Yesterday I saw Stephen Colbert interviewd live on stage at a City Arts & Lectures event. Oh man did I enjoy it.
The interviewer, the TV critic of the San Francisco Chronicle (I’m too lazy to lookup his name), was excellent in getting Stephen to open up the the audience. But that wasn’t every hard, Stephen has been an actor for a long time. Originally he trained to be a serious stage actor and you really saw it when he jumped out onto the stage and soaked in everyone’s applause.
The most entertaining part of the interview was when Stephen would quickly slip into the Colbert Report character and start answering questions like a pompous know-it-all. But he would just as quickly revert back to regular guy Stephen that we all love.
Before the interview started, the very beginning of the first Colbert Report was shown. This is where truthiness was introduced as the first The Word. He went on to talk about how the AP’s story on the word of the year and how it didn’t mention The Report in an way. He said it was the best thing to every happen because the character needs to be attacked by the liberal media. Complaining about personal attacks is very natural to the character.
We learned about Stephen’s childhood (youngest of eleven children). A tragic moment in his family (His father and oldest brother dying in a plane crash at age ten). His first attempt at college (philosophy major at a small college in South Carolina). His second attempt at college (switching to the drama department at a college in Chicago). They then talked about being a part of Second City, then onto a show with Robert Smigel that I never head of. Then Strangers with candy, a show I never appreciated while it was on. But now I fondly remember it when I think of the characters.
The Daily show is where I first remember him. The Gaydar segment is one of the funniest “Have fun with regular people” segments I’ve ever seen on that show. Of course that was done when Craig Killborne was the host, so it has not been repeated since John Stewart took over. Now that Mr. Colbert has his own show, I don’t know if I’ll ever see it again.
After the interview was over it was time for audience questions. I really wanted to ask about Harvy Birdman but could think of a pithy question.

I don’t know how much to worry about this kind of thing but I got a 37 on an Autism quiz. Go here to take the test yourself.
37 is a score a little higher than a someone with Asperger Syndrome would score.