"Stephen Colbert"
Stephen Colbert appears on the 300th episode of SmartLess podcast, discussing his upcoming departure from The Late Show after 11 years, sharing Hollywood stories from his early career, and engaging in comedic banter about everything from Lord of the Rings to his failed auditions.
Summary
This milestone 300th episode of SmartLess features Stephen Colbert as the guest, beginning with the hosts celebrating their podcast's longevity and announcing their upcoming live show at the Hollywood Bowl on October 17th. Colbert discusses his impending departure from The Late Show on May 21st, describing the experience as riding a 'flaming toboggan' and expressing uncertainty about his future plans while noting he hasn't had time to fully process the ending due to the demanding nature of daily television. He shares fascinating stories from his early career, including turning down a lucrative sidekick position on Magic Johnson's talk show despite being unemployed and his wife being pregnant, a decision that proved wise when the show failed quickly. The conversation covers his work on influential but short-lived shows like Exit 57 and The Dana Carvey Show, which featured an incredible roster of talent including Steve Carell, Louis C.K., and Charlie Kaufman. Colbert reveals his deep passion for Lord of the Rings, showing off memorabilia including chain mail from Viggo Mortensen's costume and a chocolate sculpture of Aragorn. He discusses what makes great talk show guests, praising those who genuinely want to have conversations rather than just promote projects. Throughout the episode, there's extensive comedic banter about various topics including climbing Everest, European festivals, boxing, and childhood experiences with 'shirts and skins' gym class divisions.
About this episode
Walk the Wok and let’s celebrate: it’s future MMA fighter Stephen Colbert. The blackout days, beepers & lovely melon, plus shirts v. skins on Mt. Everest. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” …on the 300th correct-isode of SmartLess.
Key Insights
- Colbert describes hosting a nightly talk show as like riding a 'flaming toboggan' that requires all of his mental energy and leaves no time to process major life changes
- He turned down a well-paying job as Magic Johnson's talk show sidekick while unemployed with a pregnant wife, trusting his instincts that it would damage his career long-term
- The Dana Carvey Show featured an unprecedented collection of comedy talent including Steve Carell, Louis C.K., Robert Smigel, and Charlie Kaufman, but was canceled after only 7 aired episodes
- Colbert believes the best talk show guests are those who genuinely want to have conversations rather than just stick to pre-planned talking points
- He has been working with some of his current team members for over 20 years, calling their workplace 'the Joy Machine' because the intense work can either be done with joy or misery
- Despite his success in television, Colbert never originally intended to host a talk show and stumbled into the role accidentally after quitting his previous show
- He maintains an extensive knowledge of Lord of the Rings lore and owns authentic memorabilia from the films, including chain mail from Viggo Mortensen's costume
- Colbert lived in a seminary dormitory when he first moved to New York for television work in 1994, staying at the General Theological Seminary
- He was offered the role of Gomez in an Addams Family reboot during his early auditioning days but the project didn't succeed
- Colbert argues that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is considered the only perfect trilogy among fantasy/science fiction cognoscenti
- He describes his approach to potential future projects as wanting to 'serve something he loves' rather than focusing on status, citing Bill Hader's decision to write for South Park after SNL as admirable
- The comedian emphasizes the importance of doing demanding creative work 'with joy' rather than resentment, as the alternative leads to being 'mad and sad all the time'
Topics
Transcript
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