Welcome to Better Know a Guest, your weekly guide to the wonderful and diverse array of personalities appearing on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ each week.
It is time for a brand new exciting week of the “Late Show!” Stephen kicks off this week with director Spike Jonze, who is the creative director of a thrilling new cable channel. Stephen also has in store for us the lovely Christina Hendricks, the wonderful Octavia Spencer, the men of “Fuller House”, a Medal of Honer recipient, an eclectic variety of musical guests, and more!
Which guest(s) are you looking forward to this week? Join in the conversation and let us know in the comment section! Donʼt forget to take our weekly poll!
Monday, February 29th (2016)
Spike Jonze (Director and Co-President of Viceland)
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer, screenwriter and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film, and television. Jonze started his feature film career with “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation”, both written by Charlie Kaufman. His own screenplays include “Where The Wild Things Are” and “Her”, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Jonze is well known for his music video collaborations with Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Weezer, Beastie Boys, Bjork, and Kanye West. He was the co-creator and executive producer of MTVʼs “Jackass.” Jonze is the creative director of the new cable channel Viceland, which launches on February 29th on the former channel H2. It further expands Viceʼs already-substantial efforts in video programming, joining the companyʼs highly popular online library and a documentary series, “Vice,” on HBO. Six new shows will premiere on Viceland this week, including “Noisey” and “Weediquette.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Actor – “The Good Wife”)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, who is best known for portraying Denny Duquette on the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy”, John Winchester on “Supernatural”, and Ike Evans on “Magic City.” Morganʼs film roles include The Comedian in “Watchmen”, “P.S. I Love You”, and “Taking Woodstock.” He will play Thomas Wayne in the upcoming film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Morgan currently plays Negan on AMCʼs “The Walking Dead” and Jason Crouse, a calm, experienced freelance investigator on CBSʼs “The Good Wife”, which is in its 7th and final season, with only nine episodes left to go. “The Good Wife” airs Sundays at 9pm EST on CBS.
Jack Garratt (Album – “Phase“)
Jack Garratt is a British singer and multi-instrumentalist from Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, England. He released his debut studio album “Phase” on February 19th, for which he won the Brits Critics’ Choice Award. Pitchfork said, “…subaquatic synth motifs and juddering basslines that burst into scrunching supernova choruses. There’s also lots of gospel-influenced warbling and soft, bluesy piano.” And The Guardian states, “…Phase is most richly indebted to James Blake, both in the way its sound adapts the standard singer-songwriter approach to influences from dance music – dubstep-inspired sub-bass judder, the skippy rhythms of UK funky house, the noisy, Day-Glo electronics of EDM – and in its resolutely gloomy, lovelorn mood…”
Tuesday, March 1st (2016)
Chrissy Teigen (Co-Host – “Lip Sync Battle” and Author – “Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want To Eat“)
Chrissy Teigen is an American model, television host, and author. She made her debut in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2010. Teigen is on the lifestyle panel talk show “FABLife,” and co-hosts the musical reality competition “Lip Sync Battle” with LL Cool J on Spike TV. The show is based on an idea introduced to “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” by John Krasinski in which celebrities battle each other with lip sync performances. “ʼLip Sync Battleʼ is a multi-platform pop-culture phenomenon that has played an integral role in delivering a new and broader audience to Spike,” said Kevin Kay, the president of the network. Teigen has a food blog called Delushious. On February 23rd Teigen released a cook book called “Cravings”, which is co-authored by food writer Adeena Sussman. Publisherʼs Weekly said, “Even the most celebrity-cookbook-skeptical reader will find it hard not to enjoy this tome from supermodel Chrissy Teigen. With self-deprecating wit and down-to- earth charm, Teigen posits herself as an enthusiastic home cook and passionate eater…” And Bon Appetit states, “Itʼs fun to read, with a recipe for everyone with two eyes, a stomach, and a fork. Frito pie? A chapter called ʻSh*t on toastʼ? Absurd sexy photo shoots with chicken wings? Whatʼs not to love?”
Mike Birbiglia (Writer / Director / Actor – “Don’t Think Twice”)
[Newly Added]
Adam Savage (Co-Host – “MythBusters”)
Adam Savage is an American industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality, known as co-host (with Jamie Hyneman) of the Discovery Channel television series “MythBusters” and “Unchained Reaction.” His model work has appeared in major films, including “Star Wars: Epispde II – Attack of the Clones” and “The Matrix Reloaded.” Savage has been involved in “MythBusters” since its creation. His role in the show (that he shares with all the other talent) is to either disprove (“bust”) myths or confirm them through testing and experiments done at different scales. If the myth is about a one-time occurrence, or if a myth requires extremely specific circumstances to occur as stated, it is often deemed “plausible” instead. Currently in its 11th season, “MythBusters” airs on the Discovery Channel on Saturdays at 8pm EST.
