Stephen Colbert (character)#Fictional biography

Colbert's earliest mainstream exposure came in the prime time sketch comedy program The Dana Carvey Show. While only lasting seven episodes in early 1996, it provided Colbert with roles that would help forge his future onscreen persona. This was largely due to its format of delivering sketch performances directly to the camera. Although they did not air, several sketches inspired by The Onion also had Colbert playing a deadpan anchor delivering the news.{{cite web|first=Steve|last=Heisler|url=https://www.avclub.com/dana-carvey-and-robert-smigel-1798216785|title=Interview - Dana Carvey and Robert Smigel|website=The A.V. Club|publisher=Onion, Inc.|location=Chicago, Illinois|date=June 15, 2009|access-date=May 9, 2010}} In an interview with The New York Times regarding The Dana Carvey Show, Colbert noted, "If you have an opportunity to give it right to the audience, there’s a special connection that you make by looking at the camera."

Upon the show's cancellation, Colbert was cast for The Daily Show by co-creator Madeleine Smithberg. This was thanks to his performance as a nauseated waiter on The Dana Carvey Show.{{cite news|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|author-link=Dave Itzkoff|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/arts/television/10itzk.html?_r=1|title=Comedy Ahead of Its Time (if That Time Ever Comes)|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 7, 2009|access-date=May 9, 2010}}

{{main|The Daily Show}}

Colbert appeared as a correspondent on The Daily Show between 1997 and 2005. During this time, the comedian developed the character that would later form the basis for his Colbert Report persona, one that its creator calls a "fool who has spent a lot of his life playing not the fool". Colbert frequently cites Stone Phillips — whom he describes as having "the greatest neck in journalism" — as a source of inspiration for the character, as well as Geraldo Rivera, "because he's got this great sense of mission... He just thinks he's gonna change the world with this report".{{cite web|first1=Elana |last1=Berkowitz|first2=Amy|last2=Schiller|url=http://campusprogress.org/features/375/five-minutes-with-stephen-colbert |title=Five Minutes With Stephen Colbert |website=Campus Progress |access-date=August 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912131517/http://campusprogress.org/features/375/five-minutes-with-stephen-colbert |archive-date=September 12, 2007 }} As a correspondent, Colbert was regularly pitted against knowledgeable interview subjects, fellow correspondent Steve Carell, or host Jon Stewart in scripted exchanges which typically revealed the character's lack of knowledge of whatever subject he was discussing. Other Daily Show correspondents have since adopted a similar style; former correspondent Rob Corddry recalls that when he and Ed Helms first joined the show's cast in 2002, they "just imitated Stephen Colbert for a year or two".{{cite web|first=Terry|last=Gross|author-link=Terry Gross|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7773229|title=Rob and Nate Corddry Find Their Place on TV|website=Fresh Air|publisher=NPR|date=March 8, 2007|access-date=October 28, 2007}}

{{main|The Colbert Report}}

In 2005, Colbert left The Daily Show to host a spin-off series entitled The Colbert Report, a parody of personality-driven political pundit programs such as Fox News's The O'Reilly Factor that center largely on the personal views of their hosts. Because of this enlarged role, the personality and beliefs of the Stephen Colbert character have become more clearly defined over the course of the show, complete with a fictitious backstory that has been revealed piecemeal in short monologues accompanying a part of the program.

The character Colbert portrays in Report originated as an amplification of his self-important Daily Show correspondent. As they developed the character and the show Colbert and his staff began to look at some more specific models.{{cite web|first=Terry|last=Gross|author-link=Terry Gross|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15116383|title=Colbert Builds 'Report' with Viewers, Readers|website=Fresh Air|publisher=NPR|date=October 9, 2007|access-date=October 21, 2007}} Bill O'Reilly, whom the character affectionately nicknames "Papa Bear",{{cite news| last=Day|first=Patrick Kevin|title=Bill O'Reilly snarks on Stephen Colbert's new gig|date=February 19, 2007|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-bill-oreilly-snarks-on-stephen-colberts-new-gig-20140415,0,4551395.story#axzz2z3afIRS7|access-date=April 16, 2013|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} is the most commonly cited point of reference. In a 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert remarked that, "if it wasn't for [O'Reilly], this show wouldn’t exist".The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1018 Episode 2011], January 25, 2006. In adapting the character for the Report, Colbert has also mentioned Aaron Brown, Anderson Cooper, Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Joe Scarborough as having an influence over his performance.Kurtz, Howard (October 10, 2005). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/09/AR2005100901551.html TV's Newest Anchor: A Smirk in Progress]. The Washington Post. Retrieved on August 15, 2007{{cite news|url =http://www.avclub.com/articles/stephen-colbert,13970/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060202094518/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/44705|archive-date=February 2, 2006|title = Stephen Colbert interview|first = Nathan|last = Rabin|work = The A.V. Club|publisher = Onion, Inc.|location=Chicago, Illinois|date = January 25, 2006|access-date =July 10, 2006}} References to the character's abuse of prescription drugs are believed to be an allusion to Rush Limbaugh's addiction to painkillers.

The nightly in-character guest interviews were initially of concern to Colbert, who worried his character's belligerent nature would be off-putting to guests. However, since the show's debut, he says he has found he is able to "slide the intensity" of his behavior depending on his interviewee's ability to respond to his aggressive approach. Colbert now often cites the interview segment as his favorite part of the show, because it allows him to improvise.Colbert, Stephen (December 8, 2006). [http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/93 A conversation with comedian Stephen Colbert] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328061807/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/93 |date=March 28, 2009 }}. Charlie Rose. Colbert advises his guests to disabuse the character of his ignorance. "Don't let me get away with anything. Don't try to play my game. Be real. Be passionate. Hold your ideas. Give me resistance. Give me traction I can work against."

Colbert is the central character in the 2007 book I Am America (And So Can You!). Co-written with Paul Dinello and the writers of The Colbert Report, I Am America delves into what the character considers to be the most pressing issues facing America. The book takes influence from the literary endeavors of the character's pundit models, such as O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor (2000) and Hannity's Deliver Us From Evil (2004), which Colbert says he "forced" himself to read as a reference. I Am America is considered a pure extension of the Report; the written medium allowed the writers to employ different styles, such as long-format arguments, that they could not have used on television. "You can actually spend 20 pages talking about religion whereas in the show, two pages is about as long as we hold any one idea", Colbert explains. In doing this, the writers "discovered things that [the character] cared about that... they didn't know he cared about before".

