KJ Apa stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, and left with a new title: the guy who can do a perfect Jim Carrey face. The Riverdale alum sat down with Jimmy Fallon for a wide-ranging chat that covered fatherhood, a bizarre lookalike situation, and his upcoming turn as Jimmy Stewart. The moment that got the studio laughing, though, was a simple request from Fallon to see Apa’s Carrey impression.
The Impression That Got the Studio Laughing
Fallon asked Apa to do a Jim Carrey impersonation during the interview. Apa did not hesitate. He first listed some of Carrey’s biggest movies, including Liar Liar, Ace Ventura, and Bruce Almighty, before Fallon pushed him to do the face.
Apa joked back, “Which one? He’s got a lot of faces”. He then pulled out an impression of Carrey’s signature expressions, and the audience burst out laughing. Fallon thanked Apa for being a good sport about it.
The impression was not a random party trick. Apa has been vocal about Carrey’s influence on him as a performer. He told Fallon that Carrey was “the biggest inspiration in my life as a performer” and that he grew up watching his movies.
Why Jim Carrey Matters to KJ Apa
Apa’s Carrey fandom goes back to his childhood. In a 2023 interview with VMAN, Apa said he used to watch Carrey with his father and that nobody does what Carrey does. “When I see actors like you, like Jim Carrey, playing characters like that, I want an opportunity to do that so badly,” Apa said at the time.
“He was the biggest inspiration in my life as a performer.” — KJ Apa on The Tonight Show
Apa has named The Cable Guy, Ace Ventura, and Dumb and Dumber as his top three Carrey films. He also told Nylon that Dumb and Dumber is one of his favorite childhood movies, calling Carrey “one of my favorites ever”. The Tonight Show moment was not a casual impression. It was a fan finally getting to show off what years of watching Carrey taught him.
Fatherhood, a Lookalike, and a Biopic
The Carrey impression was the highlight, but the interview covered more ground. Fallon congratulated Apa on becoming a dad. Apa shares a son named Sasha with his former girlfriend, Clara Berry. Sasha was born on September 23, 2021. Apa told Fallon that his five-year-old is into Spiderman and dinosaurs, and he is hoping for a good Halloween this year.
Apa also addressed something stranger: claims that he looks like the musician Mr. Fantasy. Fallon described the situation as “identity theft allegations” tied to the comparison. Apa talked about having lunch with Mr. Fantasy and gave his side of meeting his so-called doppelgänger.
The conversation shifted to Apa’s upcoming film Jimmy, a biopic about Jimmy Stewart. Apa is playing the Hollywood legend, but he made it clear that the movie is not just about Stewart’s film career. The film focuses on Stewart’s service as a World War II combat pilot before he starred in It’s a Wonderful Life.
“Forget the movies. The most important thing to him was his service, his country.” — KJ Apa on playing Jimmy Stewart
Jimmy is directed by Aaron Burns and is set to arrive in theaters on November 6, 2026. Apa said Stewart’s daughter, Kelly, watched the finished film and loved it. “Nothing makes me happier than Jimmy’s daughter Kelly loving the movie. That was the most important thing to me,” he said during a separate appearance on TODAY.
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The Episode Details
Apa’s appearance aired as part of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Season 2026, Episode 123, which was the 2,356th episode of the show overall. The episode also featured Sacha Baron Cohen and a musical performance from Beck. The show tapes at Studio 6B at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City and airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes are also available on demand on Peacock.
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