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Jimmy Kimmel has become a household name as America's most recognizable late-night television host. His journey from radio DJ to hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC represents an eccentric path in entertainment.
Most audiences know him as the funny man who jokes about current events and celebrity culture. However, several fascinating details about his life remain hidden from public view.
His background includes unexpected hobbies, surprising influences, and interesting relationships with other popular personalities. The comedian has built his career through dedication and hard work to his craft. His rise to fame involved several television projects and shows.
Behind the scenes, Kimmel maintains relationships with friends and family that shape his comedy pattern. Visiting these lesser-known aspects provides insight into what makes him stand out as a performer and person.
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7 surprising facts about Jimmy Kimmel that will leave his fans speechless
1) His obsession with David Letterman started when he was young
Jimmy Kimmel developed an extreme admiration for David Letterman during his teen years in Las Vegas. He would wear Late Night with David Letterman jackets regularly. His birthday celebrations always featured Late Night-themed cakes. He organized viewing parties for Letterman specials on Friday nights with pals. He installed a custom Late Night plate when he purchased his first car, an Isuzu I-Mark.
The devotion continued into his professional career. When Jimmy Kimmel Live! In 2003, he approached Letterman to be his first guest.
Letterman declined the invitation in a handwritten note. That rejection letter now hangs framed in Kimmel's office as a reminder of his journey. The admiration remains consistent today, and he admits he would be pretty nervous if Letterman ever appeared on his show.
2) Howard Stern inspired his radio career
Kimmel credits Howard Stern as a crucial influence on his career path. His Uncle Vinnie would record Stern's series on WNBC in New York and mail cassettes to him. He received only one cassette every six months. Every tape contained about 45 minutes of content.
He would listen to these recordings several times, memorizing every segment and joke. This exposure to Stern's radio style intrigued and made him pursue radio work. The interview techniques and comedy timing he learned from studying Stern became part of his own approach.
Jimmy Kimmel has developed a genuine friendship with Stern, unlike his bond with Letterman. This connection has allowed him to understand the radio legend's methods more accurately.
3) The Matt Damon feud is completely fake
The ongoing feud between Kimmel and Matt Damon started as an ordinary time-filling joke. For years, he would end episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! by saying
Apologies to Matt Damon, but we ran out of time
This turned into a running gag that the audience expected nightly. In fall 2006, Damon actually appeared on the series. He was then told they had run out of time for his interviews. The actor left the stage using colorful verbal language. Audiences wondered if his anger was real. After the series, Damon signed a cue card with an expletive-loaded message about never returning.
This signed card is now hanging outside Kimmel's workplace. The retaliation escalated with Damon's I'm F***ing Matt Damon clip featuring Sarah Silverman, who was dating Jimmy Kimmel during that time.
4) He's a serious prankster in private life
Jimmy Kimmel gives significant time to elaborate pranks on family and friends. Every year, he creates humiliating holiday greeting cards on behalf of his agent, James Dixon. One memorial card featured Dixon sitting on a toilet with a suggestive message about dealing with complex clients.
He continues to prank call his parents every single time he connects with them. Remarkably, they always fall for these jokes, never recognizing his voice tricks. His mother used to play pranks on him as a kid.
She would lie on the floor pretending to be dead until he and his sister started crying. They would punch her, trying to wake her up. This starting exposure to family pranking shaped his comedy sensibilities. His office displays several joke items and unusual collectibles that reflect his playful nature.
5)The Man's Show viewers became unruly
Before featuring on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he co-hosted The Man Show on Comedy Central with Adam Carolla. The studio viewers gradually became increasingly disruptive and problematic to control.
Viewers would line up around the block to attend tapings. They would spend many days drinking outside the studio before entering. The atmosphere resembled a college football tailgate party rather than a television recording.
The viewers only wished to see women in bikinis and would scream all the time. The breaking point came during a segment where Carolla was making a serious point about someone's father. The man had said
"Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one."
The viewers erupted in laughter at this statement. Jimmy Kimmel realized they were laughing at what was supposed to be an example of not-so-funny commentary.
6) He creates Viral Videos through careful planning
Kimmel has produced several popular videos that needed extensive planning and coordination. The Handsome Men's Club video showcased several A-list celebrities, including Mathew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Sting, and Leny Kravitz. Curating this video required several weeks of filming and scheduling at several locations.
The concept displayed him running an exclusive club before being thrown out for insufficient handsomeness. His club tie and paddle from the video remain shown in his office. Street performer interviews with SpongeBob and Chewbacca characters happened suddenly during a magazine photo shoot. These characters stayed after the orchestrated photography session ended.
During a filming break, he started interviewing them in character. The improvised material became popular in online videos that displayed his quick comedic instincts.
7) ABC gives him creative freedom
Despite working with a big television network, Kimmel enjoys considerable creative freedom with his series content. He rarely receives executive notes on interference from ABC management. The primary restriction involves avoiding extreme language on broadcast television. He found that bleeped curse words are often funnier than actual profanity.
This was followed by regular 'Unnecessary Censorship' segments that bleep innocuous words for comedic effect. His show often finishes taping just one hour before broadcast time.
His opening monologue is frequently completed a few minutes before filming starts. This tight schedule makes executive review practically difficult. He believes that committee-created comedy rarely succeeds, so this independence benefits the show's portrayal.
Jimmy Kimmel's career reveals creativity, dedication, and raw passion for entertainment. These behind-the-scenes anecdotes display his evolution from devoted viewer to established host, maintaining rawness throughout his journey.
