Summary
- Emotional moments on The Late Show go beyond laughter, as seen when Dolly Parton brought Stephen Colbert to tears.
- Stephen was visibly emotional when paying tribute to his assistant Amy Cole, showcasing his vulnerable side.
- Stephen Colbert opened up about his own traumatic past during a moving interview with Anderson Cooper, emphasizing gratitude.
Yes, The Late Show is known to make fans laugh. However, Stephen Colbert's show has also featured some emotional moments. Who can forget when Dolly Parton had to stop singing due to Stephen Colbert crying? Or the time Keanu Reeves left fans speechless after revealing what he thinks happens when we die ("The ones that love us, will miss us.").
In this instance just a month ago, Colbert was emotional after losing a close member of his staff. We're going to reveal his emotional reaction to Amy Cole's passing. In addition, we'll put the spotlight on other emotional Stephen Colbert moments. One of them took place during an interview with Anderson Cooper as the two discussed a sensitive topic about Stephen and his past.
Let's take a closer look.
Stephen Colbert Was At A Loss For Words Issuing A Tribute To Assistant Amy Cole
Rarely has Stephen Colbert broken down during a telecast of The Late Show. However, in April, Colbert was having a hard time honoring his longtime executive assistant, Amy Cole. She passed away after losing her battle with cancer. Colbert's tribute was brief. He said, "That's it for the Late Show." With tears in his eyes, Colbert got up from the desk as the tribute came on the screen.
Cole's obituary reads, “Working with Colbert for 16 years was more than a job to Amy. It gave her a purpose and provided an opportunity to showcase herself as an incredible teammate to everyone involved. She was adored by her entire Late Show work family, and she will be greatly missed. Her circle of friends is too numerous to begin to estimate."
Late Show director and producer Jake Plunkett also offered a tribute on X. He wrote, "Words cannot measure how big a loss Amy Cole is to this world. F*** cancer. One of Amy's passions was helping children with cancer. So, I ask you to help spread the light that she gave to this world."
An emotional tribute and clearly, Cole won't be forgotten behind the scenes on The Late Show.
Stephen Colbert Had Another Rare Emotional Interview Moment With Anderson Cooper
Colbert getting emotional is a rarity. However, there was another instance that took place during an interview with Anderson Cooper. It was Anderson who had to stop his question, holding back tears when asking Colbert about his traumatic past.
Cooper asks, "You told an interviewer that you have learned to, in your words, love the thing that I most wish had not happened. You went on to say, What punishments of God are not gifts? Do you really believe that?"
Stephen's answer was a heartbreaking one.
"Yes. It's a gift to exist. And with existence comes suffering. There's no escaping that. But if you are grateful for your life. Then you have to be grateful for all of it. And so, at a young age. I suffered something so that by the time I was in serious relationships in my life with friends or with my wife or with my children, is that I have some understanding that everybody is suffering and however imperfectly."
Colbert continues, "Acknowledge their suffering and connect with them and to love them in a deep way that makes you grateful for the fact that you have suffered so that you can know that about other people. I want to be the most human I can be, and that involves acknowledging and ultimately being grateful for the things that I wish didn't happen because they gave me a gift."
Credit to Colbert for openly speaking about his traumatic past - while choosing to see the positives.
Andrew Garfield Had An Emotional Moment Of His Own Remembering His Late Mom
On the flip side, Colbert also had emotional guests on The Late Show. Andrew Garfield was one of them, as he asked the host permission to discuss his late mother. It showed how profound her impact was on his life. Garfield was emotional looking back at his time spent with his mother.
Colbert was held speechless during the emotional moment.
“I love talking about her by the way, so if I cry, it’s only, like — it’s only a beautiful thing."
He continues, “This is all the unexpressed love, right? The grief that will remain with us until we pass because we never get enough time with each other, right? No matter if someone lives ’til 60, 15 or 99. So I hope this grief stays with me because it’s all the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her – and I told her every day, we all told her every day. She was the best of us."
An emotional moment for Garfield but one he was honored to discuss.
