[ad_1]
NBC didn’t want Jimmy Fallon to host Late Night at first.
The Saturday Night Live alum revealed during a recent Strike Force Five podcast episode that Lorne Michaels helped him land the job, which he held from from 2009 until 2014,
Fallon was exploring a film career when Michaels threw out the prospects of hosting a late-night show.
“I was leaving SNL and so [Michaels] goes, ‘Would you ever want to do it? A talk show?’ I go, ‘I don’t think so,’” Fallon told podcast cohosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver. “And so I said, ‘Well, in six years, ask m,e and if I, you know, if I’m around, I’ll think about it.’”
Six years later, Michaels returned.
Fallon said his wife encouraged him to take the gig.”‘You have to take this job. You’re one of three human beings to ever do this: David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, and you. And, if anything, you’re on a great list of people. Like, this is insane.’”
He continued, “So, I call Lorne, and I go, ‘I’m in. I’d love to do it.’ He goes, ‘Great. NBC doesn’t really want you. But we have to talk to them.’ I’m not even on their list, by the way.”
Fallon, the network felt at the time, no longer had sizzle after two film flops
“I think Lorne said, ‘Look, I’ve worked with Jimmy. He’s a hard worker. He’s going to be great at this. Either you do this with Jimmy or I’m not involved,’” he said. “Or something like that. He actually went to bat for me and changed my life.”
Meyers also related how Michaels’ blessing was a key to him getting his talk gig. He said a New York Post article claimed he was up for the gig, which prompted a Michaels call.
“When you talk to Lorne, it often feels like a follow-up call to a conversation that never happened… He literally just started saying, ‘You know, I think you’ll do it and it’ll be good and it’ll take time, but you’ll, you know, you’ll have Jimmy as a lead in,’” Meyers said. “So there was again no moment when anyone ever said to me, Would you like to do this.”
[ad_2]
Source link
