Jimmy Kimmel has been a staple of late-night television for greater than 20 years — but he’s unsure he’s done just yet.
The “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host, 55, said he was able to take a step back from his emceeing duties. But when the Author’s Strike went down earlier this 12 months, he decided to remain on the air.
The comedian revealed why he modified his mind on the recent premiere episode of his limited Spotify podcast series Strike Force Five, alongside fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Seth Meyers.
“I was very intent on retiring right around the time where the strike began,” Kimmel said.
“And now, I realize, oh yeah, it’s sort of nice to work. You realize when you’re working, you consider not working.”
Meyers, 49, then inquired, “C’mon, you’re the Tom Brady of late night…you will have feigned retirement…. Are we to take you at your word?”
But “The Serious Goose” creator stayed firm: “I was serious, I was very, very serious.”
He then joked how he likes to have a summer hiatus every 12 months and to “receives a commission” for it.
![Jimmy Kimmel](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000028534781.jpg?w=723)
All late-night shows were forced to shut down in May when the Hollywood strike began.
Hundreds of film and TV writers have been heading to the picket lines across Latest York and California since late spring to fight for pay increases.
Kimmel and the remainder of his talk show bros created “Strike Force Five” as a response to the strike.
“This past May, the hosts of 5 major late-night talk shows had an idea: to fulfill every week to debate the complexities behind the ongoing Hollywood strikes,” a press release explained about the idea of the radio program. “What ensued was a series of hilarious and compelling conversations.”
![Jimmy Kimmel](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/NYPICHPDPICT000024682615.jpg?w=1024)
Proceeds from the podcast shall be going to the staff on each of the late-night hosts’ shows who’re out of labor. The show is slated to run for not less than 12 episodes.
Just before the strike went into effect, Fallon, 48, described how much he loved writing for TV during an episode of his talk program, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“I really like writing. I really like writing for TV. I really like writing this show,” the “Saturday Night Live” alum said. “I really like that we get to return in with an idea for what we would like to do daily and we get to work on all of it afternoon after which I even have the pleasure of coming out here.”
“Nobody is entitled to a job in show business,” he continued. “But for those individuals who have a job, they’re entitled to fair compensation. They’re entitled to make a living. I believe it’s a really reasonable demand that’s being set out by the guild. And I support those demands.”