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.
Welcome back, Hubsters! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season! A new year of shows blasts off! It looks like we are in for a good “Hungry For Power Games” this week. During the two week holiday break, George Pataki and Lindsay Graham announced that they had dropped out of the presidential race. “Tributes assemble!” We have a great line up of guests this week with a host of fabulous celebrities, a 17-year-old who designed a test for the Ebola virus, a geneticist/molecular engineer, a space archaeologist, an award-winning double dutch team, a diverse array of musicians, and Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator Rand Paul.
Which guest(s) are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to take our poll!
Monday, January 4th (2016)
Samuel L. Jackson (Actor – “The Hateful Eight“)
Samuel L. Jackson is an American actor, he is famously known for films such as Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Django Unchained, his most recent role is in the film The Hateful Eight. This is the sixth time Jackson is in a Quentin Tarantino film. The Hateful Eight is a Western film that tells the story of a bounty hunter after the time of the Civil War, in the film Jackson plays the role of bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren. In an article for Vulture, Tarantino had this to say about working with Samuel L. Jackson, “Tarantino has said that Jackson, along with Christoph Waltz, is “one of the greatest actors to ever say my dialogue.” The film is now in theaters nationwide.
Olivia Hallisey (Google Science Fair Winner)
Olivia Hallisey is a 17-year-old from Connecticut, who is the winner of the ‘2015 Google Science Fair’. According to the Google Science Fair her project was called “Temperature-Independent, Portable, And Rapid Field Detection Of EBOLA Via A Silk-Derived Lateral -Flow System”, and in this project Hallisey did research to develop a faster and less expensive way to detect the EBOLA virus, that would be able to benefit those in areas like Africa where the virus vastly spread. According to the Google Science Fair, Hallisey had this to say about why she wanted to research this project, and what winning meant to her, “Winning would enable me to continue to develop my Ebola Assay Card as a multiple disease diagnostic assay, and to make a meaningful impact on global health through the early detection of often fatal diseases. I would know that my research saved lives and changed futures.” Hallisey’s prize for winning was a $50,000 dollar scholarship.
Tuesday, January 5th (2016)
John Krasinski (Actor – “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi“)
John Krasinski is an American actor, his latest role is in the film ’13 Hours-The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’, this film is based on the true story of a team of soldiers who were involved in protecting the American Diplomatic compound, during the Benghazi attacks in 2012, Krasinski plays the role of Navy Seal officer Jack Da Silva. In an article for ET Krasinski had this to say about the film,”This movie is about true heroism,” Krasinski said. “I think parents want to teach their kids to do the right thing no matter what and it’s a very hard lesson to teach, so a movie like this to show these guys did what was right no matter what the cost — I don’t think you can get any better than that.” The film opens in theaters January 15, 2016.
Killer Mike (Hip Hop Artist, Activist and Actor)
Killer Mike (Michael Render) is an American hip hop/rap artist. Killer Mike’s last album was ‘Run the Jewels’, which he co produced with rapper El-P. Recently Killer like has been a big Bernie Sanders supporter. He spoke out about his support for Bernie Sanders in Atlanta in November. According to the Huffington Post Killer Mike said this about Sanders,”I have said in many a rap, I don’t trust the church or the government, a Democrat, Republican, a pope, a bishop or those other men,” Killer Mike said. “But after spending five hours tonight, after spending five hours with someone who has spent the last 50 years radically fighting for your rights and mine, I can tell you that am very proud tonight to announce the next president of the United States, Sen. Bernie Sanders.” Killer Mike is set to release a third ‘Run the Jewels’ album sometime this year.
George Chruch (Geneticist)
George Church is an American geneticist, he is currently the Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. According to an article for Popular Science Church has made major progressions in biology, and these are some of his hopes for the future of biology, “ In the book that he encoded in DNA (which, incidentally, is also available printed and bound), he and his co-author, Ed Regis, envisioned the future this new biology could bring, one in which bacteria fuels cars and commercial jets and humans are immune to cancer. It may sound like science fiction, or at least like a litany of over-hyped pipe dreams that science so often sells. But George Church’s pipe dreams have an uncanny record of becoming reality.”
