The Late Show: Colbert on Cancellation Offering New Opportunities

Posted in: CBS, TV | Tagged: stephen colbert, The Late Show

The Late Show: Colbert on Cancellation Offering New Opportunities

Reflecting on his time on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert says the time may have been right to leave to focus creatively on other projects.

Published Fri, 22 May 2026 13:07:09 -0500
by Tom Chang
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Article Summary

• Stephen Colbert says ending The Late Show after nearly 11 years may be a blessing, freeing him for new creative work.
• Colbert discussed CBS canceling The Late Show for financial reasons as rivals keep Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
• Reflecting on David Letterman’s chair, Colbert admits he once doubted taking the job after The Colbert Report.
• Colbert says he’s grateful for The Late Show run and plans to enjoy his final months before the CBS finale.

Leaving a show, or getting fired in Stephen Colbert's case, after almost 11 years, is a victory of sorts, considering most never achieve that kind of shelf life. The Late Show host, who succeeded David Letterman in 2015, is ending his show on May 21st, with CBS stressing that the decision was purely financial, despite competitors ABC and NBC standing by their hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon for their respective late-night shows. Colbert reflected on his run to PEOPLE and how stepping away from the late-night spotlight might be a blessing in disguise.

Stephen Colbert on Refocusing His Priorities After The Late Show

Colbert joked that pulling the plug on his show "saved my life," saying, "It takes a lot of bone marrow to do the show every day, and now I'll be stepping down with enough time, enough energy to do other things that I want to do." Another thing in question is writing the next Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film, Shadow of the Past, bridging the gaps Jackson avoided when he initially adapted the J. R. R. Tolkien works for the screen. The actor, who had a role as the PA announcer at Starfleet Academy and was a former Daily Show correspondent, was initially reluctant to take over for Letterman, given his success on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. "I'm an actor and a writer. I became a writer because nobody would cast me in anything, and I had to write for myself. I always imagined that's what I'd be doing after 'The Colbert Report' because that was an acting job," he said. "When I got this, at first I was like, 'No, I can't do that job. I'm not a standup. I've never been myself.'"

Colbert remained grateful ever since, "I tried never to take for granted filming in the Ed Sullivan Broadway theater, having that tremendous audience, or having the ability to work with the funniest people I know every day and make jokes about the things that make me most anxious." The host added that it's a shame CBS is killing the brand with its plan to replace The Late Show with Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed, noting he has nothing but the biggest respect for Allen. "Let me tell you, it is a fantastic job," he said. "I wish somebody else was getting it. And it's a job that I'm looking forward to doing with this usual gang of idiots for another 10 months. It's going to be fun." The finale airs tonight on CBS. For more about Colbert talking about his family, you can check out the whole interview.

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