketches. You never know when I'm going to do a song or a skit, and that's normal. We try to mix it up. I think I try to keep it spontaneous, in the sense that anything could happen.
Does it take 10 years to get to where you are now with “Tonight”?
He does it. The only thing that can get you there is age, time and moving forward. You can't do it in a week; It doesn't happen quickly. This is what happens when you get to this age, you think, “We earned this, we built all this, we built a great machine here, it's really fun,” and there's no other way to get there than experience.
Are there any guests you regret having received?
No. Every day is a different experience. Sometimes you have great shows and sometimes you think, “That was so hard.” Either way, you can't get too excited or depressed because you have another show tomorrow, and another show tomorrow, and another show tomorrow.
