The late-night host, whose talk show is ending after 11 seasons, opened up about the show's cancellation and his feud with President Donald Trump in a new interview.Show Caption
It may not be the sign-off he envisioned, but Stephen Colbert is trying to find the silver lining in his late-night goodbye.The Emmy-winning "Late Show" host, whose show is ending on Thursday, May 21, after 11 seasons, opened up about the series' cancellation in an interview with People magazine published Tuesday, May 19.Colbert revealed last July that CBS canceled his talk show after a decade on the air. The "Late Show" franchise, which debuted in 1993, will also be retired along with Colbert's cancellation (Byron Allen's "Comics Unleashed" is slated to fill the time slot).The shocking ouster came amid increasing political scrutiny of Colbert, who'd voiced criticism of CBS' former parent company, Paramount Global, and its settlement deal with President Donald Trump in a case involving "60 Minutes."In a statement at the time, Paramount executives called the move "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," adding that Colbert's removal was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount."Colbert, 62, recalled the moment he learned of his cancellation in his interview with People, telling the outlet that he was resting before the show – lying down on his couch with a sock over his eyes – when he received the shocking news from his manager."I sat up, and I said, 'I'm sorry, I'm awake. Could you say that one more time?'" said Colbert, later reflecting on his imminent exit. "It's getting much realer. Every moment's getting a little more precious."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."Colbert also reflected on the political implications of his show's conclusion. The TV host said that while he can't control public speculation about the cancellation, he remains unfazed by any potential fallout with President Trump.The president celebrated Colbert's cancellation in a Truth Social post shortly after the news broke in July, writing, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.""I don't have any fear of the administration doing anything to me," Colbert told People. "We're clowns. How much does it diminish the office of the presidency to even notice what we say? That guy needs to know how to pick his battles, metaphorically and literally."While Colbert doesn't have any big career plans, aside from writing a new "Lord of the Rings" film with his son, the "Late Show" host said he was optimistic about the future."You can't do this forever. … Who knows, maybe CBS saved my life," Colbert said. "Because 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."Contributing: Bryan Alexander, James Powel, Brendan Morrow and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
