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

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

FlightStory

Society & Culture, Business, Education

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2025

⏱️ 101 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if the price of every laugh was your own happiness? Jimmy Fallon reveals the shocking toll of his comedy empire. Jimmy Fallon is host of ‘The Tonight Show’, Emmy-winning comedian and television personality, and former host of ‘Saturday Night Live’ (SNL). He is also the author of children’s and comedy books such as, 'Papa Doesn't Do Anything!’ and is set to launch a new innovative marketing show called ‘On Brand with Jimmy Fallon’ this Fall. Jimmy discusses: How he didn’t expect the entertainment industry to be so brutal. Why his sense of humour became his secret weapon. How he navigated receiving hate after achieving massive success in comedy. How his strict Catholic upbringing shaped his relentless need to please others. How his mother’s support gave him the confidence to chase his dreams. 00:00 Intro 02:24 What Made Jimmy the Way He Is Nowadays 03:37 The Earliest Memory of Jimmy Wanting to Please Others 04:52 Jimmy's Parents 07:33 Jimmy's Mother 13:02 Who Was Jimmy Trying to Impress More: His Mother or His Father? 14:28 Jimmy's Relationship With Money 17:05 Jimmy's Anecdote With Jerry Seinfeld 21:11 Was Jimmy a Confident Young Man? 22:11 Principles for Achieving Your Childhood Dream 25:51 How Did Jimmy's Parents React to His Career Plans? 28:10 Did Jimmy Ever Doubt Himself While Trying to Break Into Show Business? 33:51 Where Does Jimmy's Passion for SNL Come From? 37:58 Jimmy's Mental Health During the Auditioning Phase 40:41 What Would Jimmy Say to His Younger Self? 45:09 What Life Would Have Been Like If Jimmy Hadn’t Got on SNL 47:32 Jimmy's First SNL Audition 52:00 Getting on SNL Before Turning 25 – A Non-Negotiable Goal 53:32 Ads 57:36 Finally Getting SNL 01:02:01 Was There an Anticlimax When Jimmy Got on SNL? 01:02:50 Struggles With Public Criticism 01:05:55 How Did Jimmy Cope With Fame? 01:09:48 How Meeting Influential People Changed Jimmy’s Perspective 01:12:20 How to Never Get Bored of Hosting a Show 01:14:12 How Does Jimmy Keep Himself Challenged? 01:14:52 Dada and "Mama" Books 01:16:23 How Jimmy's Mother's Death Changed Him 01:19:01 What Jimmy Misses About His Mother 01:20:39 Jimmy's Grief After His Mother's Death 01:21:35 Would Jimmy Have Followed His Passion Without His Mother? 01:22:33 When Did Jimmy Start Being Concerned With Longevity? 01:26:50 Is There Another Chapter Beyond TV for Jimmy? 01:29:04 How Is Jimmy Misunderstood? 01:29:31 Jimmy's Pursuits Outside of TV 01:32:31 What Would Jimmy's Gravestone Say? 01:34:02 How Becoming a Father Shifted Jimmy’s Meaning of Life 01:34:44 Life Advice Jimmy Would Give to His Daughters 01:36:39 Question From the Previous Guest Follow Jimmy: Instagram - https://bit.ly/3HiDAs1 X - https://bit.ly/3Su5zrd TikTok - https://bit.ly/3Hk24Bu You can purchase Jimmy’s book, Papa Doesn't Do Anything!, here: https://amzn.to/3HgeQkc The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb Get email updates: https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt Follow Steven: https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett Perfect Ted - https://www.perfectted.com with code DIARY40 for 40% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was just breaking down mentally of like, what have I done?
0:04.0	I don't know what else to do with my life.
0:07.0	And I think I wrote a letter to my best friend, like I'm losing it, dude.
0:10.0	What did it say?
0:12.0	It's a deep one.
0:14.0	Jesus.
0:15.0	Jimmy!
0:17.0	I was reading through your business portfolio and it's extremely extensive.
0:22.5	You've found the production company.
0:23.8	A ride shoes.
0:25.0	You've got the ice cream.
0:26.1	They're tonight dough.
0:27.8	But the through line here is about making people happy.
0:30.6	I've always wanted to please people since I was a kid.
0:32.8	And in your eighth grade class, you were voted most likely to replace David Letterman on the late night show.
0:36.9	Is that crazy?
0:38.3	Because I ended up doing that.
0:39.3	It does feel like you pulled that into existence somehow.
0:41.3	Well, I was beyond obsessed.
0:43.3	I wanted to be on Saturday line.
0:44.3	So I worked at the improv where I think the paycheck was $7.25.
0:48.3	You didn't really eat much.
	...

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