A character similar to Colbert's Daily Show persona featured in the 2003 book Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not by Colbert, Dinello and Amy Sedaris. Russell Hokes, a self-aggrandizing journalist, was voiced by Colbert in both stage performances of the text and the audiobook. Colbert likens Hokes to his self-important correspondent character, but "more extreme, more self-involved".Colbert, Stephen (May 13, 2003). The Leonard Lopate Show. WNYC. Colbert has also drawn a link between his character and Jerri Blank, the protagonist of Comedy Central's Strangers with Candy (1999–2000), a show he created with Dinello and Sedaris: "There's a lot of Jerri in The Colbert Report. He was well-intentioned, just incredibly poorly informed and guided".{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/strangers-with-candy-mini-oral-history|title=Strangers with Candy: A Mini-Oral History|first=Paul |last=Schrodt|website=GQ|date=June 5, 2018|access-date=April 27, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401193527/https://www.gq.com/story/strangers-with-candy-mini-oral-history|archive-date=April 1, 2023}}

Certain elements of the character are drawn from the real Colbert's personal life. Both the real Colbert and the character were raised in Charleston, South Carolina; both are the youngest of 11 children; both played Dungeons & Dragons as teenagers; and both are practicing Catholics. Colbert's own interest in and knowledge of religion, science fiction, and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings story will often show through in the Report. His character has a chocolate portrait of Viggo Mortensen (who portrayed Aragorn in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films) in a place of honor on his shelf; Mortensen briefly reprised the role of Aragorn in the Report{{'}}s September 13, 2007 episode.Ken P (August 11, 2003). [http://au.movies.ign.com/articles/433/433111p1.html An Interview With Stephen Colbert] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220235706/http://au.movies.ign.com/articles/433/433111p1.html |date=February 20, 2009 }}. IGN. Retrieved on August 15, 2007.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=728 Episode 1017], November 14, 2005. He also owns a Sting sword presented to him by Peter Jackson.{{cite web|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/11/16/elijah-wood-stephen-colbert-compare-lotr-sting-video/|title=Elijah Wood and Stephen Colbert Compare 'LOTR' Sting Swords (VIDEO)|publisher=AOL TV|access-date=December 7, 2012|archive-date=April 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417141852/http://www.aoltv.com/2011/11/16/elijah-wood-stephen-colbert-compare-lotr-sting-video/|url-status=dead}}

Occasionally, Colbert mentioned his real-life siblings on the show. In one episode, he placed his brother Ed, a lawyer who advises the International Olympic Committee, "on notice" for refusing to grant the show the rights to air footage of a dispute between two American speed skaters.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1451 Episode 2022], February 22, 2006. Ed later appeared at the start of the February 22, 2010 edition advising Stephen on how to cover the Vancouver Winter Olympics since his character does not have the television rights to the games. Footage from the Richmond Olympic Oval was used after Stephen was named a special advisor to USA Speedskating. Generally, journalists covering the Olympics do not have access to the venues unless their employer has the rights to Olympic TV coverage and cannot show moving video coverage of any official Olympic event unless they have permission from the rights holder. When his sister Elizabeth Colbert Busch declared her intention to run for Congress, he mentioned the event. Later, when she was nominated to run against Mark Sanford and the MSNBC show Morning Joe declared their support for Sanford and mentioned Colbert, he defended his sister's campaign.

In an appearance at Harvard University in 2006, Colbert revealed that his character's fear of bears was in part inspired by a recurring nightmare he has had, in which a bear is standing between him and his goal.{{cite web|url= http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5550134133036374310|title= A Conversation With Stephen Colbert|publisher= Harvard Institute of Politics|date= October 1, 2006|access-date= August 15, 2007}} The character's phobia, which was initially referenced in the show's first "ThreatDown" skit, was originally slated to be a fear of alligators. By the time the Report went to air, the alligator story was several weeks old, and the writers chose to use a more recent news item involving a bear in its place.Colbert, Stephen (October 16, 2007). [https://www.apple.com/podcasts/meettheauthor/mta_07.xml "Meet the Author" podcast]. Retrieved on October 27, 2007.

After Colbert received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Knox College, the show began listing his name in the ending credits as "Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, D.F.A." even though using both the honorific prefix and post-nominal letters is incorrect. During the show, the character will sometimes refer to the degree and the qualifications he mistakenly believes it bestows upon him.{{cite web|title=Stephen Colbert Honorary Degree - Knox College |url=http://deptorg.knox.edu/newsarchive/news_events/2006/x12687.html |publisher=Knox College |date=June 1, 2006 |access-date=April 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422160734/http://deptorg.knox.edu/newsarchive/news_events/2006/x12687.html |archive-date=April 22, 2009 }}

In May 2007, Colbert was voted the "second most influential person in the world" by a Time magazine online poll. The first spot was taken by Rain, a young Korean pop star with a large following in Asia and the United States. Colbert then declared Rain his "arch-nemesis" and began mentioning him frequently on the Report. Colbert filmed a satirical music video poking fun at Rain's popular single "How to Avoid the Sun" and referencing several stereotypical South Korean dishes and products. The one-sided feud eventually culminated in Colbert challenging Rain to a competition on air. After telling Colbert "not to quit his day job", Rain appeared in a short segment on the show and competed (and won) a DDR dance-off with Colbert.{{cite web|author= Colbert, Stephen|url= http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?collectionId=167949|title= Rain Rivalry|publisher= Comedy Central|date= May 10, 2007|access-date= March 18, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080718054844/http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?collectionId=167949 |archive-date = July 18, 2008 }} Both have been defeated by Shigeru Miyamoto in recent polls,{{cite magazine|url= http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?collectionId=167949|title= The 2008 TIME 100 Finalists|magazine= Time Magazine|date= May 10, 2008|access-date= March 18, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080718054844/http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?collectionId=167949 |archive-date = July 18, 2008}} though they still continue to be strong contenders {{as of?|date=July 2021}}.

On June 21, 2007, Colbert broke his left wrist on the set of the Report while performing his warm-up for the show.{{cite web|url=http://www.nofactzone.net/2007/07/26/avery-reports-stephen-has-been-injured/|title=The Truth Behind Stephen Colbert's Broken Wrist: Injury on the set of "The Colbert Report"|date=July 26, 2007|access-date=November 8, 2012|archive-date=April 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419124636/http://www.nofactzone.net/2007/07/26/avery-reports-stephen-has-been-injured/|url-status=dead}} This quickly became a regular source of comedy on the show as the self-absorbed character requested his audience send flowers, launched a campaign against Hollywood's supposed glorification of "wrist violence", and began a "wrist awareness" campaign with "WristStrong" silicone bracelets.{{cite news|author= Stelter, Brian|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/business/media/27colbert.html|title= 2 Out of 3 Anchors Join Colbert in Wrist Stunt|newspaper= The New York Times|date= August 27, 2007|access-date= December 20, 2007}} On August 23, 2007, the cast was removed on air and was put up for auction to the general public, complete with celebrity signatures, on eBay, where it achieved a winning bid of $17,200.{{cite news|last= Sklar |first=Rachel|url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/09/03/the-fruits-of-wriststrong_n_62886.html|title= The Fruits of WristStrong: Colbert Cast Sells For $17,200|work= The Huffington Post|date= September 3, 2007|access-date= December 20, 2007}} All of the proceeds from both the cast and the bracelets were donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund.{{cite web|agency=Associated Press |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=3512173 |title=Stephen Colbert to Auction Signed Cast |work=ABC News |date=August 22, 2007 |access-date=December 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916005555/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=3512173 |archive-date=September 16, 2009 }}

In an interview with The Buffalo News, Colbert said "The weird thing about my character, even on the show, is sometimes I say what I mean. It doesn't matter to me that the audience doesn't know when that is."Pergament, Alan (April 10, 2014). [http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2014/04/choice-of-colbert-to-succeed-letterman-makes-perfect-sense-.html Choice of Colbert to succeed Letterman makes perfect sense] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412195258/http://blogs.buffalonews.com/talkintv/2014/04/choice-of-colbert-to-succeed-letterman-makes-perfect-sense-.html |date=April 12, 2014 }}. The Buffalo News. Retrieved April 10, 2014.

