Jimmi Simpson Talks About Playing Lyle The Intern | Letterman

Jimmi Simpson remembers how he got the role, Lyle's biggest celebrity fans and more.
#LyleTheIntern #JimmiSimpson #Letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanly-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@jimwaters1562]

I love that Jimmi never once had a conversation with Dave off camera. That makes this even better. Lyle the intern was one of my favorite all time bits. These retrospectives are so great. Keep them coming!

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

On Leonard Maltin's podcast, Jimmi says he's not completely sure if Dave knew he was an actor, and that maybe he thought he really was an intern.

[@DrVVVinK]

@@Nathan-gd7xq that's why Dave was a great late night host. Besides a few people, like Barbara and Rob Burnett, off camera he didn't really talk to anyone. Including the celebrities who came on. Billy Crystal said to himself, he never really MET Dave. Nowadays, with the Jimmys, they know and are friendly with everyone. And it makes their shows their bland and unfunny.

[@Khronogi]

@@DrVVVinK I feel like this isn't the reason.

[@Beegs164]

@@Khronogi but not irrelevant, Johnny Carson never interacted with, well, really-anyone, outside the taping itself. There is a autobiographical style interview with Ed Sullivan on KZbin right now. When Ed touches on Johnny’s reasoning, he said Johnny never walked to meet the guests, as the good stories would be left in the dressing room.

[@jondunmore4268]

Even that story he told - about Dave cutting him off "NO" and leaving - seemed like it could've been real, like that's exactly how a pro would behave when they've got a good thing going, and not want to break the existing chemistry.

[@tigersfan14]

It’s amazing that so much of the dialogue was written; it seems very fluid and improvised. Executed flawlessly. Jimmi is a talented actor.

[@jomac841]

Oh yes. His voice work in Bad Batch is so good! He makes such a fantastic villain. His voice is so smooth, soft and incredibly menacing.

[@MaineOffGrid.]

Jimmi completely owned this character. Flawless execution. Love it.

[@jojoscats]

Criminally under valued as an actor. He's brilliant in everything he does but listening to this interview in particular, his ability to thrive in the uncomfortable is part of what makes him so exceptional.

[@evolutionstationmusic2559]

Couldn’t agree more about how he is not talked about enough . Everything he does is gold

[@JamieBreez]

No the opposite. He stops crime.

[@aarondavid5866]

you cant be undervalued if no one has seen you genius. undervalued by casting directors maybe

[@mondaymorningcritic]

Lyle was one of the greatest reoccurring bits in Letterman history. His main man Rudy was also epic.

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

Rudy was hilarious by doing absolutely nothing.

[@huberticusrex]

Love Rudy lmao

[@DrVVVinK]

Don't forget Jonnny The Oldest Page and Dwight the Trouble Teen.

[@cullinaaronkress]

Recurring.

[@mondaymorningcritic]

@@cullinaaronkress no, I had it correct. Carry on.

[@mangasky7]

LOVED these Lyle segments. Thankfully, Don Giller has compiled them all.

[@lawrencerinehart5747]

An asset to David and All Late Night & Late Show Fans.

[@mrsj1417]

What you meant to say was he has stolen them all.

[@GunstarPocket69]

@@mrsj1417 who pooped in your spaghetti

[@normdeplume3966]

@@mrsj1417 Considering the fact that he's doing work for the Letterman channel now, even they don't share that dumb opinion.

[@drewzuhosky6826]

@@normdeplume3966 The Donz works for this channel? Get out!

[@rockturtleneck]

Brilliant retrospective. Lyle was a little in the tradition of those repugnant characters Chris Elliott used to play, yet utterly original.

[@jrpipik]

Exactly. It's like the writers said, We need our own Chris!

[@giovanna8187]

Something unwholesome about Lyle's persona left me repulsed but fascinated. This is great! Thanks for the upload.

[@lawrencerinehart5747]

Chris Was the KING of the NBC Late Night characters.

[@mikesgroi21]

Wow good call… never realized this

[@rockturtleneck]

@@jrpipik It's funny they brought in an actual actor--I always assumed he was a writer or actual intern on the staff, as Chris Elliott was.

[@user-wv5gv3dw5u]

From Its Always Sunny to Psych this guy has always killed it

[@fiestafoo5006]

Years ago I met Jimmi after seeing him in a play in NYC…he was as nice as could be. A few months later I was surprised to see him show up on Late Night as Lyle! So happy for his success.

[@bernlin2000]

Very underrated comedic genius. Also did great work on early "Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episodes.

[@martinsorenson1055]

Was it The Farnsworth Invention?