Wednesday, March 2nd (2016)
Octavia Spencer (Actress – “The Free World” and Voice Artist – “Zootopia”)
Octavia Spencer is an American actress and author, who is best known for her role as Minny Jackson in the 2011 film “The Help”, for which she won the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Spencerʼs other films include “Get On Up”, “Black or White”, “The Divergent Series: Insurgent”, and “Fruitvale Station.” Spencer created the character of “Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective” for a children’s book series, releasing “The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit” and “The Sweetest Heist in History.” Spencer stars as Linda Workman in the upcoming film, directed by Jason Lew, “The Free World”, which was shown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 26th. A theatrical release date has not yet been announced. “The Free World” has received mixed reviews. The Hollywood Reporter said, “Watchable leads elevate a downbeat story that takes its time to ignite.” And Variety states, “What could have been an intriguing film-noir premise loses its spark as Jason Lew imagines the romance between an ex-con and a suspected murderess.” Spencer also voices the character Mrs. Otterton in the 3D computer-animated Disney movie “Zootopia” (known as “Zootropolis” in Europe). It has received high critical acclaim, with a 100% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Wrap said, “With its upfront themes of prejudice and diversity, and its release at a time in which society’s biases are under the microscope, Zootopia may be one of the more fortuitously scheduled family entertainments in recent memory.” “Zootopia” opens in theaters on March 4th.
John Stamos, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier (Cast of “Fuller House”)
Stamos, Saget, and Coulier are back to star in “Fuller House”, an American sitcom and sequel series to the 1987–95 sitcom “Full House”, airing as a Netflix original series. Reprising their roles, John Stamos stars as Jesse Katsopolis; Bob Saget stars as Danny Tanner; and Dave Coulier stars as Joey Gladstone. Like the original series, “Fuller House” is set in San Francisco. The focus is on the recently widowed D.J. Tanner-Fuller, who is a veterinarian and mother of three sons. After her husband, Tommy, dies during his firefighting duties, D.J. enlists the help of her sister, Stephanie, and her best friend, Kimmy (a mother to a teenage girl named Ramona) to move in and help her raise her boys. “Fuller House” has received mixed reviews. The Los Angeles Times said, “As revivals go it is more than usually successful and true to the spirit of its predecessor. (Creator Jeff Franklin is again in charge.) And there are lovely performances from the new adults in the room, Sweetin especially.” And the AV Club states, “Fuller House doesn’t deserve mercy. The show isn’t just bad, it borders on the obscene, as much an affront to those bemused by a reboot of the sitcom that anchored ABC’s once-mighty T.G.I.F. comedy block as those receptive to it.” “Fuller House” is now streaming on Netflix.
Lucius Lucius (Album – “Good Grief“)
Lucius is a five piece indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Andrew Burri. They announced the release of their second LP “Good Grief” with a new single and video, “Born Again Teen.” “Good Grief” was produced by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Weezer) and Bob Ezrin, along with the band themselves. “We had just returned from tour, having gone through such varied emotions — loneliness, sadness and exhaustion alongside excitement, fulfillment and some of the most joyful moments in our lives,” Wolfe added in a statement. “Whenever one of us had an idea or a feeling, the other was already a witness to it and could help navigate through it — for the two of us, this usually came in song form.” “Good Grief” is available for pre-order and will be released on March 11th.
Thursday, March 3rd (2016)
Christopher Meloni (Actor – “Underground”)
Christopher Meloni is an American actor known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, as inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama “Oz”, and as the vampire Roman on HBOʼs “True Blood.” His movie credits include “12 Monkeys”, “Man of Steel”, “42”, and “They Came Together.” Meloni stared as Gene in cult comedy movie “Wet Hot American Summer” in 2001 and reprised his role in 2015 on the Netflix mini-series “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” Meloni received the Human Rights Campaignʼs Equality Award for his work on behalf of LGBT issues. His newest project is the television period drama series “Underground”, which centers on a group of slaves planning a daring 600-mile escape from a Georgia plantation. Along the way, they are aided by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back, dead or alive. Meloni plays August Pullman, a secretive man who walks a tightrope between morality and survival. “Underground” premieres March 9th at 10pm EST on WGN America.