On June 19, 2013, Colbert returned from an unplanned break of several days following the passing of his 92-year-old mother, Lorna Colbert. The emotional Colbert started the show with a tribute to his mother, in which he presented a brief biography of her life in photos, accompanied by his eulogy of her.{{cite web|last1=Colbert|first1=Stephen|url=http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/yxgnju/remembering-lorna-colbert|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330013526/http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/yxgnju/remembering-lorna-colbert|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 30, 2014|website=The Colbert Report|title=Remembering Lorna Colbert |publisher=Comedy Central|access-date=May 23, 2014}}

The titles and styling of Her Excellency The Rev. Sir Doctor Stephen Tyrone Mos Def Colbert, D.F.A., Heavyweight Champion of the World✱✱ featuring Flo Rida La Première Dame De France are mostly for comedic reasons. Colbert became an ordained minister on June 2, 2011, granting himself the title of Reverend.[http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/429521/october-03-2013/the-2013-government-shutdown-wedding-of-the-century-pt--1 "The 2013 Government Shutdown Wedding of the Century Pt. 1"]. The Colbert Report. Comedy Central. Retrieved May 23, 2015. Colbert was mock knighted by Queen Noor of Jordan on April 7, 2009,[http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/224012/april-07-2009/queen-noor "Queen Noor"]. The Colbert Report. Comedy Central. Retrieved May 23, 2015. bestowing him with the title of Sir. He was granted an honorary doctorate of fine arts by Knox College in 2006,{{cite news| url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898670_1898671_1898679,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518081418/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1898670_1898671_1898679,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 18, 2009 | magazine=Time | title=Top 10 Commencement Speeches | date=May 16, 2009}} giving him the title of Doctor and use of the suffix D.F.A. (Doctor of Fine Arts). This title was featured regularly during his segments Cheating Death with Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA. Yasiin Bey gave Colbert the use of his stage name Mos Def on October 5, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/399066/october-05-2011/talib-kweli---yasiin-bey--a-k-a--mos-def-|title=The Colbert Report|work=Comedy Central}}

After Mike Tyson failed to appear in a scheduled interview with Colbert on July 23, 2013, Colbert declared himself Heavy Weight Champion of the World{{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/416829/july-23-2012/interview-no-show--mike-tyson|title=The Colbert Report|work=Comedy Central}} and granted himself use of the title. The large asterisk in the title is to denote that he did not defeat Tyson in a boxing match. The suffix featuring Flo Rida was added during the segment I tried to sign up for Obamacare on October 23, 2013,{{cite web|url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/w07qf1/the-colbert-report-i-tried-to-sign-up-for-obamacare---health-care-navigators|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831174127/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/w07qf1/the-colbert-report-i-tried-to-sign-up-for-obamacare---health-care-navigators|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 31, 2015|title=The Colbert Report|work=Comedy Central|date=October 24, 2013}} where his name on the ACA form said featuring Flo Rida. Her Excellency was added to the title as Colbert was seated next to Michelle Obama at the White House state dinner in February 2014, in which the President of France François Hollande was not accompanied by a partner. Because it is customary that the First Lady of a visiting nation is seated next to the First Lady of the United States, Colbert proclaimed himself First Lady of France on February 12, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/wed-february-12-2014-godfrey-reggio|title=The Colbert Report|work=Comedy Central}}

File:Stephen Colbert avatars on Yahoo!.jpg

Colbert's fictional history is not always rigidly adhered to by the show's writers. The comedian himself says that "My character's history may not always be perfectly consistent ... There's my bio and there's my character's bio, and then there's my character's history, which is slightly different than my character's bio."Dowd, Maureen (October 31, 2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20061112094654/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/jon_stewart_stephen_colbert_americas_anchors America's Anchors]. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on August 15, 2007. His early life, prior to becoming host of The Colbert Report, is expanded upon in I Am America (And So Can You!).

Like the actor who portrays him, Stephen T. Colbert is the youngest of 11 children, born into a devout Catholic family—the character's family was so devout, in fact, they sent their teenage son to an "exorcism day camp located in Canton, Ohio" when they discovered he liked Dungeons & Dragons. In his in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor, Colbert stated that he is of Irish descent and only adopted the French pronunciation of his surname to "get the cultural elites" on his side.{{cite news|url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244882,00.html|title= Stephen Colbert's in-character appearance on The O'Reilly Factor|date= January 18, 2007|access-date= October 18, 2007|work= Fox News|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080917195345/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,244882,00.html|archive-date= September 17, 2008|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}} Colbert has made conflicting statements regarding his middle name, which he has at different times stated to be Tyrone (Colbert's actual middle name), Tiberius (like that of Captain James T. Kirk), Lee-Harvey,Colbert, Stephen (May 2007). "Presidential Candidate Questionnaire". GQ and Qxyzzy.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/2010/04/07/episode-6046-462010/ Episode 6046] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927111718/http://www.nofactzone.net/2010/04/07/episode-6046-462010/ |date=September 27, 2010 }}, April 7, 2010.

The character has said he was regularly beaten up in high school, and by the time he left for college he was determined never to be a victim again. As such, on the first day of his freshman year he walked into class and punched the first person he saw (unfortunately, this happened to be his ethics professor).Colbert, Stephen (2007). I Am America (And So Can You!). New York: Grand Central Publishing. {{ISBN|0-446-58050-3}} He attended Dartmouth College (instead of his first pick, Hogwarts, claiming that his white owl led them to reject him),The Colbert Report[http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/420234/october-16-2012/affirmative-action-supreme-court-case], October 16, 2012. and was a member of the ΣΑΕ fraternity,The Colbert Report March 3, 2014 although his acceptance into the college appears to have been largely influenced by a claimed familial relationship with a wealthy donor, and graduated in the top 47 percent of his class with a major in history.Gordon, Avery. {{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnation.com/cn/stephens-bio.php|title=Colbert Nation bio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325224351/http://www.colbertnation.com/cn/stephens-bio.php|archive-date=March 25, 2008}}. Comedy Central. Retrieved on October 18, 2007. He has also referred to Bob Jones University as an alma mater.

