Jimmy Fallon famously missed his chances to date former crushes, Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson. Both actresses revealed on The Tonight Show that they would have gone out with the talk show host had he made a move. But according to Fallon, they never gave him any indication that he could ask them out. The 46-year-old comedian felt embarrassed for making the movie stars feel rejected, but he doesn't regret how things turned out. Like Kidman and Hudson, Fallon already found the love of his life.
He's been married to Nancy Juvonen for 14 years now. Fans got to know her more during the show's virtual episodes where she even directed Fallon's Joe Exotic skit. The TV host said that his wife served as a one-woman crew — she was also the production scout, editor, lighting person, and producer. Fallon said it's just one of the things that make his wife is "everything" for him. So how did the former Saturday Night Live regular meet this incredible woman? Here's their story.
Who Is Nancy Juvonen And What Does She Do?
Nancy Juvonen was born in Connecticut. But she grew up in California. After finishing her degree in sociology and cooperative education at the University of Southern California, she dabbled into a series of odd jobs. One of which was at a dude ranch in Wyoming. She was also a private flight attendant before getting into the entertainment industry where she first worked for a struggling artist and as an assistant to E Street Band's Clarence Clemons.
Her major breakthrough in Hollywood was when her brother Jim, who was a writer and producer for Mad Love, introduced her to Drew Barrymore in the mid-90s. In her 2016 memoir Wildflower, the actress referred to Juvonen as "the love of my life." She said they met at a bar while filming in Seattle. They soon launched a production company called Flower Films together.
The company is credited for the production of Barrymore's romcom, Never Been Kissed, and is behind other projects by the actress such as Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, and the ongoing Drew Barrymore Show. According to IMDb, Juvonen was the producer for some episodes of the Netflix series Santa Clarita's Diet and the 2001 film Donnie Darko where she also played a flight attendant. The 54-year-old producer has an Emmy nomination for Olive, the Other Reindeer, an animated Christmas musical film based on Vivian Walsh's best-selling children's book.
How Did Jimmy Fallon Meet Nancy Juvonen?
In 2004, Barrymore served as host for a week in Saturday Night Live. Juvonen had snuck in during the rehearsals which led her to meet Fallon. "I kind of crept in quietly and all of a sudden Jimmy goes, 'Hey, Nancy! You're Nancy? Hi, it's so nice to meet you, welcome!'" she told The Tonight Show: At Home Edition. According to the producer, that hospitality instantly drew her to the talk show host who was already spending his last days in the show. But it wasn't until later that year that romance sparked between the two.
It was while shooting the 2005 rom-com, Fever Pitch starring Juvonen's best friend and future husband. Working as the producer for the film, Fallon's future wife fell in love with how amazing he was with the children on set while he thought she "seemingly glowed on a gloomy day." They had their first date after they'd wrapped filming the movie. Then Fallon popped the question in 2007 at the Juvonen summer home in New Hampshire. In December that same year, they tied the knot at Richard Branson's Necker Island.
What's Their Marriage Like?
The couple struggled with infertility in the first five years of their marriage. They've been open about their journey to parenthood which involved turning to surrogacy in 2013. "It’s just really depressing," Fallon said about coping with their challenges. "If there’s anyone out there who is trying and they’re just losing hope, just hang in there. Try every avenue; try anything you can do, 'cause you'll get there. You'll end up with a family, and it’s so worth it. It is the most 'worth it' thing."
The couple is now parents to two beautiful daughters, 8-year-old Winnie Rose and 6-year-old Frances Cole. Despite their difficulties with getting pregnant, they've managed to maintain a blissful marriage all these years. When asked how they were able to do so, Juvonen answered, "My answer’s almost unromantic, but I don’t mean it to be unromantic. You don’t have to like every single thing the same, but you kind of have to have the same values in a way." Fair enough.