What Religion Is Jimmy Kimmel: How Jimmy Kimmel’s Beliefs Shape His Comedy Empire

Jimmy Kimmel is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is the host of ABC’s late night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. Kimmel was raised as a Catholic and still identifies himself as Catholic today.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Background

Jimmy Kimmel was born on November 13, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York. His Catholic mother Joan was a homemaker, and his Catholic father James was an executive in the computer industry. Kimmel was raised in a devout Catholic family and served as an altar boy in his youth.

Education

Kimmel attended Catholic schools through the eighth grade. He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School in Las Vegas in 1985. He briefly attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he played basketball and was a sports commentator on the university’s radio station.

Career Beginnings

Kimmel got his start in radio in the late 1980s as a co-host of the morning show on Seattle’s KZOK-FM. He later hosted a sports talk show in Tampa called “Jimmy Kimmel’s Sports Show.” This led to work in radio in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and eventually the nationally-syndicated “Kevin & Bean” morning show.

Kimmel’s big break came in 1997 when he became the founding host of “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” which ran on Comedy Central for four years and won seven Daytime Emmy awards.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Religion

Jimmy Kimmel has stated publicly that he identifies as a Catholic. He was born and raised in the Catholic tradition, served as an altar boy, and attended Catholic schools in his youth. In interviews, Kimmel has affirmed that he still considers himself a practicing Catholic today.

Thoughts on Catholicism

Kimmel rarely discusses religion explicitly on his late night show. However, he has shared some insights into his Catholic upbringing in interviews. He has described attending Catholic services every Sunday growing up. As a performer, Kimmel appreciates the “theatricality” of Catholic Mass, which he thinks especially appealed to him as a kid.

At the same time, as an adult Kimmel admits that he disagrees with the Catholic church on some issues and questions some elements of the faith. Overall though, he values the moral foundation and community that the Catholic church provided him growing up.

Families’ Religious Background

Kimmel comes from a devoutly Catholic family. His paternal grandfather Joseph Kimmel was an Italian Catholic. His parents James and Joan required Jimmy and his siblings to attend Mass regularly, and all of the Kimmel children attended Catholic schools. Jimmy Kimmel and his wife Molly McNearney were married in a Catholic ceremony in 2013.

Their daughter Jane and son Kevin were baptized as infants in the Catholic tradition. So while Kimmel himself disputes some Catholic teachings as an adult, Catholicism remains an important part of his family’s background.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Religious Influences

Even though Jimmy Kimmel critiques aspects of Catholic doctrine today, he acknowledges that his Catholic upbringing shaped his overall approach to life and work.

Guilt and Confession Motifs

In interviews, Kimmel has noted the strong culture of guilt in Catholicism and joked about how much time he spent confessing sins to priests as a child. This sense of guilt perhaps contributes to the confessional storytelling style Kimmel frequently uses in his monologues, where he pokes fun at his own flaws and failings.

The Performance of Mass

Catholic Mass deeply informed Kimmel’s view of entertainment and performance. The ceremonial nature of Mass showed him how ritual, music and storytelling can captivate an audience. Kimmel has said that the “performance art” of Mass blended his interests in comedy and religion at a young age.

Work Ethic and Discipline

Twelve years of Catholic school instilled in Kimmel a strong work ethic and sense of discipline. He showed dedication in serving as an altar boy for years. Kimmel credits his Catholic education for his willingness to work hard and deliver a nightly show that now runs like clockwork after nearly 20 years.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Relationships with Religious Figures

While Kimmel is not outspoken about politics and religion on his show, he sometimes features religious leaders as interview guests. These appearances give hints about his religious beliefs.

Friendship with Father Dave Dwyer

A Catholic priest in Los Angeles named Father Dave Dwyer has been friends with Kimmel since 2015. Dwyer is the director of the Paulist Center and hosts a radio show on Sirius XM. Kimmel had Dwyer officiate his rehearsal dinner before his 2013 wedding. Their friendship suggests Kimmel has maintained ties to the Catholic community in LA.

Respectfully Interviewing Religious Leaders

Kimmel has hosted leaders from various faiths on his show like Rabbi Yonah Bookstein and Muslim activist Wajahat Ali. While Kimmel jokes around with all guests, he seems to make an effort to interview religious leaders, especially his friend Father Dwyer, with genuine curiosity and respect. This indicates an appreciation for religion’s place in society and people’s lives.

