Real Detroit Weekly - August 14-20, 2002


Jimmy Fallon Magic Man - By Shannon McCarthy

It’s an early morning in Los Angeles where Saturday Night Live’s most adored actor, Jimmy Fallon, is waking up for a slew of interviews. The “weekend Update” co-anchor has been doing select live shows to promote the release of his first comedy album, The Bathroom Wall (DreamWorks), as well as the MTV Music Video Awards, which he will be hosting on August 29th. “Part Irish, German, and a little Norwegian,” Fallon declared that, at age 27, he has fully realized a childhood dream - being a cast member on SNL. Giving a perfect rendition of Michael Stipe, among others, over the phone, Fallon is funny without being annoying, nice without being fake, and is most likely the only SNL cast member who will ever appear in a Calvin Klein ad.

With The Bathroom Wall, Fallon leaps into the same comedic territory as some of his childhood heroes. Equal parts comedy songs (though more Tenacious D than Adam Sandler) and live stand-up. Fallon’s’ comedic and musical influences appear in blinding honor. With the sincerity and comedic timing of some of SNL’s greatest heroes and the face of freshness of a young generation, in films and TV, Fallon has proven to be a man of many faces- but none are as great as his own.

Real Detroit: It’s 9am. Why are you awake so early?

Jimmy Fallon: You don’t even understand; I can’t even tell you. You know what’s crazier than that? I’m doing this and we just had a show last night and my voice is so dead. I was screaming punk rock songs at the Roxy! It was so much fun. I totally did not deserve to be there. I tried to channel Axl Rose and ever classic Roxy performer.

RD: Was C.C. DeVille there?

JF: He was there in spirit. I should have looked at my friend, Gerard, who plays guitar, and said, “C. C., pick up that guitar and talk to me!” I didn’t even think about that. I might steal that. Don’t sue me.

RD: Are you wearing pajamas?

JF: I’m wearing what I slept in. I guess, if you call jeans and a T-shirt pajamas. I’m getting to a stage now where I’m not doing pajamas anymore. I get so tired when I get home, I sleep in my pants no, but maybe it is good. What if there’s an emergency and I have to sleep somewhere immediately? I’d say, “Well I’m already in my pajamas.” “What are you talking about Jimmy, you’re in a tuxedo.” I go, “Au contraire, mom frair, I’m in my pajamas.” If I end up being narcoleptic I’m in good shape.

RD: Have you already started working on the Video Awards?

JF: We started at the beginning of the month and we wrote some promos, and I shot all these promos for the show. Now we’re just thinking of bits and what we’re going to do with people and who’s going to be there. They’re booking it as we speak. Bruce Springsteen and Eminem are going to be there.

RD: Are you even busier?

JF: I’ve never been more busy in my life, but you know what- I’d rather be busy now than at 60 years old. I feel for Larry Bud Mellman because he didn’t expect it. He thought his life would be relaxing and then he got really busy. When I’m old, I’m probably just going to retire and not talk to anybody.

RD: You should retire when you’re 30.

JF: Oh, that’d be money. I’ve got three years. You know, I’d probably go crazy and I’d have to be an artist or something, start painting or something. I can’t get bored….especially when you’re working on Saturday Night Live. You have to work, you have to use your brain, so you get so used to it…Your paper is weekly, right?

RD: Yes, I know what you mean.

JF: So you know what I’m talking about. You’re constantly doing something. It never stops. You can’t even enjoy what you’re doing. I tape all the shows because I don’t remember them. I go home to my mom and dad’s house and I watch all the shows.

RD: You began playing guitar when you were a kid, right?

JF: I took guitar lessons when I was 12 for two years. My guitar teacher had really bad B.O. so he would put my guitar under his arm and play me a song and then I’d have to go home and Lysol it up.

RD: Growing up, did you want to be a rock star?

JF: You always have those fantasies where you’re lip-syncing in front of your mirror in your bedroom. I was into all sorts of music when I was growing up. Like Paul McCartney - I don’t know why I was really into his solo stuff. That and Twisted Sister, heavy stuff and really old timey stuff; Andy Williams, stuff like that [laughs].My dad used to sing doo wop in Brooklyn. Me and my sister know ever doo wop song in the history of music. So I thought that they sang doo wop in Vietnam. So I’m watching all of these movies waiting for the doo wop songs and it’s always like [he sings] “In the white room”, or “It’s the time of the season.” I’m like, what is this? Where’s The Duprees, where’s Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

RD: Do you have any aspirations to be in a band?

JF: No, no no. It’s not my lot in life. I did it last night and it was absolutely a dream, it’s like a fantasy baseball camp. You’re like, “Hey, I’m a rock star everybody” and they say, “Yeah, okay Larry, now take your hat off and walk the dog.”

RD: What kind of music are you listening to right now?

JF: Of course you’ve got The “Blanks” - The Hives, The Strokes, The Vines, all those new groups. I’m mostly into going old school, I’m obsessed with my iPod. Right now I’m listening to Traveling Wilbur’s [laughs] and Leonard Cohen. Have you ever listened to that song “Handle with Care”…? If you listen to that song, it’s heartbreakingly good. In fact, I’m going to play it for you right now. [Proceeds to play it over the phone] Are you ready for it? Are you ready, McCarthy?

RD: I’m ready. But it didn’t make me cry.

JF: Well, you’re at work. You’re looking at some poster that says, “hang in there,” with a monkey holding onto a tree or something.

RD: I wish I were looking at that because I’m obsessed with monkeys.

JF: Really! I put monkeys in my music video. There’s one character where I’m dancing in front of a green screen and the background is all nature shots, so there’s one of a monkey getting breast fed by his dad - by his mother.

RD: By his dad? What kind of family did you grow up in?

JF: That made you laugh! I like that you laughed at that. You’re going to see this and you’re going to be flipping out. You’re going to poop your pants, that’s how good it is. There’s serious monkey time.

RD: Excellent. I’m going to let you go. I’m done with you.

JF: What do you mean? You don’t care about me anymore. You just care about your weekly thing - I’m the flavor of the week. You’re thinking about next week, you’re interviewing David Lee Roth or something…


Shannon McCarthy will not poop her pants, no matter how many monkeys you show up with. Email the flavor of the year at Shannon@getrealdetroit.com

The Bathroom Wall is now out in stores on DreamWorks Records MTV Music Video Awards - August 29 - MTV

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