Jimmy Fallon

An ingratiating comedian and actor with a knack for impersonations and musical parodies, Jimmy Fallon brought boyish energy to the venerable sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) between 1998 and 2004. His tenure on the show, which included a sublime pairing with head writer Tina Fey as co-anchors of "Weekend Update," led to several high-profile television stints and film roles. Fallon thrived in live-audience settings like serving as the host of the "MTV Movie Awards" in 2002, while perhaps not living up to full potential on the big screen with forgettable appearances in otherwise noteworthy films like "Almost Famous" (2000) and "Band of Brothers" (HBO, 2001). After a supporting role in the Woody Allen comedy "Anything Else" (2003), Fallon had his first starring role in the critically panned remake of Luc Besson's "Taxi" (2004). He fared better as a Red Sox-obsessed teacher in the romantic comedy "Fever Pitch." (2005). Despite fairly consistent work on the big screen, his movie career never quite panned out and Fallon kept a relatively low profile until 2008, when he was announced as Conan O'Brien's replacement to host "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (NBC, 2009-13). Despite initial hiccups, Fallon managed to draw significant ratings over time while growing more confident in the talk show format. Only four years into his successful run at 12:30 a.m., Fallon was announced as Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" successor, giving the comedian even more legitimacy as one of the premier funnymen of his generation.