Career Timeline of Jimmy Fallon: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Jimmy Fallon, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Jimmy Fallon is an American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. He gained prominence as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1998-2004). He hosted Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009-2014) before taking over as host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1982: Reference to 48 Hrs.

In 2004, Jimmy Fallon compared his upcoming movie Taxi to Eddie Murphy's first big film, 48 Hrs from 1982.

1995: Drops out of college to pursue comedy

In 1995, Fallon dropped out of The College of Saint Rose to move to Los Angeles and pursue comedy full-time.

1997: Appears in Father's Day

In 1997, Jimmy Fallon appeared in the film Father's Day.

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1997: Auditions for Saturday Night Live

In 1997, after working with the Groundlings for two years, Jimmy Fallon auditioned for Saturday Night Live but was unsuccessful.

September 1998: Debut on Saturday Night Live

In September 1998, Fallon debuted on Saturday Night Live as a featured player at the beginning of the show's twenty-fourth season.

1998: Brief Appearance on Spin City

In 1998, Fallon made a brief appearance on the second season of the show Spin City.

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1998: Joins Saturday Night Live

In 1998, Jimmy Fallon fulfilled his lifelong dream by joining Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a cast member.

1999: Releases 'I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life'

In 1999, Fallon released a book comprising e-mail exchanges with his sister Gloria, titled I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life.

2000: Minor role in Almost Famous

In 2000, Jimmy Fallon played a minor role in the film Almost Famous.

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December 2001: Favorite SNL Sketch

In December 2001, Jimmy Fallon considered a sketch where he imitated Mick Jagger in a mirror opposite Jagger as his favorite.

2001: Co-hosts the MTV Movie Awards

In 2001, Fallon co-hosted the MTV Movie Awards.

2002: Co-hosts MTV Video Music Awards and Releases Comedy Album

In 2002, Fallon co-hosted the MTV Video Music Awards, and released his debut comedy album, The Bathroom Wall.

2003: Shoots film while on SNL

In the fall of 2003, Fallon split his time between shooting the film Taxi in Los Angeles and returning to New York City for SNL.

May 2004: Final SNL Season

In May 2004, Jimmy Fallon's sixth season at SNL was his last.

2004: Pursues Film Career

In 2004, Fallon began to pursue a film career.

2004: Leaves Saturday Night Live to star in films

In 2004, Fallon left Saturday Night Live to star in films.

2004: Departure from Saturday Night Live

In 2004, Jimmy Fallon left Saturday Night Live after being a cast member since 1998.

2004: Taxi Premiere

In the fall of 2004, the film Taxi premiered.

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2005: Stars in Fever Pitch

In 2005, Jimmy Fallon starred in Fever Pitch.

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February 2007: NBC Holding Deal

In February 2007, NBC gave Fallon a holding deal to prevent him from being lured elsewhere, anticipating him taking over the Late Night franchise.

May 2008: Successor to O'Brien's Late Night

In May 2008, Fallon was announced as the successor to Conan O'Brien's Late Night.

March 2009: Premiere of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

In March 2009, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon premiered.

2009: Host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

In 2009, Fallon returned to television as the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC.

2010: Hosts the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards

In 2010, Fallon hosted the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

2010: Viral "History of Rap" Clip

In 2010, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's "History of Rap" performance became a viral clip.

2012: Releases comedy album Blow Your Pants Off

In 2012, Fallon released his second comedy album, Blow Your Pants Off.

April 3, 2013: Announcement of Fallon as Tonight Show Host

On April 3, 2013, NBC announced that Fallon would succeed Jay Leno to become the host of The Tonight Show.

August 2013: Fallon's Late Night Salary

As of August 2013, Jimmy Fallon earned $11 million a year for his work on Late Night.

February 17, 2014: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Debut

On February 17, 2014, Fallon's Tonight Show debut engaged 11.3 million viewers.

2014: Becomes host of The Tonight Show

In 2014, Fallon became the sixth permanent host of The Tonight Show.

2014: Anchor of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

In 2014, Jimmy Fallon became the anchor of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon after leaving Late Night.

June 2015: Release of Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada

In June 2015, Jimmy Fallon's third book, Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada, a children's book, was released.

September 15, 2016: Hosts Donald Trump on The Tonight Show

On September 15, 2016, Fallon hosted Donald Trump on The Tonight Show, drawing criticism for his uncontroversial interview style.

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2020: Collaboration with WubbaNub

In 2020, Jimmy Fallon and WubbaNub created limited-edition pacifiers based on characters from his children's books.

August 30, 2023: Hosting Strike Force Five podcast

On August 30, 2023, Jimmy Fallon, along with Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver, started hosting the comedy podcast Strike Force Five to support their staff affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.