Foals (Album – “What Went Down“)
Foals is a rock band from England, their latest album What Went Down is their fourth album. Rolling Stone considers this album the band’s best one yet, and had this to say about it, “Their fourth and best album plays up a dark, bracing urgency, especially on the explosive title track, where Yannis Philippakis hollers over low-slung, fuzzed-out riffing and high-octane drum pummel.” The album features songs such as “A Knife in the Ocean,” “Give It All,” and “Birch Tree.” The album is now available for purchase.
Wednesday, January 6th (2016)
[more to come]
Jerry Seinfeld (Comedian, Actor and Host – “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee“)
Sen. Rand Paul (Republican Presidential Candidate)
Andra Day (Album – “Cheers to the Fall“)
Thursday, January 7th (2016)
Damian Lewis (Actor – “Billions“)
Damian Lewis is an English actor and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. His latest show is Showtime’s Billions, in which he plays hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, who has a rivalry with U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades, played by Paul Giamatti. Billions premieres on Showtime on January 17th.
America Ferrera (Actress – “Superstore“)
America Ferrera is an American actress, known for her leading role as Betty Suarez on the comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty, which won her a Primetime Emmy Award, A Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award. Ferrera’s newest show is NBC’s Superstore, in which she plays Amy, who is a floor supervisor at a fictional big-box store called Cloud 9. Superstore premieres on NBC on January 4th.
Floyd-Little Double Dutch Team (Girls Jump Rope Team)
Through practice, performance and perseverance, Floyd-Little’s Double Dutch Inc. (FLDD) has developed world-class and award winning jumpers and garnered thousands of followers. With over twenty years in the sport of double dutch these dedicated founders, Laila Little and Shaquannah Floyd, have started a movement. Their mission is to use double dutch as a tool to empower youth through education, healthy living and personal development.
Friday, January 8th (2016)
Matthew Broderick (Actor – “Sylvia“)
Matthew Broderick is an American actor and singer. His roles include the title character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the adult voice of Simba in Disney’s The Lion King trilogy, and Leo Bloom in The Producers. Broderick is also a Broadway star and is the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He just wrapped up his role in the Broadway play, Sylvia, on January 3rd. Sylvia is about what happens when a smart, sassy, captivating canine befriends a New Yorker in Central Park and changes his life – and his wife’s life forever.
Sarah Parcak (Space Archaeologist)
Sarah Parcak is an associate professor of Anthropology and director of the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is an American archaeologist, space archaeologist, and Egyptologist, who has used satellite imaging to identify potential archaeological sites in Egypt, Rome, and elsewhere in the former Roman Empire. In partnership with her husband, Dr. Greg Mumford, she directs survey and excavation projects in the Fayoum, Sinai, and Egypt’s East Delta. Parcak has been granted the 2016 TED prize to further improve her mission of identifying sub-surface civilizations using satellites originally used by the military.
Kacey Musgraves (Album – “Pageant Material“)
Kacey Lee Musgraves is an American singer. She self-released three albums before appearing on the fifth season of the singing competition Nashville Star in 2007, where she placed seventh. Her latest album is Pageant Material. The album has been met with critical acclaim. FADER featured Kacey on the cover as their first ever Country artist, Billboard says “Pageant Material folds in bits of confessional gravitas, classic Western textures and string-swathed, studio-pop finesse reminiscent of Glen Campbellor Bobbie Gentry…there s a new level of real talk even for Musgraves.” Hits Magazine called Pageant Material “An album for the ages. Kacey Musgraves stunning new set is brilliant from start to finish.”
