“No fucking way, you got a question from Jay Leno?” says Stephen Colbert.
As his own late-night tenure nears its end — a cancelation that shocked the industry and its host — THR reached out to fellow hosts, past and present, including Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and Conan O’Brien, to help bolster our exit interview. So, on this Friday afternoon in late April, Colbert is huddled in his writers room on the top floor of the Ed Sullivan Theater building, sifting through queries from the only other folks who’ve walked in his shoes.
With a few exceptions, including Leno, whom Colbert has fond memories of, it remains a tight-knit group. In fact, Kimmel, Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver were the only ones Colbert connected with immediately post-firing. “I came up to my office [after making the on-air announcement], and flipped on my phone and we did a quick exchange,” Colbert recalls. “My favorite was Kimmel, who just said, ‘That’s a hell of an Emmy campaign.’ I said, ‘Busted.’ And then I think they might have laid bets on who was next.”
Their questions for Colbert ahead of his May 21 sign-off are hilariously on brand. Kimmel, for instance, lobs an absurdly silly question about obese patients getting MRIs at the zoo, while Jimmy Fallon inquires about Colbert’s favorite musical guests, Leno is eager to hear about his standup aspirations and Meyers wants to know about interview answers that have stuck with him. O’Brien, for his part, asks, simply: “Just who the hell do you think you are?”
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From the Desk of Jay Leno
Image Credit: David Becker/Getty Images
“Have you ever thought about a road version of your best jokes for a live audience?” –Jay LenoStill waiting for the best jokes, Jay. But I can’t imagine never [having a] live audience again. We did the show for 15 months without a live audience during COVID, and it was fine. People seemed to like it, compared to nothing, I suppose. But to me, it was like going onstage and reading sheet music as opposed to playing an instrument. It was like theoretically a comedy show. So I think that’s a great idea, Jay. Please send me a list of what my best jokes have been. And let’s hit the road together. You drive.
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From the Desk of Trevor Noah
Image Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images “Is there anything you were never able to do because you had a late night show, and do you see yourself doing it now?” -Trevor Noah
Exercising. I think my wife has waited long enough. It’s time for abs. I want to be swole. You’re not even going to recognize me. I’m going to be ripped. You’re going to be able to bounce a quarter off my ass and get back two dimes and a nickel. Brace yourself. It’s finally happening.
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From the Desk of Jimmy Kimmel
Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images “Is it true that hospitals are sometimes forced to send patients who are too obese for their MRI/CT machines to be scanned at the zoo? ” -Jimmy Kimmel
Yes, it is. And that’s your tax dollars at work.
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From the Desk of Seth Meyers
Image Credit: Alberto Rodriguez/GG2025/Penske Media/Getty Images “What’s an answer a guest gave that will stay with you the longest?” –Seth Meyers
I interviewed Keanu Reeves one night. And out of nowhere, I don’t know why, I asked him, “What do you think happens when we die?” And he paused in that way only Keanu can, and he said something beautiful, actually. He said, “The people who love us will miss us.” It’s pretty simple, deceptively simple, because it blew up. I mean, it was one of the most watched clips we’ve ever had on YouTube. And we went, “Oh wait, let’s ask that question of everybody and see how they do.” Then we built the Colbert Questionert around it.
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From the Desk of Jon Stewart
Image Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images “How do you know when the fudge is done?” -Jon Stewart
If you are a coward, you can go buy a candy thermometer and do it that way. I think it’s 315 degrees or something like that.
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From the Desk of James Corden
Image Credit: Adela Loconte/Variety/Getty Images “What have you been doing to mentally and emotionally prepare for your daily life after the show?” -James Corden
I try not to make eye contact with the people in the building too much. I’ve always discouraged it, but now I’m really being a hard-ass about it. Don’t look me in the eye because I’m a weeper. And I like the show a lot, but I love the people I work with, and that’s going to be hard.
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From the Desk of Jimmy Fallon
Image Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Billboard/Getty Images “You’ve had the best seats in the house for over 10 years. What’s the one musical performance that you and the crew still talk about?” -Jimmy Fallon
We just recently had Hozier and Lake Street Dive do Joe Cocker’s Woodstock version of “With a Little Help From my Friends,” that was pretty fantastic. Joe Walsh was like, “Hey man, I want to come on.” And Joe Walsh doing “Rocky Mountain Way” burned this theater to the ground. The damn Doobie Brothers, just structural damage to this building. Fallon’s right. We’ve had the best seats in the house for over 10 years. But honest to God, on a nightly basis, our band, Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine, will do something that blows you away, and the people at home only hear the tail end of it.
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From the Desk of Conan O’Brien
Image Credit: Chad Salvador/WWD/Getty Images “Just who the hell do you think you are?” -Conan O’Brien
For a while, I thought I was a guy who was going to write for Conan O’Brien, but you did not accept my application. I think I’m Conan O’Brien’s friend. It’s hard to tell from this question. I think I’m Conan O’Brien’s best friend, actually. Is that possible? That I’m his best friend?
