As a comedian trying to make a name for himself at a comedy club in Los Angeles, he lived on pennies—and even skipped meals in order to make ends meet—but for The Tonight Show star, it’s all been worth it.
“They would also feed you on a Saturday, which is great, because I had no food.”
At one point, money was so tight he even furnished his apartment with cardboard boxes that were thrown out on his street: “I would put sheets over and they would become tables,” he revealed.
Fortune reached out to Fallon for comment.
As early as 12 years old, Fallon had his sights set on becoming an SNL cast member. “If I threw a coin in a fountain, or if I made a wish on a birthday cake… I remember I would blow out the candles and I’d say I want to be on Saturday Night Live,” Fallon said. “Every year, all of my birthdays, any wish that I could make, that’s what I wished.
Fallon dropped out of the College of Saint Rose in upstate New York in his final semester to make a major bet on his career by moving to Los Angeles and securing a manager. On top of doing stand-up comedy, he tried acting—but faced harsh rejection and was turned away from over 30 movies and shows in the early days.
“It’s really tough, say anyone going into the business or acting or any of that stuff, the entertainment stuff, you’re going to get beat up,” Fallon advised. “It’s going to be to the point where you’re like, I’m so depressed I can’t do it. But just know that if you can just get through it and keep working, eventually, whatever is going to happen in life will work out.”
“Just keep trying,” he concluded. “If you stop trying, you get boring tomorrow.”
Even though Fallon is now one of the most recognizable comedians, he was constantly knocked down—but that didn’t stop him from getting back up, and it’s a lesson that also extends into much of the business world.
“The lesson is always the same,” Corcoran said. “All the good stuff happens after you get back up.”
