Ever since Jimmy Fallon took over The Tonight Show in 2014 after Jay Leno retired, he’s brought his own brand of fun. From writing thank you notes to the oddest things to his viral lip-synch battles, Fallon has turned the late-night show into a playground of fun and humor, featuring sketches that harken back to his early SNL days. The talented host apparently even endears himself to celebrity guests so much that when they've visited his show, they've told him how their movies are “so bad.”
I've watched The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon amid the 2025 TV schedule, and I really enjoy his segment involving movie spoofs. Fallon has never been one to shy away from involving guests to spoof their own movies, like when he and Jamie Lee Curtis recreated her iconic aerobics scene from Perfect or when Michael Keaton reenacting his Birdman scenes rewritten by kids. The Primetime Emmy winner admitted to Forbes that behind the scenes, though, celebrities have even gone as far as to trash their own flicks while talking to him:
I’ve had guests on where they’re, like, ‘I hope you didn’t see this movie, it’s so bad.’ I’ll just be, like, ‘We don’t have to get into details. There’s always something good about every project.’
I’ve got to give Jimmy Fallon credit for his optimism. Given how entertaining his talk show is and all of the hilariously memorable lines he delivers, I’m sure he's always able to find the hilarity in even the most panned movies. I have a hunch that even if a celebrity guest warns Fallon off one of their films, he’ll probably watch it anyway whether to form an opinion for himself or simply to find humorous material for his show.
In general, fans may be surprised how many A-listers have admitted they’ve hated their own movies. A popular example would be Halle Berry hating on Catwoman after the critics did. (Berry even gave a funny Razzies speech after winning her Worst Actress Award.) Viola Davis has also constantly talked about regretting her role in The Help.
Most recently, Dakota Johnson said she doesn’t plan on seeing Madame Web, saying she wasn’t surprised that it got “ripped to shreds” by critics. I suppose a person has to appreciate the fact that some stars can be honest with themselves about their work and in turn, have no problem with Jimmy Fallon lampooning said movies as he sees fit.
I honestly wish I could be a fly on the wall when those actors speak to Fallon about the movies they're not so proud of. Still, whether an actor likes their film or not, that doesn't keep a devoted fan from like not only the film but the spoofs on The Tonight Show just fine.
See Jimmy Fallon bring laughs and celebrity fun when The Tonight Show airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/10:35 p.m. CT on NBC. New episodes are also available for next-day streaming with a Peacock subscription and can be accessed with a YouTube TV subscription as well.
