Jimmy Fallon has been one of the rare rays of light during a dark time of COVID-19 that has brought school closures, mass unemployment and over 70K deaths to the US.
But the 45-year-old comedian does not want to take all the credit.
The former actor told People it was his 52-year-old wife Nancy Juvonen who was the ‘brains’ behind his at-home The Tonight Show, figuring out the tone, the setting and the props.
Thanks wifey: Jimmy Fallon has been one of the rare rays of light during a dark time of COVID-19. But the comedian does not want to take all the credit. The former actor told People it was his wife Nancy Juvonen who was the ‘brains’ behind his at-home The Tonight Show
The rep carpet life: The pair side by side at the Met Gala in May 2013 in NYC
The normally shy, behind-the-scenes Nancy has even appeared herself on the show and has come off as delightful with her infectious smile and natural ease with a joke.
The chemistry between her and the late night king is palpable and appealing.
Their two kids, Winnie, six, and Franny, five, and the family dog have also become stand out stars, even though Lady Gaga, Ashton Kutcher, Gigi Hadid and Jennifer Garner have already Zoomed in.
The show began just one day after Tonight Show closed the New York office on March 13.
At home with one of his kids: Fallon took the cover of People as he posed at home
He and his family moved to their Suffolk County, New York, home and set up shop.
Juvonen, 52, has been the heart of the show.
‘My wife is the brains behind this whole thing,’ Fallon told the magazine that hits newsstands on Friday.
‘She’s the production scout, the producer, the lighting person, the editor, the director. I could not do any of this without my wife. She is everything.’
The duo met on the set of Saturday Night Live when her producing partner Drew Barrymore was there to host.
His heart: Juvonen, 52, has been the heart of the show. ‘My wife is the brains behind this whole thing,’ Fallon told the magazine that hits newsstands on Friday
His everything: ‘She’s the production scout, the producer, the lighting person, the editor, the director. I could not do any of this without my wife. She is everything’
Jimmy was on the sketch show from 1998 until 2004.
‘I kind of crept in quietly, and all of a sudden Jimmy goes, “Hey, Nancy! You’re Nancy? Hi, it’s so nice to meet you, welcome!”‘ said the producer, who is from Marin County, California, in the past.
‘And I felt just so embraced and cool, like, “Thank you! Thank you for welcoming me in. This is so nice, it’s so intimidating (here).”‘
They fell for each other when Drew worked with Jimmy on the 2005 comedy Fever Pitch.
‘He was just so friendly and fun and welcoming and he loved music,’ shared Juvonen.
How they met: The duo met on the set of Saturday Night Live when her producing partner Drew Barrymore was there to host. But they fell for each other when he made Fever Pitch with Drew in 2005
‘When I really developed a crush was when (co-producer) Bradley Thomas’ kids came to set,’ she said. He was great with the kids. ‘I played with Lucy and Jimmy played with Charlie — really played, really into it, as if they’d come to visit us,’ she shared. ‘So, I think that’s when my heart just sort of melted even more.’
And they wed in 2007.
He told People that his at home show was hatched with Nancy. ‘She goes, “You have to do something, right?” And I go, “I do. Right?” There was no plan but I was like, “Well, I have to do something,”‘ said Fallon.
The little ones: They have two kids, Winnie, six, and Franny, five, who are stars on his show
Family fun: Nancy has said that she fell for Jimmy because he was ‘fun’; seen in 2019
He was working in NYC during another odd time in American history, he told the publication.
‘When 9/11 happened, it was such an odd and scary time, and I turned to the late-night guys, Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno and David Letterman,’ noted Jimmy.
‘Letterman had a really great line that the best thing we could do is be courageous, but sometimes even pretending to be courageous was just as good. I always liked that.’
He called the writers and they created a YouTube show. ‘Sometimes you’ve just got to go with your instincts,’ he shared. ‘We all need some funny right now.’
He added, ‘There was no real structure. And now all of a sudden here we are, and we’re raising all this money to help people out. It’s been really rewarding.’
He landed this: Jimmy was the first to get Gigi Hadid to admit she is pregnant with Zayn Malik’s baby
NBC started to broadcast Fallon’s show and corporate donors matched money to give to charities.
They have so far donated millions.
As far as his two scene-stealing kids, he said they have no clue how big his audience is: ‘They know about coronavirus and that it’s a serious thing and so we have to stay inside. But they’re not aware that I’m broadcasting this to millions of people. So if I have them help me out with a bit, they’re very themselves, which is cool.’
If he doesn’t get the Emmy for this….: Jimmy dressed up as Joe Exotic from Tiger King