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Who Is Jimmy Kimmel?
In 1997, Jimmy Kimmel transitioned from radio to television, taking on the role of host for the game show Win Ben Stein’s Money. Two years later, he founded a production company named Jackhole Industries. Following the success of several hit shows, Kimmel caught the attention of ABC, which led to the launch of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003. To date, this show stands as ABC’s longest-running late-night talk show in its history.
Early Life
Television personality and comedian Jimmy Kimmel was born James Christian Kimmel on November 13, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of nine, Kimmel relocated with his parents, Jim and Joan, and his siblings, Jonathan and Jill, to Las Vegas. As the eldest of three, Kimmel exhibited remarkable artistic talent and academic excellence, consistently earning straight A’s throughout high school. It was during his teenage years that he discovered his idol, David Letterman.
Kimmel’s initial foray into performance came as a college radio disc jockey. After gaining experience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Arizona State University, he began his professional radio career at the age of 21. His career took him through various markets in cities such as Seattle, Phoenix, and Tucson, ultimately leading him to Los Angeles’ renowned KROQ, where he gained recognition as “Jimmy the Sports Guy” on The Kevin and Bean Show.
TV Debut: Comedy Central’s Win Ben Stein’s Money
In 1997, Kimmel made his television debut as the host of Comedy Central’s Win Ben Stein’s Money. In this role, he served as a comedic foil to the show’s titular challenger, Ben Stein. Kimmel’s performance garnered critical acclaim, earning him and Stein a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Game Show Host in 1999, as well as a nomination for the same award in 2001.
The Man Show
Two years into his successful game show career, Jimmy Kimmel, alongside longtime collaborators Adam Carolla and Daniel Kellison, founded a production company named Jackhole Industries. The trio began to develop and pitch various comedy shows through this company. In 1999, they presented one of their projects, The Man Show, to Comedy Central. Billed as the “anti-Oprah,” this half-hour comedy series celebrated hyper-masculinity and featured elements such as beer chugging, models bouncing on trampolines, and unapologetic toilet humor. The show achieved significant success, becoming a hallmark of crude comedy and propelling Kimmel into the limelight, leading to his frequent appearances as a commentator on Fox NFL Sunday.
Building on the success of The Man Show, Kimmel and his team created Crank Yankers for Comedy Central in 2002. This innovative series showcased puppets reenacting previously recorded prank phone calls, featuring the voices of celebrity comics like David Alan Grier, Dane Cook, Seth MacFarlane, Wanda Sykes, Sarah Silverman, and even Kimmel’s own children. Other notable projects followed, including The Sports Show with Norm Macdonald and The Andy Milonakis Show.
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
With a string of successful shows under his belt, Kimmel caught the attention of ABC, which was interested in him as a potential late-night host in the early 2000s. Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered on January 26, 2003, receiving lukewarm reviews. However, as the show progressed, Kimmel garnered respect from A-list guests and surpassed rival late-night talk shows in ratings. Over its decade-long run, Kimmel’s continued success led ABC to repeatedly extend his contract. In 2012, the network announced it would move Jimmy Kimmel Live! to an earlier time slot to compete directly with NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
In September 2013, Kimmel created a comedic spoof of an interview rapper Kanye West conducted with the BBC. Following the sketch, West unleashed a series of tweets targeting Kimmel, prompting Kimmel to reveal that the two had spoken on the phone. West suggested that Kimmel’s life would improve if he issued an apology. Kimmel later invited West onto his late-night show, where they resolved their public dispute.
Kimmel has not hesitated to leverage his platform to express criticism of certain public figures, including former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who faced sexual misconduct allegations during his 2017 Senate campaign. When Moore suggested they settle their differences “man to man,” Kimmel responded with enthusiasm, willing to accept the challenge.
Like many of his late-night counterparts, Kimmel adapted to the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, hosting a stripped-down version of his show from home. Each quarantine edition aimed to raise funds for various organizations.
Emmys, Oscars, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Kimmel hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012, 2016, and 2020, receiving positive feedback for his performances. Additionally, he hosted the Academy Awards in 2017 and returned for the 90th edition of the Oscars the following March.
In April 2020, Kimmel took on the role of host for a revival of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, featuring celebrity contestants.
Personal Life and Children
Kimmel married his college sweetheart, Gina Maddy, in 1988. The couple welcomed a son, Kevin, and a daughter, Katherine. As Kimmel’s career flourished, his marriage began to unravel, leading to Gina filing for divorce in 2002. During this time, Kimmel grew closer to friend and Crank Yankers co-star Sarah Silverman. Their relationship became known for its blend of sweetness and rivalry, marked by a tendency to share personal details publicly.
Kimmel and Silverman briefly parted ways in 2008 but reconciled later that year, only to end their relationship definitively in 2009. In a candid appearance on The View, Kimmel explained the breakup, humorously noting, “What do you mean, what happened? Look at me. What do you think happened? I’m a 41-year-old man with a bra filled with Koosh balls. I’m an imbecile. She couldn’t date an imbecile anymore.” Despite their split, Kimmel and Silverman remained friends.
Later that year, Kimmel began a relationship with Molly McNearney, a co-head writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The couple announced their engagement in August 2012 and married in July 2013. They welcomed their first child, daughter Jane, on July 10, 2014, followed by son William “Billy” Kimmel on April 21, 2017.
Kimmel and the Healthcare Policy Debate
In a heartfelt monologue on his show, Kimmel revealed that his son Billy was born with a severe heart condition and required open-heart surgery just three hours after birth. He utilized this moment to emphasize the importance of affordable healthcare in the United States, asserting, “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make. I think that’s something that whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or something else, we all agree on that, right?”
In September 2017, Kimmel made headlines again when Republicans attempted to repeal Obamacare through the Graham-Cassidy Bill. He publicly criticized Senator Bill Cassidy, stating that the politician “just lied right to my face” during a previous appearance on his show. Kimmel remarked, “I don’t know what happened to Bill Cassidy. But when he was on this publicity tour, he listed his demands for a healthcare bill very clearly. Guess what? The new bill does none of those things.”
In a significant departure from traditional late-night talk show norms, Kimmel encouraged viewers to contact their congressional representatives to oppose the bill. His candid remarks ignited a media firestorm, drawing reactions from politicians and pundits alike regarding his impassioned commentary on healthcare.
On December 4, ABC announced that Kimmel’s son, Billy, had undergone a successful second heart surgery. Kimmel took time off to support his family during this period, with notable figures such as Chris Pratt, Tracee Ellis Ross, Neil Patrick Harris, and Melissa McCarthy guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! in his absence.
Kimmel returned to his show on December 11, holding Billy in his arms and expressing relief that his son was “doing great” just one week after the surgery. He took the opportunity to thank the doctors at the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles while reiterating his frustrations with politicians for failing to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the recently approved Senate tax bill.