of actor James Cagney and comedian Dana Carvey. He was musically inclined and started playing guitar at age 13, going on to perform comedy and music in contests and shows. By his junior high years, he was labeled a class clown but was also described as "nice and well-mannered".

At Saugerties High School, Fallon was a performer in most stage productions and was twice a class social director. He won a young comedian's