Jimmy Kimmel took a walk down memory lane for his late-night talk show 20th anniversary special.
To mark the milestone, the creator/host of Jimmy Kimmel Live welcomed A-list guests who appeared on the show’s premiere episode on ABC on January 26, 2003.
Those celebrity guests included actor-director George Clooney and hip hop legend and TV personality Snoop Dogg.
Primetime Special: Jimmy Kimmel Live! celebrated its 20th anniversary by welcoming the same guests, including George Clooney and Snoop Dogg, who appeared when the show premiered on January 26, 2003.
ABC celebrated the event by airing the special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! during primetime, which was documented with clips and photos on the show’s Instagram.
The producers shared side-by-side shots of Clooney and Snoop Dogg’s 2003 appearance versus a nearly identical snapshot of their return on Thursday night.
Clooney, now 61, took the stage in his now-signature black suit with a white shirt, which was contrasted with the brown dress pants and green sweater he wore in the debut episode.
During the special anniversary episode, the producers showed how each person looked now compared to the 2003 premiere.
Flashback: Clooney, now 61, arrived in his now-signature black suit with a white shirt, which contrasted with his brown dress pants and green sweater from 20 years ago.
Flashback: As for Snoop (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.), now 51, he was wearing a green and white tracksuit that wasn’t too far from his 2003 look.
As for Snoop (born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.), now 51, he was wearing a green and white tracksuit that wasn’t too far from his 2003 look.
Both guests, along with Kimmel, admitted to having more gray hair than in the show’s debut episode.
Coldplay also returned, who were the first musical guests.
Kimmel spoke personally with lead singer Chris Martin before joining the band onstage.
Take a walk down memory lane: Kimmel reminisced about the show in 2003 with Clooney and Snoop
The hip hop legend and acclaimed actor/director joked about their 2003 guests
Promo Mode: Rapper Gin And Juice took to his own Instagram page to promote the special.
Kimmel joked that, unlike their first performance, he allows them to “play inside this time.”
The 20th anniversary almost didn’t happen, considering the comedian almost quit his job as a late-night host last year.
In the end, Kimmel hesitated, eventually agreeing to stay on as host and executive producer for three more years.
Have fun: Snoop also called himself Kimmel and Clooney the ‘3. Casa migos’ as a nod to Clooney’s Casa Migos tequila line
Greetings, Producers of Jimmy Kimmel Live! posted several clips and photos from the show on his Instagram page, which included the guys having a celebratory drink
Changes: Guests were posted side by side with their 2003 images
“I was pretty sure it was going to stop,” said Kimmel, who joked about staying at work to avoid cleaning his office. ‘Part of this is just OCD; 20 years just sounds good…Ultimately, I just couldn’t decide what to do, and in those situations, I have a tendency to stay the course.’
The talk show initially struggled to book guests, and the episodes had a party feel before Kimmel and company found their footing to become a late-night staple for 20 years and counting.
“I don’t know how this happened…it’s weird being the oldest, but I guess I am,” he said with a laugh, as reported by npr. ‘The institution I admired was David Letterman. [And] I never compare myself favorably to Dave. But it’s interesting when people say to me, ‘Yeah, I’ve been watching since I was eight years old.’ It’s very strange.’
Word: The rap icon was also seen in a backstage photo on Instagram
Styling! The former ER star looked dapper in her signature black suit.
Spreading the wealth: Kimmel also made sure his partner Guillermo was honored on Instagram