Just a Buncha Facts About Molly McNearney, Oscars Exec Producer and Jimmy Kimmel's Wife
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Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the Oscars on March 10 (if you're wondering how much he gets paid it's...not exactly a lot), and it's hardly an exaggeration to say he couldn't do it without his wife, Molly McNearney. Mostly because Molly is literally writing and executive producing the show, which makes total sense given her day job! Check out everything you need to know about Molly, how she and Jimmy met through work, and their cute life together on-and-off screen.
Molly and Jimmy Met at Work...aka Jimmy Kimmel Live
Molly started working on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2006 and eventually became co-head writer—unexpectedly falling in love with Jimmy along the way. Though Molly didn't have a great first impression of him, telling Glamour, "When I first met him, he insulted me! The executive producer brought me into his office and said, 'This is Molly; She's my new assistant.' Jimmy barely looked up from his desk until my EP said, 'She competes in triathlons,' and then Jimmy looked up at me and said, 'That is really stupid! What a waste of time.' [Laughs] That was the first and only thing he probably said to me the entire first year of working there."
Things Turned Romantic in 2010
Molly's aforementioned Glamour interview was conducted in 2014, and she mentioned that things changed between her and Jimmy "four years ago," adding that "All the writers would socialize after the show, and we would just hang out more and more. We really liked each other as friends, and then it just kind of turned. He cooked for me, and that was it. It sealed the deal."
Their First Date Was Beyond
It actually took place at Jimmy's house and he pulled out all the stops—cooking literally all of Molly's favorite foods in the same evening.
"At one of the writers' meetings—because Jimmy is always thinking about food—he asked us what our five favorite foods were," she said in the same interview. "I listed mine, which were pizza, gnocchi pasta, a BLT, crab claws, and a cheeseburger. Shortly after, he had invited me to his house, and I was very nervous. I mean, this is my boss. I was thinking, I gotta be careful here. He opens the door, and the whole house smelled delicious. I walked in, and there was a pizza, a BLT, crab claws, cheeseburger, and gnocchi. He had made them all from scratch. I couldn't believe it, and I realized how incredibly thoughtful and generous he really was."
Guess things worked out, because Jimmy proposed while vacationing in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Molly said yes!
Molly Is an Executive Producer
Aside from being an executive producer on Kimmel, Molly executive produced the 2023 Oscars and produced the 2020 Emmys. (Note: she's also executive producing and writing the 2024 Oscars, which Jimmy is hosting.)
She Makes Appearances on Jimmy's Show
If you're a faithful viewer of Jimmy Kimmel Live, you've definitely seen Molly show up—usually to troll her husband:
They Got Married in 2013
Naturally, pretty much every celebrity ever was in attendance (think: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Gabourey Sidibe...the list goes on).
And They Have a Two Kids
Jimmy and Molly have a daughter named Jane and a son named Billy. Shortly after Billy's birth in 2017, Jimmy revealed he was diagnosed with heart disease that required multiple surgeries. “It’s a terrifying thing," he said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "My wife is in the recovery room. She has no idea what’s going on. I’m standing in the middle of a lot of very worried-looking people, kind of like right now, who are trying to figure out what the problem is.”
Jimmy went on to speak about the importance of the Affordable Care Act and every child's right to health care.
Meanwhile, Molly told The Hollywood Reporter that she watched the segment live, saying, "That Monday, Billy was finally home, and Jimmy was back at work. Even though I was on maternity leave, I was still getting all of my work emails, and I didn’t get one with the monologue for that night. I emailed Jimmy, and he said, 'I just want you to watch.' So, there I am, in my living room breastfeeding Billy with my mom beside me, and we’re watching. I sobbed through the entire thing. I couldn’t believe the strength that it took to tell that story a week after it happened. He didn’t have to do that. Our family has excellent health care; he had nothing to gain from that. He did it for the other people whom we met in that hospital. He came home that night, and I just hugged him and I wouldn’t let go."
She's Friends With Jimmy's Ex
Turns out Molly is tight with Sarah Silverman and has no problem with Jimmy staying friends with her too.
"You have to have complete respect for the relationship that your boyfriend or husband has been in," Molly told Glamour. "Your boyfriend or husband's previous relationships have made him who he is, so I am extremely thankful to Sarah [Silverman] because I think she did a lot of good for Jimmy. I don't think that when a romantic relationship ends, a friendship should have to end. I think it's impossible to expect people to completely shut someone out of their life."
On that note....
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