Stephen Colbert Nears May 21 Signoff as 12-Plus Stars Recall Late Show's 11-Year Run
Updated
Updated · Vanity Fair · May 18
Stephen Colbert Nears May 21 Signoff as 12-Plus Stars Recall Late Show's 11-Year Run
7 articles · Updated · Vanity Fair · May 18
May 21 will mark Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show, and more than a dozen guests and colleagues used the countdown to share backstage memories from the host’s 11-year CBS run.
CBS and Paramount said last summer the show would end after the 2025-26 season for purely financial reasons, a rationale critics disputed as Colbert’s politically sharp late-night role grew more prominent after 2016.
Jon Batiste recalled Colbert staying in the edit room during the 2015 premiere as the show struggled to export, while guests including Emma Thompson, Tig Notaro and John Leguizamo highlighted his warmth backstage.
Others tied the farewell to Colbert’s wider creative reach: Andy Serkis remembered reading Trump tweets as Gollum, Nick Kroll cited a puberty-photo fundraiser for Puerto Rico relief, and Nick Offerman joked about Colbert’s next Lord of the Rings film.
Was Colbert's top-rated show cancelled for finances, or did a controversial corporate payout play a role?
What does the end of a ratings leader reveal about corporate influence over modern broadcast media?