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.
Get ready for an extraordinary week of the Late Show, Hubsters! Stephen serves us another round of distinct guests. It is week number six and we have actors and actresses, legendary musicians and contemporary artists, a CEO, hosts of a podcast, a symphony, a genius tap dancer, a late-night TV host and a former day-time TV host, plus the cast and director of the new movie “Crimson Peak.”
Which guests are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to take our poll. Have a delightful week!
Monday, October 12 (2015)
Carey Mulligan (Actress – “Suffragette“)
Carey Mulligan stars as Maud Watts in the new movie “Suffragette.” The film pertains to the early members of the British women’s suffragette movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. It is the first film in history to be shot in the House of Parliament. Sasha Stone of The Wrap writes, “With her half smile and her heavy-lidded, sad eyes, Mulligan’s Maud Watts is her best performance to date. She is the reason to see ‘Suffragette,’ and the thing that will make this film impossible to ignore come awards time. She carries it the way women used to back when they were given these kinds of opportunities.” “Suffragette” opens in the UK on October 12th and in the US on October 23rd.
Elvis Costello (Memoir – “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink“)
Iconic singer-songwriter and record producer, Elvis Costello, has written a new memoir called “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.” Costello wrote his enormous 674 page book completely on his own, without the assistance of an amanuensis. Dwight Garner of The New York Times writes, “We read about the making of many of his records. He sums up friends and collaborators in short, sharp strokes. (Bruce Springsteen ‘laughed like steam escaping from a radiator.’) He’s honest about his small magpie thefts from other musicians. He speaks about so many of the little-known songs that influenced him that you will begin to make playlists.” “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink” will be released on October 13th.
Stephen is a self-proclaimed fan of Costello, who appeared on The Colbert Report three times and performed songs with Stephen, such as the beautiful Everly Brothers song “All I Have To Do Is Dream.” Costello was also in “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All.”
Darlene Love (Album – “Introducing Darlene Love“)
Darlene Love is a legendary vocalist, best known for 60’s pop songs “He’s A Rebel” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” “Introducing Darlene Love” is her first new album in decades. The album is produced by E Street Band great Stevie Van Zandt and is comprised of all new recordings, including two tracks written by Elvis Costello – “Forbidden Nights” and “Still Too Soon To Know.” In an NPR review, Ann Powers states, “Too often with artists who enjoy popular revivals, the actual music gets lost in the rush to tell a tantalizing story, or to correct historical wrongs. Darlene Love deserves to be heard, really heard, and her voice has no problem reaching into the heart of anyone willing to listen. Many will note, given the album’s title, that this woman should need no introduction. In fact, she does — a musical one that puts her artistry first and matches her strength with smarts and bravado. She enjoys that here.”
Tuesday, October 13 (2015)
Sarah Silverman (Comedienne and Actress – “I Smile Back“)
Sarah Silverman stars in the new film, “I Smile Back.” This dramatic role is quite a departure for Silverman, who has been a comedian since the early 90s. She plays Laney, a suburban wife and mother of two children. Outwardly, her life looks perfect, but beneath the façade, she suffers from depression and compulsive behavior. It takes a dangerous event for her to face the painful root of her destructiveness. Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood said, “Sarah Silverman is an absolute revelation. A tour-de-force, career-changing performance.” And Joe Neumair of the New York Daily News states, “Sarah Silverman proves again that great comics can access deep wells of emotion.” “I Smile Back” opens in theaters in the US on October 23rd.
In an interview with the AV Club last year, Silverman had some very kind remarks about Stephen:
“Stephen Colbert, I just love. I love what he does so much and I think he’s such a special person. I know him peripherally and we hug hello, but I don’t really know him. I think he’s so special and he’s got so much heart. I really fell in love with him when I was driving and I heard him on [‘Fresh Air’ with] Terry Gross, talking about being Catholic. He’s one of the few comedians out there that isn’t a lapsed Catholic. He is Catholic. He was raised in the best possible way you can be raised with religion. I remember him saying his mother exposed him to Jesus Christ Superstar. Because he was a kid and they were religious, he said, ‘Mom, this is blasphemous, this is against God,’ and she said, ‘No, it’s art.’ I think that’s beautiful. He’s a beautiful person.”
