Brooklyn Kid. Vegas Prankster.
Hollywood's Longest Serving Host.
James Christian Kimmel has been making America laugh every weeknight since 2003. Inspired by David Letterman, armed with a mischievous grin and a sharp wit — he became the joke machine the whole country couldn't turn off.
ORIGIN STORY // The Making of Jimmy Kimmel
FAST FACTS // What Google Wants You to Know
Born November 13, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York — Jimmy Kimmel is 57 years old. He shares his birthday with Whoopi Goldberg. His Scorpio nature is well-documented in every political monologue he's ever delivered.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, but his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada when he was nine years old. He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School. In 2025, he obtained Italian citizenship — a nod to his mother's heritage from Ischia, Naples.
His full legal name is James Christian Kimmel. "Jimmy" is the stage name, but at this point, even his mom probably calls him Jimmy. The family surname was originally Kümmel — meaning "caraway" in German — before earlier generations Americanized it.
As of 2025, Jimmy Kimmel's estimated net worth is approximately $50 million. He earns around $15 million per year from his ABC show, making him one of the highest-paid late-night hosts in the industry. He owns multiple properties in the Los Angeles area.
Since July 13, 2013, he has been married to Molly McNearney — the co-head writer of his own show. Before that, he was married to Gina Kimmel from 1988 to 2002, with whom he has a daughter (Katherine) and a son (Kevin). With Molly he has two more children: daughter Jane and son William "Billy".
Kimmel started in radio as a teenager, obsessed with David Letterman. He called into radio stations, hosted shows at college stations, and grinded through local gigs before his TV break with Win Ben Stein's Money in 1997. He's been on air — in one form or another — for over three decades.
PHOTO FILE // The Many Faces of JK
Jimmy Kimmel has never pretended to be something he's not. No polished PR persona, no manufactured mystique. Just a kid from Vegas who really, really loved late-night TV — and worked until the world let him do it for a living.
SIGNATURE BITS // What Made Him Famous
Since the very first episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Matt Damon has been "bumped" from the show as the closing joke. Night after night, year after year, Jimmy apologizes at the end of each broadcast: "I want to apologize to Matt Damon — we ran out of time." Damon has appeared on the show — but only in character, protesting his eternal bumping. The feud, entirely fabricated, became one of late night's most beloved traditions. It even spawned a full music video parody. It's stupid. It's perfect. It's Jimmy Kimmel.
PERSONAL FILE // The Man Behind the Monologue
Off camera, Jimmy Kimmel is a father of four. His eldest children — Katherine and Kevin — are from his first marriage to Gina Kimmel. In 2013, he married Molly McNearney, the co-head writer of his own show. Their daughter Jane arrived in 2014.
Then, in April 2017, son William "Billy" Kimmel was born with a critical congenital heart disease. Just days after birth, Billy underwent open-heart surgery. Kimmel addressed the nation from his desk, voice cracking, eyes wet. The monologue went viral. He used the platform to passionately advocate for healthcare legislation, particularly the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Billy required a second surgery in late 2017 and a third successful surgery in May 2024. Through every procedure, Kimmel kept his audience informed — not for ratings, but because honesty is part of who he is. The family's journey turned one of America's funniest men into one of its most powerful healthcare advocates.
Kimmel also manages narcolepsy with medication, has a documented fear of tidal waves, and once declared war on a rat in his house — shooting up his entire kitchen with a pellet gun. He did not get the rat.
When Billy was born with a heart condition in 2017, Jimmy Kimmel did something rare on late-night TV: he cried on air. His monologue — raw, unrehearsed, and real — moved millions. He turned personal pain into public advocacy, helping push national conversation about children's healthcare. Billy has since had three successful surgeries. He is doing great.
"No parent should ever have to decide if their child lives or dies because of their income."
You started because you wanted to be David Letterman's friend.
You ended up being someone everyone wants as theirs.
A Brooklyn kid who watched TV in the dark and decided that was enough of a plan — and it worked. Twenty-three years in, and you still show up. Still get mad about the right things. Still make us laugh about the hard stuff.
That's not a career. That's a calling.
CAREER TIMELINE // The Long Game
JIMMY IN HIS OWN WORDS
FUN FILE // Things You Didn't Know
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