In its final weeks, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has welcomed many recurring guests back to The Ed Sullivan Theater to help bring the CBS program to a full circle close.
Original Late Show host David Letterman, Daily Show front man Jon Stewart, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jake Tapper, former President Barack Obama, Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a reunited “Strike Force Five” are just some of the favorites who have sat down with Stephen Colbert one final time, and in turn commemorate his involuntary send-off.
With The Late Show‘s series finale now finally upon us—airing tonight at 11:35 pm. ET, some 10 months after CBS unexpectedly announced its cancellation—other past guests and late-night peers are using social media to offer fond farewells to Colbert and his Late Show team.
HILLARY CLINTON, former Secretary of State, 2016 presidential candidate, and nine-time Late Show with Stephen Colbert guest | “Every time I sat across the desk from Stephen Colbert, I knew we’d have a conversation that was about more than just getting laughs. Alongside his great wit, Stephen brought deep thoughtfulness, empathy.”
WILLIAM H. MACY, Emmy winner, Academy Award nominee, and five-time guest | “I hope Stephen Colbert is back on the air soon. Without him, it’s a huge loss to comedy, honesty and common sense.”
TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG, Late Night with Conan O’Brien character puppeteered/voiced by Robert Smigel | “Since my first appearance on [The Late Show with Stephen Colbert] in 2016, I’ve been one of Colbert’s’s most frequent guests, appearing ten times, if you include the one where I got arrested (someday they’ll release the footage). Here are a few favorite moments of me pooping it up for my beloved Stephen. Bon voyage Sunshine!”
JIMMY KIMMEL, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Strike Force Five podcast co-host, reiterating that which he said Wednesday on his ABC program | “Tonight we congratulate our friend Stephen Colbert and his writers, staff and crew for eleven years of excellence. Watch Colbert’s finale tonight, and then never watch CBS again.”
CHEF JOSÉ ANDRÉS, seven-time guest whose World Central Kitchen charity received $2.5 million from Late Show fundraiser | “Mi hermano Stephen Colbert, you are the best of all of us. Thank you for all of the laughs and the hope you have given us over the years…thank you for your endless support for World Central Kitchen, for so many incredible segments together, and to the amazing Late Show team. We will miss you and we love you!”
JAKE TAPPER, CNN anchor, 14-time guest, and painter of “Colbert as Gollum” | “Congrats on an incredible run to the precious Stephen Colbert. Excited to see what he does next!”
AUBREY PLAZA, eight-time guest and participant in Colbert’s Questionert in penultimate episode | “Thank you Stephen Colbert for always being genuine and hilarious. And thank you for putting up with me all these years. You will be so so missed “
BETH BEHRS, star of the CBS sitcoms 2 Broke Girls and The Neighborhood, April 2019 guest | “Thank you , Stephen Colbert. You are a gem.”
MARIA SHRIVER, journalist, former First Lady of California, and a guest on one of Colbert’s first Late Show episodes | “From humor to the most meaningful of conversations, Stephen Colbert knows how to do it all. His heart and mind are evident in everything he does, and his legacy will go far beyond his time on The Late Show. Being a guest on his show, as well as The Colbert Report before it, was always a pleasure and an honor. I’ll be tuning in tonight to see his last show, and I can’t wait to see what he does next (after a much deserved rest)!”
RACHAEL & VILRAY, jazz/pop-inspired singer/guitarist duo, and three-time musical guest | “A million thanks to the legend himself who had Rachael & Vilray on THREE times and bigged us up in interviews and made time to join us on our record. We love Stephen Colbert so much! Can’t wait to see what brilliance he bestows next….who knows maybe a musical??”
MAXWELL FROST, Florida congressman and two-time guest | “The end of an era. Thank you to Stephen Colbert and the Late Show team for 11 seasons of laughter, honesty, and conversations that mattered. I’ll never forget my first time on the show talking about why I’m proud to be a Florida Man and why Florida is worth fighting for.”
DEREK DELGAUDIO, performance artist/magician, two-time guest | “[Colbert] is that rare figure in this world, especially in showbiz, where the image of the man aligns with the man himself. He is truly as decent and brilliant as our screens would have us believe…. For years, Stephen and his incredible team, hundreds of kind and capable people, and the marvelous Evie, have given us light to find at the end of even our darkest days.”
LateNighter will update this list as more tributes trickle in.
