Stephen Colbertis running out of wall space.
Theres a poster from the Philip Glass premiere where he first met his wife, Evie.
(The connection later relented, as long as he captioned it as two frogs tandem skydiving.)
‘The Late Show’ host Stephen Colbert on the cover of ‘Entertainment Weekly’.Courtesy David Needleman/CBS
So, she sent me an award.
F— you.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbertmay not exactly be big on dignity, but boy, is it big.
Stephen Colbert on set during an Oct. 2023 taping of ‘The Late Show’.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
Much of the shows success stems from Colberts signature blend of silliness and satire.
But he quickly discovered that not only did he like hosting a late-night show, it felt like home.
I was determined to not do a monologue, he admits of his initial approach to the show.
Stephen Colbert with guest John Dickerson on ‘The Late Show’.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
I thought, Im not a stand-up.
And then I fell in love with the monologue.
So far, those instincts have served him well.
Stephen Colbert during an Oct. 2023 taping of ‘The Late Show’.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
As he warned viewers not to touch macaque, his bottom lip quivered and he bit back giggles.
I love puns, he tells EW with a shrug and a smile.
I love stupid jokes and stupid, stupid puns.
Stephen Colbert backstage at ‘The Late Show’ with guest John Lithgow.Scott Kowalchyk/CBS
He particularly loves asking his guests about their early jobs whatever they did to survive before finding success.
But I love the people who had to suffer.
After all, he can relate.
They would fall apart in the middle of the night, he recalls.
I would ride my bike across Evanston, and I would fix their bed and go home.
Eventually he scored a job answering phones and selling souvenirs at the legendary comedy institution Second City.
A perk of the job?
Im not setting the tone, he explains.
My interests are eclectic, and my tone is malleable.
Theres almost nothing that we could talk about that Im not going to find some interest in.
Im willing to ride your pony wherever.
The only exception is when he has politicians on his couch.
Politics has been on his mind, especially with another election season looming.
Everyone pretty much knows what the story is.
You dont have to explain much to them.
Everybody cares, and nobody dies.
But with the 2020 election, that changed.
If theres one thing hes learned from multiple election cycles, its to embrace live television.
Colbert says he and his staff have come to relish the ticking clock.
The jokes are decidedly sharper.
Still, the stress is real.
The polls all say that Americas looking at these two candidates and going, Oh well.
I wish I had other options, he says.
Im not saying I wish I had other options, but fresh meat is always fun.
Still, hell miss the long-running gag that Stewart spent his retirement living under ColbertsLate Showdesk.
If you know anybody whos looking for a place to live, its fantastic, Colbert offers.
There are no windows, but its quite lovely.
Each night, he warms up by chatting with the audience, and after the furious chants of Stephen!
die down, he takes questions.Hows your wife, Evie?a woman asks.
(Colbert, a lifelong Catholic, was recently invited to narrate the pontiffs audiobook.)
As for other side projects?
Throughout our conversation, Colbert continues to repeat his mantra that hes an actor, not a stand-up comedian.
But if theres something that I used to do that I dont do anymore, its acting.
In the meantime, he plans to stay at the Ed Sullivan for as long as theyll let him.
The more time hes spent there, the more hes felt the buildings legacy.
Now he can rattle off the theaters history like a particularly knowledgeable CBS tour guide.
But I love the fact that this was built in 1927 by Hammerstein as a cathedral of culture.
Or thatThe Honeymoonerswas shot here when it first started as part ofThe Jackie Gleason Show.
Its an honor to be in this space, and I try not to take that for granted.
I get a little choked up sometimes before I go out on stage.
I think, What a lucky man am I to have my name 10 stories tall on Broadway.
First time I landed it, I thought I did a pretty good job, he says.
And Dave looked at it and he goes, Its not up to my standards.
Theres a little bit of Use the Force, Luke, he says with a laugh.
Except the Obi-Wan in my head is Dave.