[@fiestafoo5006]

@@martinsorenson1055 yes, it was. 🙂

[@nightfly1303]

Wow, you are so lucky, I wish I could ever see Jimmi

[@rodneyperry7940]

Jimmy Simpson is brilliant in everything he does. Like a young Malkovich.

[@Adam-hi9dh]

"You will CALL her..." "You will call HERRR!" Lol

[@johnnyhancock76]

So glad WWP is finally using its production muscle to create new content on KZbin. About time! This is how you cement a legacy.

[@Lugano1788]

It still amazes me that Lyle never broke character!!!

[@charlenemack7040]

I absolutely loved this character.😊🎉❤

[@bsquared4604]

He was the funniest thing on Letterman I had seen in ages. Emmy material in my book. I can't say enough about how much I loved these segments. Jimmi is one of a kind!

[@benjaminniemczyk]

One of the best late night characters EVER. Perfectly executed by Jimmi Simpson. No other person on earth could play it with such finesse.

[@TheJimbles]

And such creepiness...

[@superchick99]

Jimmi Simpson is such a brilliant actor! I've been such a big fan for years.

[@JJhugganstuff]

Lyle was absolutely one of my top favorite segments on the show during the years that I regularly watched. Still my favorite role of Jimmi Simpson, and he's done some great work.

[@JoshColletta]

Lyle The Intern was one of my favorite recurring bits. An instant classic, and never a dull moment! Jimmi was utterly brilliant!

[@Redmenace96]

If you saw, Lyle the Intern, back in the day- it was death. The dude brought the house down! Couldn't get my breath, laughing so hard. God bless the Stangel bros, because it was a pretty perfect blend of words and performer. Jimmi is legend, but somebody is feeding him the lines.

[@howdareyou41]

he literally said improv was encouraged and demanded and that cue cards were often thrown to the ether

[@orlandoruizjr3834]

This guy appeared at the end of 2007's Zodiac as one of the surviving victims. His line reading gave me chills.

[@markhuslage4795]

A true court jester for Dave… what a talent! Followed a YT rabbit hole on Lyle a few years ago. Great stuff.

[@justin_opportunities]

Lyle was one of my favourite segments, always stoked when Lyle showed up

[@ClapYourHairFlip]

My favorite one was when he asked Dave to come to the cancel Dave rally 😂😂

[@cfrend]

11:55 "Tell my story America..." that was perfect comedy timing 😅

[@tommybarquinero7242]

Wonderful segment. Loved the Lyle segments and enjoyed Jimmi’s reflections on the experience.

[@ynotw57]

I can’t honestly say I’ve appreciated Jimmy as Lyle as much as I do now. Thanks for the incredible insight to the character. It’s even better now knowing about him behind the scenes.

[@bernlin2000]

You guys are producing some amazing content btw, such a great rollout of a long-overdue channel.

[@nitedreamer23]

Hear, hear!

[@ripvanstinkle]

God bless you, Lyle the intern. I’ve always loved the walk.

[@milesmatheson]

thank you so much for this. Lyle's run on the show was nothing short of legendary. always wanted to see Jimmi reflect on how lucky he was to sit there ripping Dave a new asshole each night he was on lol. & you could tell Dave genuinely enjoyed having him there. can't tell you how many times i've used the term "yambags" or called someone Jessica Tandy in conversation over the last 20 years lol. thank you Jimmi!

[@Victorwater]

Legendary Letterman character. I remember seeing this at the time and dying laughing

[@nerfbutt]

One of the best all time characters from anywhere, ever.

[@RobbiesVideoArchives]

Getting to know the man and the story behind the legendary Lyle, unbelievable!🤣🏆🤣

[@FRANCESCOBERGOMI]

THE BEST CHARACTER on Dave's show for me. I was watching when he came on stage in February 2008. Loved him ever since.

[@MissylovesTrouble]

I LOVED when they had Lyle on. I always thought if somehow Jack Nicholson, James Spader and Christian Slater had a baby it would be Lyle. Back then it made me laugh so hard i would have tears. Even watching old scenes still makes me laugh hard with tears.

[@joenesselrode]

Jimmi has become a HELL of an actor, but every time I see him in something, I instantly laugh and blurt out "Lyle". It's an instant friend when someone gets it.

[@matthewgriffin3486]

It's "McPoyle" for me

[@MathiasEggimann]

It's Mary Lightly for me.

[@gsf747]

Jimmi seems super nice. I loved him as Jackal Onassis in Party Down but he brings so much to every role.

