Colbert admits launching a late night show while a presidential campaign is up and running is a blessing and he expects to get a lot of material from Trump. “He’s the most self-important blowhard,” says Colbert. Joking, “and I mean that as a compliment… it takes a lot of energy to be a blowhard!”
Chatting exclusively with ET Canada’s Erin Cebula at the Television Critics’ Association tour in Los Angeles, Colbert is extending his invitation beyond American political figures. “Stephen Harper would be good,” he adds, calling our Canadian election “adorable” for lasting a fraction of the time as an American race.
But Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t the only Canadian invited to the new Late Show. “I wouldn’t mind singing with Celine Dion. That would be nice,” he says. “Celine, please come on! My heart will go on with or without you, but with you would be nice!”We already know George Clooney will be Colbert’s first guest when he steps into David Letterman’s legendary spot this fall. And Colbert says having the Oscar-winning actor on his show was a long-time wish but timing never worked out on getting him on The Colbert Report. “I’m thrilled to have him on,” says Colbert. “He’s a gifted and thoughtful actor and director who also cares about making the world a better place.”
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Colbert has equally kind words for Jon Stewart, to whom he recently paid tribute on the finale of The Daily Show. “That was an honour,” he says of his heartwarming appearance, which clearly had Stewart tearing up. “We were all chanting ‘we made him cry! We made him cry!’” Colbert considers Stewart a mentor, continuing, “that might be my favourite thing I ever did… because I got to be my real self.”
We’ll all be getting a lot more of his real self once he officially takes over The Late Show, which is what he’s most excited about. “As much as I liked doing him,” he says of his The Colbert Report character, “there’s one thing I couldn’t do, which is be myself. I get to drop character and this was the only show that felt like a promotion.”
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert premieres on Global on Monday, September 8.
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