Edward Byers (Medal of Honor Recipient)
Edward Byers, is a United States Navy SEAL and member of SEAL Team 6, received the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military decoration – on February 29th for the rescue of a civilian in Afghanistan in 2012. Byers was the second Navy SEAL through the door of a house in eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban was holding an American doctor. The first got shot immediately. Then Byers rushed in. Wearing body armor and night-vision goggles, he shot and grappled with guards while calling out for the hostage. A voice replied from a few feet away: “I’m right here.” Byers threw himself on doctor to cover him from gunfire. With a free hand, Byers grabbed a nearby captor by the throat and pinned him to the wall until another member of the six-man SEAL team shot him. In the chaos, the doctor, aid worker Dilip Joseph, was rescued, and the SEAL team member ahead of him, 28-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque was killed. President Obama, who gave Byers the medal in a ceremony at the White House, called him a “consummate, quiet professional” who shunned the spotlight. Byers, 36, is the sixth SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor, and the eleventh living service member to receive it for actions in Afghanistan. But he doesn’t consider himself a hero. That distinction, he said, belongs to the men who fought alongside him, particularly Checque.
Ray Lamontagne (Album – “Ouroboros“)
Ray LaMontagne is an American singer-songwriter, with critics have compared his music to Otis Redding, The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley. LaMontagne won a Grammy Award in 2010 for his album “God Willinʼ & the Creek Donʼt Rise.” His sixth studio album is “Ouroboros”, which he recorded with My Morning Jacketʼs frontman, Jim James at La La Land Studio in Louisville, Ky. Those sessions resulted in the eight sprawling meditations that make up “Ouroboros.” LaMontagne told EW, “It was about creating a record that Iʼd want to listen to if I were in the record store discovering albums. I donʼt write singles. I donʼt write pop songs. I never have. Iʼm not that kind of songwriter, and I donʼt aspire to be. I let whatever creative force just tell me what to do.” On January 21st, LaMontagne released the track “Hey, No Pressure.” “Ouroboros” is available on March 4th.
Friday, March 4th (2016)
[Rerun]
February 18, 2016 – Tea Leoni, Amanda Peet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
Better Know a Guest – February 29 – March 4, 2016
It is time for a brand new exciting week of the “Late Show!” Stephen kicks off this week with director Spike Jonze, who is the creative director of a thrilling new cable channel. Stephen also has in store for us the lovely Christina Hendricks, the wonderful Octavia Spencer, the men of “Fuller House”, a Medal of Honer recipient, an eclectic variety of musical guests, and more!
Which guest(s) are you looking forward to this week? Join in the conversation and let us know in the comment section! Donʼt forget to take our weekly poll!
Monday, February 29th (2016)
Spike Jonze (Director and Co-President of Viceland)
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer, screenwriter and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film, and television. Jonze started his feature film career with “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation”, both written by Charlie Kaufman. His own screenplays include “Where The Wild Things Are” and “Her”, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Jonze is well known for his music video collaborations with Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Weezer, Beastie Boys, Bjork, and Kanye West. He was the co-creator and executive producer of MTVʼs “Jackass.” Jonze is the creative director of the new cable channel Viceland, which launches on February 29th on the former channel H2. It further expands Viceʼs already-substantial efforts in video programming, joining the companyʼs highly popular online library and a documentary series, “Vice,” on HBO. Six new shows will premiere on Viceland this week, including “Noisey” and “Weediquette.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Actor – “The Good Wife”)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, who is best known for portraying Denny Duquette on the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy”, John Winchester on “Supernatural”, and Ike Evans on “Magic City.” Morganʼs film roles include The Comedian in “Watchmen”, “P.S. I Love You”, and “Taking Woodstock.” He will play Thomas Wayne in the upcoming film “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Morgan currently plays Negan on AMCʼs “The Walking Dead” and Jason Crouse, a calm, experienced freelance investigator on CBSʼs “The Good Wife”, which is in its 7th and final season, with only nine episodes left to go. “The Good Wife” airs Sundays at 9pm EST on CBS.
