Jimmy Kimmel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel in 2022
Birth name	James Christian Kimmel
Born	(1967-11-13) November 13, 1967 (age 57) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Television film radio
Education	Arizona State University (BA)
Genres	Observational comedy black comedy insult comedy surreal humor satire deadpan
Subject(s)	American culture American politics everyday life pop culture current events
Spouse	Gina Maddy ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 2002)​ Molly McNearney ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4
Relative(s)	Jonathan Kimmel (brother) Frank Potenza (uncle) Sal Iacono (cousin) Martha Stewart (cousin)

James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American actor, TV host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for hosting and producing Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a popular late-night talk show that started in 2003.

Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards three times (in 2012, 2016, and 2020). He has also hosted the Academy Awards (the Oscars) four times (in 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024). Before his own show, Kimmel co-hosted The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money on Comedy Central. He has also helped produce other shows like Crank Yankers. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People."

Early Life and Family

Jimmy Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 13, 1967. He grew up in the Mill Basin area as the oldest of three children. His father, James John Kimmel, worked for American Express and IBM.

He was raised Catholic and was an altar server as a child. His mother's family came from Ischia, Italy, after an earthquake in 1883. Some of his father's family were German immigrants. A DNA test also showed he has some Albanian heritage.

When Jimmy was nine, his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He finished high school at Ed W. Clark High School. He then went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for a year before moving to Arizona State University. In 2013, he received an honorary degree from UNLV.

Many of Kimmel's family members have been part of his shows. His uncle, Frank Potenza (known as "Uncle Frank"), was a regular on Jimmy Kimmel Live! until he passed away in 2011. His cousin, Sal Iacono, took over his co-hosting role on Win Ben Stein's Money and later became a writer and performer on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. His brother, Jonathan Kimmel, works as a director on the show, and his sister, Jill, is a comedian.

Career Highlights

Starting in Radio

Jimmy Kimmel was inspired by David Letterman to start his career in radio while still in high school. He hosted an interview show on UNLV's college radio station, KUNV. In 1989, he got his first paid radio job in Seattle, Washington.

Over the next few years, Kimmel worked at different radio stations across the country. He even hired Carson Daly as an intern in Palm Springs, California. Later, he became "Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the "Kevin and Bean" morning show at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, where he met comedian Adam Carolla.

Moving to Television

Kimmel didn't plan to work in television at first. He started by writing promotions for Fox and soon began doing them on air. He turned down several TV show offers until he was asked to be the funny co-host on the game show Win Ben Stein's Money for Comedy Central in 1997. His quick humor and down-to-earth style were a great match for Ben Stein's serious personality. Together, they won an Emmy award for Best Game Show Host.

In 1999, while still on Win Ben Stein's Money, Kimmel also started co-hosting and co-producing The Man Show with Adam Carolla. The success of The Man Show allowed Kimmel and his partners to create and produce other shows, like Crank Yankers and The Andy Milonakis Show. Kimmel also produced and co-wrote the movie Windy City Heat.

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

In January 2003, Jimmy Kimmel left The Man Show to host his own late-night talk show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, on ABC.

Even though the show is called "Live!", it hasn't actually aired live since 2004. This change happened after censors had trouble bleeping out some strong language from an actor during a live broadcast.

During the 2004 NBA Finals, Kimmel made a joke about the city of Detroit that caused a stir. He later apologized, and the show that night was not aired.

A running joke on the show is Kimmel's "feud" with actor Matt Damon. Kimmel often ends his show by saying, "My apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time." When Damon actually appeared on the show, Kimmel cut him off after only a few seconds, continuing the joke. Both have said their "feud" is just for fun. Other celebrities, like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, have also joined in on this long-running prank.

In 2013, a segment called "Kids Table" featured young children talking about the U.S. government. One child made a suggestion that caused a lot of discussion and protests online. Kimmel and ABC later apologized, explaining that the comment was meant as a joke and they never intended to upset anyone.

