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.
Now that we’ve all recovered from the Super Bowl, it’s time to polish that blue steel and get ready to Feel the Bern. A new week of shows is upon us!
Which guest(s) are you looking forward to? Join in the conversation and let us know in the comment section! Donʼt forget to take our weekly poll!
Monday, February 8th (2016)
Bill O’Reilly (Political Commentator and Host – “The O’Reilly Factor”)
William James O’Reilly, Jr. is an American author, historian, journalist, syndicated columnist, political commentator and the host of ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ (Fox). Currently, O’Reilly and Dennis Miller are on the ‘Who Wants to be President? The Tour 2016’ which combines “their unique mix of political commentary and good-natured humour, in addition to the duo’s great rapport”. As the year progresses, additional tour dates will be announced on ‘The O’Reilly Factor’.
Eddie George (Former NFL Player and Actor – “Chicago”)
Edward Nathan George, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back for Ohio State University and the Tennessee Titans. Following a successful football career, George has done extensive work on television as a host, analyst and commentator. Like many athletes before him George turned to acting, but soon decided that he wanted to do more than play athletes or former athletes on screen. “That wasn’t acting. That is art imitating a life I had already lived.” As noted in The Tennessean, “[George] began taking acting lessons, two and three times a week. He would read children’s books aloud, trying out different voices and deliveries, learning not just about the different elements of storytelling, but how to bring a story to life. He took improv classes and attended as many plays and Broadway shows as he could.Finally, after two or three years of preparing, he began doing community theater in Nashville.” Now George is making his Broadway debut in ‘Chicago’ as the charming lawyer Billy Flynn.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Album – “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made“)
Formed in 2008, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are an American hip hop duo from Seattle, Washington. The duo is comprised on Ben Haggerty, a rapper who goes by the name of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, a record producer, DJ, and professional photographer. The release of their second studio album, ‘This Unruly Mess I’ve Made’ (26 February, 2016) was announced via a video trailer posted on their official website. The clip features Macklemore describing how the pair had to go to “the middle of nowhere” to find inspiration and “[make] music not because we had to, but because we got to.”
Tuesday, February 9th (2016)
Olivia Wilde (Actress – “Vinyl”)
Olivia Wilde is an American actress, who is best known for her roles in shows such as, “The O.C.” and “House”, her latest television role is in, “Vinyl”. “Vinyl” is a HBO drama about the music industry in the 1970’s. Variety had this to say about the show, “For HBO, “Vinyl” already feels like a winner conceptually and promotionally – the kind of splashy, big-ticket series destined to unleash premium waves of publicity and attention.” “Vinyl” premieres Sunday February 14th on HBO.
Christiane Amanpour (Host – “Amanpour”)
Christiane Amanpour is the Chief International Correspondent for CNN. She is the host of “Amanpour” on CNN, which is a program where Amanpour conducts interviews and discusses global issues. “Amanpour” airs weeknights on CNN.
Jon Batiste and Stay Human (Album – “The Late Show EP“)
The Late Show’s very own Jon Batiste and Stay Human will be doing a special performance on the show this Tuesday. They have recently released their new album on February 5th titled “The Late Show EP”. The album features songs such as “Humanism”, which is The Late Show’s theme song, and “Sounds Like Jazz” which features Stephen Colbert. The album is now available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
Wednesday, February 10th (2016)
Ben Stiller (Actor – “Zoolander 2”)
Ben Stiller is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled “The Ben Stiller Show”, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, and/or produced more than 50 films, including “Reality Bites”, “Thereʼs Something About Mary”, “Meet The Parents”, “The Royal Tenenbaums”, and “Tropic Thunder.” Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. Stiller returns both in front of and behind the camera for “Zoolander 2”, a comedy that finds the beloved model Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and his rival-turned-partner Hansel (Owen Wilson) facing a threat to their continued success. It has been 15 years since the first “Zoolander” movie. “Itʼs like Derekʼs having a resurgence,” Stiller told The New York Times. “Heʼs been out of it for a few years, and now heʼs having an upswing. He finally got his Vogue cover. So Iʼm happy for him. Because itʼs a tough business.” “Zoolander 2” hits theaters on February 12th.
