Jimmy Fallon: I Wasn’t Prepared For The Hate… It Was Brutal. I Was Starving, Living on $7.25!

0:00 I was just breaking down mentally of like what have we done? I have I don't know what else to do with my life and I think I wrote a letter to my best friend, like I'm losing it, dude. What did it say?

0:12 It's a deep one. Jesus. Yeah. I was reading through your business portfolio and it's extremely extensive. You found a production company. A ride shoes. You got the ice cream for tonight dough. But the through line here is about making people happy. I've always wanted to please people since I was a kid. And in your eighth grade class you were voted most likely to replace David Letterman on the late night show. Is that crazy,'cause I ended up doing it. Well it does feel like you pulled that into existence somehow. Well I was beyond obsessed.

0:43 I wanted to be on Saturday line. So I worked at the improv or I think the paycheck was seven dollars and twenty five cents. You didn't really eat much. Like I would turn cardboard boxes on the street into tables. It's tough. It's a lot of rejection, but the stage time was priceless. And eventually you got an audition for a Sarn F. This is my big opportunity. I remember going on stage did my first impression. I blew it.

1:07 That was probably my lowest moment. It was very depressing. It said that if you didn't make it on S and L before the age of twenty five, Kill myself. Did you mean that?

1:17 Yeah. But I just knew that I would be on Sarah L. It was going to happen. And against all odds. How old are you?

1:23 Twenty three. So crazy. Jimmy Can you tell me about this one? Oh my god. Yeah.

1:34 Wow. Quick one before we get back to this episode. Just give me thirty seconds of your time. Two things I wanted to say. The first thing is a huge thank you for listening and tuning into the show week after week. It means the world to all of us, and this really is a dream that we absolutely never had and couldn't have imagined getting to this place. But secondly, it's a dream where we feel like we're only just getting started. And if you enjoy what we do here, please join the twenty four percent of people that listen to this podcast regularly and follow us on this app.

2:04 Here's a promise I'm gonna make to you. I'm gonna do everything in my power to make this show as good as I can now and into the future. We're gonna deliver the guests that you want me to speak to, and we're gonna continue to keep doing all of the things you love about this show. Thank you. Thank you so much. Back to the episode.

2:25 Yeah. Do I need to know about you to understand the man that you are. And when I ask that question, I'm specifically trying to understand your earliest Context. Because you're

2:36 Mm. many respects an anomaly, but you're an anomaly that was very, very clear. On where you wanted to go in your life from a shockingly young age. So I'm wondering what gave you such clarity and what the context was that made Made you the unique

2:50 Way that you are. Gosh. That's a great question. That's gonna be the whole that's gonna be the whole show right here. Maybe uh Um

3:01 Entertaining or being f funny is probably or Satisfy people? I think you know wanting to please people? I've always wanted to please people. Since I was a kid.

3:13 Like I don't know if it was my parents or my grandparents or I wanted to make people Feel and and g and I'm it's the best party. You know, and I'm giving everything. I want to make sure it's so

3:28 Yeah. Pleasing or appeasing uh one of those words. But I think I've always wanted to do that. And that's kind of What I do now.

3:37 Do you have like an earliest memory of that behaviour? I think wanting to do good and like uh I I don't know the It it's at uh sports maybe or You know, in grade school or Uh I I remember I was an altar boy.

3:53 You know, so I I I was uh At one point at one point if I want to be a priest. Yeah, which I thought I think I'd be a pretty good priest. It would be funny. You know.

4:02 I can have good delivery, you know. S someone said to me once, they said, Maybe you got your first taste of uh wanted to be an uh entertainer from being an altar boy because You're up on stage, kind of. Yeah, yeah. Technically. Yeah. And there's an audience. Yeah.

4:18 Kind of performing. I mean walking around and You're wearing an outfit kind of, you know, wearing costume and you know, so it's kind of theater in a weird way. But I remember just Kind of.

4:30 wanting to do good for like it'd be like Make my Parents proud or right. Grandparents proud or There was a kind of

4:39 I mean it it all happened so fast that I don't I don't know. I don't have problems with it or or go back to it and go, God, that was traumatic. You know, I just think that I was always like A people pleaser.

4:52 Your parents were very strict. Yeah. Very Catholic, very strict. No cursing. No sex, you know, very Catholic. You know, not

5:01 No dirty words, no my I listen to comedy albums. You know, and my dad would take a key and scratch the curse words out of the record. He would find where the dirty word wasn't stopping and scratch it out of the record so I wouldn't hear it. So I would hear Rodney Dangerfield. And it would skip to the end of the joke and say, Well, I'll tell you and then cut to people clapping and laughing. I go, Well, I don't even know what the joke was. I mean kind of ruined it, I go

5:27 Why were they laughing? But I think quite But uh he would my dad would tape music videos. You know, uh we'd have these shows in in America, you know, called like uh USA night flight or Friday night videos and they He taped these music videos.

5:42 He would watch them on Saturdays. And go tape to tape of what videos we could see. That wasn't uh offensive at all, or Is sexually inappropriate or something too advanced for us or something.

5:56 Funny. Life at the party. Hard working. Very Brooklyn

6:02 Very New York. He sang in a do up group. Uh on the street corner. No not professionally, but just that was one of the things he did. In high school and then he also fought in gangs.

6:14 Like uh not Just beat each other up, gangs. Like I don't think anyone killed each other, but this was back in the fifties. Well they just Would one gu street corner would fight another street corner?

6:25 Mm-hmm. Have a fist fight or something. Tough guy. He's a tough guy. Yeah. No.

6:33 Not emotional. Um I'm Never see my dad cry or Any other stuff. Affectionate. Yeah. I mean I got l I love you and

6:44 Hugs. And stuff like that, yeah. I mean not overly. Not The way I think I am. I'm I'm hugging my kids every single day and telling them how proud I am of them and

6:56 Saying I love you and they say I love you back and You know, I I'm I'm overly You know. Where I didn't have that. You know I

7:04 I think it was just a little bit. My mom was more that. And I think that was kind of put on my mom's year the emotional, you know. Uh you

7:13 hugged the kids and love them and he was just more like Yep. I I love you. Yeah. That's great. He was rooting for me, always.

7:20 You know. But you know, a little harsh but not Not crazy harsh. Like we You know. Yeah.

7:29 Nothing. Crazy. Gloria, your mother. Yeah. Gloria's my mom, yeah.

7:36 Uh Sadly passed away. Uh miss my mom. My mom's name's Gloria, my sister's name's is Gloria. My dad's named Jim and I'm named Jim.

7:46 A very unoriginal parent. Couldn't come up with uh any other name. Like th those are the perfect names for you. But yeah, my mom was my She rooted for me. That was my number one fan. I was the golden child in her head, you know I Whatever I did, she was like That's that's my kid. That's my Oh my god.

8:07 You're fantastic. You gotta go on you're great. You know, and she was always root me on whatever it is I did, she would laugh. You know? And uh I I I miss her not being around, you know,'cause I would talk to her Uh every day, you know.

8:22 Sometimes multiple times a day and Yeah. Talk about Sarant Live and She'd watch the show and see sketches that was funny. I mean I would She was part of my

8:32 Life and I think part of What built my confidence. Even as an adult. Yeah. Completely.

8:39 As another. Yeah. I would call her and just go What's going on? Yeah, she loved to talk. That was her

8:45 She was great at that. She had one of those phones. That had the phone cords that was so stretched out. From walking all around the house and talking all day that the phone cord Probably was Two miles long. I mean it's a it was a pile of spaghetti on the floor. Mike, it's so

9:01 I go, gosh. You should get a cordless phone. You won't even believe how your life changes. You can go anywhere, Mom. Uh, but she loved to walk around and talk, so she could talk all day long. But then she would call me and say I saw you on TV, or you know if she saw I go, I know, Mom, I'm on that show. She's like, You're on Ellen today. I go, I know, Mom. Yeah, I I was there. I was

9:22 Uh that was me. I was on it, yeah. But she was my number one fan and love the bit that I would do and choose One of the most interesting people ever and like the you know. Both of them together are kind of cartoon characters.

9:37 You know, and By the end, you know, they both kind of Couldn't really hear each other, you know? It was a lot of like What?

9:44 And my dad would go, Huh? Yeah. I said what? Huh? What? Huh? And they just say what, huh until I interrupt to go Stop.

9:52 Just up. Talking. Because let's just move on. You can't hear each other. This is uh insane. But I wish I can give you the best Uh story of Kind of what my mom

10:02 I mean I remember going home to the house where I grew up in Socrates, New York. After I was on Sarat Live and Or maybe even during the And I came home and mom's like, Let's go out to dinner.

10:13 There you go. Okay. I go, but I I I don't really need to. I live in Manhattan. There's some of the best restaurants. I I come home because I went Home cooked. Yeah. Meals, you know. But but I was I go

10:24 Sure, I go I go, but just don't make a big deal. Don't embarrass me. I'm not gonna embarrass you, I'm not. Okay, let's go. So we go into this restaurant. And we sit in and we sit down

10:33 And sh she was kinda getting a draft. I go. No no, we're not moving. We're not making a big deal. Remember, that's the deal. We're just not making A scene. We're having dinner. Like you said, we're gonna go Okay, fine.

10:44 So we're sitting there and she'll let's order. I go, You're great. And she goes, I'll have this. My dad's like, I'll have steak And I go, I'll have the lamb chops or something. Great. So we're waiting and They come over with

10:56 My dad and my meal. They forget my masmia, they go. You know, we didn't put in the uh Lamb sh. Okay.

11:04 So we can't really see so she's just So you're thank you as they leave. She goes, I'm not going to eat. I go, Well you can't do that'cause you gotta make a scene. You have to eat later she goes, No, I'm just I'm fine, I don't care. I go, Please don't make a big deal. She goes, I'm not making beans, just where's my thing? I ordered it. I'm okay, I go, Don't make a big deal. Finally they bring over this lamb thing after this whole thing, I go great, just eat it. She's like So she's eating out of spite.

11:27 And she takes the first bite and she goes. And they go. Oh my god. She's not joking. Interesting.

11:35 Pointing at her throat. And I go, Oh my God. So my dad Sticks his finger down my mom's throat. And he's like and she's like making these noises. And I go Oh this is a nightmare. And then some woman runs over and she goes, I'm a nurse, I'm a nurse, and knocking over tables and knocking everything over, and grabs my mom and picks up my mom and gives her the him leg, and my mom is making a noise that I've never heard anyone ever. She was making I've never heard my mom make this. She was going like, Oh, ho.

