"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has already announced its musical guest, U2, for its Feb. 17 premiere episode, but Fallon's first full week features no drop-off in big names from there. Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Arcade Fire and Tim McGraw have been lined up as the first wave of performers for NBC's new late-night headliner.
After U2 open Fallon's run on "The Tonight Show," Lady Gaga will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 18; McGraw takes the stage on Wednesday, Feb. 19; Arcade Fire is up on Thursday, Feb. 19; and then Fallon's old pal Timberlake will stop by on Friday, Fen. 20. Expect more late-night zaniness between Fallon and Timberlake, who doubles as the guest and musical artist on next Friday's "Tonight Show."
The non-musical guests during the show's first week are equally high-powered: Jerry Seinfeld, Bradley Cooper and Michelle Obama will all be stopping by the New York set, while Fallon's fellow "SNL" alums Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig will be visiting during the first week. Will Smith has been previously announced as Fallon's first guest on Monday, Feb. 17.
"No one tells me [to do] anything -- they see what we've done with our show," Fallon says of NBC executives, in Billboard's new cover story on Fallon and his transition from "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to "The Tonight Show." "At one point, they said I couldn't host the Emmys: 'No one will watch if you host it. You have too young of an audience.' We hosted the Emmys and did what we normally do on our show. Its ratings were up from the year before. With 'The Tonight Show,' they're kind of just letting me do it."
After U2 open Fallon's run on "The Tonight Show," Lady Gaga will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 18; McGraw takes the stage on Wednesday, Feb. 19; Arcade Fire is up on Thursday, Feb. 19; and then Fallon's old pal Timberlake will stop by on Friday, Fen. 20. Expect more late-night zaniness between Fallon and Timberlake, who doubles as the guest and musical artist on next Friday's "Tonight Show."
The non-musical guests during the show's first week are equally high-powered: Jerry Seinfeld, Bradley Cooper and Michelle Obama will all be stopping by the New York set, while Fallon's fellow "SNL" alums Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig will be visiting during the first week. Will Smith has been previously announced as Fallon's first guest on Monday, Feb. 17.
"No one tells me [to do] anything -- they see what we've done with our show," Fallon says of NBC executives, in Billboard's new cover story on Fallon and his transition from "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to "The Tonight Show." "At one point, they said I couldn't host the Emmys: 'No one will watch if you host it. You have too young of an audience.' We hosted the Emmys and did what we normally do on our show. Its ratings were up from the year before. With 'The Tonight Show,' they're kind of just letting me do it."