Elijah Wood (Actor – “The Last Witch Hunter“)
Elijah Wood plays Dolan the 37th in the new movie “The Last Witch Hunter.” Dolan the 37th is a priest associated with an organization called The Order of the Axe and Cross. Vin Diesel stars as Kaulder, an immortal witch-hunter, who must stop a plague from ravaging New York City. Dolan’s task is to help Kaulder take down the Queen Witch and stop her from unleashing the plague. Wood was part of “The Last Witch Hunter” New York Comic Con panel on October 10th. From Kat Ward at Vulture: “When the moderator proposed a Tolkien trivia contest between Diesel and Wood, Frodo demurred, noting, ‘I actually think he’d kick my ass.’” “The Last Witch Hunter” opens in theaters on October 23rd.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (Game – “The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes“)
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a concert series. On their website, it states, “Now touring the United States and Canada, Symphony of the Goddesses brings Zelda fans and symphony goers alike an entirely new, exciting multimedia experience presenting over 28 years of music from The Legend of Zelda franchise as never before.” They will perform highlights from the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes game set to launch on October 23rd.
Wednesday, October 14 (2015)
Jack Black (Actor – “Goosebumps“)
Jack Black stars in the new 3D movie, “Goosebumps,” based on R.L. Stine’s children’s book series. Black plays R.L. Stine himself, the father of a girl named Hannah. He writes “Goosebumps” stories and keeps the ghosts and monsters locked up in his manuscripts. Hannah’s friends, Zach and Champ, accidentally open one of Stine’s books and release every ghost and monster from the manuscripts. Zach, Hannah and Stine team up in order to put the monsters back where they came from before they overrun the town and harm people. Black also voices “Slappy,” the evil ventriloquist’s dummy. Kevin P. Sullivan of Entertainment Weekly wrote in a review, “Black turns in solid work here to balance out the equation, using his signature exaggerated facial expressions and pronunciation to underline that everything on the screen — even the scares — is supposed to be fun.” “Goosebumps” opens in theaters on October 16th.
Nick Woodman (CEO of GoPro)
Nick Woodman is the founder and CEO of GoPro, an American manufacturer of action cameras, often used in extreme-action videography. On September 22nd, Woodman talked at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, where he confirmed that a GoPro drone is on its way and development is on track for the first half of 2016. Woodman did not give any hints at what the drone will do. GoPro recently released the Hero4 Session. “The Session doesn’t look like a GoPro that we’re used to. We tried to make the smallest, lightest, most convenient GoPro we could ever imagine. It’s waterproof out of the box,” Woodman said. GoPro has created a nonprofit organization called GoPro for a Cause. They will lend technical, production, financial, and marketing support to 10 organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Mauli Ola and Bicycles Against Poverty.
Michelle Dorrance (Tap Dancer and Founder of the Dorrance Dance/New York Troupe)
Michelle Dorrance is an American tap dancer, musician, choreographer, performer, artistic director and teacher, who combines tap with contemporary dance. She is the founder of Dorrance Dance/New York Troupe, which “aims to honor tap dance’s uniquely beautiful history in a new and dynamically compelling context, not by stripping the form of its tradition, but by pushing it: rhythmically, aesthetically and conceptually.” On September 28th it was announced that Dorrance was among 24 people selected as 2015 fellows of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The fellowships have come to be known as “genius grants” and come with a stipend of $625,000 with no strings attached.
On October 8th and 9th, Dorrance performed “Myelination” at the 2015 Fall for Dance Festival at City Center in New York City. “Myelination,” a new work commissioned by the festival. In a review of “Myelination,” Gia Kourlas, of The New York Times, stated, “Throughout, Ms. Dorrance, a brilliant conductor, pushes the boundaries of tap while exposing its true nature: that it is music. She juxtaposes quick duets and then, in fast gusts, pulls all of her instruments — the dancers — together in rows, bringing the stage to life with unison footwork. It’s a rush, and not a cheap one; Ms. Dorrance has choreographed a glittering closer that needs to have a second life after the festival. Please, someone, make that happen.”
Thursday, October 15 (2015)
Oprah Winfrey (Documentary – “Belief“)
Oprah Winfrey produced the documentary titled “Belief”, a seven night event that will start on October 18th at 8pm, on Oprah’s OWN Network. In this documentary, Oprah takes a look at many different religions and faiths, and tells the story of people all over the world, and what they believe. This has been a three year long project for Oprah, and she traveled to 32 countries to put this documentary together. In an article for Variety she had this to say about why she did this documentary, “I wanted to have a way to speak to people and be connected and cultivate more meaningful conversations that mattered to people.”
Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (Podcast and Book – “Welcome to Night Vale“)
Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor are the creators of the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale”, this show is about the fictional desert town of Night Vale, and the strange events that happen in this town. The show was created in 2012, and in 2013 had 150,000 downloads on iTunes, making it the most dowloaded podcast. The show has various guest writers and guest stars like Molly Quinn, Wil Wheaton, and Marc Evan Jackson. Fink and Cranor are also the authors of the book “Welcome Night Vale”, the book is based on events in the show, and it will be available for purchase on October 20, 2015.
Judith Hill (Album – “Back in Time”)
Judith Hill is an American singer/songwriter. Hill was a contestant on The Voice, where she made it to the top 8. Hill has done back up vocals for many famous artists such as Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. She released her first album “Back In Time” earlier this year. Prince produced this album, and even made it available for free to download. In an article by SoulTrain, they had this to say about the album, “Judith Hill has a voice that packs a passionate punch. Her delivery is an ace of spades, her emotion-driven range a queen of hearts. She hits hard in the pocket on all ten songs here. Hill’s performances are aggressively passionate while gracefully vulnerable, which proves to be a full house”.
Friday, October 16 (2015)
Jimmy Kimmel (Host – “Jimmy Kimmel Live”)
Jimmy Kimmel is a producer, writer, comedian, and host of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel has been the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live since 2003, and he is taking his show to Brooklyn this year. Kimmel was born and raised in Brooklyn, and this is the second time he is bringing his show back to his hometown. Kimmel will be in Brooklyn the week of October 19, and his show will be at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. Some of the guests for that week include Jay Z, Bill Murray, Howard Stern, and Misty Copeland.
Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Guillermo Del Toro (Cast and Director – “Crimson Peak“)
Chastain, Hiddleston, and Wasikowska all star in the up coming film “Crimson Peak”, which is about a 19th century author who gets married , and realizes her husband and his sister are hiding the family’s dark secrets . Guillermo Del Toro directs the film, and in this film has decided to go against the traditional gender roles that would normally appear in a Gothic Romance. Del Torro explained why he did this in an article for Reuters, “In this story the heroine saves herself. I think that’s very powerful because … in many ways we all have to do that,”. The film opens in theaters October 16, 2015.
Beach House (Album – “Thank Your Lucky Stars”)
Beach House is a pop/indie rock duo made up of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand. The two have created 6 albums, the latest being “Thank Your Lucky Stars”. They are releasing this album only 2 months after releasing their 5th album “Depression Cherry”. The duo had this to say about the album “Thematically, this record often feels political. It’s hard to put it into words, but something about the record made us want to release it without the normal ‘campaign.’ We wanted it to simply enter the world and exist.” The album “Thank Your Lucky Stars” will be released on October 16, 2015.
Better Know A Guest – October 12 – 16, 2015
Get ready for an extraordinary week of the Late Show, Hubsters! Stephen serves us another round of distinct guests. It is week number six and we have actors and actresses, legendary musicians and contemporary artists, a CEO, hosts of a podcast, a symphony, a genius tap dancer, a late-night TV host and a former day-time TV host, plus the cast and director of the new movie “Crimson Peak.”
Which guests are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section and don’t forget to take our poll. Have a delightful week!
Monday, October 12 (2015)
Carey Mulligan (Actress – “Suffragette“)
Carey Mulligan stars as Maud Watts in the new movie “Suffragette.” The film pertains to the early members of the British women’s suffragette movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. It is the first film in history to be shot in the House of Parliament. Sasha Stone of The Wrap writes, “With her half smile and her heavy-lidded, sad eyes, Mulligan’s Maud Watts is her best performance to date. She is the reason to see ‘Suffragette,’ and the thing that will make this film impossible to ignore come awards time. She carries it the way women used to back when they were given these kinds of opportunities.” “Suffragette” opens in the UK on October 12th and in the US on October 23rd.
Elvis Costello (Memoir – “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink“)
Iconic singer-songwriter and record producer, Elvis Costello, has written a new memoir called “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink.” Costello wrote his enormous 674 page book completely on his own, without the assistance of an amanuensis. Dwight Garner of The New York Times writes, “We read about the making of many of his records. He sums up friends and collaborators in short, sharp strokes. (Bruce Springsteen ‘laughed like steam escaping from a radiator.’) He’s honest about his small magpie thefts from other musicians. He speaks about so many of the little-known songs that influenced him that you will begin to make playlists.” “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink” will be released on October 13th.
Stephen is a self-proclaimed fan of Costello, who appeared on The Colbert Report three times and performed songs with Stephen, such as the beautiful Everly Brothers song “All I Have To Do Is Dream.” Costello was also in “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All.”