Better Know a Guest – January 4 – 8, 2016
Welcome back, Hubsters! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season! A new year of shows blasts off! It looks like we are in for a good “Hungry For Power Games” this week. During the two week holiday break, George Pataki and Lindsay Graham announced that they had dropped out of the presidential race. “Tributes assemble!” We have a great line up of guests this week with a host of fabulous celebrities, a 17-year-old who designed a test for the Ebola virus, a geneticist/molecular engineer, a space archaeologist, an award-winning double dutch team, a diverse array of musicians, and Republican Presidential Candidate, Senator Rand Paul.
Which guest(s) are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to take our poll!
Monday, January 4th (2016)
Samuel L. Jackson (Actor – “The Hateful Eight“)
Samuel L. Jackson is an American actor, he is famously known for films such as Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Django Unchained, his most recent role is in the film The Hateful Eight. This is the sixth time Jackson is in a Quentin Tarantino film. The Hateful Eight is a Western film that tells the story of a bounty hunter after the time of the Civil War, in the film Jackson plays the role of bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren. In an article for Vulture, Tarantino had this to say about working with Samuel L. Jackson, “Tarantino has said that Jackson, along with Christoph Waltz, is “one of the greatest actors to ever say my dialogue.” The film is now in theaters nationwide.
Olivia Hallisey (Google Science Fair Winner)
Olivia Hallisey is a 17-year-old from Connecticut, who is the winner of the ‘2015 Google Science Fair’. According to the Google Science Fair her project was called “Temperature-Independent, Portable, And Rapid Field Detection Of EBOLA Via A Silk-Derived Lateral -Flow System”, and in this project Hallisey did research to develop a faster and less expensive way to detect the EBOLA virus, that would be able to benefit those in areas like Africa where the virus vastly spread. According to the Google Science Fair, Hallisey had this to say about why she wanted to research this project, and what winning meant to her, “Winning would enable me to continue to develop my Ebola Assay Card as a multiple disease diagnostic assay, and to make a meaningful impact on global health through the early detection of often fatal diseases. I would know that my research saved lives and changed futures.” Hallisey’s prize for winning was a $50,000 dollar scholarship.
Tuesday, January 5th (2016)
John Krasinski (Actor – “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi“)
John Krasinski is an American actor, his latest role is in the film ’13 Hours-The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi’, this film is based on the true story of a team of soldiers who were involved in protecting the American Diplomatic compound, during the Benghazi attacks in 2012, Krasinski plays the role of Navy Seal officer Jack Da Silva. In an article for ET Krasinski had this to say about the film,”This movie is about true heroism,” Krasinski said. “I think parents want to teach their kids to do the right thing no matter what and it’s a very hard lesson to teach, so a movie like this to show these guys did what was right no matter what the cost — I don’t think you can get any better than that.” The film opens in theaters January 15, 2016.
Killer Mike (Hip Hop Artist, Activist and Actor)
Killer Mike (Michael Render) is an American hip hop/rap artist. Killer Mike’s last album was ‘Run the Jewels’, which he co produced with rapper El-P. Recently Killer like has been a big Bernie Sanders supporter. He spoke out about his support for Bernie Sanders in Atlanta in November. According to the Huffington Post Killer Mike said this about Sanders,”I have said in many a rap, I don’t trust the church or the government, a Democrat, Republican, a pope, a bishop or those other men,” Killer Mike said. “But after spending five hours tonight, after spending five hours with someone who has spent the last 50 years radically fighting for your rights and mine, I can tell you that am very proud tonight to announce the next president of the United States, Sen. Bernie Sanders.” Killer Mike is set to release a third ‘Run the Jewels’ album sometime this year.
George Chruch (Geneticist)
George Church is an American geneticist, he is currently the Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. According to an article for Popular Science Church has made major progressions in biology, and these are some of his hopes for the future of biology, “ In the book that he encoded in DNA (which, incidentally, is also available printed and bound), he and his co-author, Ed Regis, envisioned the future this new biology could bring, one in which bacteria fuels cars and commercial jets and humans are immune to cancer. It may sound like science fiction, or at least like a litany of over-hyped pipe dreams that science so often sells. But George Church’s pipe dreams have an uncanny record of becoming reality.”
