Stephen Colbert is the consummate professional. But get a few shots of rum in him with Jennifer Lawrence and see what happens… or was it tequila with Dakota Johnson?
The Late Show host had a hard time remembering just which celebrated thirtysomething actor he got drunk with on-air as he recalled the story when he and wife Evie McGee Colbert guested with Busy Philipps on Busy This Week Thanksgiving Eve.
As the three sat down with drinks in hand to chat about the couple’s cookbook, Does This Taste Funny?, Colbert remarked that he “wished more talk shows gave you alcohol when you sat down.” Philipps replied that every time she’s guested with Colbert, he’s supplied her with a glass of rosé.
Colbert went on to reveal that every time he drinks on his show, the alcohol is always real. “I’m not gonna lie to the American people,” he joked. He then recounted one of his wildest on-air drinking stories—but his memory appeared to be a tad hazy.
“The drunkest I ever got with a guest was Jennifer Lawrence,” he said. “She came on for some movie that she clearly was not in a great mood to talk about. I think it was the end of a long tour. And backstage I said, ‘Hey, have a good time.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, okay.’”
Colbert recalled that Lawrence came out on stage, sat down, and “literally took off her shoes, curled up in the chair next to me.” He then offered the Oscar winner some rum.
The Late Show host went on to say that they did so many shots that CBS actually made them cut several, because “you can’t get hammered on national television.”
Right as he was in the midst of telling his story, though, Colbert had a realization. “Wait, it wasn’t her,” he said, referring to Lawrence. “I did get drunk with her… [but] it was Dakota Johnson!”
Upon investigation, it seems Colbert was both right and wrong. He did indeed do shots with both actresses—rum shots with Lawrence, and tequila shots with Johnson—and the story he told Phillips appears to include details from both occasions.
Most of the details appear to refer to his February 2018 interview with Lawrence, which took a turn about three minutes in when he offered the actress some of his contraband Cuban rum. By the interview’s end, she indeed had kicked off her shoes as she curled up Colbert’s guest chair.
As for the guest shot that apparently required edits at CBS’ request, Colbert appears to be referring to his May 2016 interview with Johnson—the episode itself showed them doing one shot; in a promo released earlier that night, they were seen doing several.
In the end, it seems like Colbert meshed both stories together. We’ll give him a pass for not being able to quite recall all of the details—it happens to the best of us. Just ask Seth Meyers about his “Day Drinking” shenanigans.
I am writing a song about drinking that Stephen Colbert can have his band play whenever he imbibes with his guests but I can never make it past the first three bars. 🤔😊😁
too bad he’s an alcoholic