Poking Fun at Scientology

While Kimmel avoids mocking most religions, he does consistently critique Scientology. Both he and friend Matt Damon have made high-profile jokes at Scientology’s expense during spoofs on Kimmel’s show. This suggests that while he respects religious freedom overall, Kimmel finds flaws and humor in belief systems like Scientology.

Jimmy Kimmel and Faith Today

Based on his upbringing and statements, Jimmy Kimmel appears to remain Catholic in identity, if not always in practice or ideology.

Still Identifies as Catholic

As recently as 2020 in an interview with Father Dave Dwyer, Kimmel affirmed on air that he is still Catholic. While not a regular churchgoer, he does retain an overall Catholic cultural and spiritual identity.

Belief in God

In an interview with Oprah, Kimmel stated that he does believe in God when asked directly about his faith. He explained that while he questions aspects of Scripture that seem implausible or inconsistent to him, he does possesses an underlying belief in God.

Criticizes Aspects of Faith

Kimmel has made light-hearted jokes at the expense of the Catholic church on multiple occasions. He sometimes pokes fun at practices like confession and defending the concept of heaven. So while Kimmel believes in God, he clearly disputes some church teachings.

Lives by Judeo-Christian Principles

Though not vocally pious, Kimmel reflects many Judeo-Christian values in his charitable work and hits show. He supports children’s hospitals and ending world hunger with an apparent sense of compassion and moral conscience. So while certainly no evangelist, he does lead with principles influenced by his early Catholic formation.

Allows Guests to Express Faith

Kimmel almost never discusses religion directly in interviews unless a guest brings it up first. But he gives space for religious stars like Tim Tebow and Justin Bieber to explain how their faith shapes their lives and work. Though not personally outspoken about faith, Kimmel enables these conversations.

Jimmy Kimmel and Politics

As a late-night TV host, Jimmy Kimmel often addresses major news stories and political debates. His treatment of political issues offers additional angles on his cultural beliefs and background.

Political Issue Kimmel’s Perspective Relation to Religion
Gay Marriage Strongly supports same-sex marriage rights. Even officiated a wedding for a gay couple on his show. View conflicts with Catholic church’s opposition to same-sex marriage
Women’s Rights Advocates for women’s equality and reproductive rights. Respectfully interviewed Hillary Clinton multiple times on this issue. Stances again differ from Catholic teachings, showing his liberal social ideology.
Immigration Supports immigrant rights. Has critiqued Trump policies like child separation and the border wall. Reflects a progressive take on immigration relative to conservative Catholics.
Gun Control Strong proponent of enacting new gun laws after mass shootings. Likely influenced by Catholic notions of sanctity of human life.
Death Penalty Has hinted at opposing death penalty in serious interviews. Would align with Catholic doctrine against capital punishment.

Kimmel diverges from Catholic orthodoxy on controversial social issues, reflecting his political progressiveness. But he remains anchored by traditional respect for human life acquired from his religious background.

Jimmy Kimmel Trivia Related to His Faith

Beyond his personal religious identity and worldview, Kimmel’s career offers some fascinating tidbits related to religious faith over the years:

  • Kimmel was married to his first wife Gina for 14 years. They divorced amicably in 2002. His marriage fell short of Catholic expectations about the permanence of matrimony.

Jimmy Kimmel Performed Comedy at a Church

  • Early in Kimmel’s standup career, he claims he took a gig performing at a church because he desperately needed the money. He reflected that it was strange telling jokes about sex and hell in a church basement.

Filled in as a Baseball Umpire at Little League Game

  • During a 2004 Little League World Series game, Kimmel had to substitute as the home plate umpire when the scheduled ump got injured. This brings to mind the Catholic school policy of training altar boys to fill in for priestly duties if necessary.

Kimmel Worked at a Catholic Youth Camp

  • As a teenager, Kimmel got a job as a camp counselor at the Isaiah Catholic Youth Summer Camp in Oregon. However, he admitted he actually knew little about Catholicism when quizzed by the kids about the faith.

Developed a Christmastime Tradition Based on His Dad

  • On his show, he reminisces about his father enthusiastically decorating for Christmas each year. So he sends fans tacky holiday ornaments annually in memory of his father’s Catholic holiday spirit.

