I don’t consider Jimmy Fallon hideous, but I was slightly caught off guard by a conversation I had with my lady friend gone-agog when I mentioned that I would be flying out to New York to interview him. "Oh my God, oh my God! He’s that stud on Saturday Night Live who does ‘Weekend Update’. Oh my God, you have to let me meet him! I saw Almost Famous and had no clue he was in it until somebody told afterwards, so I went back and saw it again just to see him…"

You might have not realized that was Jimmy Fallon with the thick glasses, five o’clock shadow, and fast talking demeanor he took on as Stillwater’s label manager "Dennis Hope" in Almost Famous. He’s capable of metamorphosing into anyone from Adam Sandler to Robert Deniro (who paid Jimmy a visit on "Weekend Update" to confront him about a bad review Jimmy gave Meet the Parents. Jimmy responded by doing his Deniro impersonation while sitting inches away from him). He said he was "tired of being compared to other comedians", so I’ll refrain from comparing him to others in his field who’ve mastered dramatic roles. I’ll also refrain from comparing him to others in his field who are capable musicians. At the taping I attended, ust a few minutes prior to Don Pardo’s legendary introduction, "Iiiiit’s Saturday Night Live with Jimy Fallon…", Fallon came out to warm up the crowd by mumbling and moaning a stunning and hilarious rendition of Sting’s "Desert Rose". He’s also a published author, who co-wrote I Hate This Place- The Pessimist’s Guide to Life with his sister, Gloria Fallon. He’s managed all of the preceding at the young age of 26, and has remained a humble cast member of Saturday Night Live, with no hurry to go Hollywood any time soon. When talking about SNL, his eyes light with a fan’s excitement. He seems almost unaware of how important he has become to the show. After suffering a slow half-decade by SNL standards, Fallon is the rookie that old-school viewers are rooting for.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Fallon later moved upstate to Saugherties, and attended Saugherties High, where he ironically developed a spoof of SNL with friends entitled "Saugherties Night Live". At the age of 17, he won first place in the "best impressionist contest" at Banana’s Comedy Club, where he impersonated Paul Reubens’ Pee Wee Herman persona, who he cites as one of his heroes. After completing a few semesters at St.Rose College in Albany, New York, he began his pursuit of greatness, following the common path of aspiring comedians. He studied at the Groundlings in Los Angeles at the age of 21, and would later perform at the Improv, where legends such as Andy Kaufman and Jim Carrey were born under the watchful eyes of club-owner, Bud Friedman. Fallon left LA when he achieved his dream of becoming an SNL cast member in September, 1998. After completing his first year as a featured player, Fallon was promoted to cast member, and continues in his third year on the show.

Fallon picked me up from the Chelsea Savoy on October 17, 2000 and walked me over to a local coffee shop for lunch where I dug for answers from the boy who’s wishes had come true…


Discuss the process of analyzing a person and emulating them.

J: Now that I got the show (Saturday Night Live), I have to actually learn how to do people. Before I never really thought I was doing it, I just kinda did it. With Seinfeld, I’d watch that show so much, I just felt like I knew him. Recently I did Dennis Miller. Dana Carvey did him once, and I didn’t want anybody to compare me to Dana’s. I watched some of Dennis’ newer material, and I noticed how he doesn’t look at anyone, fixes his tie, looks to a monitor on the side, and then does his rants. I would imitate stuff that he does over and over again, so you knew exactly who I was doing. He’s an easy one.

When did you start watching SNL?

J: My parents used to watch it and I caught on when I was six. I began to religiously watch it during the 80-85 era. I used to have this reel to reel tape recorder that I bought at a garage sale and I would tape the monologues with it, because we didn’t have a VCR. My sister and I would imitate Richard Pryor when he used to do The Exorcist, and Steve Martin and Dan Akroyd when they did "Two Wild and Crazy Guys"—it was all on reel to reel. Then, my sister and I would record our version of it.

Andy Kaufman and Peter Sellers were notorious for having trouble with their own personal identities because they were constantly doing impressions. Do you relate to them on that level?

J: Like I don’t know who I am? No, I think I know who I am. Are you saying I’m schizophrenic?

No, absolutely not. Neither of them were diagnosed with schizophrenia, but they got lost in their work.

J: I can easily go in and out of characters—I’m not stuck as Dennis Miller for a week (laughter). Could you imagine if I was stuck as Dennis Miller for a week? I’d wake up in the morning as Dennis Miller ranting to my door man. No, I’m in and out man. When I did Almost Famous, I didn’t really hang out with a lot of people. I wasn’t like Andy Kaufman for a week or anything.


Read the entire interview in Mean Magazine Issue 12