Jimmy Fallon: Career highlights

Born Sept. 19, 1974, James Thomas “Jimmy” Fallon started his career as a stand-up comedian and studied at the Groundlings Theater in Los Angeles. In 2001, he released his comedy album “The Bathroom Wall” to mixed reviews.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Jimmy Fallon appears on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” in 2004. Fallon will take over “The Tonight Show” after the 2014 Winter Olympics.  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon comes into his own as a romantic leading man (sort of) for “Fever Pitch,” based on Nick Hornby’s autobiography.  (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

“Jimmy Fallon will address his guests as “buddy” or “my friend” or “my man” (as in “My man Dick Cavett is joining us!”),” Times TV critic Robert Lloyd wrote. “He can sing, and dance more than a little, which not all late-night TV hosts can do, and is an impressive mimic and a good storyteller. He feels ‘psyched’ about things that are ‘crazy good’ or ‘awesome’; really crazy good awesome things might ‘blow your pants off.’ He is young enough to get away with a phrase like ‘That’s what I’m talking about’ without sounding ironic or like your Uncle Harry coming on all hep. At 36, conveniently positioned between the incoming freshmen of show business and its graying eminences, he’s a little bit hip-hop and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. His dead-on impersonations of Neil Young, in which he marries the lyrics of current pop fluff -- ‘Whip My Hair,’ ‘Pants on the Ground’ -- to Young’s early acoustic music perfectly embodies this averaging of the generations.”  (Lloyd Bishop / Associated Press)

Roger Ebert, right, is presented the “Person of the Year” Award by Jimmy Fallon at the 14th Webby Awards in New York June 14, 2010.   (Charles Sykes / Associated Press)

“Whatever tentativeness Fallon showed when he started hosting has long dissipated, and what he lacks in penetrating insight, he makes up in enthusiasm. He loves comedy, movies, music and video games (technology gets the attention here that other talk shows deny it) and loves them like a fan, which means that his questions are sometimes weightless -- asking Keith Richards to name his favorite Rolling Stones album cover, for example. That does not mean they don’t get interesting results,” Times TV critic Robert Lloyd wrote in 2010.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

“Hosting the Emmys has been a dream of mine ever since they told me I was doing it,” Fallon said when he was announced for the new gig.   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

“There was a spring in the step of the 62nd Emmys that’s been missing from awards shows so generally and for so long that some of us had begun to believe it had been permanently unsprung,” wrote Times TV critic Mary McNamara. “Ambitious, energetically hilarious, and, most important, almost seamlessly constructed, this year’s telecast actually did what the Emmys are supposed to do -- celebrate television.

“This year’s host, Jimmy Fallon, took full and marvelous advantage of it. He played to his own strengths as well -- the art of the wide-eyed amiable jab, some wicked guitar-accompanied transitions and a surprisingly good Green Day.”   (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Jimmy Fallon won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2010 for “Late Night’s” creative achievement in interactive media - nonfiction. In 2012, he won an Emmy for guest actor in a comedy series for “SNL.” And in 2013, he won the comedy album Grammy Award for “Blow Your Pants Off.”   (Mark Seliger / Associated Press )

Jimmy Fallon fools around on the Golden Globes red carpet with “The Muppets” and “How I Met Your Mother” star Jason Segel.   (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Fallon appeals to a young audience by getting young Hollywood guests like singer Justin Bieber. On this episode, Fallon focused quite a bit on the Internet sensation’s philanthropy rather than his questionable newsmaking activities. Bieber then went on to play three-point shootout with Fallon, where he revealed that Chuck Norris is his father, said his abs are his musical guest and somehow managed to make out with a mannequin. Young Hollywood, indeed.  (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon dresses as a mom, left, to dance with first lady Michelle Obama during her appearance on “Late Night” on Feb. 22, 2013. Obama returned to the show to promote her “Let’s Move” campaign and to perform in a skit called “Evolution of Mom Dancing.”  (Lloyd Bishop / Associated Press)

“The Colbert Report” host Stephen Colbert and Fallon have been guests on one each other’s shows, cultivating the ongoing joke they would be Eternal Enemies For Six Months after having been Best Friends Forever For Six Months.   (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon and singer Justin Timberlake made headlines with their “History of Rap” musical collaborations. The first medley of rap songs through the ages debuted in September 2010 and has had three more installments since. The crooner staged a musical takeover of the show called “Timberweek” during the week of March 11 to 15, 2013. Timberlake’s takeover led up to the release of his studio album “The 20/20 Experience.” The duo capped off the five-night residency with the highly anticipated performance of “History of Rap 4.”  (Theo Wargo / Getty Images)