12:03 Ha! And and then a she pulled it and then a lamb ball flew out of my mom's mouth. And hit the wall. And the whole restaurant is just looking at us.

12:15 And they sit down and she's crying, you know, and she's You know, alive. And my dad goes, All right, let's just finish dinner and I go Finish dinner. It's over. We're going home. We're we're buying a Bible bind for that lady and we're getting out of here. My dad was like

12:30 That lady should have minded her own business. Maybe it was mom's time to go, you know? You know, but it was it they were that Weird and funny where they're like odd People but always making jokes. But that was so

12:45 And it was embarrassing, but you know I remember telling that story You know, and she uh at a party she would love to hear it because That was just very hern. You know, she

12:56 She she just did stuff like that where just like oh this can't be real. A lot of that. Um Both your parents, who are you trying to please the most? Do you think?

13:05 Who who are you waiting for the well done from the most? God. Probably my My mom. I think she she uh I I w I would like to make her laugh.

13:19 You know,'cause she had a great laugh. They both did. I think uh of both of them. I think my mom would be the one'cause I was like she was a fan of mine. So it's almost like going like

13:31 So Do you like the second record? If you're a fan of the Beatles, you know, Do you like Sergeant Pepper? Yeah. You know, it and she would be like Like it, I like this, you know, better that'cause I could tell that she's a fan of mine, so she's like Oh, I like this new thing you're doing, or I like the song you did, you know. Uh I think that was

13:51 Great because I I could get feedback from someone I could tell was kind of studying what I was doing. For me being a comedian and being comedic is so S

14:04 I say this with the h the most amount of respect. But it's so so strange. Because it's such a big risk and it's such a unique career to pursue with very little promise of it of financial return. Or any real Yeah, yeah. Notoriety. Like when I sp spoke to Jim uh Jimmy Carr and other comedians that I've interviewed, It's something a little bit

14:25 Yeah. Say it. Crazy. Crazy. Mental, yeah. Crazy about it. You know, I never And I still to this day I don't care about money. I never cared about money. I never did anything for I'm I don't I I just don't do it. I never did it for money.

14:44 And I always Just I worked because I liked working. You know, I liked I worked since I was thirteen. Because I enjoyed I guess

14:54 Getting a paycheck, but you know and Paying for things but I don't know what things I was paying for. I was Thirteen years old. But I mean I I like to The idea of

15:03 Going into work and working a nine to five day and You know, doing overtime and I I l I looked forward to Working wherever it was. And like Maybe it was because I was trying to be my dad.

15:14 'Cause he would go to work in the mornings and then I would see him at night, you know, when he came home, but I I remember just Not caring about money and My mom I would always put Laundry in the laundry basket or whatever my mom would do the laundry.

15:27 Jimmy, I found uh five dollars in your jeans. And I go, Okay, yeah, yeah. She goes, Thanks. She goes, Next time I'm gonna keep it. And I go, Do it. I could care less. I mean, I Take she's like you know, and then my dad's like, you gotta start caring about money.

15:42 And I go, I don't. I don't I I don't think I ever will. I just don't it never was a thing for me. I never cared about Oh, I got the most. Or I I got paid blah blah blah. I just love the experience of it all.

15:54 Experience of Work. Uh anywhere, Court. Anywhere. It led to comedy. As well as the when I did comedy shows.

16:03 You know, when you When you worked at the improv in LA, it was a great c comedy club. In Los Angeles. on Melrose Avenue. You would go up and I think the paycheck was seven dollars.

16:15 And twenty five cents. That's what you get paid total. There's no way you could do that for the money. 'Cause I mean it's worthless. What's seven dollars gonna do for you? But

16:25 It was the getting on stage. The stage time. That was priceless. And building an act. And trying to get a persona and build a brand

16:33 And build a character and and work in your act that can lead to A bigger act or Uh Saturday. Saturday gig page.

16:42 Maybe Twenty dollars. A a gig and that was kind of Okay, money. And they would also feed you on a Saturday. So which is great'cause I had no food.

16:52 You know, I was just like living there going like Oh. You know, I make up to seven dollars I can By some things, but I you didn't really eat much. Saturday they would feed you and

17:03 I remember my first Saturday gig. At the improv. I go in and it's a big deal. Then I'm brand new, uh probably out in LA maybe six months or something. And

17:14 I work my way. Any weeknight, any time they call you have to be up there. And so I did that and then put my dues in for that and showed up and had I did pretty well. I had a good ten minute act. And um Saturday night gig and I get there and I see Jerry Seinfeld. In the restaurant, I go.

17:30 And I go out to the Uh payphone and I call my parents one eight hundred collect. Do you know what that is? Just about. Yeah, it's like a f uh way to make a collect call so that you don't pay for it if you have no money, so you would call one hair collect and Someone would have to pay for the My parents would pay for the phone call from LA.

17:47 And I call my mom one hundred collected and she goes What's uh hi Jimmy I go, Mom. Jerry Seinfeld. Is that the club? It's the improv tonight's thing. Oh my god.

17:56 Cherry Seinfeld. Oh my God, I can't believe it. Uh she's like this is the peak of Cizville. She goes, Is he gonna go, Do you stand up? And I go, I don't think so. I don't know. He's just eating at the restaurant and he's I know he's a fan of Comedy and Uh the owner of his name is Bud Friedman.

18:11 And so he was there with Bud. So I go so I go in. And I'm getting ready to do my act, which is a lot of impressions. And I'm waiting there and who goes on stage but Jerry Seinfeld. He just walks on things. We have a surprise for you tonight.

18:24 And he gets a standing ovation. Cr before he even says anything. Comes out, does his greatest hits. I mean Crushing.

18:32 Every joke. Uh the the famous ones, the the sock missing from the dryer, the whole bit. He did everything then says good night, standing ovation, and he leaves. And the guy goes, Okay. Who's on next? Uh Mark and this guy. Mark goes, I'm not following that. And he goes, Uh, how about uh you? And he you know, there's two other guys here like uh Uh Daryl or he goes, I'm not following that. He's like

18:54 Who's Jimmy Fallon? And he goes, that's that's me. Yeah, you're up next, kid. I go, Oh my gosh. My first Saturday I have to follow

19:04 the greatest comedian of all I mean, he was the hottest comedian. Might be one of the best comedians of all time now. I mean he's the greatest. And follow that was my first act. I'm like Phew and so I went up and I had this doll. And I would do these impressions about a troll doll.

19:20 And different impressions of celebrities that would be the hosts of the com Like this one. You do your research. Unless you just carry that around. Like that one.

19:36 So I would have this doll Oh my gosh, this is my act. This is so I would have this and I go Hello, I'm Jimmy Fallon and welcome to the auditions for Troll Productions Incorporated. We're looking for a star or sponsor for our new line of troll. I would do like a British accent, I don't know why. I thought that was cool for me at the time. Price sounds terrible to you. Um I don't mean to be offensive. I go, uh we're looking for a star or celebrity to sponsor our new line of troll dolls for our new uh line of commercials. Uh first up John Travolta.

20:04 Then I go. She's like, I swear to God, I mean, like look at his hair, like who does this who does this hair? Like it's so weird. Like what kind of doll is this right? I mean like I can't even like play with this thing over here, you know. You know, Sandy, you know, would do something like that. And but this time I came out and I go

20:20 First up for the celebrities Seinfeld. And I go, Okay, people, okay, look at these dolls. They don't have their arms and legs don't move! These aren't fun! He's got no pass on!

20:33 He's not even wearing pants, what kind of dollars is? And it worked. And I follow Jerry Cyfa. And I was like And that was cool. And then I went down the the list and I finished my act and I pulled out a guitar and I

20:45 Play guitar with the troll doll and That was my act for Years. Remember these little guys with fuzzy hair. We're looking for like a jingle. For our new line of Fr commercials. First up

21:02 You too? Mm. S Were you a confident young man? So if I was in back to when you were twelve.

21:16 And you were the class clown in nineteen eighty six. Were you a confident man. What was going on in your head? I think I was pretty confident. I wasn't cocky. I mean I remember like my Grandfather, my parents being like, Hey, don't be They didn't like kids that were too Full of themselves of cockeyos.

21:32 Pretty Uh but I was confident. In your eighth grade class you were voted by your peers most likely to replace David Letterman. On The late night show.

21:43 And you were thirteen years old at the time. Is that crazy? Because I ended up doing that. Crazy. I ended up doing that. I replaced David Letterman. But you were aiming at that. I wasn't. You aiming at the SNL thing, that's it. SN yeah, S was my aim. I wanted to be a cast member on

21:58 Saturday live. Um Which I ended up doing. But then Saturday Live is what got me late night. Uh you know, to uh which is Letterman's show.

22:09 And then late night got me the tonight show. When you look back at how uh That age You uh Aiming.

22:16 you know, as a young man to be on S and L, which is exceedingly rare. But you also went on to re you know, replace uh David Letterman on the the late night show. When you look back in hindsight and go So if you're one if your ch child came to you and said, Dad How does one aim at a goal and then accomplish it?

22:36 And how did you aim at such a goal? And in hindsight, what were the factors that went into your accomplishing that goal? Are there like principles that You could transfer to somebody to make them accomplish such a goal. Cause you know, one of your best friends, I think it was Frank Gentle, records that you are He says, I've never met anybody more focused.

22:55 on what their goal was in life. It's you know, I'm not a huge believer in manifestation as people often describe it, but it does feel like you pulled that into existence somehow. I remember just being I d I don't know w what it is. I w I wasn't that well read or anything like that, but I just knew that

23:12 What I wanted to do. I think from around twelve or thirteen. And maybe it's because people said I was good at it or it was making people laugh, you know. So I think when my f peers and my friends said like

23:26 You should do this. Like I I think you're gonna be famous one day, or I think you're gonna be A comedian. You know, I think you start believing it and you're like Oh, maybe I am good at this.

23:36 Like I don't even remember w watching Late night or David Letterman around that time. I knew Saturday Live. I mean, probably did watch Letterman. And Johnny Carson, the Snight Show.

