Dan Casarella, KLN ‘15, has recently secured a job at Jimmy Kimmel Live as a hospitality assistant. But, his career in late night really started back when he was still at Klein College.

When Casarella was younger, he devoured late night television and even stayed up past his bedtime to watch Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Partially inspired by that love for the medium, Casarella decided to apply for an internship at the Late Show with David Letterman when he was a media studies and production student. Casarella expected a long and difficult process.

“It was actually pretty easy,” he chuckled, explaining that all he really needed to do was submit a résumé and cover letter. “But it was great. David Letterman is so big and has always been one of my idols.”

When he came back to Klein College, he went to General Manager of TUTV Paul Gluck, and pitched him an idea for a late-night television show.

"He's very smart and very funny,” Gluck said. “I’ve gotten a number of pitches before, but this was really the first pitch for a talk show that actually seemed like a talk show.”

And so Temple Tonight was created and still exists today. Casarella served as host and producer. But, since he started the show late in his college career, he only worked on the program for two episodes. One of the episodes had members of the Temple University men’s gymnastics team on as guests, after they were removed from the university’s Division 1 roster. Similar to a regular talk show where guests promote their work, the team wanted to let students know that despite the change, they were still competing.

After graduating, Casarella held a number of positions in the television industry, including stints as an executive assistant at VH1 and a production assistant at the Late Late Show with James Corden. He worked as a freelance production assistant with Jimmy Kimmel before he was hired by Kimmel full time.

Much of his job today involves getting the green room ready for the guests and helping to prepare for segments. His duties have ranged from taking inventory to taking care of a goat until it was ready for showtime.

“I’ve had to lead a mariachi band and tell them to watch their head,” Casarella said. “It’s not something I ever imagined doing,” he laughed.

He enjoys his new job and, although he doesn’t get too much day-to-day experience with him, has a great deal of respect for his new boss.

“He’s really nice, kind and he’s great to the staff,” he said. “Every Thanksgiving, he’s there to serve us a big meal outside.”

Casarella plans to work at the show for as long as he can, one day hoping to be a segment producer, being more active in creating the show’s content. With his experience at Klein College and elsewhere, he has a strong idea of what a show needs.

“In the end,” he said, “you have to know what you’re making and have the dedication and drive to complete it.”