Senator Bernie Sanders (Democratic Presidential Candidate)
Bernie Sanders is an American politician and Senator from Vermont, who is currently campaigning for the President of The United States in the Democratic Party. He is a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist. On February 1st, Sanders came in second place in the Iowa Caucus. It was an extremely close race which Hillary Clinton won with 49.9% of the vote and Sanders with 49.6% of the vote. Martin OʼMalley received just .6% of the vote and has since dropped out. Voters under the age of 30 favor Sanders 6 to 1 over Clinton. Sanders will now head to the New Hampshire Primary, which will be held on February 9th. One of the main differences between a caucus and a primary is that a caucus is organized by the political parties, whereas a primary is organized usually by the state board of elections as a regular election would be. On February 4th, during their first one-on-one debate Clinton said that Sanders could never achieve his ambitious and costly proposals. Then she took after the Vermont senator for his efforts to cast her as beholden to Wall Street interests because of the campaign donations and speaking fees sheʼs accepted from the financial sector. “Itʼs time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out,” she said. Sanders, for his part, suggested Clintonʼs loyalties were colored by a reliance on big corporate donors. “Secretary Clinton does represent the establishment,” he said. “I represent — I hope — ordinary Americans.”
Tao: Seventeen Samurai (Taiko Drummers)
Direct from TAOʼs successful, sold-out world premiere run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this brand new production, TAO: Seventeen Samurai, will tour North America in the Spring of 2016. The new show will bring you athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. TAO: Seventeen Samurai has critics raving about TAOʼs extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than six million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming, entertains international audiences again and again. The Chicago Tribune declared, “Extraordinarily talented … incomparable muscular zeal.” And Time Out said it is, “Powerful, dynamic, and unique.”
Thursday, February 11th (2016)
Katie Holmes (Actress- “Touched with Fire”)
Katie Holmes is an American actress, who has starred in many films such as “Batman Begins”, “Mad Money”, and “The Giver”. Her latest role is in the film “Touched with Fire”. This film is a romance/drama that tells the story of two bipolar poets. The film was directed and written by Paul Dalio, who is also bipolar. In an article for Entertainment Weekly, Paul Dalio had this to say about Katie’s character and the film, “Katie’s character is what I was like when I first got sick – I was really scared and ashamed of it,” Dalio said. “Then I became more like Luke’s character, which is when I started to romanticize bipolar. I kind of closed the door on my past. I didn’t think I was that person. I embraced lunacy and being a lunatic. That’s how I coped with it at this time. The romanticization is what I went through also.” The film will be in theaters starting February 12, 2016.
Fred Armisen (Creator and Actor – “Portlandia”)
Fred Armisen is an American actor, voice actor, screenwriter, producer, director, singer, musician, and comedian. Armisen rose to fame as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 2002 to 2013. He is the bandleader for “Late Night with Seth Meyers” house band, The 8G Band. Armisen won two Peabody Awards, one in 2008 as part of the “Saturday Night Live” political satire cast and one in 2011 for “Portlandia.” Armisen founded ThunderAnt.com, a website that features the comedy sketches created with his comedy partner and “Portlandia” co-star Carrie Brownstein. “Portlandia” is a satirical sketch comedy television series set and filmed in and around Portland, Oregon. The sixth season of “Portlandia” began on January 21st on IFC.
Ty Segall and the Muggers (Album – “Emotional Mugger“)
Ty Segall is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. In addition to his prolific solo career which has seen the release of eight studio albums, Segall is also a current member of the bands Fuzz, Broken Bat and GØGGS, and a former member of The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and The Perverts. In November 2015. Segall announced a new studio album, ‘Emotional Mugger’, and upon the album’s released formed the backing band The Muggers consisting of Mikal Cronin (bass, sax), Kyle Thomas (guitar), Emmett Kelly (guitar), and Wand’s Cory Hanson (keyboards, guitar) and Evan Burrows (drums). Rolling Stone calls the album “a nastier street-punk version of his Manipulator approach, with a touch of Royal Trux sleaze in the low-end guitar sludge, running the conceptual gamut ]…] It even evokes the stoner-metal vibe of his side project Fuzz.”
Friday, February 12th (2016) [Rerun]
January, Monday 18, 2016 – Patricia Heaton, Quincy Jones, Deray McKesson, Grace
Better Know a Guest – February 8 – 12, 2016
Now that we’ve all recovered from the Super Bowl, it’s time to polish that blue steel and get ready to Feel the Bern. A new week of shows is upon us!
