Stephen Colbert is an American comedian, writer, and producer who has dominated late-night television for over a decade. He studied theater at Northwestern University. During college, he developed an interest in performance and improvisational comedy. After college, he trained with Chicago’s Second City, where he refined his performance skills. 

In 1997, he joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where his deadpan delivery as a “senior correspondent” helped the show win multiple Emmy Awards and established him as a premier voice in political satire. In 2005, he launched The Colbert Report, a parody of cable news punditry that lasted nine seasons and earned him a place among Time’s most influential people.

Colbert succeeded David Letterman as the host of The Late Show in 2015. After taking over the show, he discarded his satirical persona to give a more authentic and intellectual take on daily news and political events. As of early 2026, Colbert is in the final months of his tenure at CBS, with the network announcing that The Late Show would end its run in May 2026. 

Outside of the studio, Colbert is a devout Catholic and a lifelong fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, often demonstrating an encyclopedic knowledge of The Lord of the Rings. He resides in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife, Evelyn McGee-Colbert. The couple has been married since 1993, and they have three children together: Madeline, Peter, and John.