In 2022, Kimmel shared that he told ABC executives he would leave his show if he couldn't make jokes about politicians. He said that even though it meant some viewers stopped watching, he felt it was important to keep telling those jokes.

Other TV Work

Kimmel has appeared on many other TV shows. He was a football expert for Fox NFL Sunday for four years. He has also been a guest on shows like Live with Kelly and Mark and The Howard Stern Show.

He has hosted the New York Friars' Club Roast of Hugh Hefner and the Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson. In 2006, ABC announced he would host their new game show Set for Life. He also filled in for Larry King on Larry King Live and managed the National League in the 2007 Taco Bell All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. Kimmel has hosted the American Music Awards five times.

In 2007, Kimmel guest-hosted Live with Regis and Kelly for a week. He traveled between New York and Los Angeles every day, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled in one work week.

Kimmel has also lent his voice to animated films and shows, often playing animal characters. He voiced Spanky in Garfield: The Movie and Insectosaurus in Monsters vs Aliens. He also voiced Batman in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

In 2010, Kimmel made a memorable appearance on The Jay Leno Show, where he jokingly criticized Jay Leno for a TV host conflict happening at the time.

He hosted the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2012 and the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2016. He also hosted the Academy Awards in 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024.

In 2018, Kimmel played a one-on-one basketball game against U.S. Senator Ted Cruz. The game, called the "Blobfish Basketball Classic," raised over $80,000 for charity. Cruz won the game 11–9.

In 2020, Kimmel became the host and co-executive producer of a celebrity version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Books and Podcasts

In July 2019, Kimmel released his first book, The Serious Goose. It's an interactive children's picture book with his own drawings, asking readers to help make a serious goose smile.

In August 2023, Kimmel started a comedy podcast called Strike Force Five. He hosts it with other famous late-night hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver. They created the podcast to support their staff members who were out of work during a writers' strike.

Influences and Personal Life

Comedy Influences

Jimmy Kimmel says his biggest comedy inspirations are David Letterman and Howard Stern. He admired Letterman's unique and different show, saying he had never seen anything like it. Kimmel has often joked that he got into show business just to become friends with Letterman.

Personal Life

Kimmel is a practicing Catholic. He has also shared that he has narcolepsy, a condition that causes extreme daytime sleepiness.

Kimmel married Gina Maddy in 1988, and they divorced in 2002. They have a daughter named Katherine (born in 1991) and a son named Kevin (born in 1993). He later had a relationship with comedian Sarah Silverman from 2002 to 2009.

In October 2009, Kimmel began dating Molly McNearney, who is a co-head writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live!. They got engaged in 2012 and married in July 2013. They have a daughter named Jane (born in 2014) and a son named William "Billy" John (born in 2017).

Billy was born with a rare heart condition called tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia. He had successful surgery when he was just three days old. Kimmel later spoke publicly about his son's health journey, using it to talk about the importance of healthcare for children with pre-existing conditions.

In 2020, Kimmel found out that he and TV personality Martha Stewart are cousins through a family history show called Finding Your Roots.

Hobbies and Interests

Jimmy Kimmel plays the bass clarinet. He has even performed with the band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at a concert.

He helped start the annual Los Angeles Feast of San Gennaro, a tradition from New York City. In 2018, he helped raise money for a U.S. Senate candidate. Since 2019, he has served as the Honorary Mayor of a town in Newfoundland.

In 2021, Kimmel became the main sponsor for the LA Bowl, a college football bowl game played in Los Angeles. The game is now officially known as the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

As Executive Producer

Video Games

Discography

• "Joel the Lump of Coal" from Don't Waste Your Wishes with The Killers

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Kimmel at the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 4, 2012

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  Kimmel at Citi Field with his cousin, Sal Iacono, in 2015

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  Kimmel at the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 25, 2013

See also

In Spanish: Jimmy Kimmel para niños