This Man Has All of Letterman's Neckties

JIMMY KIMMEL is Emmys host for a second time (ABC, Sept. 18) as the 48-year-old sits down with longtime pal TIM GOODMAN, THR’s chief TV critic, to talk about his hatred of the phrase ‘late-night landscape,’ why he refused to campaign for an award this year (‘it makes you feel like a real piece of shit’), the penis picture he’s going to text when he wants out of the business and that final gift he got from his idol

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You have to be both host and nominee at this year’s Emmys. Are you nervous?

I get nervous any time I’m out of my studio, any time I’m in a different environment. I suspect I’ll be less nervous than I was last time. I watched my monologue from last time the other night just to see what worked and what didn’t work, and I was like, “Oh wow, I look nervous.” And it’s funny, I didn’t feel like I was nervous when I was doing it, but I kind of rushed through the jokes a little bit. I think you get better at it each time you do it. You become acclimated. So I figure I’ll be really good if I’m able to do it between nine and 11 times. In the year 2048, I’m gonna kill.

As a nominee, did you do any campaigning?

No, I didn’t do anything. I had done that a couple of times. Like, we had an event where you invite the Emmy voters to come and you do a panel. And there was a party where you meet people and stuff like that. And you know what? It’s a bummer, really.  It makes you feel like a real piece of shit. People shouldn’t vote for you because they like you or they met you at a bowling alley; they should vote for you if they think you’re the best one. And I don’t see myself doing that kind of thing ever again.

It’s a political year, so John Oliver is probably gonna win the Emmy. I’m going to be honest with you, John Oliver is gonna win and you’re not gonna win.

I think so. I think he does a great show, and honestly I don’t care that much. (Laughs.)