23:47 But I think I started thinking, Oh yeah. Siret Live will be that's what I wanna do. That's that'll be the ultimate dream. 'Cause that felt

23:55 Exciting. And electric and show business, but also cool and edgy, and I was like If That would be my goal. Like w how would I do that? And I remember like

24:06 Secretly. If I threw a coin in a fountain. Or if I made a wish on a birthday cake. You know, which I still do. You know, it that's not my wish anymore, but I remember I w would blow out the candles and I'd say, I wanna be on Center Line.

24:19 Every year. Oh my birthdays. Any wish that I can make. That's what I wished. That it could be on Saturday Live.

24:26 And so maybe that Pressure that I put on myself. Drove me to figure it out and See what were the right steps. I think You know

24:38 My big decision You know, was going into stand up and doing impressions. I knew the show could always use impressions and people doing impersonations of celebrities. Mm-hmm. You know.

24:49 And so I thought that was one way in. And so I remember Doing that and then I remember reading that People that uh study at the groundlings. Which is an impromptu.

24:59 Uh if they study their Some people go from the groundlings to Sarant Live. So I moved out to LA. And Started taking classes at the groundlings.

25:08 Just in case that could help me. I also knew that there was a Management company name. Ring Gray. That managed a lot of the people that were on Sarant Live.

25:18 And if I could get it seen by Brostine Gray. Maybe they would You know, the Adam Sandler's of the world or the Yeah, people that

25:26 Uh you know, they they had everyone from I think Belushi. On So you know, they probably have people on the show now. But I remember.

25:34 Getting a call from me Manager. who used to work at Broasting Gray just left. Her name is Randy Siegel. And she was great, and she was my manager.

25:44 I moved out to LA with the manager. And so I thought she would know how to guide me. To Sang Live. What are your parents saying at this time? Cause if you're if one's kid says, I'm gonna go out to LA to do comedy and improv and these kinds of things.

25:59 Your dad was a a Koreer man. He was working at IBM, I believe. Yes, he was working at IBM. He said to me, I said uh I he said, Look, just guarantee me two years of college. Yeah. Just just go to college for at least two years.

26:14 Yeah. I think we made a deal where we said if you go for four years, I'll I'll pay for two years. And you pay for two years. Are you okay? That was kind of a deal for us.

26:24 And so I remember going to college for Three and a half years. And on that half of that last semester I I got kind of an opportunity to go to LA.

26:35 To meet with this manager. And I said, I called my parents and I said. I think I'm gonna drop out.

26:42 And move and go to LA and Go for it. And just try to Acting

26:47 Lessons and take Class of the groundlings. And try to get an audition for Saturday Live. And they were like, Alright. Well,

26:55 Yeah. really think about this. You know, this is really w what you do and who is this person that you're going out to? And I go, Her name is Randy Siegel, she's a manager and I had met her through a a guy that I used to work for in

27:10 in Troy, New York. I was a receptionist at a Newsweekly. Called uh Metroland. I used to answer the phones and I would also do the personal ads like you know, men seeking women and blah blah and I type those things out. And I remember he moved to LA. To be a music manager.

27:26 And so I gave him my tape on his way out. A video tape of me doing my troll act. And I said, uh if you see anybody He goes, Well uh I'm not doing comedy, I'm doing music. I go, I know. But if you see anybody Maybe pass it along.

27:38 And so he passed it along to this manager. So she talked to my parents. And they got a phone call where she was like I think Jimmy's got something. You know, he's green, but I think if he gets you know

27:50 If he goes to work and puts in the work I I think that he'll get something I you know, I I I I think he'll be successful. U amateur. Uh he's you know, he's not ready yet. If you you know you're not ripe.

28:04 He's he's green. So if you're green you're you're like uh, you know. Uh green banana. Yeah. Yeah. Did you ever give up on yourself or did you ever doubt yourself? While you were out in LA. Yeah.

28:16 Definitely. Uh a bunch of times. It's tough. When you're just not getting a The the it's not working.

28:24 And you wanna tell everyone that it is working, but it's hard. It's a lot of rejection. And You end up like You just trying so hard and you go, I know what I want, but It takes a

28:35 Takes a much time to get there. But in the meantime, you have to take auditions. You you have to'cause I was like I I didn't want to take acting lessons.

28:44 'cause James Dean We go to acting class and just watch and never Do the acting lessons? And I like James Dean for some reason. So I would go and I'd just sit in the back of the And watch everybody and finally the acting teacher came up to me. He was like

28:58 Are you sure you want to do this? Because I mean You can get so much more out if you did this. and started working with other actors, I think you should because You're a stand up comedian, you don't Perform with anyone. You're by yourself.

29:10 On stage. I think you should learn how to act with the uh other actors. And I was like Yeah, maybe he's right. Like I'm I'm not James Dean. So I started

29:19 Acting. And then you realize oh Gosh. I'm really not good at this. I gotta learn how to do this. It's it's a skill. To play off of other people and to listen to other people. So then I started uh doing auditions because that's my manager would get me an audition for

29:33 movies and stuff. And I think my first audition was To play a a lifeguard. In the Brady Bunch two movie or something. And I had to say like one line like Get out of the pool.

29:45 Something like that. And uh so I remember going And uh my my My line was Print it on fax paper. They faxed it over. When fax machines were a thing.

29:55 And so I had and they they would tell you, bring in the paper when you do the audition, hold the lines. So that they don't think that you're off book. So they think that you have a chance of getting better. I go, Okay, great. So I'd hold the paper and I go And action. I go.

30:10 Get out of the get out of the pool. Yeah. Okay. Wanna just do it one more time? It's quiet. It's just so awkward.

30:18 And I go. Get out of the pool! Or whatever it was. Okay. Uh bye bye.

30:25 And actually said Bye bye. And I was like My face got red. I got so embarrassed. And I got back to my apartment and My manager called me and I go.

30:34 Uh, did you hear feedback? She was Yeah, you didn't get it. Uh They said uh weirdly she goes, they said you're uh too green. Mm. And I go, Okay.

30:43 She goes, but we have to work on it, you know, just keep doing it. And keep doing auditions and working on these lines and You should get an acting coach and go bring the lines to the acting class and go, here's c can need you get out of the pool, you know, whatever better. So It's just got over and over again you get rejected and You you wouldn't get parts. I got

31:01 No parts of pride audition for Yeah, thirty uh it's shows and movies and stuff like that. And I you just kind of It's tough. It's really tough.

31:11 say anyone going into the business or acting or Or or any of that stuff, the entertainment stuff, you're gonna get beat up. Re it's gonna be to the point where you're like I'm so depressed I can't do it. But just know that If you can just

31:24 Get through it and keep working, eventually. Whatever it is that's gonna happen in life will work out. A uh lighting uh Director, maybe uh maybe it won't be acting, but

31:40 It will get you to where you're supposed to be. If you just Keep going. And keep doing I just kept kind of telling myself that and Uh, you know, I ran out of money.

31:50 And I was like, I'm gonna have to go home. to live with my parents and Probably go back to College If I can if they can let me back in and

31:59 I think I even look might have looked into it, but I was just so Bummed out'cause that's not what I wanted at all. I wanted to be on Saturday Live. And um

32:07 You know. It's just Oh 'Cause it's like

32:16 People couldn't believe that they're like, that's not reality. You can't just say I'm gonna be on Saturday Live. I remember going to my groundly's class. My first teacher was great, his name's Jim Wise. And he goes. Uh what do you want to do? And you go around the horn. And people like I want to be in movies.

32:30 I wanna be in a TV show. I wanna be in a sitcom and I said I wanna be on Saturday live. I won't. That's very specific. That's like yeah.

32:39 It's one in a zillion. Yeah. That's what I want. And he brought that up to me.

32:45 brings it up everybody's like, I'll never forget that. You Said that that's what you wanted to do and That was my ultimate ultimate I said if I do nothing else in life. That's all I wanted to do.

32:57 And Like even if that if I got on For one season or one episode. Then I could do whatever I could. I I didn't care what I did after that. That was what was the fixation with Saturday Night Live?

33:08 I think my parents Loved it. And and their friends loved it, but that was what they would watch. And that was like the pinnacle of Comedy. That was the best comedy show.

33:20 In America. And so that was the best. So It's like Playing for the greatest.

33:26 Team. Yeah. Playing for The Yankees or Yeah.

33:31 Whatever, I don't know soccer, but Arsenal I have no idea. Manchester United. Oh Manchester United. Yeah. You couldn't help yourself. Oh my gosh. But yes, playing for the You're playing You wanna play, play for the best. If you can make it there.

33:47 That's the best team. Then you could do whatever for that if you play for Manu. Y upcoming football players would be happy to play for any Premier League team. Man United is, you know, of course great, but they would aim for any Premier League team where you seem to be Like religiously.

34:04 intent on it being Saturday night live. Yeah, it had to be that. Because I think that's what we we would watch, we would talk about it As a family. As kind of a family, yeah, as a family. They would Uh, they would tape it. You know, we were one of the first families to have a V CR. Yeah, which is uh anyone young listening to this podcast, a video cassette recorder. So it would tape It's like a D V R. Digital video recording. So it's a video cassette and you would tape it on these

34:30 Giant tapes and they would record two hours, you know, on television. And so we would tape the show. And then you can re watch it. And then I would re watch it and study it and watch the sketches over and over again and watch repeats and watch the greats and watch Belushi and Dan Aykroyd and people I want Bill Murray and Steve Martin, people I wanted to be like.

34:50 As it got into high school I was taping it. watching the best sketches and I would go to my friend's party and show the best sketch that week. You go, Oh, this is the best sketch. It's Chris Farley and it's blah blah blah. Or you know, I I I would Be obsessed that way.

35:06 I almost became so obsessed. in high school that I couldn't really Hang out with anyone while they watch the show. 'Cause I didn't like it if anyone didn't like the show.

35:15 And My parents used to let me drink If I would stayed in the h if I stayed home. So if I didn't go out, they would

35:23 Buy me a six pack of beer. Then I could drink. It probably, you know. Sixteen or something, or Something like that.

35:30 You know not. The the smartest but they would you know, I would hang out with my friends and They would say, Yeah, they're gonna have a couple of beers and Yeah, if I would watch Sarant Live. With the six pack.

