Jimmy the Kid: A TV Guide Interview with Jimmy Fallon
By Annabel Vered
The youngest member of "Saturday Night Live's" cast has made a name for himself by impersonating others
When Jimmy Fallon found out last summer that he had landed a coveted spot on "Saturday Night Live," it was a dream come true. "I have to get a new goal now because I've wanted to be on the show since I was a baby," says Fallon, who, at 24, is the same age as the late-night sketch-comedy series (NBC, Saturdays, 11:30 P.M./ET). "Anytime I ever cut a birthday cake, if I was throwing a coin in a fountain or saying a prayer, I would always say, 'I want to be on Saturday Night Live.'"
One of three new featured players this season (along with Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell), Fallon has been making his mark with dead-on impersonations of Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and Marilyn Manson and winning fans with his hysterically smart song-parody medleys (which have included versions of Alanis Morissette's "Thank U" and Shawn Mullins's "Lullaby"). And when he isn't busy honing his Nintendo skills, the single Fallon ("I'm a better ex-boyfriend") is working on new impressions (keep an eye out for Chris Rock, Robin Williams, and Billy Crystal).
While growing up in Saugerties, New York, Fallon would perform at his parents' parties for a dollar. "James Cagney was my first impression," he says. "I'm 2 years old, and I would say, 'You dirty rat!'" Now the Fallons are ecstatic about their son's success. "They're so happy for me, they're flipping out," he says. "My mom calls me the baby. [As in,] 'The baby's coming home this week' or 'Did you see thebaby's sketch last night?' The baby? I shave, for God's sake. They're flipping out about that, too."
