Read on for more of our chat with the always quick-to-laugh host.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First of all, how is your wife doing?
She’s been a really good sport during the “Ask the Fallons” segments.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/Youtube
JIMMY FALLON:She’s a little freaked out.
She said, “Don’t tell them anything in the interview.”
[Laughs] I go, “It’s fine.”
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/Youtube
She says, “I don’t want to hear it.”
She has stepped in behind the scenes.
She does not like being on camera at all.
She’s cool, but she’s like, “I don’t want to hear how I looked.
I don’t want to hear anyone ask.
I’m so much better being an audience member.”
[Laughs]
Well then, double-check not to tell her I think she’s doing great.
I’m not telling her.
How quickly did you make the decision that you were going to press forward with the show?
Did you have to find your way to it?
I said, “I have to do something.
I just can’t go off the air and disappear.”
People need something just to balance with all this craziness that’s happening right now.
I just wanted to confirm everyone, all my staff writers are safe and at home.
And then everyone was on board.
All of my writing staff and my producers were like, “Let’s put on a show!”
So we took I think Monday [off], just to figure out how to talk.
I’d never heard of Zoom and now my whole life is just Zoom meetings.
I’d never heard of this thing two weeks ago!
It might be some therapy stuff, exactly.
[Laughs] You know what?
I think my wife is happy that I’m doing this.
Because she’s like give him something to do.
Because it’s a lot of “we time” right now.
By the way, I’m working on sock puppet stuff because I have no other characters.
I have no wigs or anything in my house.
We have a background.
It was just ridiculous.
But we’re being as creative as we can, trying to go like, “Okay.
That could be something that we could do.”
Which I believe it will.
I’m picturing a Zoom poker game for some reason.
I do want to do that.
I’ve been texting with [Stephen] Colbert.
What’s going on and what can we do?"
So we’re all kind of talking and just supporting each other.
I’ve missed my makeup department.
I look at some of these videos and go, “Oof!
You’ll get a little dose of reality there.”
We’re also getting a look inside your house and, dude, you have a slide?
Come on, you have to have a slide in your house!
[Laughs] That’s all my wife, by the way.
She’s just brilliant.
I go, “Okay.”
[Laughs]
So that didn’t come standard with the house, is what you’re saying?
You had to plant the slide?
I mean, yeah, of course.
Are they over being on the show?
They are over it.
They have no idea.
They don’t even really realize that they’re on a show or anything yet.
They don’t really quite understand.
But that’s just them, the way they act normally, they’re just really funny kids.
and they go, “No.”
They’re doing it for a laugh.
But you get to see how different they are.
You need the labor!
[Laughs] I mean, they’re very hard to book.
They have agents now.
They want to get their SAG cards, it’s unbelievable, they’ve really changed.
Are you finding any silver linings about this time, for you personally?
I am getting to spend so much time with my kids, which I really love.
I don’t know if the feeling’s mutual, but I absolutely love hanging out with them.
I’m going to be sad when I have to go back to work.
Have you checked in on the Roots?
Are they doing okay?
Oh, the Roots are doing great.
We’re going to start putting them in the show.
I just wanted everyone to get their own space.
And Higgins is fine!
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