Jack Garratt (Album – “Phase“)
Jack Garratt is a British singer and multi-instrumentalist from Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, England. He released his debut studio album “Phase” on February 19th, for which he won the Brits Critics’ Choice Award. Pitchfork said, “…subaquatic synth motifs and juddering basslines that burst into scrunching supernova choruses. There’s also lots of gospel-influenced warbling and soft, bluesy piano.” And The Guardian states, “…Phase is most richly indebted to James Blake, both in the way its sound adapts the standard singer-songwriter approach to influences from dance music – dubstep-inspired sub-bass judder, the skippy rhythms of UK funky house, the noisy, Day-Glo electronics of EDM – and in its resolutely gloomy, lovelorn mood…”
Tuesday, March 1st (2016)
Chrissy Teigen (Co-Host – “Lip Sync Battle” and Author – “Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want To Eat“)
Chrissy Teigen is an American model, television host, and author. She made her debut in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2010. Teigen is on the lifestyle panel talk show “FABLife,” and co-hosts the musical reality competition “Lip Sync Battle” with LL Cool J on Spike TV. The show is based on an idea introduced to “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” by John Krasinski in which celebrities battle each other with lip sync performances. “ʼLip Sync Battleʼ is a multi-platform pop-culture phenomenon that has played an integral role in delivering a new and broader audience to Spike,” said Kevin Kay, the president of the network. Teigen has a food blog called Delushious. On February 23rd Teigen released a cook book called “Cravings”, which is co-authored by food writer Adeena Sussman. Publisherʼs Weekly said, “Even the most celebrity-cookbook-skeptical reader will find it hard not to enjoy this tome from supermodel Chrissy Teigen. With self-deprecating wit and down-to- earth charm, Teigen posits herself as an enthusiastic home cook and passionate eater…” And Bon Appetit states, “Itʼs fun to read, with a recipe for everyone with two eyes, a stomach, and a fork. Frito pie? A chapter called ʻSh*t on toastʼ? Absurd sexy photo shoots with chicken wings? Whatʼs not to love?”
Mike Birbiglia (Writer / Director / Actor – “Don’t Think Twice”)
[Newly Added]
Adam Savage (Co-Host – “MythBusters”)
Adam Savage is an American industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality, known as co-host (with Jamie Hyneman) of the Discovery Channel television series “MythBusters” and “Unchained Reaction.” His model work has appeared in major films, including “Star Wars: Epispde II – Attack of the Clones” and “The Matrix Reloaded.” Savage has been involved in “MythBusters” since its creation. His role in the show (that he shares with all the other talent) is to either disprove (“bust”) myths or confirm them through testing and experiments done at different scales. If the myth is about a one-time occurrence, or if a myth requires extremely specific circumstances to occur as stated, it is often deemed “plausible” instead. Currently in its 11th season, “MythBusters” airs on the Discovery Channel on Saturdays at 8pm EST.
Wednesday, March 2nd (2016)
Octavia Spencer (Actress – “The Free World” and Voice Artist – “Zootopia”)
Octavia Spencer is an American actress and author, who is best known for her role as Minny Jackson in the 2011 film “The Help”, for which she won the BAFTA, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics’ Choice, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Spencerʼs other films include “Get On Up”, “Black or White”, “The Divergent Series: Insurgent”, and “Fruitvale Station.” Spencer created the character of “Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective” for a children’s book series, releasing “The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit” and “The Sweetest Heist in History.” Spencer stars as Linda Workman in the upcoming film, directed by Jason Lew, “The Free World”, which was shown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 26th. A theatrical release date has not yet been announced. “The Free World” has received mixed reviews. The Hollywood Reporter said, “Watchable leads elevate a downbeat story that takes its time to ignite.” And Variety states, “What could have been an intriguing film-noir premise loses its spark as Jason Lew imagines the romance between an ex-con and a suspected murderess.” Spencer also voices the character Mrs. Otterton in the 3D computer-animated Disney movie “Zootopia” (known as “Zootropolis” in Europe). It has received high critical acclaim, with a 100% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Wrap said, “With its upfront themes of prejudice and diversity, and its release at a time in which society’s biases are under the microscope, Zootopia may be one of the more fortuitously scheduled family entertainments in recent memory.” “Zootopia” opens in theaters on March 4th.