35:42 And watch it. And um Study it. And I ended up just Stop watching it with

35:48 Anyone else? I you know, I guess I still drank. But uh I became an alcoholic at sixteen. Uh uh but But it was it was a thing that I would do and I would just study it and I would every Saturday night and the in it continuing into college. My friends would have parties. And they go, You gotta come, right? I go, I'll be there at one o'clock.

36:11 Yeah, you No, the parties You gotta come be I go Saturday live. Can't go. Nigga. Just tape it. I go, I can't just tape it. I have to watch it live.

36:20 Obsessed. Yeah. I was beyond obsessed. Uh uh obsessed. Without a doubt. That was it.

36:27 That was the pinnacle, like. even I I went on like an MBC tour with my dad, like a bus trip to New York City and Took me on a tour of NBC to see Sarah Levin. Yeah, this is as older.

36:41 I was just so nervous to go in the building and Gosh, this is the building. This is what it looks like. This is the you know the the the the the doorway and the revolving door. I know all this and the I know everything. I know the what the the walls look like, the what the ceilings painted like. I know Art Deco decorate you know, I knew everything. I geeked out. And I was like

37:01 This is the best day just going on tour there. Now I've worked there for Twenty something years. You know. It's my h home. I I've been working in that building since

37:12 Nineteen eighty eight. I don't even think about it anymore. That's the door going to work. N every now and then I'll walk to you know, I I walk to work. Almost every day, but I'll I'll get that feeling again, like, Oh yeah.

37:24 Don't lose that. This word obsession, it seems to be earlier when I said, you know, the the principles of or characteristics that got you to to where you are today, but clearly obsession is one of them. I mean you're you're obsessed to an extent that I didn't actually realise with becoming A host on Saturday Night Live.

37:41 Yeah. And obsession is a powerful force, isn't it? Because it It means that one can bang their head against an immovable object over and over again until the immovable object moves out its way.

37:53 And that's kind of what you found yourself doing in LA. You're sat that you're going to these auditions, you're getting rejected. What was your mental health like in that period when you're in LA? Because you're dealing with constant rejection, you're you're running out of money, you're contending with having to go home. Wasn't the greatest. And I'm a pretty positive guy in general.

38:12 But I think that was Probably my lowest. looking back. I mean, I remember like you know, uh trying to see w what therapy was or if I could afford a therapist or what that meant or Why?

38:27 Because I was just breaking down mentally of like What what What if I

38:34 What have I Done like what have I done? I've I've kind of Made these decisions. And I wasn't getting anywhere. And it was like

38:43 I mean I had Really kind of no friends and No social life. Just obsessed with work. And obsessed with

38:52 Stand up. And trying to make my act better and Trying to see if I can Get on Titan Live and having no money. And just going like what is this all about?

39:02 You know, I can't I don't know if I can afford to keep failing. You know, I can't live in my an apartment. If you don't make money. You know, and I I can't Can't afford gas. to get to the audition. You can't eat. You is you like you just go, Oh yeah.

39:16 I just gotta keep doing Kigs but I'm running out of Space. Go home. I can Go back to doing like

39:24 These little clubs and make some money, save up money, and then go back out and try again in LA. I remember they became a moment where I'm like Oof. I think I wrote a letter to my best friend, like I'm losing it, dude. And

39:36 In fact I know I did because he still has the letter and He works for our show now. And he says, I have it and I'll publish it one day. I'll give it to people if I need the money. I'll I'll I'll I'll I'll release your letter of view emotionally broken. I go you know, but that's what best friends do. They hold it over your head. Yeah, exactly. And I go, gosh. I mean, you know, it's one of those embarrassing things. Probably wish I didn't write that, but

40:05 What did it say? I don't I d I have don't even ask, but I think it was something to the point like I'm losing it. And I don't know if I can make it and I have I don't know what else to do with my life and

40:18 Uh yeah. Something to that or effect or you know, I miss College, I miss my I miss you, I miss having friends, I miss going out.

40:30 I miss you know. I think it was that. It was like Maybe regretting my decision. To to move Tell me.

40:38 This Jimmy might go back to that Jimmy and say to him. At that time if you could to Maybe advice or Yeah, I mean of course the advice would be like it's gonna be okay.

40:56 You know Yeah. I I I think Probably the best would to go back and be like, Hey, I'm proud of you, dude. Like

41:04 You're doing Exactly what You have to do. You're doing what you have to do to become Me.

41:11 So I'm so proud of you. So keep it up. You know? You know. I mean I would

41:20 All the things that like I remember just in LA and like I remember like Finding Carboard boxes that were thrown out in this garage next to me and bringing that in.

41:31 Not dirty or anything, but New boxes and I would put sheets over and they would become tables. So I would use that as like kind of an end table next to my bed. Stuff like that. And you go, Oh yeah.

41:43 It's creative. You know It it could you could look at it so sad to talk about now and go, Oh my God, you're by yourself and you had carboard boxes, it's tables and you go I didn't think about that. That would look nice if it had a sheet over it.

41:57 And that looked kinda cool. It was very kinda dormy. You know, but I I think about I don't know why it just made me think about it now. I'm just So maybe I mean Having cardboard furniture was depressing. But you know, you know, I I think that's where you have to dig

42:12 And see if you can make the find the funny in it and go like if you can perform now. Then get ready when if you're If you get uh if you step in the ring. You're an animal. Well I am proud of you.

42:28 You didn't quit? Even You're really like against all odds, you're doing something that no one And the family's done? That none of your friends have done, you really don't know where this is gonna end.

42:40 And you're kind of In adventuring into an odd Place. All new stuff that's never been done. And it's

42:50 It's it's it's great. you'll get tested in a different way. And you'll be mentally stronger. And so I I'm proud of you because

43:01 This is all. Tough now, but It will pay off. When when you need to show your strengths or you know It's almost like you're going to the gym.

43:11 You know. It will pay off one day. Like I don't want to do it. I don't wanna run, I don't wanna lift, I don't wanna do anything, I don't wanna eat go, I know, but future me is telling you this is great that you're doing this'cause you're going to have a it's just gonna be when when you need it, you'll be strong enough. And so I think I was

43:30 Becoming stronger as it was Building it. And uh I look back and I I I wouldn't change anything.

43:37 You know. You know, I would say I want it to happen faster. But Not really.

43:47 I think you have to Live through all the stuff and go, Oh yeah. No, I remember that. That was cringy. Ooh, that was rough. Oh I remember that. That was bad. But W that was a good one. And then you go, Oh yeah, that was another great one. And then oh yeah, and then you start thinking of all these

44:01 Stuff that you thought was Depressing. Then it's kinda charming now. And you go. Kind of

44:07 I love those days. I love the days where you And that was a The biggest problem. The biggest problem in your life was that you didn't do a great impression of Jerry Seifelt. Like

44:17 That was the biggest problem in your life? Okay. Then I think your life is pretty good. That was it meant so much to me, though. You know, and I think about that now with my daughters.

44:30 You know, they tell me the stuff is going on in school and stuff and To me I'm like You won't even see these kids. They mean this will mean nothing to you. Maybe you'll be friends with them for life. I hope so be great, but I don't think so.

44:42 I don't remember anyone I don't talk to anyone from my grade school. But it's the biggest thing in their life now. So you can't say that. 'Cause it's like dad. This is my life. What you talking about?

44:52 This is the biggest thing. Like High school's so slow when you're in high school. Right now, four years is a joke. Four years is like a joke to me. I go, Oh my God. I can do anything for four years.

45:03 When you're in it. It's long. Four years feels like twenty five years. Yeah. Could you have imagined a reality where you didn't end up getting onto SNL at some point. So if we were sat here now, you're fifty years old

45:16 And you're sat here and you'd never done it. I would have done it. Uh. So this is what I'm I'm getting at is I would have found a way and done it.

45:25 And even just w walk down or something. I would have found a way to get on it. I I would have found some way to either be in Extra or walk in the background or Do something or I would have

45:39 There's no way. Is there way? I I have to. But you're saying if I didn't.

45:47 What would happen, or are you saying I don't think it would ever happen. Ha ha I had to be on it. I was gonna make it happen. And I had to do it. Oh yeah? I don't think there was an option. I don't think there I I would have done it.

46:00 I don't think there's ever an option that I wouldn't ever have been on that show. I asked the question because there are areas of my life where I sometimes reflect and go. I always thought that that was going to happen. And the consideration that that might not have happened makes it's almost like this like Then life wouldn't have been real. Like then

46:18 Everything I believed would have been a lie. There's small things in my life there. When i you look at me as a young man and I'm filming myself pretending that a TV show have asked me to do something that ended up happening ten years ago. And I go. It was that was always how in my brain I did that too. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean I I think a lot of uh

46:36 Uh s uh performers have done this where you interview yourself. And you pretend you're on a radio show. And you go like uh here I am. I'm counting down the top ten songs and here's the vo and I have cassettes of me doing that, you know. I think a lot of people do that.

46:51 When I asked you the question about SNL, you are so convinced that that's always the way that it was going to go. And I'm like that's what I'm trying to I wanted to see your reaction when I make you consider that it didn't go that way. I can't see it. Not happening.

47:05 I had to uh It was going to happen. I d I don't know. I don't I don't know if I can Tell you honestly that I Could

47:13 Imagine another path. I don't even know if I could. Fake it. 'cause I would be lying. I know I would be answering that.

47:22 I have to. I just That was I can't even I can't lie and say, Well I guess I could have done I just know.

47:32 So how did you think about it? You go from that kid who's writing the letter to his friend saying that he's considering giving up. And seeking out therapy and those kinds of things. How did you get from that moment to That first Saturday Night Live audition.

47:46 I think you get l little Things, little good things. Happened to you. You can use the word luck, right? It sounded like you paused on the word luck though, but I could use luck.

47:58 But I I'm just gonna say good things. I mean it it probably is luck. I I feel like I'm a lucky person. But I think they're just like

48:09 Uh, like you I g I think I got a a holding deal at Warner Brothers television to do like to act for a sitcom or something, even though I didn't want a sitcom. I remember them putting in the contract. That

48:23 If I get Sarant Live while I'm doing the sitcom, then I can could actually get out. And they said. No. That's the whole reason no no one can you can't

48:35 I go, Well that's that's the only reason I get I have to get this in this clause in my Contract. And the they said No one's ever asked for that, but um Okay. So they put it in my contract. So if I

48:47 was on the show, the show didn't get picked up. But if the show got picked up and I got a chance to audition for Scient Live, I could leave the show contractually.'Cause they were like It's just no, it's not gonna happen. But so I I ended up acting and getting a little money. Which is great.