Prior to embarking on a career in journalism, Colbert worked as a carnival roustabout and a construction worker. During the 1980s, he was the lead singer and guitarist of an ABC-like new wave band called "Stephen and the Colberts". The comedian portrays his character's younger self in the band's music video, wearing worn jeans, cowboy boots and a spiky hair style. Their only revealed song to date is entitled "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)", one of numerous references to an ex-girlfriend (and cousin) whom he continues to stalk despite numerous restraining orders.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=67 Episode 2094], July 26, 2006. This song has been made available for download for free in the video game Rock Band. On the May 14, 2008, episode, Colbert claimed to have been the "totalitarian ruler of Malawi from 1982 to 1984". He mentions that his wife's first name is Lorraine.

Colbert later moved into reporting, working in TV news for several stations in Virginia and North Carolina. Occasionally he will show footage of himself as a "young man" (portrayed by Colbert, wearing a false moustache) working as an anchor at a local news station (WPTS) in Patterson Springs, North Carolina, still displaying his trademark outrage over minor municipal issues in the manner of 20/20 correspondent John Stossel. In 1997, Colbert was promoted to anchor of the Channel 7 News on WPTS Patterson Springs after outing the previous anchor, Wayne Colt, for his cocaine addiction. His ensuing investigative reports into Colt's downfall earned him a local Emmy, and eventually a correspondent position at The Daily Show. This corresponds with the year the comedian joined the cast of the show.

Colbert often makes digs at the expense of Daily Show host Jon Stewart.{{cite magazine|last= Franklin |first=Nancy|url= http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/11/28/051128crte_television|title= The Spinoff Zone|magazine= The New Yorker|date= November 28, 2005|access-date= December 20, 2007}} He has implied a strained relationship with Stewart, in contrast with the real Colbert's admiration for the comedian, and suggests that his departure from The Daily Show occurred under dubious circumstances. The character has described Stewart as a sexual predatorThe Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=800 Episode 3008], January 18, 2007. and has been known to become tearful when his name is brought up.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=2365 Episode 3128], October 9, 2007. On the other hand, Colbert has also implied that he only got his own show by blackmailing Stewart with incriminating photographs.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1308 Episode 3047], April 11, 2007.

Colbert is described in America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction, to which he was a contributor while serving as a 'Daily Show' correspondent, as holding the positions of the Arthur Schlesinger Professor of American Studies at Harvard University,America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (Warner Books, September 2004) {{ISBN|0-446-53268-1}}, p. 39 and of Chief Defender of International War Crimes at the World Court in the Hague.America (The Book), p. 92 The book also states that he is the seven-time recipient of the

Werner Heisenberg Prize for Excellence in Theoretical Mathematics.America (The Book), p.121 Paradoxically, Colbert is described as being "barely capable of feeding himself" as well as being "personally unpleasant".

On April 10, 2014, it was announced that the real-life Colbert would be replacing David Letterman as the host of CBS's The Late Show in 2015. It was also announced that The Colbert Report would be ending and Colbert would not be using the character on the CBS show.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/04/stephen-colbert-will-take-over-for-david-letterman/360481/ |title=Stephen Colbert Will Take Over for David Letterman |website=The Wire |last=Zuckerman |first=Esther |date=April 10, 2014 |access-date=December 12, 2014 |archive-date=August 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815113922/http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2014/04/stephen-colbert-will-take-over-for-david-letterman/360481/ |url-status=dead }} Following the announcement, the character made a special surprise appearance on the April 23, 2014 episode of The Daily Show to report that it has become clear to him that he has "won television" and changed the world, the goal he originally set out to do, and thus no longer feels the need to continue. He expressed interest in taking over The Late Show after Letterman retired but could not because "they already gave it to some fat guy".{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/stephen-colbert-goodbye-jon-stewart-daily-show/story?id=23457576 |title=Stephen Colbert Says Goodbye to Jon Stewart and 'The Daily Show' |website=ABC News |last=Rothman |first=Michael |date=April 24, 2014 |access-date=December 12, 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thewrap.com/stephen-colbert-says-goodbye-jon-stewart-daily-show/ |title=Stephen Colbert Says Goodbye to Jon Stewart, 'Daily Show' |website=The Wrap |last=Molloy |first=Tim |date=April 24, 2014 |access-date=December 12, 2014}}

During the final episode, Colbert accidentally kills "lifelong friend and colleague" Grimmy in the final segment of "Cheating Death", after which he becomes immortal and uses his powers to fuel a star-studded celebrity singalong of "We'll Meet Again", before boarding a sleigh driven by Santa Claus, Abraham Lincoln, and "the man with all the answers".{{cite magazine|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/12/19/colbert-report-finale/|date=December 19, 2014|title='The Colbert Report' wraps up with an immortal, star-studded finale|author=Hillary Busis|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=December 19, 2014}} At the end of the show, Colbert tosses back to Stewart at The Daily Show, implying that the show's existence was just an extended correspondent report for the program.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/12/19/the-colbert-report-finale-recap-ending-with-a-song-celebrity-cameos-and-alex-trebek/|date=December 19, 2014|title='The Colbert Report' finale recap: Ending with a song, celebrity cameos and Alex Trebek|author=Emily Yahr|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=December 19, 2014}}

On the July 18, 2016, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Colbert is revealed to have been living with a now-retired Stewart in a remote cabin in a forest. In the skit, the real Colbert visited Stewart, asking him to explain how Donald Trump became the 2016 Republican nominee for president. Perplexed, Stewart turned to Colbert the character, who briefly returned to television to deliver an edition of "The Wørd" explaining Trump's appeal, before turning the show back to "that other guy", the real Colbert.

Following Colbert's segment on the July 18 program, CBS's legal team was informed by Viacom that the character Stephen Colbert is their intellectual property and cannot appear on The Late Show. As a result, on the July 27, 2016, episode of The Late Show, the real Colbert announced that the character "will never be seen again". He then immediately introduced Stephen Colbert's "identical twin cousin" (a possible allusion to The Patty Duke Show), Stephen Colbert, as a new member of The Late Show team.{{Citation|last=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert|title=WERD: The Lesser of Two Evils|date=July 27, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvkFkzpVYJ4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/LvkFkzpVYJ4 |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=July 28, 2016}}{{cbignore}} Colbert stated the difference between him and the other Colbert is they have birthmarks of the opposite Olsen twins. He returned for a "WERD" segment on The Late Show on January 19 to beg Obama to stay in office. As of December 4, 2019, any further real-life legal disputes involving the character are likely moot, with CBS and Viacom's re-merger as ViacomCBS.

