In today’s episode of “What Can’t Jimmy Fallon Do?” — besides sit still for more than three seconds — we’ve discovered that our giggly late-night host once went full master of disguise on Saturday Night Live… and no, it wasn’t in a sketch.
Back when Fallon was still rocking that baby-faced charm on SNL (1998 to 2004 — a simpler time when low-rise jeans and frosted tips reigned supreme), he pulled off a sneaky stunt so smooth, even the FBI would slow clap.
Apparently, one night the legendary SNL announcer Don Pardo was out sick. Enter: chaos. Or rather, enter Lorne Michaels dramatically turning to Jimmy and whispering, “Can you be Don?”
Jimmy, likely holding a comedy prop and a half-eaten donut, replied with the confidence of a man who’s never said no to anything, “Uhhh… I think I can? I mean, sure?”
And BAM. Showbiz history was made.
Fallon went on The Kelly Clarkson Show (because where else do secrets go to die?) and casually confessed that he didn’t just do a Don Pardo impression for fun — he *became* Don Pardo. He straight-up parent-trapped us.
“I totally faked it,” he said, with the smug joy of a man who knows he got away with comedy murder. “I was doing it live. My impression of Don Pardo. No one figured it out.”
And no one did. For years. YEARS. Jimmy Fallon was the SNL announcer and we were all blissfully unaware, eating our snacks and waiting for the Weekend Update.
So next time you hear that iconic “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Niiiight!” just know: It might be Don. It might be Jimmy. It might even be your grandma if she’s got a solid baritone and some nerve.