Which guest(s) are you looking forward to? Join in the conversation and let us know in the comment section! Donʼt forget to take our weekly poll!
Monday, February 8th (2016)
Bill O’Reilly (Political Commentator and Host – “The O’Reilly Factor”)
William James O’Reilly, Jr. is an American author, historian, journalist, syndicated columnist, political commentator and the host of ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ (Fox). Currently, O’Reilly and Dennis Miller are on the ‘Who Wants to be President? The Tour 2016’ which combines “their unique mix of political commentary and good-natured humour, in addition to the duo’s great rapport”. As the year progresses, additional tour dates will be announced on ‘The O’Reilly Factor’.
Eddie George (Former NFL Player and Actor – “Chicago”)
Edward Nathan George, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back for Ohio State University and the Tennessee Titans. Following a successful football career, George has done extensive work on television as a host, analyst and commentator. Like many athletes before him George turned to acting, but soon decided that he wanted to do more than play athletes or former athletes on screen. “That wasn’t acting. That is art imitating a life I had already lived.” As noted in The Tennessean, “[George] began taking acting lessons, two and three times a week. He would read children’s books aloud, trying out different voices and deliveries, learning not just about the different elements of storytelling, but how to bring a story to life. He took improv classes and attended as many plays and Broadway shows as he could.Finally, after two or three years of preparing, he began doing community theater in Nashville.” Now George is making his Broadway debut in ‘Chicago’ as the charming lawyer Billy Flynn.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Album – “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made“)
Formed in 2008, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are an American hip hop duo from Seattle, Washington. The duo is comprised on Ben Haggerty, a rapper who goes by the name of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, a record producer, DJ, and professional photographer. The release of their second studio album, ‘This Unruly Mess I’ve Made’ (26 February, 2016) was announced via a video trailer posted on their official website. The clip features Macklemore describing how the pair had to go to “the middle of nowhere” to find inspiration and “[make] music not because we had to, but because we got to.”
Tuesday, February 9th (2016)
Olivia Wilde (Actress – “Vinyl”)
Olivia Wilde is an American actress, who is best known for her roles in shows such as, “The O.C.” and “House”, her latest television role is in, “Vinyl”. “Vinyl” is a HBO drama about the music industry in the 1970’s. Variety had this to say about the show, “For HBO, “Vinyl” already feels like a winner conceptually and promotionally – the kind of splashy, big-ticket series destined to unleash premium waves of publicity and attention.” “Vinyl” premieres Sunday February 14th on HBO.
Christiane Amanpour (Host – “Amanpour”)
Christiane Amanpour is the Chief International Correspondent for CNN. She is the host of “Amanpour” on CNN, which is a program where Amanpour conducts interviews and discusses global issues. “Amanpour” airs weeknights on CNN.
Jon Batiste and Stay Human (Album – “The Late Show EP“)
The Late Show’s very own Jon Batiste and Stay Human will be doing a special performance on the show this Tuesday. They have recently released their new album on February 5th titled “The Late Show EP”. The album features songs such as “Humanism”, which is The Late Show’s theme song, and “Sounds Like Jazz” which features Stephen Colbert. The album is now available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
Wednesday, February 10th (2016)
Ben Stiller (Actor – “Zoolander 2”)
Ben Stiller is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. After beginning his acting career with a play, Stiller wrote several mockumentaries, and was offered his own show entitled “The Ben Stiller Show”, which he produced and hosted for its 13-episode run. Throughout his career he has written, starred in, directed, and/or produced more than 50 films, including “Reality Bites”, “Thereʼs Something About Mary”, “Meet The Parents”, “The Royal Tenenbaums”, and “Tropic Thunder.” Stiller is a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as the Frat Pack. Stiller returns both in front of and behind the camera for “Zoolander 2”, a comedy that finds the beloved model Derek Zoolander (Stiller) and his rival-turned-partner Hansel (Owen Wilson) facing a threat to their continued success. It has been 15 years since the first “Zoolander” movie. “Itʼs like Derekʼs having a resurgence,” Stiller told The New York Times. “Heʼs been out of it for a few years, and now heʼs having an upswing. He finally got his Vogue cover. So Iʼm happy for him. Because itʼs a tough business.” “Zoolander 2” hits theaters on February 12th.