{{main|Stephen Colbert 2008 presidential campaign}}

Colbert dropped hints of a potential presidential run throughout 2007, with speculation intensifying following the release of his book, I Am America (And So Can You!), which was rumored (invariably by Colbert himself) to be a sign that he was indeed testing the waters for a future bid for the White House. Colbert staunchly refused to confirm or deny his candidacy, stating he had not yet made up his mind and must first talk the possibility over with his family.

Colbert confirmed his presidential ambitions on his October 16, 2007, show,{{cite news|author= Kurtz, Howard|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/16/AR2007101602462.html?nav=hcmodule|title= Primary-Time TV With Colbert the Candidate|newspaper= The Washington Post|date= October 17, 2007|access-date= December 20, 2007}} stating his intention to run both on the Republican and Democratic platforms, but only as a favorite son in his native South Carolina. In an interview with Larry King he revealed that, as his running mate, he would consider Mike Huckabee (who himself jokingly offered Colbert the vice-presidential position{{cite web|url= http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-colbert-report/stephen-colbert-for-vice-presi-15564.aspx|title= Stephen Colbert for Vice President?|access-date= October 14, 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081015165626/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-colbert-report/stephen-colbert-for-vice-presi-15564.aspx|archive-date= October 15, 2008|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}).Editor & Publisher (October 11, 2007). [http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003657754 Stephen Colbert May Run for President—South Carolina TV Invites Him to Kick Off Bid] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919104155/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003657754 |date=September 19, 2008 }}. Retrieved on October 17, 2007. He also speculated on the possibility of a Colbert-Putin or Colbert-Colbert ticket. Colbert abandoned plans to run as a Republican due to the $35,000 fee required to file for the South Carolina primary. On November 1, 2007, it was announced that he would not appear on the Democratic primary ballot either, after being deemed ineligible by the South Carolina Democratic Party executive committee.{{cite web|author= Vogel, Kenneth|url= http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/6674.html|title= S.C. Dems reject Colbert candidacy|publisher= Politico.com|date= November 1, 2007|access-date= November 13, 2007}} Several days later he announced that he was withdrawing from the race, saying that he did not wish to put the country through an agonizing Supreme Court battle.Associated Press (November 5, 2007). [http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=282528>1=7703&silentchk=1& Stephen Colbert Drops Presidential Bid] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119060729/http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=282528>1=7703&silentchk=1& |date=January 19, 2008 }}. Retrieved on November 13, 2007.

The show went on hiatus immediately after this as a result of the Writers Guild of America Strike. When it returned to air on January 7, 2008, without a writing staff, the character justified his absence by stating that he had taken some time off to have "a good cry" about his failed presidential attempt. He said that he had returned to air in celebration of Huckabee's success in the Iowa Caucus, something for which he considers himself personally responsible as Huckabee has appeared on the Report on numerous occasions to invite Colbert to be his running mate.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=2919 Episode 4001], January 7, 2008.

Despite having withdrawn from the presidential race, Colbert continued to be referred to as an active candidate in the Marvel Universe. Colbert '08 paraphernalia appeared in the artwork of various Marvel comics,{{cite web|url=http://www.marvel.com/news/comicstories.3547.Colbert_for_President|title=Colbert For President|access-date=June 1, 2008|date=May 31, 2008|work=Marvel.com}} and Colbert himself teamed up with Spider-Man in the October 2008 comic Amazing Spider-Man #573. On November 5, 2008, Marvel announced that its fictional newspaper The Daily Bugle was reporting Colbert's victory over both John McCain and Barack Obama.{{cite news|author= Thill, Scott|url=http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/11/colbert-beats-o.html|title=Colbert Bests Obama, Wins Marvel White House|access-date=November 6, 2008|date=November 5, 2008|magazine=Wired}} Several hours later Marvel released a second Daily Bugle article correcting its initial reports, stating that while Colbert had won the popular vote Obama had secured more electoral votes, thus winning the presidency. "Oops, our bad", said Marvel's then editor-in-chief Joe Quesada of the confusion. "We completely forgot the Marvel Universe reflects what happens in the real world."{{cite news|author= Thill, Scott|url=http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/11/bugle-blows-it.html|title=Bugle Blows It -- Obama Beats Colbert on Marvel Electoral Votes|access-date=November 6, 2008|date=November 5, 2008|magazine=Wired}}

{{See also|Colbert Super PAC}}

During the September 28, 2011 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert consulted his lawyer and they set up his own 501(c)(4) organization, similar to American Crossroads.{{cite web|title=Colbert takes satirical swipe at disclosure laws to create corporation in Del|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20111004/NEWS02/110040346/Colbert-takes-satirical-swipe-at-disclosure-laws-to-create-corporation-in-Del-?odyssey=tab|publisher=Delaware Online|access-date=October 6, 2011}} As a super PAC the organization can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions and other groups, as well as wealthy individuals.{{cite web |url=http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/index.php |title=Outside Spending |publisher=OpenSecrets |access-date=January 20, 2012 |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827031316/http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/index.php |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/13/rick-perry-super-pacs-rai_n_925943.html |title=Rick Perry Super PACs Raise Issues of Coordination, Collusion |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=August 13, 2011 |access-date=August 16, 2011 |first=Paul |last=Blumenthal}} With Colbert as president of the Colbert Super PAC, the PAC ran several political ads prior to the Ames Straw Poll. The first ad, titled "Episode IV: A New Hope", told Iowans to write-in "Rick Parry" instead of Rick Perry,{{cite web|last=Sands |first=Geneva |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/98864-video-colbert-launches-first-super-pac-ad/ |title=VIDEO: Colbert launches first super PAC ad - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room |publisher=Thehill.com |date=August 10, 2011 |access-date=August 16, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/08/colbert-sends-message-to-pro-rick-perry-pacs-back-off.html |title=Colbert Sends Message to pro-Rick Perry PACs - Back Off! - The Note |publisher=ABCNews.com |date=August 9, 2011 |access-date=August 16, 2011}} and the second ad, "Behind the Green Corn", supported "Parry" as well.{{cite web|url=http://www.colbertnewshub.com/2011/08/12/colbert-superpacs-rick-parry-ad/ |title=Colbert SuperPAC's Debut Vote for 'Rick Parry' Ads |publisher=Colbertnewshub.com |date=August 12, 2011 |access-date=August 16, 2011}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/colberts-superpac-releases-another-corny-ad |title=Colbert's SuperPAC releases another corny ad |magazine=Washington Examiner |access-date=August 16, 2011 |date=August 11, 2011}}

