He was getting average grades in school, for a short time, Jimmy Fallon was pursuing a career in Computer Science. Outside of school, he adored watching late-night comedy, especially 'SNL'.
This ultimately caused him to change career paths and by the age of 21, he had already secured a manager. He was off to LA in search of making it in the comedy world.
The experience was of the utmost importance, cause the pays really weren't anything great. He made less than $10 per stand-up gig... we can safely say things changed along the way.
As we'll reveal, his first taste of 'SNL' wasn't exactly memorable, and let's just say it was a struggle to get noticed by the show.
Even when he made it on, some fans think that his legacy on the show is a questionable one, having a lesser impact than some of the other alums.
In truth, Fallon's career could've ended because of a controversial skit on the show. Thankfully, he issued an apology and showed remorse, while the person he was imitating in the skit also come out in his defense.
He Bombed His First Audition On The Show
Fallon sent his tape to 'SNL' and soon after, he received a huge chance to shine, getting an audition.
However, the first wasn't memorable and it turned out to be a disaster. Tracy Morgan got the spot and Fallon wasn't feeling all that well after the audition.
"I totally bombed it and it was terrible,” Fallon said. “I couldn’t get the crowd going, they didn’t quite know what I was talking about, and I rushed into it. I was so nervous.”
Thankfully, the late-night host got a second chance to prove himself and this time around, it was a huge success. Fallon went with the basic approach of imitating stars, something that would get him in trouble down the road...
"I'm going to do some celebrity impressions. I also do a lot of musical impressions, but I'm going to make them short for you."
It all worked out in the end though, despite the fact that he was on the show for many years, fans are split when it comes to his legacy.
Questionable Legacy On 'SNL'
Reddit fans were asked, "who is the worst 'SNL' cast member of all time?" Surprisingly, a name that kept coming up amongst the Redditors was of Jimmy himself.
"Jimmy Fallon. I mean... he's okay now. But as a comedic ACTOR, he was and is absolutely s***."
"I hated him when he was on the show. When he came back for their big anniversary show, he owned up to it and made fun of himself for ruining so many sketches with his laughing. I gotta give him some credit for that at least."
"Could he even do a skit without breaking character?"
Certainly, a tainted legacy on the show, though fans do praise Fallon for his ability to keep things light-hearted.
He's also great at impressions, though a certain impression from 2000 almost got him canceled for good.
The Regrettable Skit Of Chris Rock
Back in May of 2020, Fallon showed some accountability over a skit that took place in 2000, 21 years ago. Fallon apologized for his blackface impression, which repulses society looking back.
Had this taken place today, Fallon would've been done for.
What ultimately smoothened the situation was Chris Rock speaking out. He was the one Fallon portrayed in the skit. Rock defended Fallon.
"Hey, man, I'm friends with Jimmy. Jimmy's a great guy. And he didn't mean anything. A lot of people want to say intention doesn't matter, but it does. And I don't think Jimmy Fallon intended to hurt me. And he didn't."
"If I say they are, then I'm the worst guy in the world. There's literally one answer that ends my whole career. Blackface ain't cool, okay? That's my quote. Blackface is bad. Who needs it? It's so sad, we live in a world now where you have to say, I am so against cancer. 'I just assumed you liked cancer.' No, no, no, I am so against it. You have to state so many obvious things you're against."
Showing accountability was the right move by Fallon, Chris Rock speaking out also helped things in a major way. Looking back, it easily could've ended his career, and cut any chance of a late-night talk show hosting gig.