Jimmy Fallon: Hitting All Bases

Jimmy Fallon first hit the airwaves and our stream of consciousness on "Saturday Night Live" where he brightened up the "Weekend Update" desk and participated in wacky skits. Jimmy started his show biz career as a stand up comic and a slot on "SNL" was his most passionate dream.

After taking a role in the Emmy winning miniseries "Band of Brothers", Fallon got the acting bug bigtime and went on to co-star with Queen Latifah in the action comedy Taxi. Till now, however, we haven't seen Jimmy as a romantic lead. It was Drew Barrymore, his co-star/producer in the baseball romance Fever Pitch, who knew he had the chops and gave him the chance. The two had met when Drew hosted "SNL".

Jimmy, a New Yorker and Yankee fan, got a real kick out of playing Ben, a rabid Boston Red Sox fan. Going the casual route for our interview in maroon tee and jeans, Jimmy, like a lot of comics, came off thoughtful, a bit shy and, of course, funny. He kept drinking liquids and told us that when he was full and had to "go", he'd know the interview was over...

TeenHollywood: Did you do a skit involving baseball on "SNL"?

Jimmy: I've definitely done a scene in the bleachers. I don't know if we did any baseball stuff (together) but Drew was looking for a movie for both of us to do since the first or second time she hosted. We would call each other up and say, did you read this one? What do you think of this one? Then she found Fever Pitch, and I was like, I like this. It's really good. Then the Farrelly brothers came on, and it was like, wow, this is going to be fantastic.

TeenHollywood: Did you ever want to be a baseball player?

Jimmy: When I was a kid, the first thing I wanted to be was a baseball player, like a lot of American boys. Then I hit puberty and realized I'm not good at it.

TeenHollywood: How does a New York guy get excited about doing a film about the Red Sox? And being a Yankee fan too...

Jimmy: Well, you get to work with Drew Barrymore and the Farrelly brothers, that was pretty exciting. I'm not as obsessed with baseball as my character in this movie. This guy is really a die-hard Red Sox fan. He's got Red Sox pillowcases and Red Sox sheets and posters in his living room, framed Sports Illustrated pictures that he genuflects to before he leaves the house.

TeenHollywood: Do you think everyone can relate to this movie?

Jimmy: Guys will like this and relate to it just in general. It has nothing to do with the Red Sox or baseball, but more like sports fans. And when you're a sports fan and dating someone, they kind of have to root for your team in a weird way. I know this is going to be an issue, but you gotta root for the Lakers. You're going to have to put this jersey on and that's Kobe, and then you tell the history of the team. It's a situation you're put in when you're dating someone. You have to take the good with the bad. (i.e.) You like the Beatles and I like The Doors, so we'll listen to She Loves You and then Light My Fire. Or Light My Fire first.

TeenHollywood: Do you have an obsession close to this? A hobby?

Jimmy: I was obsessed with "Saturday Night Live" my whole life since I was a kid. When I was 7 years old, my dad watched and I'd obsess. In high school, I would sit in my room and my mom would bring me soda and chips and I'd watch the show and tape it and watch it over and over. I wanted to be like the next Dana Carvey so I was like obsessed with it. When I went to college, I would never go out to parties until the show was over.

TeenHollywood: How excited you must have been when you became a cast member.

Jimmy: I couldn't even tell you. I wish I was a motivational speaker. Dreams can come true.

TeenHollywood: Why do you love working with Drew so much?

Jimmy: (grinning) She's dreamy. She's so cool. She's beautiful and funny and smart. Acting opposite her, if she's sad you're sad, if she's happy, you're happy. You just love her. You immediately fall in love with her. She's so sweet and so nice.

TeenHollywood: Have you had some bad dating experiences?

Jimmy: Yeah. (laughs) I puked on my first date. Nah, nothing ever happened. My dating experience is so sad, you probably don't have enough tape or hard drive space. My first real date was after college. I went out with a girl in college but we never went out on a date. I ran into her later and she said, you know, you never took me out on a date? I was like, I didn't? Didn't we go to the movies? We met people there. There was a group of us.

TeenHollywood: Do sporting events make for good first dates?

Jimmy: Yes. It's a great first date. There are so many things you can talk about, you're cheering. That's a great first date, better than concerts. I used to think concerts were a good first date but that's weird because somebody starts dancing (laughs). There's room for failure. Sporting events, it's like, want a hot dog or a beer?

TeenHollywood: Do you want to get married and have a family?

Jimmy: I'd love to. That would be great. I wish it was that easy. I'd love to have kids. I love kids. The kids in this movie that I had scenes with were so cute and fun and innocent, but pretty smart too. Like the kid that gave me advice in the dugout. That's kind of the way these kids are. 'You love the Red Sox, have they ever loved you back?' I ad-libbed that: 'Who are you? Dr. Phil?'