49:03 'Cause it actually. I could stay at my apartment and actually Still work on my goal. of Sarah Live, you know, while not doing I didn't want to act in sitcoms. But that that help me.

49:17 Take a breath and go like Okay. Got a couple more months. Of Opportunity.

49:24 Eventually you Get a phone call? Yes. Um My manager sent Tapes and tapes and tapes.

49:32 To Signor Live saying can Yeah, this is he really wants it, blah blah blah. And so I got an audition for Sire Live. This is my first of two auditions. Um my first one

49:45 I want to do stand up my troll bit. On stage at the comic strip. Here in uh In in New York. And I remember.

49:54 Going in. And having my one outfit that I owned that I thought was the best. And, you know, some shirt from the gap or something in Nike sneakers that are like It f such a big deal. I only wore them on special occasions and

50:08 This is it and Uh I went on stage with my troll doll and I saw Lauren was in the audience. He had his hat on. He's the founder of Creative. Yes, he's creative Sarah Lavin. And now the late night and the tonight show. And I remember going on stage and as soon as I did as I did my first impression I knew it just didn't work.

50:27 It didn't have the audience. It was cut down from a ten minute act. Two, I think three minutes. And I had to catch the audience, hook them in three minutes. And leave.

50:36 And I started the first twenty seconds. Mm, I could tell. This is bad. And it was sweaty. It was bad. Audition.

50:44 And I left and I go We went to a diner next door to the club. With my manager and I had coffee. It was very Depressing like

50:53 Wow. That was my This that was it. That was why I just for Saturday Night Live. Lauren Michaels, who's

50:59 The creator of the show was there. That was my big Opportunity. And I blew it. Yeah, so let me fish it'll be fine was figured out Went back to LA.

51:11 They said you didn't get it. How did that feel? For some reason at that point I Don't f remember That's a bit numb, I think.

51:21 Then And I think it was on I was starting to work on my act and Really getting in to stand up and I just kind of

51:34 Mm. Kept thinking in my head I have to get another shot. Another chance at uh uh auditioning or d showing them what I can really do'cause that was just not

51:47 The best that I could do. But it wasn't. Too long after that where I got another phone call from Sarah Line. How old were you when you got that second call? twenty Three.

51:59 So I heard you'd said um But if you didn't Make it on S and L before the age of twenty five. You again. That was good.

52:08 Kill myself. Well you actually. Yeah. I wrote that In something.

52:13 In some journal or something. You wrote what? If I don't get on Sart Live by the age of Twenty five. That hope.

52:20 Then I'll kill myself. Did you mean that? Yeah. I did. But again, I knew that I was gonna be on Sar Live.

52:30 So I guess I didn't really mean it. So I I was going to be answering it. Before I was twenty five. So crazy. I I knew that I was going to be honest, so I I it wasn't really a threat.

52:44 So funny, do you jump funny? Is the um Actually it's in my book behind there, there's a screenshot of my diary. And in the front page of my diary it says, Before I'm twenty five. And I have my goal written in the front of my diary. And I've published it in my book. Which is on the shelf somewhere. Isn't that funny that I had the same thing where I'm like, Before I'm twenty five years old, I will have to do this. Yes.

53:08 Yeah, and it's and it happened, thankfully. But w did you Think in your when you were tight. Yeah, I don't I think I typed it out, but I again th I was into computer, so I think I typed it. I think it's on some file somewhere. Okay. I think I said I will kill myself. Um

53:26 But uh I definitely said, you know, uh Yeah, twenty five was my thing. I started my first business at twelve years old and then I started more businesses at fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. And at that time, what I didn't realize is that being a founder with no money meant that I also had to be the marketeer, the sales rep, the finance team, customer service, and the recruiter. But if you're starting a business today, Thankfully there's a tool that wears all of those hats for you. Our sponsor today, which is Shopify. Because of all of its AI integrations, using Shopify feels a bit like you've hired an entire growth team from day one, taking care of writing product descriptions, your website design, and enhancing your product's images. Not to mention the bits you'd expect Shopify to handle, like the shipping, like the taxes, like the inventory.

54:16 And if you're looking to get your business started, go to shopify.com slash Bartlett and sign up for a$1 per month trial. That's Shopify.com slash Bartlett. And you get the second call for the second edition around twenty three, twenty four years old. Yeah. So I I then I said, Do you want me to do the troll doll?

54:37 And they go no. We'd rather you not do the troll dolls. 'Cause we've seen that already. Okay. Was that the end of the trail, though? Well, that was my whole act. I don't have any I don't have much more. That was that's all I did.

54:49 With the troll dialek. So like What do I do? So I just kind of did the troll doll act. under a guise of a different thing. Where it's like Celebrity charity or you know, so w uh you know uh

55:01 I think it was there. Yeah, I guess a lot of I don't think that's some exercise and so uh She used to say, uh all the time, she used to say, Why don't you go to the store with your mother? And I Skinny Kid. Hm.

55:18 And I would say uh I say uh Why don't you shut up Th that was the big that was my big moment. That was the biggest moment for me. That was That's crazy.

55:29 That was the moment in the audition too. That changed everything. 'Cause I was doing a bunch of impressions. And before I did that. I'm so nervous, but now I'm on the actual stage and you're there and um

55:43 Uh the the A producer comes over and says, Jimmy Fallon, they go Yeah, come with us. They go, Just let you know. Lauren Michaels doesn't laugh, so don't let that throw you. If you're doing your act to go great. Thank you. And then they go now go get uh hair makeup.

55:55 How cool hair makeup. I go hair and makeup, they're doing my hair, they're putting makeup on me because they're broadcasting my audition to California. So that the heads of NBC can be. And the guy

56:05 Uh and girl doing my hair and makeup go. Just so you know. Lauren doesn't really laugh. in these auditions. So don't let that throw you. Well I go Okay, yeah, that's what I heard. Great, thank you.

56:16 Go get your microphone on. So they're putting a microphone on me and a mic pack and In the audio, he goes. Uh, just a little advice. Law doesn't really laugh. So if you do your thing I go, What is this guy's problem? Why is he not laughing? He's in the wrong business. I mean this is this is in a comedy show. And so as I was doing that audition

56:34 I did an impression of Adam Sandler, which is What you just played. And I remember at the time it was kind of new because Adam just left. Sarant Live and no one was really doing Adam Sandler. And I was doing, you know, like whatever, and I remember Lauren started laughing.

56:53 There you go. That's cool. It's a cool story. Even if I don't get Sar Live. But I just knew that.

56:59 He started laughing. Head in his hand and laughing. There you go. It's a good story, I'll tell my kids. I made Laura Michaels laugh.

57:07 And On on Saturday, on the set of Saturday Live. I wasn't really on the show, but I was on the set. And uh Uh I remember doing that and

57:16 Feeling good about the audition. Like I left that going. Uh that w that went as good as it could go. Yeah.

57:25 That was the best I can That's the best I can give'em. That was it. And I remember one of the Uh producers.

57:32 Marcy Klein came up to me. And said Grab my hand, she goes. I was Fantastic.

57:38 You gotta feel good. And I was like And I just felt like okay. If they're saying it and I guess I feel good. Then you didn't hear I didn't hear back for a couple of weeks or whatever.

57:47 It's like it's crazy how long you wait. Because you And they go, Look, we like Jimmy, w we saw him at the comic club but we were looking for a different direction, you know, for that. Audition. I think they hired Tracy Morgan. So they were going in a different direction. The first audition. But this one

58:03 They call they go Lauren wants to meet you. Uh and talk to you. He's gonna be out in LA. And he had an office on the Paramount lot. And so

58:13 Uh I drove into the Paramount Lad, I get my name to the g front gate. It's a great It's a great Studio. It it it feels like you're in the business. I don't know if you've ever been to the Paramount Lab, but the giant gates and

58:25 You've you're it's a movie set and the gates open and you go to a parking spot. And there's actors walking around and it just feels like you're in the business. It is nerve wracking. I went to Lauren's Office yeah, like a Yeah.

58:37 Lot. And I remember going into his office and everything was white. And it kind of felt heavenly almost and you're just like And I sat across the desk from him and he goes. Uh Jimmy, do you wear wigs?

58:50 Yeah, I was like Oh no, I just got I do this to my hair, I just spike it up. He's like No, I'm saying like for characters and stuff. Like I've do you Uh have you done characters like where you wear wigs and stuff like that? Uh no, I he goes because we want you for the show. And I just think, you know, with more practice and if you try to do different p

59:09 And as soon as he whatever he was saying, I couldn't hear the rest was slow motion. I was like My gosh. He just said I That's in my life. I did it. I got.

59:19 Certainly. It's happening. I couldn't believe it. And I go, Okay. And I shook his hand and I go.

59:26 I hope I make you proud. And I left and The guy pulled over to the first payphone and I could Get to and

59:35 Call my mom and my I just got started. And it was like Yeah. You know.

59:42 You know, it was just It's crazy. The whole thing's crazy. I'm coming back to New York. 'cause I'm gonna be on the show that I tried to be on.

59:53 My whole life. I did it. It's happening. And here we go. And it was like

59:59 Wow. And I say goodbye to LA and my roommates and everyone's just so happy for me and And then I went to New York and got an apartment and And midtown and

1:00:12 It was the greatest uh thing. I took Sirate Live and went from there and Did a couple of movies, I met my wife. Thing uh ever happened to me? And

1:00:24 Then Uh I didn't work for a while. Uh after The movies And then Lauren asked me to be on

1:00:32 To host late night. And replace Conan O'Brien? I did. I worked hard at that. And then I got asked to replace Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. And I did that and here I am.

1:00:43 Uh and I'm host of the Tonight Show and Crazy uh life. And Crazy opportunities and

1:00:51 It's just so Interesting and fun. There was emotion in your face where you talked about Getting S L. And calling your mum.

1:00:59 It's so s interesting that it's Decades ago. Yeah. You know Again, like

1:01:09 It's The end of Rocky. You know, it's the thing, it's like I did it. Like

1:01:17 Yeah, you you did it. That's insane. You you gotta be kidding me. You you you you did it.

1:01:28 When and actually This is c it's crazy. It's It's it's not many people could do this. And I was like, Yeah.

