Jimmy Fallon’s career has been widely successful, but one of his first big movie roles,Taxi,was not well-received. Fallon received the breakthrough role of his career in 1998 when he started his tenure as acast member onSaturday Night Live. Fallon was 24 years old at the time, making a part onSNLcritical to his rise in prominence as a comedian.He continued his work onSaturday Night Livefor several yearsbefore ending his tenure in 2004.
During his time onSaturday Night Live, Fallon was known for his amusing roles as well as his tendency to break character. Fallon was seen laughing copious times duringSNLsketches, a phenomenon that, while showing him failing to keep full composure in these comedy segments, also endeared audiences to him. After developing a fanbase on hisSaturday Night Livedays,Fallon transitioned into the film acting portion of his career.The result of this process, however, would turn out to be underwhelming.
Taxi Was The First Of A Few Underwhelming Jimmy Fallon Roles After He Left SNL
Taxi Has A 9% Critic Score On Rotten Tomatoes
Fallon’s first role after leavingSNLwas inTaxi, wherein Fallon played a cop named Andrew, or “Andy,” Washburn, who has to work on a case with a taxi driver played by Queen Latifah after losing his driver’s license.Taxireceived dismal reviews, getting a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes with over 100 critics. TheChicago Readerhad a particularly distasteful view of Fallon, saying “Fallon seems incapable of playing an actual character.” This marked a sour moment in Fallon’s transition to film acting, as it was not met with the same immediate warmth as hisSNLroles.
Jimmy Fallon’s Movies Released Between His SNL Exit And Late Night Debut
2004
9%
2005
66%
2006
8%
20%
Arthur and the Invisibles
22%
2008
N/A
Unfortunately for Fallon’s movie career,Taxi’s negative reception was not a one-off occurrence in his filmography.Taxiwas followed by a slew of roles that were lackluster at best. This included parts inFever Pitch,Doogal, andArthur and the Invisibles. The common thread between a lot of these roles is that they failed to capture the same level of charm and draw that Fallon had as a character actor onSNL.
Fallon’s Transition Into Late Night Was Humorous About His Movie Career
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Luckily for Fallon, his career did recover after hisTaxidays. Fallon was onLate Nightfor nearly five years before debuting onThe Tonight Showin 2014. Now,Fallon has been onThe Tonight Showfor over a decade, an impressive milestone given the cultural significance of the show. Fallon’s niche may not have been carved in film acting specifically, but his success onTheTonight Showsuggests that it was for the best.
