Jimmy Kimmel set aside his liberal political views to celebrate his longtime friend and noted conservative comedian Adam Carolla during Carolla's Hollywood Walk of Fame unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. The 58-year-old late-night host took a break from his ongoing feud with Donald Trump to reflect on the beginning of his friendship with Carolla, aged 62.
A Friendship Born in 1994
During his speech, Kimmel recalled how the two met in 1994 when he was working on KROQ's Kevin and Bean radio show. Carolla, then a boxing coach, called in and was selected to give Kimmel some pointers ahead of a fight. Kimmel remembered his future friend's withering assessment of his boxing abilities. 'Jimmy is 160 pounds of pure chiseled steel,' he recalled Carolla saying, according to Variety. 'Unfortunately, he weighs 225.'
Kimmel noted that they 'did very little training' in the run-up to his boxing match. 'We would box for about eight minutes and then drink Snapple and go to lunch,' he said. 'As a result, I lost that fight, but I gained a life partner.' Adding, 'And if that sounds gay to you, it was, and it is,' to laughter from the crowd.
Praise for a Comedic Talent
Kimmel went on to praise his former Man Show co-host as 'one of the funniest people' he had ever known, affectionately dubbing Carolla the 'Laverne to my Shirley.' His speech took an emotional turn as he acknowledged their political differences. 'Adam and I, as you probably know, don't agree much when it comes to politics, but I love him dearly,' said Kimmel. 'I've never worked with anyone funnier. I am proud of him... this is a guy who worked his way up from nothing to become, literally, a millionaire, and if you don't believe it you'll hear him say it every single show,' he joked affectionately.
Kimmel continued to praise Carolla as a 'true original.' He added, 'He was a poor kid from the San Fernando Valley who was rejected by the management at Taco Bell, and whose name will now forever be part of this filthy, disgusting intersection,' referencing the star's location at 6777 Hollywood Boulevard.
Carolla's Own Remarks
The guest of honor, wearing a gray-blue suit with brown shoes and sunglasses, added comedy to the proceedings. He had a police officer pretend to arrest him just as Kimmel was about to present his star. During his acceptance speech, Carolla poked fun at comedian Chelsea Handler, calling her one of the worst people of all time, alongside Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin. He also ribbed liberal actor Mark Ruffalo, saying he wanted his star 'nowhere near Donald Trump's,' joking that Ruffalo would take a pickaxe to Trump's star weekly, so he didn't want the actor to destroy his in a fit of rage.
Carolla also teased Kimmel, joking that his ratings could rebound now that Stephen Colbert's competing late-night show had been canceled by CBS. The ceremony included a speech from Dr. Drew Pinsky, with Adam Weissler as master of ceremonies.
Background on Carolla
Following his early encounter with Kimmel, Carolla appeared on the radio show Loveline with Pinsky, then launched a TV version from 1996 to 2000. In 1999, he and Kimmel co-hosted The Man Show on Comedy Central, followed by Crank Yankers from 2002 to 2005. Today, Carolla hosts a podcast and is a best-selling author.