1:01:39 Yeah. And to Talk to your mom, who's your biggest fan. And always believed in you. You know, that's

1:01:47 Emotion, like Just This is

1:01:52 How can this be it's it's just I don't know. It was just done it's just the whole thing's kind of crazy. It's it's it's amazing. It's a anti climax. No.

1:02:04 'Cause if you aim at that one goal and put it on a pedestal for that long in in your life. No, it paid off. It was ex everything was what I dreamt. It was Crazy. Everything. Uh the the announcer. Jimmy Fall and him saying my name.

1:02:18 I was like dreamt of it. He was really saying it. I could watch him. I enjoyed every second of it. Every bit. The internet was happening at the time. And then people started getting

1:02:30 Send me fan letters and then And it was just like You start getting famous. And here's the New York City street. I walked on Not too long ago. Being kind of afraid and intimidated.

1:02:42 Now I'm walking and people are going, Jimmy Yeah, and And it's And it's cool. And you go Yeah.

1:02:48 What weren't you prepared for? Getting rejection. Uh you know, getting your sketches cut. Being told you're not funny. You know

1:02:59 Haters. This is before Twitter and all that stuff, which is A different ball game that I wasn't ready for either. But

1:03:06 Yeah. You you think that it's just gonna be like Oh, this is cool, everyone be Great. But then I'm Not

1:03:13 Everyone's rooting for you. Yeah, some people want you to fail. People's jobs are to take me down. Yeah. And and

1:03:21 Put bad press out and stuff. It's just That's their job. And that's and you're just like, ooh. I didn't think it was I I don't

1:03:29 Live in that world. I don't believe that it's real, but it Kind of is real. And you go, Oh. Gonna be mean.

1:03:36 And you got again just Toughen up. And get through it and just keep your head down and keep being funny. And just keep doing things and keep Keep being creative and just

1:03:45 If you move that out, you realize it's not even real. That's not it's it's real, but it's noise. And it's just It doesn't affect you. Uh you can only believe in yourself and and know that you have to

1:03:57 Keep going and If you keep Scoring. That will show. Your work will show.

1:04:03 Th that stuff I wasn't prepared for. Of of dealing with the overcoming that You know. Overcoming that.

1:04:10 Yeah, overcoming like hating on you or or You know, saying you're not good or something or It's like y you don't think that's gonna happen. But it you know.

1:04:23 It it will. If you're successful. 'Cause someone will be like Mm. Uh yeah.

1:04:30 Uh someone's not gonna like you, no matter what. The antithesis of pleasing. for for for one's brain who is orientated towards making people happy. The worst. Yes, it is the absolute worst.

1:04:44 I hate it. I I want everyone to like me. I can't I can't stand it. I go, Oh my gosh. What can I do to make you like me? Uh

1:04:55 Think the answer is You can't. You can't make everyone like you. You just You have to do what you do.

1:05:03 And do the best that you can at what you do. And Be happy with yourself. mean like what's the what's the alternative? The alternative is you you quit, you Yeah, you quit or you you you change you to

1:05:18 I guess what the Person who hates you likes. Someone else will just hate that. That's about yeah, the original people will.

1:05:26 Well hate that. That you change and you go, Oh yeah. I mean Uh and then you'll hate yourself. Yeah. I mean there's I I'm love music, but I remember like I love the Beastie Boys.

1:05:38 Um, growing up and there's that one line Mike D says like Um, be true to yourself and you will never fall. And it's like Kind of is the move. Just be that's be true to yourself.

1:05:51 Then there's no everyone can say whatever they want. It's like That's who I am. How did you Cope with that. stardom being thrust into public spotlight. You're getting feedback from everywhere. You're getting the good, the bad, the ugly, you're someone that wants to please. Do you

1:06:06 Did you seek any Professional help, did you get any support? No. No, I just kinda live through it and go like Yeah. I think I'll

1:06:15 Uh I'll figure it out, you know. I think f fame was Fun. You know, it's it's cooler. It's cooler than Cool. It's like wow.

1:06:24 This is what I thought of. Would be. But it's also At the end of the day it's w it it's the work and the the I and the stuff that you do and the stuff that comes out of it where I'm most proud of where I'm like Oh.

1:06:37 get to do this, I think this bit w could be fun. You know, I can remember We had Mick Jagger on the show. And Lorne. So Mick will do a sketch if anyone has an idea and they go, I could do a idea where I'm uh the reflection of Mick Jagger in the mirror and I'm like, Yeah, wh why don't a shot out of the what and Lauren goes, Please don't do that. Absolutely, please don't please don't do that. He goes, It's been done. The Mark's brothers have done it. Uh it's just uh Lucil Ball, is it just it's just been done. Don't please don't do that. I go, Okay.

1:07:04 He goes, but go pitch mic ideas. I go. I don't wanna pitch him ideas. I'm you're the producer. I'm nervous. I don't want I don't even know Mick Jagger. It's like just go in and pitch me ideas I got. So I wrote out like Ten ideas.

1:07:15 I'm like, uh hey Mick, he's like he's very nice. And uh and I go, um You know, I was thinking maybe me and you uh Uh, I play you play Keith and I'm you and You know, um We work at a you know, a sunglass hutter or something like that and he's like

1:07:30 Yeah, no tell me not that. And I go, Uh well then I have this other idea, you know, where you know, you and I work in an ice cream shop, but where, you know, blah blah blah, and he's like Nah, nah, I don't really like that, uh I I don't No I don't want to do that. And I go, All right, um and I'm going down the list and the ideas are getting worse and worse.

1:07:48 And I'm just like Oh my gosh. And then out of desperation I go. Or we could do something where you come into your dressing room and um your reflection in the mirror and you're like, What why am I doing this shot? Done it in the seventies and done the eighties and Wahm I done that what And he goes, Oh, I like that. There you go. So I go back to Lauren's office, I go, Good news, bad news.

1:08:10 Good news. Make us do scared. Bad news is it's the mirror sketch. And he so Lauren's like Okay.

1:08:17 We'll do it. And Uh we wrote it in a night. Which never been done. I don't think when I was on the show we wrote it. Uh

1:08:26 Thursday night? Rehearsed it once on Friday? And did the show on Saturday. And it worked. It really worked. It was might be the one of the best sketches I was ever in.

1:08:36 And Mick was so happy. That he Like was so giddy and he kinda shook my hand through the mirror. Which is funny'cause we I'm supposed to be this reflection. And it was just kind of cool. And I I remember one of those things where I'm like The room was shaking.

1:08:49 And I go, That's cool. Like Dude, that's beyond what I dreamt. Oh I could do. You know, uh being outside live is one dream, but Now you you're doing it.

1:09:01 Sketch with one of your Rock. Idols. You know, and and scoring and it's great. It's really funny. And Everyone's having a good time. Like you really think

1:09:10 But that's Something and it was What wasn't meant to be, it wasn't written. It was all just kind of happened last minute and Yeah, but those

1:09:18 Little moments all kind of add up and you go. Oh my gosh, this is so Crazy that this is all happening. How was that? I was looking before you arrived at all the people you've interviewed going back more than a decade, and it's just everybody. It's like Floyd Mayweather to you insert the name of the person who's at the top of an industry. You've sat with them, they've been on your show. I was thinking like how Has that altered your perception of not just what fame is, but Like what life is about.

1:09:47 Because you've met the best of the best, the top of the top, the richest of the rich, the most famous of the famous. I'm interested. You know, uh and people. whoever it may be, whether it's Bruce Springsteen or you know Angelina Jolie or something, you you're talking to them just going.

1:10:03 Oh. Uh I don't know. It's like uh uh also with my show, I gotta jump right in. I have probably Yeah. Ten minutes?

1:10:13 Mm. Interview? Mm. You know, which is You gotta get in there fast. And you go like

1:10:19 I gotta make him comfortable. And know that I'm not gonna Make them look bad. I just wanna Hey.

1:10:26 Or I'll make a thing or I'll just say some Joker, I don't know what I'll do in the Really? And then you go. Now it's flowing and you go, Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then you can get into the movie talk and

1:10:39 You know. Yeah, and Seldom. product or whatever, you know, which is whatever, but it's that first kind of Five to seven minutes where

1:10:47 You get in there and then you start Playing with him. And you start like If you get a Laugh.

1:10:53 out of Floyd Mayweather or something. It's cool. How do you make them feel comfortable? Is this I you must have something that you have learnt about what it is that makes someone feel comfortable. I don't know, I don't have a exact recipe. Uh I will tell you that I go in before the show to their dress room and say hello before the show. Okay. Just to say hi. How's it going? Then I'll just talk to them. Sometimes I talk to them longer than the interview.

1:11:17 'Cause I'll we'll get talking about something or life or Some bit or you know. you know, their parents or something or just get into real life talk. And then by the time they come out. They feel like we've already talked.

1:11:30 So it's less pressure. I think also after Sixteen years of Talking to I've seen everyone At their highest?

1:11:39 I've seen everyone at their lowest. I've seen people date people they shouldn't date. I've seen people get married and have babies. And Just really fun to watch. And it's fun to

1:11:49 Go back and now even if I see These people once a year, twice a year. I feel like I know them a little bit and you're like. Floyd, good to see you. What's up? Or uh Mick, w you know, uh you know, how's it going? How's you know, uh has your kids w you know, we can just talk.

1:12:04 Mm. And we're caught up and you're like, Oh yeah. And It kind of feels like uh maybe it doesn't to them. But to me it's it's it feels like I just saw them yesterday and that we're You know, even though it's

1:12:16 Probably I haven't seen them in a year. It feels like I just saw you. You go Yeah. How do you stop it from getting old? I say this because

1:12:23 I am obviously I've didn't been doing this podcast now really for about four years. That's really that I consider the starting point when we start on YouTube. And I wonder what I've got to do. To make sure that I never get bored. Of doing this. I don't think he ever will. There's just so many interesting people.

1:12:39 Yeah. There's so many people in this world. And it's it it it it w it doesn't end. I mean Four years I'm trying to think of where that was. That was round at the end of late night for me. I mean you're just You you're doing all the things. You're You you're just expanding.

1:12:54 I mean, but you're working hard. I mean you're you're trying. I think Just keep trying. If you stop trying, it you get boring. Tomorrow.

