Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel
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Name:
Jimmy Kimmel
Real name:
James Christian Kimmel
Who is:
,
Birth date:
(57 y.o.)
Place of birth:
New York
Height:
6'0 ft ()
Weight:
176 lb (80 kg)
Relationship:
married
Namesakes:
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:

Jimmy Kimmel biography

Jimmy Kimmel (birth name James Christian) is one of the most popular American TV hosts, screenwriters, and actors. He hosts and executive produces his own late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and the recipient of multiple prestigious awards such as Critic's Choice Television Award and Writer's Guild of America Award.
Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel
In 2013 Kimmel was granted his own star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; in 2017-2018 he hosted the Academy Award ceremonies. Earlier he was a host of numerous high-status music and TV awards including American Music Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards as well as acted as producer and co-creator of TV shows (Crank Yankers, The Andy Milonakis Show, etc.).

His impeccable ability to turn any serious conversation of a discussion into the humorous and entertaining show is considered to be one of his most defining characteristics. However, according to TV critics, his sense of humor, inspired by and based on Howard Stern and David Letterman's performances are too blunt, harsh, and sometimes is over the top. Net worth: $50 million.

Early life and childhood

Future TV star and one of Hollywood's most beloved comedians was born on November 13, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the eldest son of James John Kimmel, who worked at American Express, and Joan (nee Iocono) who was a homemaker. Jimmy has a younger brother Jonathan and sister, Jill. His father descended from German immigrants with Irish and Welsh heritage, while his mother was of Italian ancestry.
Young Jimmy Kimmel with his parents
Young Jimmy Kimmel with his parents
Raised Catholic, Jimmy served as an altar boy and spent much of his time at church. He's carried his faith throughout his life and remains a devout Catholic. When Jimmy turned 9, the Kimmel family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. In the entertainment capital of the world, he graduated from middle school and spent a year at the University of Nevada. He then spent two years at Arizona State University but never graduated. Later on, in 2013, he received an honorary bachelor's degree from UNLV.

Early career

Jimmy Kimmel started his hosting career while in high school, working in the radio industry. He then spent Saturday evenings conducting interviews around UNLV and at its KUNV campus. While in Arizona, Jimmy became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM afternoon radio show, regularly phoning in with questions.
Young Jimmy Kimmel
Young Jimmy Kimmel
The soon-to-be comedian got his first serious hosting job at KCMJ (Kansas City Music Jam) in Palm Springs, California.
Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Stein in «Win Ben Stein's Money» show
Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Stein in «Win Ben Stein's Money» show
In 1997 Jimmy made his debut on a TV screen, becoming a co-host of Ben Stein in his comedy game show «Win Ben Stein's Money». In 1999 this duo was granted a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Game Show Host nomination.

In 2000 he appeared in a small cameo role in American romantic comedy film Down to You, joining the cast alongside Freddie Prinze Jr., Ashton Kutcher, and Julia Stiles. After that, he appeared in more than twenty movies and forty TV series, usually as himself or portraying comedic characters.
In 2003 Jimmy Kimmel co-produced made-for-TV comedy film Windy City Heat
In 2003 Jimmy Kimmel co-produced made-for-TV comedy film Windy City Heat
In 2003, Kimmel became co-writer and co-producer of the made-for-TV comedy film Windy City Heat, based on an elaborate prank played on a vain actor. A year after its premiere, the film won the prestigious Comedia Award at The Montreal World Film Festival.
Jimmy Kimmel on his own TV talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Jimmy Kimmel on his own TV talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!
That same year, Jimmy Kimmel launched his own late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, which quickly became one of the most beloved and popular comedy TV shows in the USA and brought him numerous awards and nominations.
Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon
Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon
One of the show's most famous running gags became his ongoing feud with Matt Damon. The bit started when Kimmel would supposedly bump Damon from the show, bringing him out only in the final two minutes and apologizing that they'd run out of time.
Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon
The mock feud lasted over a decade, with both stars relentlessly roasting each other in increasingly outrageous ways. In 2008, Matt Damon teamed up with comedian Sarah Silverman, who was dating Kimmel at the time, to create the viral YouTube video "I'm F*cking Matt Damon." The video was so popular it even won an Emmy award. Kimmel wasn't about to let that slide and fired back with his own equally savage video. He created a response video called "I'm F*cking Ben Affleck suggesting that Kimmel was actually sleeping with Damon's best friend. The revenge video featured an all-star cast of Hollywood celebrities including Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, and Cameron Diaz.
In 2013 Jimmy Kimmel started a new segment in Jimmy Kimmel Live! discussing the political questions with kids
In 2013 Jimmy Kimmel started a new segment in Jimmy Kimmel Live! discussing the political questions with kids
In 2013, Jimmy Kimmel launched a new segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! called "Kids Table," where he discussed political issues with children. During one episode, a child guest suggested killing everyone in China to solve America's national debt crisis. The segment sparked outrage and protests from Chinese-Americans and the general public, with demonstrators demanding ABC fire Kimmel and apologize for the offensive remarks. The network ultimately denounced the incident and issued a formal apology.
Jimmy Kimmel and Barak Obama
Jimmy Kimmel and Barak Obama
Jimmy repeatedly made tasteless and inappropriate on-air jokes about US President Donald Trump, Fox News viewers, and slipped in some questionable racial humor, earning heavy criticism and viewer backlash that sparked rumors about the show's potential cancellation.
Jimmy Kimmel on 2018 Academy Awards ceremony
Later, Jimmy Kimmel added a popular segment called "Mean Tweets," where celebrities sit down with Kimmel to read mean and insulting Twitter posts about themselves, then react and comment on them. Even Barack Obama, the former US President, appeared on one of these segments.