During the January 12, 2012, episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert announced his plans to form an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for his possible candidacy for "President of the United States of South Carolina". In the process, he transferred control of the Super PAC to Jon Stewart, renaming it The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC, since, according to Colbert's lawyer, Trevor Potter, it would definitely be illegal for Colbert and Stewart to coordinate their efforts in super PAC activities. A CBS news report called Colbert's run "essentially a joke", saying, "The real significance of Colbert's announcement may be the spotlight it puts on super PACs, into which donors can pour unlimited money in order to support or attack candidates, and thus influence election outcomes. Super PACs were made possible by the 2010 "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision that effectively classified money as speech".{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-colbert-isnt-really-running-for-president/ | work=CBS News | title=Stephen Colbert isn't really running for president}}

Colbert's timing was too late for his name to be added the South Carolina primary ballot, and South Carolina law would not allow for write-in candidates. Polling showed that 21% of the potential Republican primary electorate reported they would be "more likely" to vote for former candidate Herman Cain, who remained on the ballot, if that vote served as encouragement for Colbert.{{cite web|url=http://maristpoll.marist.edu/119-colbert/ |title=18% in South Carolina Kinda Somewhat Likely to Back Colbert | Home of the Marist Poll: Pebbles and Pundits |publisher=Maristpoll.marist.edu |date=January 19, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2012}} Herman Cain received 6,338 votes in the South Carolina Republican Primary, which was more than all the other withdrawn candidates received combined.{{cite web|url=http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/36831/64075/en/summary.html |title=South Carolina Election Division, Results for the 2012 Republican Presidential Primary |publisher=Enr-scvotes.org |date=January 22, 2012 |access-date=July 22, 2012}} On the next episode of The Colbert Report broadcast on January 23, 2012, Colbert boasted about passing the 1% threshold and for Cain receiving many more votes in South Carolina than in Iowa and New Hampshire. Colbert then announced that he would no longer be exploring a run for President of the United States of South Carolina.

Described as a "caustic right-wing bully",{{cite magazine|author= Sternbergh, Adam|url= http://nymag.com/news/politics/22322/|title= Stephen Colbert Has America By The Ballots|magazine= New York Magazine|date= October 16, 2006|access-date= August 15, 2007}} an "arch-conservative blowhard",{{cite magazine|author=Mnookin, Seth |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/10/colbert200710 |title=The Man in the Irony Mask |magazine=Vanity Fair |date=October 2007 |access-date=December 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224054157/http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/features/2007/10/colbert200710 |archive-date=December 24, 2007 }} and by his creator and namesake as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high status idiot", Colbert is egomaniacal, xenophobic and fiercely anti-intellectual. He claims to be politically independent, like his idol Bill "Papa Bear" O'Reilly; although in fact the character fawns over the Bush administration and the Republican Party, and frequently asks his guests, "George Bush: Great president, or the greatest president?" Following the election of Barack Obama in 2008, Colbert continued his right-wing views, but stated he would "support our new President as long as [he] remains popular". Colbert emphasizes that his character is genuinely well-meaning and wants to do the right thing but does not have the tools to achieve it "because he has no curiosity, he doesn't like to read and he won't listen to anybody except the voices in his head".{{cite news|last= Colbert |first=Stephen|url= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/14/lkl.01.html|title= Larry King Live: Interview with Stephen Colbert|publisher= CNN|date= October 14, 2007|access-date= December 20, 2007}}

Colbert is deeply self-centered and takes everything personally, a trait which is reflected in his discussion of the news and current events. According to the comedian, "There's nothing too large that doesn't involve him. Every news story is really about him ... Everything he cares about is a news story because he cares about it." This is expressed in his frequent attacks on and feuds with well-known figures such as The Decemberists, Sean Penn, Conan O'Brien, Rain, Barry Manilow, Tony Bennett, and Don Rickles (the latter three of whom beat out Colbert for Best Individual in a Variety or Music Program at the Emmys). The comedian equates these feuds with Bill O'Reilly's culture wars.

Central to Colbert's personality is his rigid belief that "what I say is right, and [nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true", regardless of any evidence to the contrary. He discussed this in the Report's first Wørd segment, using the term "truthiness" as he explained what he perceives to be the difference between "those who think with their head and those who know with their heart".The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=662 Episode 1001], October 17, 2005. He has further gone on to ascribe "truthiness" to other institutions including Wikipedia, which he believes upholds his view that reality can be determined by consensus opinion, and often encourages viewers to use Wikipedia to "change reality". Colbert believes that if a majority of people want something to be true, that thing therefore must become the truth. For instance, after months of scoffing at global warming, Colbert suddenly reversed his position, conceding its existence only due to the box office success of An Inconvenient Truth, a sign that "the free market has spoken".

Colbert describes himself as racially color-blind and unable to visually identify a person's race,Pastorek, Whitney (2007). [https://archive.today/20130123012132/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20043289_20043293_20045778_2,00.html Birth of a Colbert Nation.] EW. Retrieved on December 20, 2007. explaining, "Now, I don't see race ... People tell me I'm white, and I believe them, because I own a lot of Jimmy Buffett albums."The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=438 Episode 2138], November 2, 2006. His race-blindness is a recurring joke, and this statement is often repeated on the show with different punch lines.Other punch lines include: [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1157 ...because I have my own late night talk show], [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1403 ...because I can’t say the "N" word], [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1017 ...because I think Barack Obama is black], [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=544 ...because I shop at Eddie Bauer], [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=566 ...because I belong to an all-white country club] For this same reason he believed that he was black when he had an emotional breakdown after watching Obama's inauguration video. He later qualified these statements in his book, stating, "When I say I don't see race, I mean I don't see Black people. But I can spot a Mexican at a hundred paces." Despite all these claims, Colbert often boasts that he has a large number of token minority friends (including Jon Stewart as "[his] Jewish friend" and Oprah Winfrey as "[his] black friend"), although in the photos shown these friends appear decidedly uninterested in him. He has stated a similar inability to distinguish between the sexes, claiming to only "see an American". This comes in contradiction of his at times sexist behavior, for instance, calling only on men during an open discussion with his audience on women's issues.

The comedian has said that he likes playing weak characters, and particularly revealing weaknesses in high status figures.Plume, Ken (August 11, 2006). [http://www.tibbysbowl.com/bowl/2009/01/05/stephen-colbert-interview/ Interview: Stephen Colbert] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917154058/http://www.tibbysbowl.com/bowl/2009/01/05/stephen-colbert-interview/ |date=September 17, 2009 }}. Tibby's Bowl. Retrieved on December 20, 2007. During the course of the show, he will frequently peel back the Colbert character's apparent bravado to expose a very weak inner core. In one instance, Colbert demands one of his staff members subject him to simulated waterboarding, only to break down into pleas for mercy upon hearing a water bottle cap popped.The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=476 Episode 2143], November 13, 2006. In another episode, he criticizes The Today Show cohost Matt Lauer for saying that it's unacceptable for men to cry, only to sob hysterically upon learning that Katie Couric has left the show. These status shifts occur commonly, and constitute a central component of the show's comedy.

