Jimmy Fallon Says ‘People Want You to Fail’ When You’re on ‘SNL’, Adds Dealing With Hate Is the ‘Absolute Worst’: ‘You Can’t Make Everyone Like You’

Jimmy Fallon took the good with the bad during his time on “Saturday Night Live.”

During a recent appearance on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, Fallon said that as a young comedian on “SNL,” he wanted to make everyone happy with his performances. Although he’s since realized it is an impossible task, at the time, it was “the absolute worst” when his jokes didn’t land.

“I want everyone to like me,” Fallon said. “I can’t stand [the hate]. I go, ‘Oh, my gosh. What can I do to make you like me?’ I think the answer is you can’t. You can’t make everyone like you. You just have to do what you do. And do the best that you can at what you do. And be happy with yourself.”

Fallon was on “SNL” from 1998 to 2004. During that time, he co-anchored “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey and did a now iconic impersonation of British singer-songwriter Barry Gibb on “The Barry Gibb Talk Show” sketch.

Fallon explained that going into “SNL,” he assumed “everyone” would be supportive and encouraging of his work. He quickly found out this was not the case.

“Some people want you to fail,” Fallon said. “People’s jobs are to take me down and to put bad press out and stuff. That’s their job, and you’re just like, ‘Ooh.’ I don’t live in that world. I don’t believe that it’s real, but it kind of is real and you go, ‘Oh, people are just kind of being mean.'”

In February 2014, Fallon joined “The Tonight Show,” taking over for former host Jay Leno. The show has won two Emmys since: One in 2014 for outstanding interactive program and another in 2015 for outstanding creative achievement in interactive media.