Who Knew Jimmy Fallon Once Dreamed of Becoming a Priest?
Here's a fun fact you might not have known about Jimmy Fallon: the charismatic host of "The Tonight Show" once had his sights set on a very different career path. In a candid conversation at The New Yorker Festival, the 44-year-old comedian revealed that he actually wanted to become a priest when he was younger. Can you imagine Jimmy in a cassock instead of a suit? It’s wild, right? Fallon shared, “I loved it. I loved the whole idea of it. I loved dressing up. I loved the smell of incense. I mean, I loved the whole idea.” According to Page Six, Fallon even joked that he and his former colleague, Stephen Colbert, have considered revisiting their altar-boy days by showing up at a random Mass around the city.
Fallout from the Altar: Fallon's Religious Roots
It turns out that Fallon's deep connection to the church stems from his childhood. In a previous interview with NPR’s Fresh Air, Fallon opened up about how his grandfather played a pivotal role in shaping his spiritual journey. "My grandfather was very religious, so I used to go to Mass with him at like 6:45 in the morning, serve Mass. And then you made money, too, if you did weddings and funerals," Fallon recalled. "You’d get like five bucks. And so I go, 'OK, I can make money too.' I go, 'This could be a good deal for me.' I thought I had the calling.”
Clearly, Fallon’s early experiences in the church left a lasting impression on him. But as we all know, his path eventually led him to the world of comedy, where he’s become one of the most beloved figures in late-night television.
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Revisiting Altar Boy Days with Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert, Fallon's fellow comedian and former host of "The Colbert Report," also shared a similar background. Fallon joked that the two of them have discussed the possibility of attending a random Mass together, just to relive their altar-boy days. Fallon quipped, “We might still do it.” Can you picture these two comedians slipping into the back pew of a church, reminiscing about the good old days?
From the Altar to the Spotlight: Fallon's Career Choice
Though Fallon once thought he had "the calling," he thankfully decided to pursue a career in comedy instead. Over the years, Fallon's life has taken a different turn, and he admitted that he doesn’t attend church as frequently as he used to. “It’s gotten gigantic,” Fallon explained. “There’s a band there now, and you got to, you have to hold hands with people through the whole Mass now, and I don’t like doing that. I mean, it used to be the shaking hands piece was the only time you touched each other.”
