A familiar face is leaving The Tonight Show
By Matt Moore
One of the best writers and performers at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has announced that he is leaving the show.
The nature of late night television means that the host is typically given the credit or the blame for the show’s success. That’s why their names are in the title, why they get the big salaries, and why their careers can take off or fizzle out based.
But as these hosts would tell you, their success is heavily dependent on the talent with which they are surrounded. This is certainly the case for Jimmy Fallon. The Saturday Night Live alum found himself thrust even more into the spotlight in 2009 when he took over Late Night. Despite the experience in sketch comedy and stand-up, he still needed a team of writers.
Among those writers hired to assist Fallon was Mike DiCenzo. DiCenzo has been credited on over 400 episodes of Late Night and another 400+ of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Oct. 22 episode will be his last:
DiCenzo took to Twitter to announce that the 10-year anniversary of his late night career would also be the end. His thread included a heart-felt celebration of his time working with Fallon and the other writers that helped make Late Night and The Tonight Show massive hits.
DiCenzo is also one of the many writers-turned-performers in the history of late night. Similar to Brian Stack with Conan O’Brien and now Stephen Colbert, DiCenzo had become recognizable for his countless appearances in sketches and bits for Fallon. Here are just a couple highlights:
DiCenzo also mentioned in his thread on Twitter how grateful he was to have his Saved by the Bell reunion idea realized. It may have taken six years to accomplish, but it has become one of the most memorable bits during Fallon’s late night tenure:
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Mike DiCenzo doesn’t have any plans announced for a post-late night career. But after working as a writer and performer for a decade, it’s understandable if he wants to take a break. The talented writer likely won’t be looking for work for long once he decides to take on his next project. The Tonight Show won’t be the same without DiCenzo and expect Fallon to celebrate his long-time collaborated on tonight’s episode.