James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer.

Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1998 to 2004.

[12] He graduated in 1992 and then attended The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, where he was a computer science major before switching to communications in his senior year.

[8] He would often board buses from his aunt's house in Fort Hamilton to perform sets at Carolines on Broadway in Times Square.

Fourteen years later, in May 2009, Fallon returned to receive a Bachelor of Arts in communications, awarded by Saint Rose officials who granted him experiential learning credits for his television work.

He joined his classmates at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center to collect his degree, where along with his BA, he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Despite this, Fallon went onstage and did well,[23] performing a "celebrity walk-a-thon" with impressions of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, and Adam Sandler, an SNL alumnus who had recently left the show.

"[23] Fallon debuted on Saturday Night Live as a featured player at the beginning of the show's twenty-fourth season in September 1998.

[6] He became the program's most featured mimic, doing popular impressions of Robert De Niro, Jerry Seinfeld, and Howard Stern.

He also starred as many original characters, including Nick Burns, an IT support nerd, Pat "Sully" Sullivan, one of the Boston Teens with Rachel Dratch, and in Jarret's Room, a fictional webcast hosted by stoner college students Jarret (Fallon) and Gobi (Horatio Sanz).

[6] In his off-time, Fallon released a book comprising e-mail exchanges with his sister Gloria, titled I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life (1999), and played a minor role in the film Almost Famous (2000).

[17] Fallon initially planned to spend three years at SNL, like John Belushi, but he was persuaded to stay on for three more when given the reins to Weekend Update.

[31] It began in the famous "More Cowbell" sketch, when Will Ferrell wore a tighter shirt than expected, causing Fallon to crack up.

[35][36] After the sketch resurfaced online 20 years later, Fallon issued a tweet apologizing for an "unquestionably offensive decision".

[16] He signed on for his first lead role in Taxi, a remake of a French film, after co-star Queen Latifah became attached to the project.

[9] 20th Century Fox had already signed him for his second major role, starring opposite Drew Barrymore in the 2005 romantic comedy Fever Pitch.

"[9] Before leaving SNL, Michaels had told Fallon that he would be a good fit to take over NBC's Late Night franchise when then-host Conan O'Brien left for The Tonight Show.

[40] To prepare for the role of a late-night host, Fallon toured college campuses and comedy clubs for eight months, where he tested out a new 50-minute routine.

[41] He also began watching the comedy of Chevy Chase, Dick Cavett, and Johnny Carson, as well as The Larry Sanders Show.

[42][43][44] Fallon was considered an odd choice for the job, both by executives at NBC (who "hated" the idea and predicted it to be a failure) and among the general public.

While other late-night programs had centered on her appearance, Fallon's Late Night debuted a sketch in which Boyle's emotional performances could "salve any affliction.

"[45] It was this style of humor, that Adam Sternbergh of New York dubbed "the comedy of unabashed celebration," that led to the program's success.

[52] On April 3, 2013, following a period of speculation, NBC announced that Fallon would succeed Jay Leno, following the 2014 Winter Olympics, to become the sixth permanent host of The Tonight Show.

"[63] He again apologized for the interview in June 2018 on a podcast with The Hollywood Reporter, saying that he "made a mistake" and added "I did not do it to 'normalize' him or to say I believe in his political beliefs or any of that stuff.

[65][66] In January 2022, Fallon was criticized for discussing NFTs (and promoting one of his own) on his show during an interview with Paris Hilton, which may have breached conflict-of-interest policies set by NBCUniversal's parent company Comcast; his own NFT was deduced to have most likely been purchased in November 2021 for about $216,000, and his promotion of it on the show could have boosted its asking price.

It alleged that Fallon mistreated his staff, acted erratically, was prone to outbursts, and contributed to a toxic workplace culture.

"[74] Fallon told David Steinberg on the Showtime series Inside Comedy that as a child he and his sister would imitate Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd's "Wild and Crazy Guys" routines from Saturday Night Live, and that he listened to comedy records, learning to imitate Rodney Dangerfield from them.

Fallon proposed in August 2007 with a bespoke engagement ring on the dock of Juvonen's family home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

[79][80][81][82] They own a house in Sagaponack, New York,[83][84] and previously lived in Gramercy Park, Manhattan,[85] they also have a female English cream Golden Retriever named Gary Frick that has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

[86][87][88] On November 4, 2017, Fallon's mother Gloria died from undisclosed causes at the age of 68 at NYU Langone Medical Center.