[@bernlin2000]

I thought Lyle was such an incredible throwback to the more edgy humor of the 1980s on Letterman's NBC show, don't think I had seen this kind of absurd humor for a long time on the show, nor did I see it after Lyle!!

[@GregCurtin45]

That was brilliant. Thanks for sharing this Jimmi.

[@johndalton3180]

They stopped having Lyle on after Dave's scandal, except for one more appearance. Which, was really great because in that one, no mention is made of it, until it is vaguely referenced at the every end. Lyle finally humbles himself, and sincerely says, slyly, barely above a whisper "Dave, you're my hero." A brilliant way to close out this character.

[@sarcasticallyrearranged]

Scandal?

[@sarcasticallyrearranged]

@@AlexCyrus I was asking what was the scandal?

[@sarcasticallyrearranged]

@Loc Le I knew that he had been involved with someone, I just didn’t realize that it was a huge issue behind the scenes. He wasn’t married, but, I remember him having a girlfriend.

[@Callmenobody174]

One of the best running bits on Letterman! Love that it's all here to enjoy on KZbin!

[@linmiller8147]

I loved Lyle! I remember that on the same night he appeared on Late Night as Lyle, Jimmi Simpson was on a short-lived show called The Eleventh Hour in a dramatic role and he was really good. He also sang really well when he appeared in the musical episode of Psyche. He is SO versatile.

[@giovanna8187]

His whistling is extremely good as well.

[@doctorthirteen5499]

He recently played a police detective on a show about the Tupac Shakur/Biggie Smalls murders. Great on that, too.

[@MathiasEggimann]

He was the only good thing on Breakout Kings He is Mary Lightly on Psych for me.

[@ClapYourHairFlip]

“Eat his fired pork sandwiches” always kills me 😂😂

[@DOSkywalkR]

Yes, thank you, I've been searching for videos of him talking about this! 😁 I've first seen him on Westworld, then like 2 or 3 years ago Lyle videos came up in my KZbin feed and I just couldn't get enough of it! 😄

[@jozz2248]

Good stuff Giller and crew. Love seeing Simpson still revel in the experience 😊

[@Sisyphean1775]

I always watched Letterman with my parents when I was kid, and I remember the first time I saw Lyle when I was about 15. I'd never seen anything like it. Still one of my favorite bits from the show. And then years later when I started watching Sunny, I just about fell out of my chair the first time I saw the McPoyles on screen! I couldn't believe it! God, I miss when late night TV was creative and original.

[@firstname__lastname]

Jimmi's ability to go from horror stuff to comedy is just absolutely brilliant.

[@wherethefugarwe]

This channel hits it out of the park again!

[@rockkevinrock]

I love Jimmi, he's hilarious in every role he does.

[@RockNRod.]

Jimi is such a great actor. Love everything he does from Lyle The Intern to Westworld!

[@rizzolovesryan]

That whistle got me every time.

[@TheMattsterling]

All hail Lyle! One of the funnies bits since Larry Bud....

[@R.Gresco]

One of the funniest bits! Thank you Lyle!

[@vanessawhitneypro]

Favorite Long-Running Bit Ever. Thanks for always making Us laugh, Dave & Jimmi! Thanks Letterman Writers & Crew!

[@lalah6157]

Jimmi Simpson is one of my all time favorite actors. TV, movies, talk shows. Amazing in everything. He nails it, no matter what he's playing. God bless him!

[@rhino202]

He was amazing in IASIP. This is great

[@blyxx7450]

You can tell how much he loved doing this. It really was a great bit.........McPoyals rule!!!!😂😂😂

[@TheAccidentalViking]

I fell in love with Jimmi Simpson when he was in Breakout Kings. He was the perfect mix of asshole, smartass and perfectly flawed as to be loveable. I was SOOOO happy to see he's in 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'. I remember seeing 'Brother from another Planet' as a kid and I never forgot Joe Morton in it and was always excited to see him in other things. Now, I'm going to go find a place I can rewatch that movie from 1984.

[@kevinp3611]

Same here, I bet if we had Netflix back then, Breakout Kings would have become a huge hit.

[@Enr227]

He is so fluid, his comic timing is remarkable.

[@johnmcaleese892]

The best comedy bit on letterman ever.

[@Xammblu_Games]

Masterclass. Love seeing these clips in even better quantity.

[@UncleBernhard]

Fantastic! He was great on Westworld, too!

[@johnglenn30csardas]

Bravura performances by Jimmi. Continually topping himself. Love the flashes of Lyle in Westworld.

[@SnootchieBootchies]

Thanks for this walk down memory lane. I miss Dave (and Lyle) so much.

