Stephen Colbert
On the 11th of September 1974, a ten-year-old boy named Stephen Colbert stood in the living room of his family home on James Island. His father and two brothers, Paul and Peter, were en route to enroll at Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut. Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed while attempting to land in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tragedy killed three members of the Colbert family instantly. Lorna Colbert moved her remaining children from their home into the George Chisolm House in downtown Charleston. She ran the carriage house as a bed and breakfast to support the family financially. Stephen later described this period as one where he shut off emotionally. Nothing made any sense after his father and brothers died. He developed a love for science fiction novels by J.R.R. Tolkien during these years. This loss shaped his worldview and influenced his future career choices.
Stephen Colbert originally studied philosophy at Hampden-Sydney College before transferring to Northwestern University in 1984. He majored in theater with the intent of becoming a dramatic actor. While at Northwestern, he performed in experimental plays and was uninterested in comedy initially. He began performing improvisation while in college through the campus team No Fun Mud Piranhas. He also performed at the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago under Del Close's ImprovOlympic program. After graduating in 1986, Colbert needed a job and accepted an unpaid internship offer from Late Night with David Letterman. A friend offered him work answering phones at Second City instead. He discovered that employees could take classes free of charge. He signed up for improvisation classes and enjoyed the experience greatly. Shortly thereafter, he was hired to perform with Second City's touring company as an understudy for Steve Carell. It was there he met Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. The trio became close friends despite initial friction between them.
Colbert joined Comedy Central's The Daily Show in 1997 when it was in its second season. Originally one of four correspondents filming segments from remote locations, he was referred to on-air as the new guy for his first two years. Craig Kilborn served as host during this time before Jon Stewart took over hosting duties prior to the 1999 season. Unlike Stewart who hosted as himself, Colbert developed a correspondent character parodying conservative political pundits like Bill O'Reilly. He described his character as a well-intentioned poorly informed high-status idiot. Colbert frequently pitted himself against knowledgeable interview subjects or engaged in scripted exchanges with Stewart. His dialogue demonstrated the character's lack of knowledge regarding whatever subject he discussed. He made generous use of humorous fallacies of logic to explain his point of view. Other Daily Show correspondents adopted similar styles after seeing his work. Rob Corddry recalled imitating Stephen Colbert for a year or two upon joining the cast in 2002. Aasif Mandvi stated he decided to do his best Stephen Colbert impression. Colbert won three Emmys as a writer of The Daily Show in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Colbert hosted his own television show called The Colbert Report from the 17th of October 2005 through the 18th of December 2014. The series was conceived by co-creators Stewart, Colbert, and Ben Karlin as an opportunity to explore character-driven news. It parodied cable-personality political talk shows including The O'Reilly Factor and Hannity. The show opened to strong ratings averaging 1.2 million viewers nightly during its first week on air. Comedy Central signed a long-term contract within its first month establishing it among the network's highest-rated shows. On the 29th of April 2006, Colbert delivered a searing routine at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner targeting President George W. Bush. He satirized the administration and media while standing just yards away from the president. His jokes were often met with silence and muttering apart from enthusiastic laughter from some audience members. Major media outlets paid little attention initially because his routine criticized both Bush and the press. Richard Cohen writing for The Washington Post responded that the routine was not funny. The video became an internet sensation causing ratings for The Colbert Report to rise by 37% in the following week. James Poniewozik of Time magazine called it the political-cultural touchstone issue of 2006.
CBS announced on the 10th of April 2014 that Colbert would succeed David Letterman as host of The Late Show effective when Letterman retired. The premiere date was set for Tuesday the 8th of September 2015 with George Clooney as the first guest. The show maintained a much more political focus than Letterman's version. During his tenure he hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast on CBS on the 17th of September 2017. On the 17th of July 2025 CBS announced it would end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and retire the franchise altogether in May 2026 after thirty-three years. The network noted the show had been number one in late night for nine straight seasons. They cited high production costs and declining advertising revenue as reasons for the decision. A settlement agreement reached two weeks earlier between Donald Trump and Paramount Global regarding a lawsuit against CBS allegedly influenced the timing. Fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel defended Colbert calling the cited reasons nonsensical while Trump cheered the cancellation. The network promised to honor Stephen and celebrate the show over the next ten months alongside its millions of fans.
In May 2011 Colbert filed a request with the Federal Election Commission asking for media exemption coverage of his political action committee ColbertPAC. The FEC voted five-to-one in June 2011 to grant limited media exemption allowing unlimited donations of airtime without disclosure requirements. Following the hearing Colbert formally filed paperwork creating his Super PAC with the FEC secretary. In January 2012 he formed an exploratory committee laying groundwork for possible candidacy for President of South Carolina. He signed control of his Super PAC over to Jon Stewart due to legal blocks preventing him from running while operating it. His campaign inspired $68,000 in donations to South Carolina classrooms benefiting over fourteen thousand low-income students. Another straw poll created for Pennsylvania primary raised $185,000 reaching forty-three thousand students in public schools. On the 1st of November 2007 the South Carolina Democratic Party executive council voted thirteen-to-three refusing his application onto the ballot. Several days later he announced dropping out of the race citing desire to avoid agonizing Supreme Court battles similar to the 2000 election recount. Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada established that Colbert's campaign continued strong in the fictional Marvel Universe.
Colbert has won eleven Primetime Emmy Awards throughout his career spanning multiple decades. He received two Grammy Awards and three Peabody Awards recognizing his contributions to comedy and journalism. Time named Stephen Colbert one of the hundred most influential people in both 2006 and 2012. His book I Am America And So Can You! listed number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2007. At least five species have been given scientific names honoring Colbert including a California trapdoor spider named Aptostichus stephencolberti. A Venezuelan diving beetle Agaporomorphus colberti and Chilean stonefly Diamphipnoa colberti were formally described in 2008. In 2014 a parasitic wasp from Ecuador Aleiodes colberti was named for him alongside Jon Stewart Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres. NASA renamed their International Space Station treadmill COLBERT after receiving over two hundred thirty thousand votes from followers. The complex machine is used eight hours daily by astronauts maintaining muscle mass during long periods in zero-gravity environments. Ben & Jerry's unveiled an ice cream flavor named Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream in February 2007.
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Common questions
When did Stephen Colbert lose his father and two brothers in a plane crash?
Stephen Colbert lost his father and two brothers on the 11th of September 1974 when Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed while attempting to land in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tragedy killed three members of the family instantly.
What college did Stephen Colbert attend before transferring to Northwestern University?
Stephen Colbert originally studied philosophy at Hampden-Sydney College before transferring to Northwestern University in 1984. He majored in theater with the intent of becoming a dramatic actor.
How long did Stephen Colbert host The Colbert Report on Comedy Central?
Stephen Colbert hosted The Colbert Report from the 17th of October 2005 through the 18th of December 2014. The series was conceived by co-creators Stewart, Colbert, and Ben Karlin as an opportunity to explore character-driven news.
Why did CBS announce the end of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in July 2025?
CBS announced it would end The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and retire the franchise altogether in May 2026 after thirty-three years due to high production costs and declining advertising revenue. The network noted the show had been number one in late night for nine straight seasons.
Which species have been named after Stephen Colbert including insects and space equipment?
At least five species have been given scientific names honoring Stephen Colbert including a California trapdoor spider named Aptostichus stephencolberti and a Venezuelan diving beetle Agaporomorphus colberti. NASA renamed their International Space Station treadmill COLBERT after receiving over two hundred thirty thousand votes from followers.