TeenHollywood: What do you like about Fever Pitch?

Jimmy: That whole brushing the dog's teeth scene, I thought that was a great scene. This movie makes me want to be more romantic in real life. It shows that chivalry is not dead. It was a well-written script. Nothing got too cutesy with this movie. It was kinda real. Once you think it's going to get cutesy, it stops. One of my favorite scenes is where I rent her a movie because she's sick. She's like 'when I'm sick I watch Annie Hall'. I'm like wait, 'Annie Hall, you're kidding me'. And I pull out Road House. That was Peter Farrelly who thought of that.

TeenHollywood: Talk about getting on the field after the Red Sox won. Did you get permission from Major League Baseball?

Jimmy: Yeah. We got a lotta help from Major League Baseball and Fox. We didn't plan on going and then mid-day filming Pete Farrelly said, 'look, we just got a plane for you guys, we're going to send you to St. Louis. You'll get there by the first inning. Put on makeup on the plane'. Drew did my makeup on the plane. He said 'if the Red Sox win, we've got to get this because the character, he loves the Boston Red Sox, so just act like two crazy Red Sox fans and something they've been waiting their whole life to happen is going to happen'.

TeenHollywood: What did you do when they actually won after decades of losing?

Jimmy: They had these hi-def cameras on us from Fox Sports. They were just filming us the whole game, not knowing if they were going to win or lose, and they won. I'm looking at Drew like this is going to happen, this is pretty awesome. People were weeping, it was unbelievable. We just went nuts and jumped on the field. It was great. When you're in that moment you just kinda feel it. It was the easiest acting ever because it was sports history. 86 years of losing. All the research I did for this movie, you just get caught up and you really love the fans.

TeenHollywood: Do you have over-the-top sports nut friends like Ben?

Jimmy: Yeah. Sure. I based my character loosely on this producer of Weekend Update on "Saturday Night Live". He went to Harvard and loves the Boston Red Sox. He came in one day and looked like death. I'd say, what's wrong with Mike, is he sick? And they'd (whisper) the Yankees beat the Red Sox. Then, if they'd win, he'd come in and say, 'hey, what's up, what are you doing'? He'd physically change. He'd be sick or healthy (depending) on the wins or losses of the Red Sox. It absolutely goes day to day. We did a Dr. Phil episode about how real these things are. (does Dr. Phil voice) 'You're dressing up like the Dallas Cowboys, and your wife doesn't respect you, are you a jerk'?

TeenHollywood: What is special about Red Sox fans?

Jimmy: Fenway Park is not like a stadium or coliseum. It's a park. It's a tiny little baseball field. You sit in these tiny little seats. The park is so old and there's so much history. You can't buy these seats. You have to inherit them. It's not about winning or losing, it's keep rooting. Keep the faith. Have faith. That's what this movie is about too.

TeenHollywood: What was the experience of working on "SNL" compared to working on a feature film?

Jimmy: Doing a movie there's no cue cards, which they didn't tell me. So I had to memorize. "Saturday Night Live" is an immediate reaction and you find out if an audience likes it or hate it. A movie, you do a movie, and then you wait a year. Then somebody says 'yeah, we hate it'. I waited a year for that? Or they like it. "Saturday night Live" prepares you for a lot in life in that you work on a sketch all week and you write it with a writer, and you get though the week, and you get to Saturday and you're wearing an eye patch and a wig and ready to go out and they cut your scene. And you go, ugh. They say, sorry pal, we tried. But there's always next week.

TeenHollywood: Since you were such a fan of "SNL", and on the show for six years, why leave? Do you stay in touch with your castmates? And will you host the show?

Jimmy: It was six years. It was weird leaving. You miss it for a little bit. You've got to wean yourself off of it. I e-mail Tina [Fey] almost every week with an idea that she doesn't use (deadpan). This is a great cast and writers. I miss Lorne and the whole process of it all. You're sitting there doing Weekend Update in your living room. This is as good as it gets man.

TeenHollywood: So, was it just time to leave?

Jimmy: I'm a big fan of the show more than anything. I just love "Saturday Night Live". But I don't like it when anyone stays too long. Even if I wanted to, I just can't. I can't do it because my brain says no. If they were still doing the coneheads now, it wouldn't have the same magic. It's like Eddie Murphy, he came and destroyed and he left. It's a moment that defines a generation. It defines a cast. And this cast is a brand new cast. That's what makes the show cool. That's why it's kept going for 30 years now. It evolves and completely changes with the times. It's a great show.

TeenHollywood: Would you host?

Jimmy: I'd love to sure. Not now, because you gotta let them miss you first. I'm back. They're like, did you leave?

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.