His Cousin Sal and Aunt Chippy have also appeared on camera.Īnd there's his sidekick, a chubby, lovable teddy bear of a guy named Guillermo Rodriguez. In addition to McNearney and Escobedo, Kimmel's uncle, Frank Potenza, appeared on the show playing a security guard until his death in 2011 (a small shrine to his memory sits at the studio entrance). "I feel like he's earned every bit of success that he has." Kimmel is surrounded by friends and family while working on the program. "He just works his a** off he never stops working," says Escobedo, who grew up with Kimmel in Las Vegas and has led the show's backing band since the beginning. The show's bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, said Kimmel's commitment to such an intense work ethic is also why the show has lasted so long. You can't even watch television without thinking 'Is there something here that I can use on my show?' Because great ideas are hard to come by."īandleader Cleto Escobedo III (center) with the Cletones backing band dressed for the show's Halloween episode in 2022. "If you want to do a good job, you have to work all the time. He said the process of writing and rewriting that continues all the time – on weekends, late at night, around the clock. (He was careful to tell a visiting reporter that they all clapped when he walked in the room as a joke, not because he asks for it.) As video clips for his monologue played, Kimmel suggested edits and tossed off possible jokes. Dressed in a plaid shirt and pants – far more casual than the suit and tie he normally wears on camera - Kimmel sat behind his desk as staffers lounged in the seats usually occupied by the audience. The show's rehearsal, held on the studio stage hours before the show's taping, offered a glimpse of the process. Working with writers and producers to create a nightly late night show filled with guest interviews, pre-taped comedy bits and a long opening monologue requires generating lots of material. "Part of it is just OCD 20 years just sounds right.Ultimately, I just couldn't decide what to do, and in those situations, I have a tendency to stay the course." What drove him to nearly quit was the grind. "I was almost sure I was going to stop," said Kimmel, joking that he stayed in the job to avoid cleaning out his office. These days, Kimmel's preparing to host the Oscars for a third time and balancing work as a producer of other TV series with Jimmy Kimmel Live! But Kimmel almost quit his late night job last year, hesitating before finally agreeing to stay on as host and executive producer for three more years.ĪBC worked hard to woo him and he talked it over with his wife, Molly McNearney, who is co-head writer and an executive producer on the show. His skill at making improvised comedy bits work seamlessly is rooted in a confidence born from lots of experience. The day NPR visited, Kimmel hosted an episode featuring Rob Lowe, Storm Reid and Seal, cracking jokes with an unflappable, smart alecky flair. But it is interesting when people tell me, 'Yeah, I've been watching since I was eight.' It's very strange." Excelling at a job he nearly quit I never compare myself favorably to Dave. "The institution I admired was David Letterman. "I don't know how this 's weird to be the oldest guy, but I guess I am," he said, laughing. Politics Late-Night Host Jimmy Kimmel Is Negotiating A Presidential Debate.
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