[@tvviewer4500]

That smile after he gets Dave to say Nancy Regan - hahaha

[@raymondwilson293]

that's funny you mention meeting Billy Crystal. I saw Letterman's show in NY one time and bought a souvenir shirt. I wore that shirt when i saw 700 Sundays a few days later. I was relatively close to the stage and Billy Crystal kept looking at me. The very next day, I was a tourist walking around NY and ran into Billy Crystal on the street. He actually remembered me from the show!

[@funkdunken8738]

"Could you call him Nancy Reagan, for me?" and he does it, classic. Hahaha.

[@lawrencerinehart5747]

One if not THE Greatest Late Show character of All Time. A Performance Showcase Every Time 🤣✌️

[@Arbee1000]

I love this! I remember the Lyle bits fondly and rewatch them on KZbin every so often.

[@snapascrew]

“Might want to catch an episode of John and Kate + 8” Paul: “whoa!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sugarshane1985]

This is great! Lyle was always one of my favourite bits on the show. Even as an Always Sunny fan I still think Lyle is his best character. Thanks Jimmi for doing this interview.

[@Joramee]

Lyle was amazing, loved those bits

[@lawrencerinehart5747]

Ryan Reynolds might owe Jimmi Simpson some money 🤣

[@thefifthdementia5231]

Lyle was on the show during hard times for me so I never saw his appearances till years later when this channel was set up. I have watched the entire Lyle collection maybe half a dozen times and enjoyed it every time. Love Jimmi's performances.

[@tshanegilman6278]

Thanks for the memories. Love that guy!

[@robertforster8984]

Lyle was one of my favorite later Letterman bits. Genius.

[@frishhawk]

Loving these introspective videos. There will never be a host like Letterman again.

[@socialstew]

Remember loving these segments back in the day. Reminded me of Donal Logue's Jimmy the Cabbie on MTV. And I also maintain that Christian Slater and you should co-star as brothers in something... ANYTHING! 😜🤣🤪😆

[@adrianmiller1971]

Dude, i love ALL your work. You were especially disturbing on Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia - glass of milk on me if youre ever in Australia. But first saw you on Letterman

[@cnefti]

I've been waiting for them to upload Lyle! Lol i loved his sketches. The hopping on the bus bit was my favorite

[@CinemaDaveMedia]

Love this video! So happy to get the back story on Lyle The Intern.

[@bradleygalli7745]

He does a great Billy Crystal and Hank Azaria impression here. He really captured their mannerisms well 😆

[@projektkobra2247]

LOL!!!...came here after watching him in House....What a card!...More of this guy!!

[@ericarseneau1904]

I watched every episode of Letterman and the Lyle episodes were some of my favorites for sure.

[@marcthompson3665]

The legend.

[@thedreamisstilldead]

What a great character. Hilarious. Years later, I was surprised to see Lyle on Westworld.

[@F1Tobbi]

This is by far my favorite bit on the show! Awesome and flawless

[@JSmith-gg4yh]

I've watched the Lyle segments several times. Letterman is hilarious too. That is some edgy, funny shit. Loved it.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

He's a great actor and from what I've heard an even greater person

[@jonim9725]

He was once married to Melanie Lynsey, Rose from two and a half men .

[@commaJim]

one of my favorite late night characters / segments ever. Jimmi is so naturally funny.

[@TheAgentAssassin]

just goes to show how genius this show was

[@mohammadamirbayat805]

You are fantastic dude! Funny as hell! A legendery actor in West World! Booooom

[@mikemyersmusic]

Loved this!!! Now, this begs for an update on Dwight The Troubled Teen!

[@richmoves]

This is great! Very interesting background story to a hysterical character. Mr. Simpson you've aged very well, you look great... keep keepin' on!

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Fantastic thank you!

[@goofe.washington953]

Through the years, Letterman had many recurring characters on his shows that were excellent, but Jimmi Simpson as “Lyle the Intern” has to rank up there as one of the very best. Simpson was brilliant.

[@ronniechilds2002]

I was always amazed by Lyle. He hit it out of the park every single time. Even by the show's standards, this guy was just the greatest. Brilliant work. I'll never know how he, as a relative unknown, came up with the nerve to talk that way to Dave. That took nerve!

[@Jackdelroy1]

Brilliant! Unfortunately, the nights of great Late night shows is no more.

[@topangacreek]

Have run into Jimmi before, out in life at a neighborhood food counter, he was just like this (the real Jimmi, not the Lyle bit). Super nice guy and helped me figure out what to eat (the shrimp).

[@logansworth]

Loved Lyle, love Jimmi. "I do terrible, awful, terrible things."