Darlene Love (Album – “Introducing Darlene Love“)
Darlene Love is a legendary vocalist, best known for 60’s pop songs “He’s A Rebel” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” “Introducing Darlene Love” is her first new album in decades. The album is produced by E Street Band great Stevie Van Zandt and is comprised of all new recordings, including two tracks written by Elvis Costello – “Forbidden Nights” and “Still Too Soon To Know.” In an NPR review, Ann Powers states, “Too often with artists who enjoy popular revivals, the actual music gets lost in the rush to tell a tantalizing story, or to correct historical wrongs. Darlene Love deserves to be heard, really heard, and her voice has no problem reaching into the heart of anyone willing to listen. Many will note, given the album’s title, that this woman should need no introduction. In fact, she does — a musical one that puts her artistry first and matches her strength with smarts and bravado. She enjoys that here.”
Tuesday, October 13 (2015)
Sarah Silverman (Comedienne and Actress – “I Smile Back“)
Sarah Silverman stars in the new film, “I Smile Back.” This dramatic role is quite a departure for Silverman, who has been a comedian since the early 90s. She plays Laney, a suburban wife and mother of two children. Outwardly, her life looks perfect, but beneath the façade, she suffers from depression and compulsive behavior. It takes a dangerous event for her to face the painful root of her destructiveness. Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood said, “Sarah Silverman is an absolute revelation. A tour-de-force, career-changing performance.” And Joe Neumair of the New York Daily News states, “Sarah Silverman proves again that great comics can access deep wells of emotion.” “I Smile Back” opens in theaters in the US on October 23rd.
In an interview with the AV Club last year, Silverman had some very kind remarks about Stephen:
Elijah Wood (Actor – “The Last Witch Hunter“)
Elijah Wood plays Dolan the 37th in the new movie “The Last Witch Hunter.” Dolan the 37th is a priest associated with an organization called The Order of the Axe and Cross. Vin Diesel stars as Kaulder, an immortal witch-hunter, who must stop a plague from ravaging New York City. Dolan’s task is to help Kaulder take down the Queen Witch and stop her from unleashing the plague. Wood was part of “The Last Witch Hunter” New York Comic Con panel on October 10th. From Kat Ward at Vulture: “When the moderator proposed a Tolkien trivia contest between Diesel and Wood, Frodo demurred, noting, ‘I actually think he’d kick my ass.’” “The Last Witch Hunter” opens in theaters on October 23rd.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (Game – “The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes“)
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses is a concert series. On their website, it states, “Now touring the United States and Canada, Symphony of the Goddesses brings Zelda fans and symphony goers alike an entirely new, exciting multimedia experience presenting over 28 years of music from The Legend of Zelda franchise as never before.” They will perform highlights from the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes game set to launch on October 23rd.
Wednesday, October 14 (2015)
Jack Black (Actor – “Goosebumps“)
Jack Black stars in the new 3D movie, “Goosebumps,” based on R.L. Stine’s children’s book series. Black plays R.L. Stine himself, the father of a girl named Hannah. He writes “Goosebumps” stories and keeps the ghosts and monsters locked up in his manuscripts. Hannah’s friends, Zach and Champ, accidentally open one of Stine’s books and release every ghost and monster from the manuscripts. Zach, Hannah and Stine team up in order to put the monsters back where they came from before they overrun the town and harm people. Black also voices “Slappy,” the evil ventriloquist’s dummy. Kevin P. Sullivan of Entertainment Weekly wrote in a review, “Black turns in solid work here to balance out the equation, using his signature exaggerated facial expressions and pronunciation to underline that everything on the screen — even the scares — is supposed to be fun.” “Goosebumps” opens in theaters on October 16th.
Nick Woodman (CEO of GoPro)
Nick Woodman is the founder and CEO of GoPro, an American manufacturer of action cameras, often used in extreme-action videography. On September 22nd, Woodman talked at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, where he confirmed that a GoPro drone is on its way and development is on track for the first half of 2016. Woodman did not give any hints at what the drone will do. GoPro recently released the Hero4 Session. “The Session doesn’t look like a GoPro that we’re used to. We tried to make the smallest, lightest, most convenient GoPro we could ever imagine. It’s waterproof out of the box,” Woodman said. GoPro has created a nonprofit organization called GoPro for a Cause. They will lend technical, production, financial, and marketing support to 10 organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Mauli Ola and Bicycles Against Poverty.
