“Hacks’ Creator Reveals: Jimmy Kimmel Behind Fallon Jokes – “It Wasn’t Us!”

In a recent episode of Hacks, the plot thickened with the arrival of a well-known late-night television host, sparking a lively interaction filled with tension.

Paul W. Downs, one of the creators of the show, disclosed that it was Jimmy Kimmel himself who infused some of his personal humor into the script. The episode featured a confrontational scene on the CBS lot where Kimmel accuses Deborah Vance, played by Jean Smart, of poaching his show’s guest, while humorously targeting fellow hosts James Corden and Conan O’Brien.

“He contributed the line, ‘I got full custody of Kristen Bell after Conan died,’” Downs shared with USA Today, also highlighting Kimmel’s cheeky jab at Jimmy Fallon. “That’s something we wouldn’t have come up with on our own.”

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Jean Smart also commended Kimmel for his performance, noting his initial apprehension about acting. “He kept reminding us, ‘I’m not an actor, so keep your expectations low,’” she recounted. “But he was surprisingly hilarious and handled it very well.”

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last month, Kimmel himself joked about his guest role on Hacks, revealing his anxiety about not having memorized his lines in advance. “Turns out, that’s pretty important,” he admitted.

“He turned out to be incredibly funny and just delightful. Towards the end, he was so into it, he started improvising and adding his own lines,” Smart praised, while Kimmel humorously clarified, “That wasn’t improvising. I was actually forgetting the lines.”

Fans can catch new episodes of Hacks streaming every Thursday on Max.