Colbert frequently uses his show as a platform for promoting his own fictional merchandise, including colognes,The Colbert Report, [http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=72801 Episode 2102] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513003203/http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=72801 |date=May 13, 2008 }}, August 10, 2006. science fiction novels,The Colbert Report, [http://www.nofactzone.net/?p=1763 Episode 1763], April 18, 2006. medication,The Colbert Report, [http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=86504 Episode 3061] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420145835/http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=86504 |date=April 20, 2008 }}, May 7, 2007. and his own sperm..The Colbert Report, [http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=84630 Episode 3045] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620035219/http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=84630 |date=June 20, 2008 }}, April 9, 2007.

File:Army.mil-40677-2009-06-11-130625 Colbert haircut.jpg, during filming.]]

Colbert arrived in Baghdad, Iraq on June 5, 2009, to film a week of shows called "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando". The episodes were filmed June 7–9, 2009, which was sponsored by the USO (United Service Organizations).{{cite news |title=Bob Hope's Spirit, but No Cheesecake |author=Alessandra Stanley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/arts/television/12watch.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 11, 2009 |access-date=August 27, 2012}} Al-Faw Palace's rotunda was used for the filming of Operation Iraqi Stephen. Colbert had a suit tailored for him in the Army Combat Uniform pattern and went through an abbreviated version of the Army's basic training regimen.{{cite news |title=Colbert Goes Commando in Iraq |author=Lee Farran |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=7781207&page=1#.UDwii6lmRNs |newspaper=ABC News |date=June 8, 2009 |access-date=August 27, 2012}} The suit was specially tailored by Brooks Brothers.{{cite news |title=Stephen Colbert and Brooks Brothers Invade Iraq |author=Bill Bradley |url=http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2009/06/stephen-colbert-and-brooks-brothers-invade-iraq |newspaper=Vanity Fair |date=June 9, 2009 |access-date=August 27, 2012}} As a tribute to Bob Hope, Colbert brought a golf club on stage, a Hope trademark.

The first episode included an interview with Multinational Force - Iraq commander General Ray Odierno, which was interrupted by U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama stated that if Colbert really wanted to be a soldier, along with his attendance to Basic Combat Training, he needed to have his hair shaved off. Obama then ordered General Odierno to "shave that man's head".{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/arts/television/08colb.html | work=The New York Times | title=In Iraq, Colbert Does His Shtick for the Troops | first=Campbell | last=Robertson | date=June 8, 2009 | access-date=May 24, 2010}} General Odierno then began to shave Colbert's head; the job was finished during the commercial break by one of Colbert's staff members. One Army major said that "shaving of the hair is an amazing show of support" that was "very touching".{{cite news|last=Karadsheh|first=Jomana|title=In Iraq, Colbert gets military haircut to show his solidarity|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/07/colbert.iraq/|publisher=Cable News Network|access-date=August 7, 2013|date=June 8, 2009}} The episode also featured a message to the troops from U.S. Senator John McCain with a friendly reminder to "always remember to clean your muskets", a lesson he claimed to have learned at Valley Forge, as a reference to old age jokes that he faced during the 2008 Presidential Election.{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/07/colbert.iraq/index.html | work=CNN | title=In Iraq, Colbert gets military haircut to show his solidarity | access-date=May 24, 2010 | date=June 8, 2009}} Several other prominent politicians, including former presidents Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush, along with Vice President Joe Biden and then Alaska governor Sarah Palin recorded messages for the troops that were aired in the following episodes.

• White House Correspondents' Association Dinner April 29, 2006
• 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, presenter, August 27, 2006
• Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit for Autism, October 15, 2006
• Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #15, December 20, 2006
• The O'Reilly Factor, in-character interview, January 18, 2007
• 59th Primetime Emmy Awards, presenter, September 16, 2007
• Meet the Press, in-character interview as presidential candidate, October 21, 2007
• 60th Primetime Emmy Awards, presenter, September 21, 2008
• The Amazing Spider-Man #573, October 15, 2008{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Stephen Colbert is a swinger for Marvel|date=September 29, 2008|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/stephen-colbert.html|first=Geoff|last=Boucher|access-date=April 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417083857/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/stephen-colbert.html|archive-date=April 17, 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090824-ColbertSpider-Man.html|publisher=Newsarama.com|title=Stephen Colbert Joins Spider-Man in Amazing #573|date=September 24, 2008|access-date=April 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915212958/http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090824-ColbertSpider-Man.html|archive-date=September 15, 2009}}
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien, February 4, 2008 and February 17, 2009
• United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, September 24, 2010.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/24/AR2010092402734.html|title=Stephen Colbert, in GOP pundit character, testifies on immigration in D.C|newspaper=Washington Post|date=September 25, 2010|access-date=September 16, 2011|first=Dan|last=Zak}} However, Colbert did break character when he responded to questions by Congresswoman Judy Chu about the plight of immigrant workers.{{cite news|url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/seriously-missed-stephen-colbert-broke-character-to-raise-plight-of-migrant-workers/|title=Seriously Missed: Stephen Colbert Broke Character Once To Raise Plight Of Migrant Workers|date=September 24, 2010|access-date=September 16, 2011|first=Colby|last=Hall|publisher=Mediaite}}
• Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, Co-organizer October 30, 2010
• This Week with George Stephanopoulos, January 15, 2012{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/stephen-colbert-runs-president-talks-george-stephanopoulos/story?id=15363182#.TxWJLPlKRU0|title=Super PAC Satire: Colbert Explains (Faux) Presidential Run to ABC News|date=January 15, 2012}}
• A White House state dinner in honor of French president, Francois Hollande, February 11, 2014. Colbert was seated at the head table, in a seat which would have gone to Hollande's guest had he brought one.{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/bradley-cooper-stephen-colbert-state-dinner-guests-france-francois-hollande-barack-obama-103399.html|title=Bradley Cooper, Stephen Colbert among dinner guests|date=February 11, 2014|first=Lucy|last=McCalmont|publisher=Politico.com|access-date=February 13, 2014}} The following night, Colbert referenced on his show his seating assignment at the head table, calling himself the "First Lady of France".{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/stephen-colbert-jokes-lady-france-article-1.1612718|title=Stephen Colbert celebrates his self-appointed role as First Lady of France|first=Leslie|last=Larson|date=February 13, 2014|location=New York|work=Daily News}}
• In 2014 the character was used in an ad campaign for Wonderful Pistachios, which launched with a Super Bowl commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLVIII
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, February 17, 2014, the first episode. Fallon had several celebrities come on stage and give him $100 bills paying off bets that they lost because he got to host The Tonight Show. Colbert was the last celebrity and he came with $100 in a bucket of pennies, pouring them down Fallon's clothes.{{cite news|url=http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2014/02/rutgers_jimmy_fallon_u2_tonight_show.html|title=Jimmy Fallon 'Tonight Show' performance makes rock stars of Rutgers students|date=February 19, 2014|first=Amy|last=Kuperinsky|newspaper=The Star-Ledger}}
• 2014 RSA Conference{{cite news|url=http://www.mediaite.com/online/watch-colbert-delivers-keynote-at-controversial-rsa-security-conference/|title=WATCH: Colbert Delivers Keynote at Controversial RSA Security Conference|first=Matt|last=Wilstein|date=March 1, 2014}}
• 2014 Comic-con: appeared both as a panel moderator as well as in costume portraying a character called "Prince Hawkcat" which is supposed to be "Half Hawk. Half Cat. Whole Prince". The attendance in costume was not revealed until two months after the event.{{cite news|date=September 18, 2014|first=Patrick Kevin|last=Day|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-stephen-colbert-comiccon-prince-hawkcat-20140918-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|title=Stephen Colbert walked the floor at Comic-Con as 'Prince Hawkcat'}}
• October 2014 Apple Inc. press event: Colbert participated in the event via phone where he asked to be given the title "Supreme Allied Commander of Super Secrecy"{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/missed-apple-event-ipads-stephen-colbert/story?id=26251723|title=What You Missed at the Apple Event: From New iPads to Stephen Colbert|date=Oct 16, 2014|first=Alyssa|last=Necomb|work=ABC News}}
• Colbert appeared in the November 6, 2014 episode of @midnight to announce the "Hashtag Wars" for the episode.@midnight episode 156, aired November 6, 2014 on Comedy Central.