1:13:03 Mm-hmm. But here you are in New York with Ten cameras. I mean you're not in London. You're not in your kitchen. This is fake. Don't don't bring the illusion from us. This is fake. It's walls. Not real. This is not this is there's a light here. This is all a fake this is all a fake thing. This is how this is how you don't make it old. You don't you have to work this is all nothing here is real. This is all a studio, but that's how you make it new get old. This is yeah, but this is I think how you make it

1:13:32 Uh exciting is you you gotta put the work in. Don't get tired. You gotta show up. And you g you always gotta show up. You gotta be there. And you gotta be there for your

1:13:42 Uh audience. And you do that. You you show up, you you you you do all the stuff. I mean y you have to, and that's Like you said, it's kind of a

1:13:52 Seven days a week thing, but It's Every day you go. What can I do? What can I do? What can I do? It just becomes part of your life. It's brushing your teeth.

1:14:01 It's like oh yeah. I guess brushing your teeth, someone at one point told me to have to do that. Yeah, but now I do it every day, so I don't think about it. I brush him. Three times, four times a day now. I'm like Yes. How do you keep yourself challenged?

1:14:15 Uh is there something that you're doing to to push yourself?'Cause you know, we expand around the world, we go to different places, we have increasingly more interesting, different guests and challenge ourselves in that way. But you and when I just looked at your show, I was like, he started with the biggest in the world. I know. Start putting more pressure on yourself for any little challenges or trying something. You go like I've always wanted to put out a Christmas album. You know?

1:14:38 Uh and and and just come out and and write original songs, you know? Trying to write songs is hard enough. Trying to write twenty Original Christmas songs? It's it's insane.

1:14:50 What hasn't been said. I have an idea for a kid's book that I I think could be funny, you know? Yeah, data was the first one that was a big deal. It's really the same word on every page. It's just getting your kid to say dad dad.

1:15:03 I thought that no one's done this. So I go basically if you get to the end of the book It's you saying the word dada. So many times that I think your baby has to eventually just go So it'll work.

1:15:15 But then you release Mama. I had to because uh my wife And uh and all my female fans were like, Really? You have two daughters and you're not gonna write Mama,'cause this is the real truth. Everything is Mama. So that's kinda the same book except

1:15:31 I change it to You want the kids to say Dada and they just keep saying Mama. I have a I found some wonderful photos of your childhood. Which I adored. My God, these photos.

1:15:43 You probably recognize quite a few of them. W did I post these? Where would you find these? I went through your house. Oh my God, this is my Catholic uh teacher, kindergarten teacher. Um That's

1:15:55 This is fulling. That's Frank Gentle? We talked about earlier. These are my dorm room friends. I would just stand up with Frank. And Steve was kind of the artist in the group.

1:16:08 Is that Gloria? Underneath. Yeah. Gloria. Yeah, that's my mom. That's

1:16:14 My mom in our kitchen. Um Where we spent many a time. Yeah. We parted many times in that kitchen.

1:16:23 In November two thousand seventeen when she Passed away. As a tribute on the tonight show which I watched. The best audience, you were referring to your mother that she was the best audience, she was the one I was always trying to make laugh. Mum, I'll never stop trying to make you laugh. And I heard you talk about

1:16:40 Squeezing her hand three times when you're younger and her squeezing yours back. In a fraction of like public attention I've experienced, one of the things that acts as an insulator to all of that for me. Is knowing that I have A home to return to. And home for me isn't a place it's people.

1:16:58 You know? Yeah. And that's the thing that makes all of the noise feel fake and like it's not real. And that there is something real. And so when I was thinking about all of that and

1:17:10 you losing her and her being the audience, her being home for you. I I have to understand like how that changed you. Yeah, it's it's it was it's the toughest thing that I had to go through, I think. See c you know that it's going to come eventually, but it's just

1:17:30 It was uh just so sad because just choose so much joy in my life. Uh. Just miss her, yeah. But You don't

1:17:41 Stop thinking about the people. You know. And you think about all these Things and You look at all these.

1:17:49 Other photos and you go yeah. That was probably she probably gave me the microphone. My mom was probably here. when you think about people dying, especially when it happens for the first

1:18:02 Weak. You go I'm gonna forget about them. And I can't. And you go, Oh so sad.

1:18:10 And then The truth is it's just you don't. You don't forget about them. Ever. They will never be able to do it. They're in your life, you think about them.

1:18:18 In the weirdest moments. And you'll hear a song and I'll hear like Duran Duran or something. I don't even know if my mom liked her and Rand, but. Something you remind me of.

1:18:28 Me and my mom was you know, think of my mom. Like oh my God. Can't believe I'm listening to Yeah. Hungry like the wolf for Rio. And I'm thinking about my mom and getting sad.

1:18:38 But you do. You have those moments when it's like But it but it's it it's more happier moments and you don't get that emotional, you know. If I you know. Want to, I can just

1:18:50 Start crying because I just miss her. But I I I think of the Best times and You know, I think I wouldn't be who I am with without her, you know.

1:19:01 When you say that you miss her, you've said that a few times. What what precisely is it that you miss She had a great sense of humor and she's always You know, I think It's so many things. Uh

1:19:15 Talk about Probably talking about myself. A lot. And go like Did you see the thing I did? Or the thing or sh I want her to bring it up, that thing you did was great. And then it makes you feel good. So I kinda missed the Positive reinforcement, the feedback positive feedback of something that I did that I kinda miss and

1:19:34 Uh her You know, complaining about something or talking about something she doesn't like or I feel like that would kinda give me material. And I missed like You know, calling on my birthdays and yeah.

1:19:47 She just she's so much love. She just loved me so much. I do worry about I worry about this'cause I I think sometimes we don't realise The importance of certain relationships until we lose them and my parents are getting older. And I think I have some kind of like subconscious existential fear that

1:20:06 There will be words unsaid. I will learn the hard way. That there's things I should have said. You know? Yeah. Yeah, you kind of yeah, I

1:20:15 I think I said everything. I think I said everything. I I did. I said everything. She knew that I loved her and You know, it just it kind of happened fast. Which I Kind of hope. Uh I I think that was a good thing.

1:20:30 I uh I hope it doesn't happen slow for you.'Cause I I don't know if I could take that. It this happened really quickly. And so I was like Are you able to grieve?

1:20:40 Were you able to grieve? Yes, I went for it. My wife is really helpful with that. She was like go for it. Just And just grieve because Eventually you actually just have to stop crying. There's no way. You can keep crying. There's no way.

1:20:55 But you feel like there's a hole in your heart and a hole in your lungs, you feel it unhealthy and you feel like Like you have to go to the hospital. That you're gonna die. You know, you just have to go through that and you go

1:21:07 And then use Just get it out of your system and then You know, as time goes on, you just start to be able to laugh at the things. Kind of happy memories. You know, and

1:21:20 Sad she's not here anymore, but Glad for What you gave me and when all the memories. I mean Way outway is the the sad thing. I just wish it was around is the only thing if you harp on that then it's too depressing.

1:21:35 Did it change your perspective on your own work? Because I it's funny, I I remember thinking about my old business when it was like the it was my entire life. I was thinking If I lost this person in my life now. I don't know if my business would mean the same to me because in part I'm doing this for them. Yeah. Yes.

1:21:54 You still do it. For them. In a weird way I still do this for my mom. I I think of her when I do things. I guess she would be

1:22:04 She would be sight. She'd be proud. She would that would make her laugh. I still think of her. For most things I do. She would love that.

1:22:14 That would make her laugh. That would make her Proud, she big. Oh. That's funny. But that's

1:22:19 That's good that you did that. Her loss you turning. Fifty? Yeah. Putting all these pieces together, it seems like this might have inspired your

1:22:29 Increased. concern and uh I guess drive for longevity and health. 'Cause we talked just before we started recording and I asked you what sort of friend of mine for you at the moment and one of the things you mentioned was longevity and health. Yeah.

1:22:44 When did that be a little bit more? Yeah. I th well maybe around I mean, I'm fifty right now, but I think you know, I I think about my my parents are w they were never healthy. Yeah, these should Drink a lot. At the time they smoked.

1:22:58 You know, when everyone smoked. I think there's a picture of my mom pregnant with me drinking and smoking. Um, which is fantastic. I mean, gosh. Terrible. Um, but man, I turned out okay, right? Sure.

1:23:12 Yeah. Maybe it didn't turn up. Guys, maybe this is a lesson. Uh but uh yeah, I think about Oh being around for my kids and trying to Be alive and

1:23:27 Kind of um Uh financially stable for my kids too,'cause I I don't think my parents thought about any of that stuff. They just go no, just just have It was a lot of fun and like a lot of support and like Which that was a lot of the thing, you know.

1:23:43 But they didn't really know. Didn't work out. I think I think we bought a treadmill. twice, you know, different times, just tried to make it something that we would all do and No one ever did it.

1:23:53 So what does that actually mean for you in terms of your longevity and health journey? Does it mean that you're you're going to the gym, you're thinking about what you're eating? Yeah. I'm definitely eating better. I'm I'm Work out when I can. You know, I walk Every day.

1:24:07 Um, I love walking. Um but yeah, I I try to Uh You know. I don't drink as much as I uh used to and

1:24:16 You know, uh I I get checkups. Uh not that I'm unhealthy, but I think You know, I I I just want to be around for a long time. I don't even know how long I want to live, to be honest.

1:24:29 I don't wanna be that old that I'm older than everyone in my I mean, I wanna have people my age. I don't want to be a hundred and Thirty. Yeah. And no one else's

1:24:38 Like that guy won't die. It it should happen. I just want to be I want it to all happen kind of in the right way and then Eventually. As you get

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1:25:56 Make sure you keep what I'm about to say to yourself. I'm inviting ten thousand of you to come even deeper into the diary of a sea. Welcome to my inner circle. This is a brand new private community that I'm launching to the world. We have so many incredible things that happen that you are never shown. We have the briefs that are on my iPad when I'm recording the conversation. We have clips we've never released. We have behind the scenes conversations with the guests, and also the episodes that we've never ever released. And so much more. In the circle, you'll have direct access to me. You can tell us what you want this show to be, who you want us to interview, and the types of conversations you would love us to have. But remember for now we're only inviting the first ten thousand people that joined before it closes. So if you want to join our private closed community, head to the link in the description below or go to DOAC Circle dot com I will speak to you there.

