Why Jimmy Fallon Left SNL After 6 Seasons

Jimmy Fallon is one of several stars who found their break on Saturday Night Live, which is why his early departure from the hit sketch comedy series is surprising. When he first joined the show, Fallon quickly became known as one of many SNL actors to break character easily. His character breaks and impressive impersonations quickly made him one of the show’s more memorable cast members during the show’s impressive season 24.

Fallon’s time on the show led to hilarious skits as well, and he was even part of several of SNL‘s best skits of all time, alongside comedy masters like Rachel Dratch and Will Ferrell, who were also part of SNL during Fallon’s time on the show. Given Fallon’s success on SNL, it was surprising that he left the show so early when it seemed like he was at the peak of his career as a comedian.

Jimmy Fallon Was A Saturday Night Live Cast Member From 1998-2004

Fallon Was Praised For His Impersonations

While Fallon is now considered to be one of the best modern late-night hosts with his show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he had humble beginnings as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Fallon was hired in 2004 after his audition, which featured various impersonations, impressed SNL‘s creator, Lorne Michaels. He was also one of the few actors who made Michaels laugh during the audition. It is almost funny to imagine such a well-known comedian like Fallon having to submit an audition video for the hit series, but it is what launched his career in comedy.

Once he joined, Fallon often worked alongside his co-stars, Horatio Sanz and Chris Parnell, who were also hired for the same season. He appeared in many sketches over the years, with his most notable ones being the ones where he broke character. It often acted as a domino effect and impacted his co-stars too. In 2000, Fallon and Tina Fey also took over the opening slot for the duo on the Weekend Update segment of the show. Fallon remained on Weekend Update until his exit in 2004.

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Aside from his sketches and time as a host on Weekend Update, Fallon was also praised for his impressive impersonations. Some of his most famous ones include his impersonations of SNL alum, Adam Sandler, as well as Jerry Seinfeld and Barry Gibb. He would use his talent to impersonate celebrities in skits as well as guests on Weekend Update, making him a multifaceted character actor on the show.

Jimmy Fallon Quit SNL To Branch Out And Do Movies

Fallon Wanted To Try Playing More Serious Roles

After a successful comedy career on SNL, Fallon decided to leave the show to try and branch out into movies. According to Last Night On, Fallon wanted to “try his talents elsewhere.” Jimmy Fallon’s first movie after leaving SNL was meant to be a promising launch of his career outside of television. Taxi featured a star-studded cast including Queen Latifah and comedic moments, but it fell flat on its promise to deliver and was met with negative reviews.

Similarly, Fallon’s next movie, Fever Pitch, was also met with poor reviews too. A romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore, Fever Pitch was meant to help Fallon be seen as a more serious actor. However, his limited acting roles after leaving SNL never seemed to match the charm and charisma he gave off while being a character actor. The risk he took in leaving the show eventually paid off with his success in becoming a late-night talk show host, but it took time to get there as his career took a hit because of the poor success rate.

Has Jimmy Fallon Returned To SNL Since Leaving In 2004?

Fallon Has Returned Many Times As A Guest And Host

Despite leaving his role as a cast member in the mid-2000s, Fallon has returned many times to SNL in a cameo role, as a guest star, and as a host. He first returned to SNL in 2005 in a brief cameo, but he has since had major appearances as well. Fallon has also hosted SNL three times so far, in 2011, 2013, and 2017. However, some of his most memorable appearances have included him guest-starring in Justin Timberlake’s SNL episodes, where he and Timberlake would participate in sketches together, like “The Barry Gibbs Talk Show” sketch.

Besides his appearances on the show, Fallon also acted as the host for the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special. As a current late-night host and former SNL alum, Fallon was possibly the best person for the job. His history on the show as a cast member and beyond has proved to stand the test of time, as Fallon still remains one of the most popular and memorable SNL cast members. His positive relationship with the show and its cast members also made him perfect for the role.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Fallon’s time on SNL is so memorable is because he has continued to appear on the show even several years after he originally left. He has a great relationship with the show and its network, NBC, and he even works in the same building, as his talk show is just set on another floor. Fallon is one of many SNL alumni who can return as many times as he would like, and the show would still never get old.

Jimmy Fallon’s Best SNL Sketches & Characters

Some Of Fallon’s Best Sketches Include His Impersonations

As a cast member, Fallon was best known for breaking character and being able to do a variety of impersonations. His contributions to the show while he was part of the main cast from 1998 to 2004 led to the creation of some of SNL‘s most memorable skits, including Debbie Downer’s series and the More Cowbell skit. However, his contributions go further than the six years he was regularly on the air, as with each cameo and guest star appearance, he added even more hilarity to the history of the comedy show.

While it may be difficult to pick out just which character was Jimmy Fallon’s best on SNL, a few stand out. His role as Barry Gibb alongside Timberlake as Robin Gibb is not only one of his best skits but also shows off Fallon’s skills in comedy as well as his musical abilities. His impersonation of Mick Jagger in the Mick Jagger mirror skit also highlights Fallon’s talent. While Fallon might not have been able to maintain his composure in every skit, he did manage to bring laughter to the audience and his co-stars on Saturday Night Live.

Fallon is one of the select elite of SNL graduates who can pop in and out of the iconic comedy series anytime. The fact that his current late-night show is also on NBC makes the crossover much easier. He also maintains a good relationship with many of his fellow Saturday Night Live comics, making collaborations with them fairly easy.

Source: Last Night On

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Saturday Night Live

8/10

Release Date

October 11, 1975

Showrunner

Lorne Michaels

Directors

Dave Wilson, Don Roy King, Liz Patrick, Andy Warhol, Linda Lee Cadwell, Matthew Meshekoff, Paul Miller, Robert Altman, Robert Smigel

Writers

Will Forte, Bill Hader, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Chris Parnell, Asa Taccone, John Lutz, Tom Schiller, Simon Rich, Michael Patrick O’Brien, Nicki Minaj, Herbert Sargent, Matt Piedmont, John Solomon, Chris Kelly, Alan Zweibel, Kent Sublette, Ari Katcher, Marika Sawyer, Sarah Schnedier, Scott Jung, Justin Franks, Jerrod Bettis, Rhiannon Bryan