Senator Bernie Sanders (Democratic Presidential Candidate)
Bernie Sanders is an American politician and Senator from Vermont, who is currently campaigning for the President of The United States in the Democratic Party. He is a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist. On February 1st, Sanders came in second place in the Iowa Caucus. It was an extremely close race which Hillary Clinton won with 49.9% of the vote and Sanders with 49.6% of the vote. Martin OʼMalley received just .6% of the vote and has since dropped out. Voters under the age of 30 favor Sanders 6 to 1 over Clinton. Sanders will now head to the New Hampshire Primary, which will be held on February 9th. One of the main differences between a caucus and a primary is that a caucus is organized by the political parties, whereas a primary is organized usually by the state board of elections as a regular election would be. On February 4th, during their first one-on-one debate Clinton said that Sanders could never achieve his ambitious and costly proposals. Then she took after the Vermont senator for his efforts to cast her as beholden to Wall Street interests because of the campaign donations and speaking fees sheʼs accepted from the financial sector. “Itʼs time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out,” she said. Sanders, for his part, suggested Clintonʼs loyalties were colored by a reliance on big corporate donors. “Secretary Clinton does represent the establishment,” he said. “I represent — I hope — ordinary Americans.”
Tao: Seventeen Samurai (Taiko Drummers)
Direct from TAOʼs successful, sold-out world premiere run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this brand new production, TAO: Seventeen Samurai, will tour North America in the Spring of 2016. The new show will bring you athletic bodies and contemporary costumes combined with explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography. TAO: Seventeen Samurai has critics raving about TAOʼs extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina. With hundreds of sold-out shows and more than six million spectators, TAO has proven that modern entertainment based on the timeless, traditional art of Japanese drumming, entertains international audiences again and again. The Chicago Tribune declared, “Extraordinarily talented … incomparable muscular zeal.” And Time Out said it is, “Powerful, dynamic, and unique.”
Thursday, February 11th (2016)
Katie Holmes (Actress- “Touched with Fire”)
Katie Holmes is an American actress, who has starred in many films such as “Batman Begins”, “Mad Money”, and “The Giver”. Her latest role is in the film “Touched with Fire”. This film is a romance/drama that tells the story of two bipolar poets. The film was directed and written by Paul Dalio, who is also bipolar. In an article for Entertainment Weekly, Paul Dalio had this to say about Katie’s character and the film, “Katie’s character is what I was like when I first got sick – I was really scared and ashamed of it,” Dalio said. “Then I became more like Luke’s character, which is when I started to romanticize bipolar. I kind of closed the door on my past. I didn’t think I was that person. I embraced lunacy and being a lunatic. That’s how I coped with it at this time. The romanticization is what I went through also.” The film will be in theaters starting February 12, 2016.
Fred Armisen (Creator and Actor – “Portlandia”)
Fred Armisen is an American actor, voice actor, screenwriter, producer, director, singer, musician, and comedian. Armisen rose to fame as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 2002 to 2013. He is the bandleader for “Late Night with Seth Meyers” house band, The 8G Band. Armisen won two Peabody Awards, one in 2008 as part of the “Saturday Night Live” political satire cast and one in 2011 for “Portlandia.” Armisen founded ThunderAnt.com, a website that features the comedy sketches created with his comedy partner and “Portlandia” co-star Carrie Brownstein. “Portlandia” is a satirical sketch comedy television series set and filmed in and around Portland, Oregon. The sixth season of “Portlandia” began on January 21st on IFC.
Ty Segall and the Muggers (Album – “Emotional Mugger“)
Ty Segall is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. In addition to his prolific solo career which has seen the release of eight studio albums, Segall is also a current member of the bands Fuzz, Broken Bat and GØGGS, and a former member of The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and The Perverts. In November 2015. Segall announced a new studio album, ‘Emotional Mugger’, and upon the album’s released formed the backing band The Muggers consisting of Mikal Cronin (bass, sax), Kyle Thomas (guitar), Emmett Kelly (guitar), and Wand’s Cory Hanson (keyboards, guitar) and Evan Burrows (drums). Rolling Stone calls the album “a nastier street-punk version of his Manipulator approach, with a touch of Royal Trux sleaze in the low-end guitar sludge, running the conceptual gamut ]…] It even evokes the stoner-metal vibe of his side project Fuzz.”
Friday, February 12th (2016) [Rerun]
January, Monday 18, 2016 – Patricia Heaton, Quincy Jones, Deray McKesson, Grace