1:26:50 Is there a next? chapter in your mind that you're looking at already. Are you thinking about Life beyond. T V

1:26:58 Media's changing so much. I mean you One of the sort of real pioneers that rode the shift towards the internet and digital, and you've got more bloody followers on YouTube and Twitter and Instagram than anybody. I think I've I think you've got like a hundred million followers or something crazy. Um But Are you thinking about the next wave of

1:27:17 Jimmy. Not not not really. I feel like this is a good gig for a That type of Aging. I think the older you get, the kind of the better the talk show gets.

1:27:30 Like you know, w Johnny Carson did it for Thirty years I want to say? Mm-hmm. And you know think I can do it as long as there's an audience and I feel like there is always gonna be an audience. I feel like

1:27:43 I know everyone's like T V is dying. You know, the ratings are dying, but I don't think it is. I think T V is just as powerful as it Ever was. I think they're making Some of the best.

1:27:54 Entertainment, the best shows. Uh or on television. If you call it something else, if you call it Netflix, or if you call it You know. uh live podcast or whatever it is, you're still watching you need entertainment and thank God for entertainment because

1:28:09 You just find yourself when you're W when you're Needing some out outlet or creative Or something, or even a break. Whatever you want to call it, meditation.

1:28:21 Television's there for you. You you can turn on television and watch a movie. Watch a show. And you're like This is great. For an hour m of my life I don't have to think about my problems.

1:28:31 I'm thinking about their problems, or I'm watching a reality show. Whatever show you it is you're watching. But your brain's moving. Mm-hmm. It's not like your brain's shut off. You're you're listening to this podcast. It's not you're not just Zoning out going

1:28:43 Y you're actually thinking while you're listening to this. And This is changing the way you think. You may not agree that I think You might think oh television's over or whatever. But that's interesting. Still your brain's moving and this is fun for people to listen to.

1:28:57 And this is I think Entertainment is always gonna be there. Has to be around. And I think it's It's just in

1:29:05 It it it's moving this way and that way. But I still feel like eventually there's a screen in your house or wherever you're living. that you're gonna wanna see things on. You know, whether it's gonna be three or

1:29:18 Ey glasses, or if it's gonna be to your Yeah. contact lenses or uh your phone or whatever it is. You know. I don't think it's gonna be the Apple goggles.

1:29:29 But they have to try. Outside of um T V very busy. I was reading through your business portfolio and it's extremely extensive.

1:29:37 You founded a production company? Oh yeah. Several shows, series, films. You made a comedy A series of comedy albums.

1:29:47 Yeah, the the last one was called the holiday seasoning. Which I I w it's a it's a Christmas album, but I I wanted to create like a new verb. Like, hey, we're all

1:29:58 Were a holiday seasoning. Like are you holiday seasoning? I'm celebrating Hanukkah. I'm s you know, I'm celebrating Kwanzaa. We're all holiday seasoning. Uh it didn't take off, but You know what, and maybe in the future, maybe you know, two thousand fifty people will all be saying, Hey, are you holiday seasoning? You know, yeah, we're all

1:30:17 I don't know. I didn't I don't know if I created a What I wanted to about on that one. But you've got the ice cream. The Tonight Dough Tonight Dough ice cream. We've raised a lot of money for

1:30:27 Uh Serious Fun, which is a great charity. It's a great ice cream, by the way. But it's actually goes to a great cause. So it's Win win. Beautiful. I was reading about it before. It's really cool. Yeah. And outside of that, there's lots of other things from uh a ride at the Universal Studios to spinny's to

1:30:44 Yeah, we got our own roller coaster. Yeah. Crazy. Gobstompers. Yes. Gobstompers were a sneaker that um We came up with that the more you wear them the more the leather wears down and they become different colors. Yeah.

1:30:59 So Eventually every pair of s shoes Become unique to that person. There's no Two pairs of the same shoe.

1:31:08 The through line here, Jimmy, is about making people happy. From rides to ice cream to The creativity and the fun of the products that you've made. That's appears to be the through line. I like that.

1:31:22 Yeah. But that's the three line of your life in many respects. It's It's uh Really relentless. Attempt to

1:31:29 To please others and to make people smile and to make them happy. Yeah. I I I do, I like that. I like making people happy. Mm. It makes me happy.

1:31:40 And now you've got two beautiful children. The greatest thing. You're a dad. It's the greatest thing. I'm a dad. Can you believe that? This guy would be This guy would be a dad. This guy would be a dead silly.

1:31:53 And I I think I'm a good dad. Uh did the best Kids, I love'em so much. They're so fun. They're funny. They they make jokes, they're interesting, they're interested.

1:32:05 How did that shift? the meaning of life for you, becoming a father. Because I hear I'm in the process of hopefully having children at some point. I'm I'm trying. You I'll tell you one thing that surprised me. I I don't want to tell you about your own kids'cause no spoilers.

1:32:20 Yeah. You got a I uh you're just gonna figure it all out. And when they get to a certain age we'll talk and be like Dude. And they go, Yeah.

1:32:30 I don't I don't want to ruin it for you. It's great. It's a lot. It's great. Um But the one thing I didn't think I would happen to me is

1:32:39 I like other kids more. I I actually appreciate Other kid and they go, Hey. Are you not sharing with it? Well that kid's got no friends.

1:32:47 Go talk to that kid. Mm. That could happen to m me, my kid. So you start thinking about other hey. No no no, be nice to him.

1:32:56 Or he's like You said and then the screaming baby in the restaurant. But once you When you were younger, you'd go like Will you shut that baby up? Now you go.

1:33:05 Dude, give me the kid. I'll take the kid for a while. I will shut the baby. I understand what it's like to get out and be a parent and you don't want the kid to cry and I I underst I get all that now. And you go, Oh, I'm much more patient with that. What advice would you give your two daughters for life? A life well lived. And said, Dad, listen, how do we how do we live a good life?

1:33:29 Be nice to people. Give when you can. Make people Smile. What if they say Dad, I

1:33:44 I want to know how to be successful. Then go do what you want to do. I think that will make you successful. Do what you want to do. If you do what you want to do.

1:34:00 You'll be successful. How are you misunderstood? We're all misunderstood. In some way. You know

1:34:11 Maybe someone that laughs At everything. I don't really laugh at everything. I do have a good time. But I don't laugh at everything.

1:34:23 What may I m I misunderstood is maybe people don't think that I Uh know what I'm doing? Or that I you know. I'm just living through life like I don't know what's going on, but I do know what's going on. And uh I do care. And I and I I I put a lot of work into what I do.

1:34:40 And they really put a lot of thought and care into things that I Put out. What does your gravestone say, Jimmy? If you could write it yourself.

1:34:50 I would say He had a good time. That's not bad. Like that. Jimmy thank thank you for

1:35:05 Doing what you do. Um it's uh It's so unbelievably apparent to to me as someone that's just spent a little bit of time for you that In your heart. You are an incredibly pure, well intentioned, happy

1:35:20 Radiant. person who has a really authentic desire And in fact Gains a tremendous amount of energy. And happiness.

1:35:32 from making people like me and everyone that you met and my team behind the scenes Happy. And we need more people like that in the world, especially in times like these. Where there's so much division and the the the internet is a absolute war zone. It feels like everybody's frankly losing, if I'm being honest, because everybody's just

1:35:48 firing shots at each other on both sides of the aisle, but just generally just all sides of life. So it's wonderful to have people in the world and safe spaces and fun places that maintain a bubble of happiness and joy and humor. And you're one of those incredible incredible spaces on the internet, but just generally in life as well. So thank you. It's such an honor to have spent time with you. And you're someone that I've looked up to forever. You know, I've s you've been on screen for most of my adult life and I've before I was interviewing people and I had the privilege of doing this. So you're one of my idols as well. And so thank you for that as well. It's been um tremendous honor. And I feel somewhat it's it's incredible that I'm like in New York and I'm sat across from you. It's Really something special. Keep doing what you're doing. You're

1:36:27 Great. You're fantastic. I had the greatest time. Was so fun. I wanna say thank you to every camera. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

1:36:38 Thank you. Thank you. We have a closing tradition. Oh. Where the last guests leaves a question for the next guest not knowing who they're leaving it for.

1:36:46 And we'll ask you to do the same. An interesting one. It was how would your view of yourself change? And how would your behavior change. If you learned beyond doubt

1:36:59 That reality Is not objective but exists only In what you do and your actions. God, the edibles kicked in whoever wrote that one.

1:37:13 It's a deep one. Jesus. I wouldn't be shocked. Mm I wouldn't be shocked. I go, Wow.

1:37:24 I I probably would take credit for it. I'd probably say I knew that And then you go, Wait, what? You knew that? You go, Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if uh If all of this was just my Based on what I'm doing.

1:37:37 Fascinating. If that's the real truth. How fascinating what a great experiment this was. And I hope. I can't wait. I'm I hope I I passed. And again, I'm a people pleaser. I I whoever is playing this game I hope they're enjoying

1:37:57 The game they're playing. I sometimes think it's a simulation. We we think we've like banned that as a conversation into and someone's playing us. Yeah, they're just like messing around. It would make sense. But d do you don't you think uh whoever's playing us is enjoying themselves? Like we're we're good characters. Maybe they like started the game and they've like wandered off.

1:38:15 Yeah. And they'll oh no, it's like Toy Story, they don't play us anymore. Yeah, they just like they're off doing something and they like for go and we're like fucking around. Yeah, and then they go, Oh, I haven't played that in so long. Jimmy Fallon game? Oh good. No, we don't I don't play that game anymore. Yeah. No, I had him create a business. But yeah, well, hopefully. Uh that you don't have to use you don't have to play me anymore. I'm gonna get to the next level. You will.

1:38:41 Jimmy, thank you. The best. This is so fun. Thank you so much. I'm really doing it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks for having me in your in your kitchen. Oh my God. Really and like we've done with the place. This has always blown my mind a little bit. Fifty three percent of you that listen to this show regularly haven't yet subscribed to the show. So could I ask you for a favor? If you like the show and you like what we do here and you want to support us, the free simple way that you can do just that is by hitting the subscribe button. And my commitment to you is if you do that, then I'll do everything in my power, me and my team, to make sure that this show is better for you every single week. We'll listen to your feedback, we'll find the guests that you want me to speak to, and we'll continue to do what we do.

1:39:20 Thank you so much.

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