Michelle Dorrance (Tap Dancer and Founder of the Dorrance Dance/New York Troupe)
Michelle Dorrance is an American tap dancer, musician, choreographer, performer, artistic director and teacher, who combines tap with contemporary dance. She is the founder of Dorrance Dance/New York Troupe, which “aims to honor tap dance’s uniquely beautiful history in a new and dynamically compelling context, not by stripping the form of its tradition, but by pushing it: rhythmically, aesthetically and conceptually.” On September 28th it was announced that Dorrance was among 24 people selected as 2015 fellows of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The fellowships have come to be known as “genius grants” and come with a stipend of $625,000 with no strings attached.
On October 8th and 9th, Dorrance performed “Myelination” at the 2015 Fall for Dance Festival at City Center in New York City. “Myelination,” a new work commissioned by the festival. In a review of “Myelination,” Gia Kourlas, of The New York Times, stated, “Throughout, Ms. Dorrance, a brilliant conductor, pushes the boundaries of tap while exposing its true nature: that it is music. She juxtaposes quick duets and then, in fast gusts, pulls all of her instruments — the dancers — together in rows, bringing the stage to life with unison footwork. It’s a rush, and not a cheap one; Ms. Dorrance has choreographed a glittering closer that needs to have a second life after the festival. Please, someone, make that happen.”
Thursday, October 15 (2015)
Oprah Winfrey (Documentary – “Belief“)
Oprah Winfrey produced the documentary titled “Belief”, a seven night event that will start on October 18th at 8pm, on Oprah’s OWN Network. In this documentary, Oprah takes a look at many different religions and faiths, and tells the story of people all over the world, and what they believe. This has been a three year long project for Oprah, and she traveled to 32 countries to put this documentary together. In an article for Variety she had this to say about why she did this documentary, “I wanted to have a way to speak to people and be connected and cultivate more meaningful conversations that mattered to people.”
Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor (Podcast and Book – “Welcome to Night Vale“)
Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor are the creators of the podcast “Welcome to Night Vale”, this show is about the fictional desert town of Night Vale, and the strange events that happen in this town. The show was created in 2012, and in 2013 had 150,000 downloads on iTunes, making it the most dowloaded podcast. The show has various guest writers and guest stars like Molly Quinn, Wil Wheaton, and Marc Evan Jackson. Fink and Cranor are also the authors of the book “Welcome Night Vale”, the book is based on events in the show, and it will be available for purchase on October 20, 2015.
Judith Hill (Album – “Back in Time”)
Judith Hill is an American singer/songwriter. Hill was a contestant on The Voice, where she made it to the top 8. Hill has done back up vocals for many famous artists such as Elton John, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder. She released her first album “Back In Time” earlier this year. Prince produced this album, and even made it available for free to download. In an article by SoulTrain, they had this to say about the album, “Judith Hill has a voice that packs a passionate punch. Her delivery is an ace of spades, her emotion-driven range a queen of hearts. She hits hard in the pocket on all ten songs here. Hill’s performances are aggressively passionate while gracefully vulnerable, which proves to be a full house”.
Friday, October 16 (2015)
Jimmy Kimmel (Host – “Jimmy Kimmel Live”)
Jimmy Kimmel is a producer, writer, comedian, and host of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel has been the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live since 2003, and he is taking his show to Brooklyn this year. Kimmel was born and raised in Brooklyn, and this is the second time he is bringing his show back to his hometown. Kimmel will be in Brooklyn the week of October 19, and his show will be at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. Some of the guests for that week include Jay Z, Bill Murray, Howard Stern, and Misty Copeland.
Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, Guillermo Del Toro (Cast and Director – “Crimson Peak“)
Chastain, Hiddleston, and Wasikowska all star in the up coming film “Crimson Peak”, which is about a 19th century author who gets married , and realizes her husband and his sister are hiding the family’s dark secrets . Guillermo Del Toro directs the film, and in this film has decided to go against the traditional gender roles that would normally appear in a Gothic Romance. Del Torro explained why he did this in an article for Reuters, “In this story the heroine saves herself. I think that’s very powerful because … in many ways we all have to do that,”. The film opens in theaters October 16, 2015.
Beach House (Album – “Thank Your Lucky Stars”)
Beach House is a pop/indie rock duo made up of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand. The two have created 6 albums, the latest being “Thank Your Lucky Stars”. They are releasing this album only 2 months after releasing their 5th album “Depression Cherry”. The duo had this to say about the album “Thematically, this record often feels political. It’s hard to put it into words, but something about the record made us want to release it without the normal ‘campaign.’ We wanted it to simply enter the world and exist.” The album “Thank Your Lucky Stars” will be released on October 16, 2015.