Jimmy Kimmel's Real Name: James Christian Kimmel

Quick answer: Jimmy Kimmel's real name is James Christian Kimmel. He was born on November 13, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York, and raised largely in Las Vegas.

Birth name and early TV

Britannica and IMDb list James Christian Kimmel (Britannica; IMDb). Jimmy is the everyday short form. Radio work led to Comedy Central's Win Ben Stein's Money (Daytime Emmy) and The Man Show with Adam Carolla.

Since 2003 he has hosted ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, becoming one of America's longest-running late-night hosts, and has hosted the Oscars and Emmys multiple times.

Public moments

Emotional monologues about his son's heart condition drew wide attention. In September 2025 ABC briefly suspended the show after monologue comments about the Charlie Kirk assassination—a free-speech controversy covered by major outlets (Britannica).

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