In 2018, Jimmy was challenged by Texas Senator Ted Cruz to a one-on-one basketball game after the host publicly humiliated the politician on his show, comparing him to a blobfish and mocking his NBA playoff team choice. The game, held at Texas Southern University, ended with Cruz beating Jimmy 11-9 and, more importantly, raised over $80,000 for charity.

Personal life

Jimmy Kimmel was married twice. Costume designer Gina Maddy was the comedian's first wife and mother of his two children: daughter Katherine (1991) and son Kevin (1993). They were married in 1988 and lived together up until the divorce in 2002.
Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman
Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman
After the divorce, Kimmel spent five years dating fellow comedian Sarah Silverman. They broke up in 2009 but eventually decided to give their relationship a second chance. Unfortunately, their attempt to rekindle things ended quickly.
Jimmy Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney
Jimmy Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney
Right after things ended with Sarah, Jimmy found the love of his life. Molly McNearney, a co-writer on his show, became his second wife in 2013 after four years together.
Jimmy Kimmel with his wife and children
Jimmy Kimmel with his wife and children
Their first child, daughter Jane, was born in 2014, and their second child, son William "Billy" John, arrived in 2017. Unfortunately, the boy was born with a rare congenital heart defect and had to undergo open-heart surgery when he was just three days old. Being the loving father he is, Jimmy took time off work during his child's illness and asked famous celebrities including actors Channing Tatum and Jennifer Lawrence, musician Dave Grohl, and basketball player Shaquille O'Neal to temporarily fill in as hosts of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Kimmel's ABC show has almost become a family business: his younger brother Jonathan serves as director, son Kevin works as an assistant, and his cousin Sal Iacono writes the show's sketches. Even his aunt Chippy is a regular on-screen guest.
Jimmy Kimmel got his start at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Jimmy Kimmel got his start at the Hollywood Walk of Fame
According to Jimmy Kimmel, he suffers from narcolepsy – a condition that causes people to lose control over their sleep cycles and fall asleep at any moment.

Jimmy Kimmel now

Kimmel continues hosting his nightly show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" with celebrities regularly appearing as guests. During the Black Lives Matter movement, Kimmel publicly apologized for past TV segments where he ridiculed African Americans.
  • Who has not visited Kimmel! I have great respect for the presenters who know how to improvise and build a dialogue with anyone :)
    2021-04-04 13:48:16
  • A very noble act on the part of his fellow actors was to replace Jimmy during his son`s surgery and host his show. This is what I call humanity
    2021-04-03 19:45:09
  • I loved the Mean Tweets heading. It’s actually very funny but sometimes I feel so sorry for celebrities who read violent comments about themselves.
    2021-03-13 21:37:47
  • Oh, what a racist Kimmel and generally rude... I dislike his jokes
    2021-03-03 20:23:03
  • It is a real talent to turn serious or uncomfortable topics into a joke, thus guests of his program can relax and be more liberated!
    2021-01-24 11:18:12
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