Summary
- Fans have criticized Jimmy Fallon's interview skills, noting his tendency to interrupt guests and his "fake enthusiasm."
- Several Reddit threads have been dedicated to discussing Fallon's interviewing abilities.
- Fallon remains passionate about hosting The Tonight Show.
While fans will never stop watching late-night shows to see their favorite celebrities, it's no secret that some people aren't so sure about Jimmy Fallon's interview skills. There has been more than one example of a time when he confused or surprised viewers because of the things that he said or did on The Tonight Show. Once, Dakota Johnson said that Jimmy Fallon was mean. Another time, Joaquin Phoenix seemed upset with Fallon.
Since being a good late-night host means knowing how to chat with anyone about any topic under the sun, it's no wonder that people are so concerned with Jimmy Fallon's interviews. Here's what fans have said about his abilities and whether he has been bothered by their harsh words.
What Did Fans Say About Jimmy Fallon's Interviews?
Reporters and late-night hosts definitely have to figure out how they want to conduct interviews. Some like to ask difficult, deep questions that will hopefully lead to meaty conversations. Others want to joke around and have a good time. When it comes to Jimmy Fallon's interviews, many people would say that he likes to have fun. Every time he has a celebrity guest on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he smiles a lot and seems to genuinely enjoy himself.
While there's no doubt that the host often seems warm and friendly, some people aren't so sure that they like the way that he talks to guests.
Several years ago, Redditor @ecurrencyhodler started a Reddit thread discussing Jimmy Fallon's interview with Keanu Reeves. They posed that in their opinion, the late-night host isn't great at talking to stars, and several fans weighed in.
One Redditor asked "Does he interrupt all his guests?" Redditor @scoot234o wrote, "the fake enthusiasm and laughing just kills me."
Considering that there are several Reddit threads about this very subject, it seems that many people are unsure about Fallon's interviewing. The main criticism seems to be Fallon's laugh, which many feel doesn't seem real.
Nine years ago, Redditor @Zonten77 wrote, "He does good sketches, but when doing interviews he becomes very agitated. Its uncomfortable to see the fake laugh, guest interactions, Fallon stutter."
Redditor @Bad_Explanation replied, "The fake laugh is what gets me. I enjoy his sketches and his monologues are usually good, but the over-the-top peppy-ness and the forced laugh irritate me. That, and the need to make things trend and go viral..."
In another thread, Redditor @jmt2589 shared that in their view, "How many times can someone watch him fake laugh at everything the guest says, talk over them, and just not interview them properly?"
What Did Jimmy Fallon Say About Reactions To His Interview Skills?
Jimmy Fallon seems genuinely enthusiastic and passionate about hosting The Tonight Show, and he definitely was eager to get his career going. In an interview with USA Today, Fallon talked about his career and said that he had a knack for doing impressions of people. After years of doing improv and working on his skills, he was hired on Saturday Night Live.
Fallon credits Lorne Michaels with getting him his big break. As he told USA Today, when he was in the running to take over The Tonight Show, Michaels said, “If you don’t do it with Jimmy, I won’t produce.”
It must be upsetting for Jimmy Fallon to hear that some people don't like his interviews. According to Moviefone.com, Fallon talked about giving interviews on Bill Carter's SiriusXM radio show. He said, "That's not my job. It's not 'Meet the Press.' I'm not 'Face the Nation.' You can watch those shows and see that. My job is, again, is to make everyone look good, no matter who it is, whether you're a politician or whatever it is."
Fallon continued, "We have people on that people don't like. I know that. But that's not my job. You make your own opinion. I can just show you the best person that they are and try to bring out their more personal side and play with them."
When people have something to say about Jimmy Fallon, he does speak up and let fans know how he's really feeling. For example, when he interviewed Donald Trump in 2016, people were shocked and felt that he shouldn't have conducted the interview. Fallon talked about the interview on the Awards Chatter podcast, which is part of The Hollywood Reporter brand, and explained that he felt terrible about upsetting people.
In 2021, Fallon had Addison Rae on his show and the two danced together. People quickly realized that the Black dancers who came up with those moves weren't given any credit. According to CNN, Fallon wanted to fix this mistake.
He explained, “On our last show before break, we did a bit with Addison Rae where she taught me eight viral TikTok dances. Now, we recognize that the creators of those dances deserve to have their own spotlight. So right now, some of the creators will join me to talk about how their dance went viral and then perform the dance themselves.”
While Jimmy Fallon didn't love that people weren't happy with his Donald Trump interview, he must feel confident enough to keep hosting The Tonight Show. He seems to genuinely love what he does for a living, and he might think that the criticism is just part of the job.
In his interview with USA Today, he said that if he had to tell someone how to approach a career in the entertainment industry, he would say not to think about how lucrative it could be. He said, "Don’t worry about money, just do it because it’s fun and it’s interesting for you. And keep it interesting and stay creative and keep dreaming and keep believing and it will all fall into place."
Even though some people wish that Jimmy Fallon would switch up his interview style, he has continued to approach his chats with celebrities in the same way ever since he took over the show in 2014. This suggests that he is staying true to himself, even if not everyone loves it.
