James Christian Kimmel, better known by his stage name Jimmy, was born on November 13, 1967, in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. Before moving to Las Vegas when he was nine years old, he and his family lived in the Mill Basin neighborhood. Kimmel was the oldest of three children in the family.
After completing his high school education at Ed W. Clark High School, he went on to study for one year at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and then for two years at Arizona State University. After his academic career, he was awarded an honorary degree by UNLV.
Radio career
David Letterman’s early career in radio served as an inspiration for Jimmy Kimmel, who began his career in radio while he was still a student in high school. During his time at college, he worked as a co-host on a radio show called “The Me and Him Show” on KZOK-FM in Seattle. This was his first job in the radio industry that paid him.
Both he and his co-host Kent Voss were let go in 1990, the primary reason being the expensive stunts that the two of them would undertake live on air. Kimmel made the decision to launch his own talk show in Palm Springs, California, and enlisted Carson Daly, a boyhood friend of his, to work there as an intern. Jimmy was eventually hired at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, where he worked for a total of five years under the moniker “Jimmy the Sports Guy” on the morning show hosted by Kevin and Bean.
The Comedy Channel
At first, Kimmel had absolutely no desire to work in the television industry. Soon after he started penning promotional material for Fox broadcasters, he was approached by the network to handle the on-air promotions personally.
The next year, in 1997, Comedy Central extended an invitation to Kimmel to appear on their show Win Ben Stein’s Money as the “funny everyman” humorous counterpart to Ben Stein.
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The two individuals were honored with an Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host. In 1999, when Kimmel was still working on Win Ben Stein’s Money, he co-hosted The Man Show alongside Adam Carolla and was also a co-producer on the show. Kimmel and Carolla were able to produce the show Crank Yankers for Comedy Central as a result of the popularity of their previous show, and Kimmel provides his own voice for various characters on the show.
TV Host or Emcee
In 2003, Jimmy made the decision to leave The Man Show for good and began presenting his own show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which over time gained a significant amount of viewership and was incredibly successful.
The show is not broadcast in a live format, despite what its name may imply. Jimmy is well-known for his peculiar, “strange,” persona as well as his unique approach to conducting interviews.
He has been involved in his fair share of controversies and feuds, much like the hosts of most talk shows. He cites David Letterman and Howard Stern as his two most important influences when it comes to hosting. In addition to that, Jimmy has hosted episodes of “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “Larry King Live” as a guest host.
For the latter, he set a new Guinness World Record by traveling between New York and Los Angeles on his daily commute for five days in a row, so breaking the record for the greatest distance traveled within a single workweek. Additionally, he has established himself as a popular host for award ceremonies, including the Primetime Emmy Awards in both 2012 and 2016, as well as the Academy Awards in 2017.
Five years in a row, he presided over the American Music Awards as host. In 2013, a star was placed in honor of Kimmel on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard.
Jimmy Kimmel Salary
How much money does Jimmy Kimmel make working as the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live each year? $15 million.
Various Other Enterprises
Hugh Hefner was the guest of honor at the New York Friars’ Club Roast, and Jimmy acted as the event’s roastmaster. Additionally, he has presented a number of Comedy Central roasts.
Kimmel was a contestant on one season of the dancing competition show Dancing With the Stars on ABC. Set for Life was a game show that Jimmy Kimmel hosted for ABC in the year 2007.
When Kimmel participated in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in San Francisco in 2007, he managed the National League team. Both in 2004 and 2006, he was a participant in the game. Lebron James and Jimmy co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards together.
Kimmel provides his voice for a number of animated films, including Robot Chicken. He most frequently voices canine characters. In July of 2019, he published a children’s book with the title The Serious Goose. Beginning in April of 2020, Kimmel is scheduled to serve as host for a run of episodes of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
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Personal Life
Jimmy Kimmel Live features frequent guest appearances from Kimmel’s uncle Frank Potenza and cousin Sal Iacono. Gina Maddy and Jimmy Kimmel were married from 1988 until 2002. They have a daughter named Katherine and a son named Kevin. Between the years 2002 and 2009, he was romantically involved with Sarah Silverman.
In July of 2013, he tied the knot with Molly McNearney, and the couple now has two children together: Jane and William John. Their baby had a very unusual congenital cardiac abnormality when he was born, but he underwent successful surgery when he was just three days old. When Kimmel returned to his show, he told his audience about the terrible event that he had just been through.
Kimmel adheres to the Catholic faith in his daily life and is an avid supporter of the Democratic party. He has been very open about the fact that he struggles from narcolepsy.
Real Estate
Jimmy is the proud owner of a number of properties in the Los Angeles area. In 2004, Jimmy spent $2,175,000 to purchase a home in Hermosa Beach, California, which was located one block from the beach.
In 2014, he spent $2.25 million on the acquisition of a second home in the city of Hermosa. At some point in time, he transferred legal ownership of this property to his wife’s sibling. In 2018, he spent an additional $8.2 million on a property in the Hermosa neighborhood. The current house on this land is a more modest construction with 2,200 square feet of living space. The blueprints for the sale indicate that the potential new residence might be up to 20,000 square feet in size.
Jimmy owns a two-parcel property in the Hollywood Hills that is valued at $7,1 million and is located above the renowned Chateau Marmont. Jimmy’s home is outside of Hermosa.
Net worth
Jimmy Kimmel is a well-known television personality and comedian in the United States. His net worth is now estimated to be $50 million. Jimmy Kimmel is arguably best known for being the host of the late-night comedy talk program titled “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” for which he receives a salary of $15 million each year. Since 2003, he has been the host of the show.
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In the past, he has held the positions of co-host on “The Man Show” and sidekick on “Win Ben Stein’s Money.” The radio was where he got his start in the entertainment sector.
