When Jimmy Fallon left “Saturday Night Live,” the comedian had his heart set on becoming an actor, following in the footsteps of “SNL” legends Chevy Chase and Eddie Murphy. “My goal was just to be in movies — be like a rom-com guy or something,” he told Entrepreneur. He then admitted that he thought that was what he was supposed to do after finishing a good run on the live sketch show. “It’s just the path,” he added.
Read Related Also: No, the Florida election crime charges are not "falling apart"
Fallon had some acting credits directly after his “SNL” run, including “Taxi” with Queen Latifah and “Fever Pitch” with Drew Barrymore. But after trying for years to become the next Will Ferrell, those acting dreams fizzled out. “Six years later, my movie career didn’t pan out,” he told USA Today. He then explained that “SNL” executive producer Lorne Michaels asked the comedian if he wanted to take over Conan O’Brien’s spot on “Late Night.” And after some back and forth with NBC, Fallon, and Michaels, the former actor officially became a late-night talk show host in 2009.