• Colbert made an appearance in the House of Cards season three episode "Chapter 27". The segment was taped before The Colbert Report set was transformed into the set for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. It was first released on February 27, 2015, two months after the final episode of The Colbert Report aired.{{cite magazine|last1=Krule|first1=Miriam|title=Watch Stephen Colbert Play "Stephen Colbert" One Last Time on Season 3 of House of Cards|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/02/27/stephen_colbert_on_house_of_cards_one_last_interview_with_colbert.html|magazine=Slate|access-date=March 7, 2015}}
• On August 6, 2015, Colbert (both in and out of character) returned for Jon Stewart's last night on The Daily Show. Colbert appeared along with many other correspondents who have served under Stewart's tenure in order to pay tribute to the departing host.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/08/06/stephen_colbert_returns_to_the_daily_show_one_last_time_watch_jon_stewart.html|title=Watch Colbert and the Daily Show Correspondents Unite One Last Time, Make Jon Stewart Cry|magazine=Slate|last=Shetty|first=Sharan|date=August 6, 2015|access-date=July 20, 2016}}
• On July 18, 2016, Colbert reprised the character on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The character appeared with Jon Stewart and Colbert (as himself, in his capacity as host), before the character hosted the Colbert Report segment, "The Wørd".{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stephen-colbert-brings-back-colbert-912188|title=Stephen Colbert Brings Back 'Colbert Report' Persona for Convention 'Late Show'|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=July 18, 2016|access-date=July 19, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GFVKMTJUos |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/-GFVKMTJUos |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Only Jon Stewart Can Make Sense of the Trump Candidacy|last=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert|date=July 18, 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqOTxl3Bsbw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/NqOTxl3Bsbw |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=The Word: Trumpiness|last=The Late Show with Stephen Colbert|date=July 18, 2016|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
• On July 27, 2016, Colbert announced that the character could no longer appear on The Late Show, explaining that, immediately after the July 18 airing, lawyers at CBS were contacted by a lawyer "at another company" and told the character was the intellectual property of the unnamed company (presumably Viacom, Comedy Central's parent company). Instead, Colbert told the audience that he was welcoming via satellite "Stephen Colbert's identical twin cousin, Stephen Colbert", with the new character showing interest in returning to The Late Show regularly. Colbert then introduced a close facsimile of the Colbert Report's "The Wørd" segment, spelled instead as the "WERD".{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/07/28/stephen-colbert-battles-lawyers-over-colbert-report-chararcter.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729151625/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/07/28/stephen-colbert-battles-lawyers-over-colbert-report-chararcter.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 29, 2016|title=Stephen Colbert battles lawyers over 'Colbert Report' character|publisher=Fox News|date=July 28, 2016|access-date=July 28, 2016}}
• On January 19, 2017, Colbert asked his Comedy Central character's "identical twin cousin", Stephen Colbert, to discuss Barack Obama's legacy. Despite his assertion that he was not the same character seen on The Colbert Report, this "Stephen Colbert", the identical twin cousin, was interviewed "live via satellite" from the cabin where the original character now lives with Jon Stewart, as shown in the July 18, 2016 episode when the original character reappeared for the first time since the conclusion of The Colbert Report. He also appeared to share many of the characteristics of the original character, such as the "C" lapel pin and Captain America shield, and wearing a suit. After legal issues with Comedy Central and Viacom over the ownership of the character,{{Cite news|url=http://www.etonline.com/news/194405_lawyers_spar_over_if_stephen_colbert_can_use_colbert_persona/|title=Lawyers Spar Over if Stephen Colbert Can Use 'Colbert' Persona|work=Entertainment Tonight|access-date=March 24, 2017|language=en}} his "identical cousin" introduced on the July 27, 2016 episode wore an American flag shirt, not a suit. In addition to sharing the original character's signature bombastic commentary and using his catchphrase "Nation", Colbert also introduced his alter-ego's cousin as "conservative pundit, Stephen Colbert", suggesting he is in fact playing the original character.
• On March 20, 2017, the character broke into the monologue to chastise Colbert for his "misguided analysis of Trump's budget" and prevent him from "making an ass of yourself on network TV". The character mentioned his fear of bears from The Colbert Report, saying that "they are godless killing machines". The character, introduced as Colbert's "conservative pundit colleague", proceeded to do the "WERD".
• On April 19, 2017, Colbert reprised the role of the character in The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to mourn Bill O'Reilly's departure from Fox News.{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/04/20/media/stephen-colbert-bill-o-reilly/|title=Stephen Colbert and 'Stephen Colbert' bid farewell to Bill O'Reilly|date=April 20, 2017|first=Frank|last=Pallotta|publisher=CNN}}
• On April 30, 2018, the character Stephen Colbert briefly reappeared to discuss comedian Michelle Wolf's controversial speech at the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner.

• Cultural impact of The Colbert Report
• Tek Jansen
• Wally George
• Who Made Huckabee?
• List of The Colbert Report characters

{{reflist|30em}}

{{wikinews|Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President}}

{{wikinews|Stephen Colbert denied South Carolina ballot}}

• [http://www.colbertnation.com/ Colbert Nation]—The official Colbert Report website, featuring daily reports of the show and videos.

{{Stephen Colbert}}

{{The Colbert Report}}

{{The Daily Show}}

{{United States presidential election, 2008}}

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