Foals (Album – “What Went Down“)
Foals is a rock band from England, their latest album What Went Down is their fourth album. Rolling Stone considers this album the band’s best one yet, and had this to say about it, “Their fourth and best album plays up a dark, bracing urgency, especially on the explosive title track, where Yannis Philippakis hollers over low-slung, fuzzed-out riffing and high-octane drum pummel.” The album features songs such as “A Knife in the Ocean,” “Give It All,” and “Birch Tree.” The album is now available for purchase.
Wednesday, January 6th (2016)
[more to come]
Jerry Seinfeld (Comedian, Actor and Host – “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee“)
Sen. Rand Paul (Republican Presidential Candidate)
Andra Day (Album – “Cheers to the Fall“)
Thursday, January 7th (2016)
Damian Lewis (Actor – “Billions“)
Damian Lewis is an English actor and producer. He is best known for portraying U.S. Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. His latest show is Showtime’s Billions, in which he plays hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, who has a rivalry with U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades, played by Paul Giamatti. Billions premieres on Showtime on January 17th.
America Ferrera (Actress – “Superstore“)
America Ferrera is an American actress, known for her leading role as Betty Suarez on the comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty, which won her a Primetime Emmy Award, A Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actor’s Guild Award. Ferrera’s newest show is NBC’s Superstore, in which she plays Amy, who is a floor supervisor at a fictional big-box store called Cloud 9. Superstore premieres on NBC on January 4th.
Floyd-Little Double Dutch Team (Girls Jump Rope Team)
Through practice, performance and perseverance, Floyd-Little’s Double Dutch Inc. (FLDD) has developed world-class and award winning jumpers and garnered thousands of followers. With over twenty years in the sport of double dutch these dedicated founders, Laila Little and Shaquannah Floyd, have started a movement. Their mission is to use double dutch as a tool to empower youth through education, healthy living and personal development.
Friday, January 8th (2016)
Matthew Broderick (Actor – “Sylvia“)
Matthew Broderick is an American actor and singer. His roles include the title character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the adult voice of Simba in Disney’s The Lion King trilogy, and Leo Bloom in The Producers. Broderick is also a Broadway star and is the youngest winner of the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He just wrapped up his role in the Broadway play, Sylvia, on January 3rd. Sylvia is about what happens when a smart, sassy, captivating canine befriends a New Yorker in Central Park and changes his life – and his wife’s life forever.
Sarah Parcak (Space Archaeologist)
Sarah Parcak is an associate professor of Anthropology and director of the Laboratory for Global Observation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is an American archaeologist, space archaeologist, and Egyptologist, who has used satellite imaging to identify potential archaeological sites in Egypt, Rome, and elsewhere in the former Roman Empire. In partnership with her husband, Dr. Greg Mumford, she directs survey and excavation projects in the Fayoum, Sinai, and Egypt’s East Delta. Parcak has been granted the 2016 TED prize to further improve her mission of identifying sub-surface civilizations using satellites originally used by the military.
Kacey Musgraves (Album – “Pageant Material“)
Kacey Lee Musgraves is an American singer. She self-released three albums before appearing on the fifth season of the singing competition Nashville Star in 2007, where she placed seventh. Her latest album is Pageant Material. The album has been met with critical acclaim. FADER featured Kacey on the cover as their first ever Country artist, Billboard says “Pageant Material folds in bits of confessional gravitas, classic Western textures and string-swathed, studio-pop finesse reminiscent of Glen Campbellor Bobbie Gentry…there s a new level of real talk even for Musgraves.” Hits Magazine called Pageant Material “An album for the ages. Kacey Musgraves stunning new set is brilliant from start to finish.”