John Stamos, Bob Saget and Dave Coulier (Cast of “Fuller House”)
Stamos, Saget, and Coulier are back to star in “Fuller House”, an American sitcom and sequel series to the 1987–95 sitcom “Full House”, airing as a Netflix original series. Reprising their roles, John Stamos stars as Jesse Katsopolis; Bob Saget stars as Danny Tanner; and Dave Coulier stars as Joey Gladstone. Like the original series, “Fuller House” is set in San Francisco. The focus is on the recently widowed D.J. Tanner-Fuller, who is a veterinarian and mother of three sons. After her husband, Tommy, dies during his firefighting duties, D.J. enlists the help of her sister, Stephanie, and her best friend, Kimmy (a mother to a teenage girl named Ramona) to move in and help her raise her boys. “Fuller House” has received mixed reviews. The Los Angeles Times said, “As revivals go it is more than usually successful and true to the spirit of its predecessor. (Creator Jeff Franklin is again in charge.) And there are lovely performances from the new adults in the room, Sweetin especially.” And the AV Club states, “Fuller House doesn’t deserve mercy. The show isn’t just bad, it borders on the obscene, as much an affront to those bemused by a reboot of the sitcom that anchored ABC’s once-mighty T.G.I.F. comedy block as those receptive to it.” “Fuller House” is now streaming on Netflix.
Lucius Lucius (Album – “Good Grief“)
Lucius is a five piece indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Dan Molad, Peter Lalish, and Andrew Burri. They announced the release of their second LP “Good Grief” with a new single and video, “Born Again Teen.” “Good Grief” was produced by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Weezer) and Bob Ezrin, along with the band themselves. “We had just returned from tour, having gone through such varied emotions — loneliness, sadness and exhaustion alongside excitement, fulfillment and some of the most joyful moments in our lives,” Wolfe added in a statement. “Whenever one of us had an idea or a feeling, the other was already a witness to it and could help navigate through it — for the two of us, this usually came in song form.” “Good Grief” is available for pre-order and will be released on March 11th.
Thursday, March 3rd (2016)
Christopher Meloni (Actor – “Underground”)
Christopher Meloni is an American actor known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC police drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, as inmate Chris Keller on the HBO prison drama “Oz”, and as the vampire Roman on HBOʼs “True Blood.” His movie credits include “12 Monkeys”, “Man of Steel”, “42”, and “They Came Together.” Meloni stared as Gene in cult comedy movie “Wet Hot American Summer” in 2001 and reprised his role in 2015 on the Netflix mini-series “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” Meloni received the Human Rights Campaignʼs Equality Award for his work on behalf of LGBT issues. His newest project is the television period drama series “Underground”, which centers on a group of slaves planning a daring 600-mile escape from a Georgia plantation. Along the way, they are aided by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back, dead or alive. Meloni plays August Pullman, a secretive man who walks a tightrope between morality and survival. “Underground” premieres March 9th at 10pm EST on WGN America.
Edward Byers (Medal of Honor Recipient)
Edward Byers, is a United States Navy SEAL and member of SEAL Team 6, received the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military decoration – on February 29th for the rescue of a civilian in Afghanistan in 2012. Byers was the second Navy SEAL through the door of a house in eastern Afghanistan where the Taliban was holding an American doctor. The first got shot immediately. Then Byers rushed in. Wearing body armor and night-vision goggles, he shot and grappled with guards while calling out for the hostage. A voice replied from a few feet away: “I’m right here.” Byers threw himself on doctor to cover him from gunfire. With a free hand, Byers grabbed a nearby captor by the throat and pinned him to the wall until another member of the six-man SEAL team shot him. In the chaos, the doctor, aid worker Dilip Joseph, was rescued, and the SEAL team member ahead of him, 28-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas Checque was killed. President Obama, who gave Byers the medal in a ceremony at the White House, called him a “consummate, quiet professional” who shunned the spotlight. Byers, 36, is the sixth SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor, and the eleventh living service member to receive it for actions in Afghanistan. But he doesn’t consider himself a hero. That distinction, he said, belongs to the men who fought alongside him, particularly Checque.
Ray Lamontagne (Album – “Ouroboros“)
Ray LaMontagne is an American singer-songwriter, with critics have compared his music to Otis Redding, The Band, Van Morrison, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley. LaMontagne won a Grammy Award in 2010 for his album “God Willinʼ & the Creek Donʼt Rise.” His sixth studio album is “Ouroboros”, which he recorded with My Morning Jacketʼs frontman, Jim James at La La Land Studio in Louisville, Ky. Those sessions resulted in the eight sprawling meditations that make up “Ouroboros.” LaMontagne told EW, “It was about creating a record that Iʼd want to listen to if I were in the record store discovering albums. I donʼt write singles. I donʼt write pop songs. I never have. Iʼm not that kind of songwriter, and I donʼt aspire to be. I let whatever creative force just tell me what to do.” On January 21st, LaMontagne released the track “Hey, No Pressure.” “Ouroboros” is available on March 4th.
Friday, March 4th (2016)
[Rerun]
February 18, 2016 – Tea Leoni, Amanda Peet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog