Jimmy Kimmel may be in TV limbo following the suspension of his late-night talk show, but the host's pop cultural legacy is crystal clear.

The Emmy-winning comedian and television personality, who has hosted ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" for over 20 years, was sidelined by the network on Sept. 17 after his show was placed on an indefinite hiatus due to backlash over Kimmel's remarks on the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

During his Sept. 15 episode, Kimmel, 57, said the following: "We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it."

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, revealed during a subsequent appearance on YouTube commentator Benny Johnson's show that there were "calls for Kimmel to be fired." Following Carr's comments, Nexstar Media Group Inc. and ABC announced that they were pulling the host's show off the air.

According to The Associated Press and CNN, Kimmel's contract with ABC is up in May 2026.

Prior to his late-night hosting gig, Kimmel broke into the entertainment industry as a radio personality and later found success as an on-screen comedian with the Comedy Central series "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "The Man Show."

While the fate of Kimmel's talk show hangs in the balance, take a look back at some of his biggest career moments.

1999: Jimmy Kimmel breaks out with 'The Man Show'

After a radio career that included stints at stations in Seattle, Phoenix and Los Angeles, Kimmel made his foray into the TV world in 1997 as cohost of the Comedy Central game show "Win Ben Stein's Money." The show earned Kimmel a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding game show host.

In 1999, Kimmel took the creative helm when he pitched the sketch comedy series "The Man Show" to the network alongside fellow comedian Adam Carolla and producer Daniel Kellison, with whom he had formed the production company Jackhole Productions.

The show debuted in June 1999 and became known for its zany bro humor: beer guzzling, female models bouncing on trampolines and NSFW bathroom humor. Kimmel cohosted the show for four seasons and was succeeded by comedians Joe Rogan and Doug Stanhope.

2003: Jimmy Kimmel launches talk show

In 2003, Kimmel graduated to leading-man status when he became the host of the ABC talk show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Despite early negative reviews, the telecast went on to become a mainstay of the late-night genre, scoring three Primetime Emmy Awards in its 22-year run.

The show's industry future showed some promise when "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was nominated for choice TV late night at the 2003 Teen Choice Awards.

"Those first few years, I still don't understand why they kept me on the air," Kimmel reflected in a 2023 interview with Variety, jokingly adding: "It would have made perfect sense to remove me. But thank God they didn't have sense."

2008: Jimmy Kimmel gets political at GQ Men of the Year Awards

Kimmel has never been one to shy away from politics.

In November 2008, the TV host appeared on the cover of GQ Magazine in a special, presidential election-inspired edition that featured dual covers that read "Vote Democrat" and "Vote Republican."

In recent years, Kimmel has incorporated political commentary into his late-night talk show, often taking aim at President Donald Trump. Following Trump's election win in November 2024, Kimmel said in a Nov. 6 episode that Trump's victory was a "terrible night" for the nation's history and teased that the reelected president may target him.

"My only request to President-elect Trump is that he let me share a prison cell with Taylor Swift. I'm really good at making bracelets, and I think we'd get along just fine," Kimmel said in his monologue. "We'll see how funny that is in six months, when the great talk-show host roundup begins."

2013: Jimmy Kimmel receives Hollywood Walk of Fame star

In January 2013, Kimmel received his showbiz flowers when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The induction ceremony featured an appearance from Kimmel's friend and fellow TV personality, Carson Daly, who once worked as an intern for Kimmel. While the award proved to be an emotional milestone for Kimmel, the host also managed to squeeze in some self-deprecating humor.

"I feel like I'm speaking at my own funeral," Kimmel said during the ceremony. "This is ridiculous. People are going to pee on this star."

2023: Jimmy Kimmel hosts Oscars

And the Academy Award for Oscars darling goes to... Jimmy Kimmel!

Kimmel has hosted the prestigious awards show a total of four times, with the TV personality most recently emceeing in 2024.

For the 95th Academy Awards in 2023, the host had his work cut out for him after the 2022 Oscars sparked controversy when best actor winner Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage. However, in an interview with USA TODAY ahead of the ceremony, Kimmel poked fun at the possibility of another star-studded brawl.

"Well, I have been studying the martial arts since they asked me to host the show," Kimmel said. "The truth of the matter is I am not ready for anything. I'm ready for some things, but anything that involves violence or me having to run, I'm very not ready."

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Kinsey Crowley and Gary Levin, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From 'The Man Show' to talk-show icon, a look back at Jimmy Kimmel's best career moments

Reporting by Edward Segarra, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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