Was Jimmy Kimmel an altar boy?

Jimmy Kimmel served as an altar boy for many years growing up. His mother required him and his siblings to not just attend Catholic Mass each Sunday but also to participate in the religious services. He has joked that he did so much time as an altar boy that he can still automatically recite all the priest’s lines by heart.

What faith is Jimmy Kimmel raising his kids?

Jimmy Kimmel is raising his two children, daughter Jane and son Kevin, in the Catholic faith. He had them baptized as infants, following the tradition of the Catholic church. So despite poking fun at aspects of Catholicism as an adult at times, he still finds it valuable to pass on that religious grounding to the next generation of his family.

Jimmy Kimmel interviewed the Pope?

No, Jimmy Kimmel has not done a solo interview with any Pope on his show thus far. However, in 2015 he did serve as the emcee for an event at the Catholic Charities headquarters in New York when Pope Francis visited the United States. So while Kimmel has not questioned a Pope himself on TV, he has co-hosted a special episode in honor of a Papal visit.

What political issues does Jimmy Kimmel’s faith impact?

While liberal on many social issues, Jimmy Kimmel’s Catholic background likely informs his opposition to capital punishment and advocacy for gun law reform to prevent violence. His religious notion of the sanctity of human life traces through to his political arguments about preserving lives from abortion restrictions to gun deaths.

Does Jimmy Kimmel still consider himself Catholic?

Yes, as recently as 2020 in an interview with Father Dave Dwyer, Kimmel confirmed that he still identifies as Catholic. Though he jokes about aspects of Catholic teachings, he has not renounced his Catholic identity even if he disputes elements of Catholic practice and ideology. Kimmel retains the cultural markers and moral compass of his Catholic upbringing.

Conclusion

In summary, evidence shows that Jimmy Kimmel remains a practicing Catholic privately if not fervently. He was raised in a devout Catholic family that attended Mass each Sunday, enrolled him in Catholic schools for 12 years, and had him serve as an altar boy throughout his childhood. Kimmel describes much of his work ethic and performance instincts as derivative of his Catholic background as well.

Though Kimmel disagrees vocally with Catholic doctrine on issues like same-sex marriage, he speaks about the Church with more complex fondness and critique rather than outright distaste. He had both his children baptized Catholic and interviewed his friend, Catholic priest Father Dave Dwyer, about maintaining some faith as adults. So while Kimmel opposes certain religious teachings, offends some conservative Catholics with his politics, and sends up aspects of Catholic guilt in his comedy, he still claims Catholicism as his religious identity today.

His personal strain of comedy contains shades of the Catholic theatricality and storytelling that shaped his worldview during his spiritual upbringing. And traces of Catholic values echo through his political advocacy for human dignity and gun law reform as well.

So Jimmy Kimmel remains culturally Catholic according to his own assessment, though his personal ideology also diverges from orthodoxy in many ways. In the blend of irreverence and moral conscience that defines his show, Kimmel exemplifies the complex relationship many modern Catholics foster with their childhood faith.

FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Jimmy Kimmel’s religious background and views:

Does Jimmy Kimmel believe in God?

Kimmel has said in interviews that he does believe in God when asked directly about his personal faith. He was raised to believe in God in his Catholic family and retains some ongoing belief as an adult.

What faith is Jimmy Kimmel raising his kids?

Kimmel is raising his daughter Jane and son Kevin in the Catholic Church. He had them baptized shortly after their births in line with Catholic tradition. So he is passing down the Catholic faith of his own childhood to his children.

Is Jimmy Kimmel an atheist?

No Jimmy Kimmel is not an atheist. He admits questioning and even mocking aspects of religion, but states that at his core he believes in God rather than rejecting the idea of faith altogether.

Has Jimmy Kimmel interviewed the Pope?

Jimmy Kimmel has not directly interviewed a Pope yet on his talk show. But he did help host an event honoring Pope Francis when the Pope visited New York City in 2015.

What political views does Kimmel’s faith impact?

Kimmel’s Catholic background shapes his more progressive takes on issues like death penalty opposition and gun control advocacy. Concern for human life traces through his political perspectives, reflecting core Catholic values.

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