Colbert Praises ‘Favorite Guest’ Neil deGrasse Tyson in Final Late Show Visit
End-of-The Late Show tributes can flow both ways, and that’s what happened when famed astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson stopped by the CBS show Tuesday night.
Host Stephen Colbert gave Tyson quite the introduction by sharing, “I have been doing these shows for 21 years, and people always ask me who my favorite guest is. And I always give the same answer…”
“Neil deGrasse Tyson!” bellowed Colbert, cuing the night’s second guest (following former Secretary of State John Kerry) to come on out.
As Tyson took his seat in the Late Show guest chair for the last time—by our math, it was his 26th appearance on the show overall—Colbert expounded on the stated superlative.
“As I said in the intro: pound for pound, taken on average across 21 years, who is the person who is not only easy to talk to, whose subject I am fascinated with, and who gives me a real rest because he knows how to talk and not stop—and that is Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.”
Watch the intro/tribute below:
— LateNighter (@latenightercom) April 22, 2026
Tyson talked up his latest book, Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter—starting with pointers on what not to do if you meet an E.T. “If they have some appendage sticking out, don’t just grab it and shake it ” he warned, “because you don’t know what part of the anatomy that is.”
Tyson and Colbert geeked out over the recent Artemis II mission and how it was a much-needed, hope-filled monocultural event for the United States. And as Colbert whipped out matching tin foil hats, Tyson explained the origin of the homemade headwear—it was believed to be a first line of defense against mind control.
The two geeked out again over the hit sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, leading Tyson to share how author Andy Weir paid him the second-best compliment of his career, by saying that he imagines Tyson watching over his shoulder when he writes scenes involving physics.
And the best compliment Tyson has ever received? To put it succinctly, SNL alum Jason Sudeikis once (over?) shared that he and then-partner Olivia Wilde paused “date night” sex in order to watch Tyson on TV.
To which Colbert suggested, maybe Tyson is to blame for that marriage ending?
Colbert ended their final chat by saying to Tyson, “It was so wonderful to see you—21 great years!”
