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.
Hello Hubsters! Welcome to a brand new ‘Better Know A Guest’. This week there will be some very exciting people on the show. We have the First Lady Michelle Obama, John Oliver, John Legend, Ellen Page and many many more. We are going into week 4 of the show, and it looks to be like an amazing week. Which show are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section. Will Stephen ask Oliver about his activist efforts in his satire? Will Stephen sing with John Legend for old times’ sake? Let us know the issues, and or questions you would like to hear the show discuss this week, down in the comment section below.
Here are your guests for the week!
Monday, September 28 (2015)
Michelle Obama (“Let Girls Learn” and “Reach Higher“)
First Lady Michelle Obama has helped with the ‘Let Girls Learn’ government initiative, which helps the 62 million girls around the world get the education they deserve, and to get rid of the complications that makes it harder for these girls, so that they can go further in their education. The ‘Reach Higher’ project is another effort in which the First Lady is trying to expand the education of children in America, this project helps students to get inspired to go beyond their high school education by helping them plan financially and academically, so that they are prepared for a college education. The First Lady joined Stephen and the other co hosts at the ‘Global Citizen Festival’ to help raise awareness for girls education. In a recent article written by the First Lady for ‘The Wall Street Journal’, she stated this about her efforts in helping girls around the world get the education they deserve:
“While the focus of this work is international, Let Girls Learn is also about inspiring young people here at home to commit to their education. Through Let Girls Learn, I want girls—and boys—here in the U.S. to learn about the challenges girls world-wide face in getting an education. I want them to understand that even though their own school might be far from perfect—and my husband is working hard to change that—they still have a responsibility to show up every day and learn as much as they can. And I want them to connect with other young people from every background and nationality, particularly young women who set such a powerful example.”
John Legend (Campaign – “We the People“)
John Legend is helping with the ‘We the People’ campaign to help raise awareness of the UN Global Goals, through this campaign you can record yourself talking about one of the 17 UN Global Goals listed, so that you can become part of the video to help raise awareness on these issues. John Legend is also working with the ‘LRNG Innovation Initiative Challenge’ to help teachers inspire more creativity in the classroom, and to help teachers get grants for certain projects. John Legend had this to say about his efforts in helping with LRNG, “We’re certainly tapping into demand from the young people to have an education that’s really suited to the 21st century and to the needs they have,”.
Tuesday, September 29 (2015)
Ellen Page (Actress – “Freeheld“)
Ellen Page stars in the new film ‘Freeheld’, which is about the true story of a New Jersey Detective Lieutenant who is diagnosed with cancer, and becomes terminally ill, and then must to fight for her rights for her partner, Stacie Andree, to get her pension when she dies. The film goes deeper and shows the struggle she had with the “Ocean County Freeholders”, her battle with cancer, and her relationship with her partner. Ellen wanted their story to be told, and in a recent article with ‘The Daily News’ said how she helps this film will open people’s eyes to the struggle for equality, “We see stories about people we thought were different from us, and then we realize they’re really not. And that’s the only way progress is made.” The film will open in theaters starting October 2, 2015.
Jesse Eisenberg (Actor – “American Ultra” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“)
Jesse Eisenberg recently starred in the film ‘American Ultra’ with Kristen Stewart. This film was released August 21, 2015, and is about a man named Mike Howell who is a drug using government agent, working under cover in a failed CIA operation that ends up having Mike targeted to get killed by criminals. Eisenberg will also be in the highly anticipated film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’. In a recent article for ‘Cinema Blend’ Eisenberg discussed why people will enjoy the film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, “The man wrote the movie, Chris Terrio, is absolutely phenomenal. He also wrote Argo. He’s such a brilliant guy, so well read. He’s interested in very sophisticated topics and discussions. So in Batman V Superman, even though it’s a superhero movie, people who don’t necessarily see movies in that genre, like this crowd, will probably enjoy it. It discusses sophisticated and important themes.” ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ will be released March 25, 2016.
Dominic Wilcox (Inventor and Designer)
Dominic Wilcox is an inventor and designer who comes up with very impractical inventions and ideas. Liam Saint Pierre did a short film called ‘The Reinvention of Normal’, which features Wilcox and some of his inventions, including the stained glass driverless car. In a recent article on the website ‘This is Colossal’ , Wilcox had this to say about why he comes up with impractical inventions, “Let’s do the ridiculous and by doing the ridiculous something else might come of it.”
Wednesday, September 30 (2015)
John Oliver (Host – “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver“)
John Oliver is the host of the HBO show ‘Last Week Tonight’, which won it’s first Emmy for ‘Outstanding Interactive Program’ this year. John Oliver has taken political satire to the next level by getting his audience involved on certain issues, and taking action. The website ‘The Conversation’ has taken notice, and had this to say about Oliver, “Oliver has now distinguished his new program by moving a step closer to activism. Like Stewart, Oliver allows himself to become incensed about an issue – clearly assuming his viewers will, too – but he doesn’t stop there. On multiple occasions, he has concluded his segments by offering instructions to his audience on what they can do to take action.” His latest action was the opening of his “church” called ‘Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption’, which he did to expose Televangelism, and how churches receive tax exemptions. The show has been signed on for two more seasons, the show is currently in season 2, with season 3 starting in 2016.
Evan Spiegel (Co-Founder and CEO of Snapchat)
Evan Spiegal is the co-founder and CEO of Snapchat, a mobile app. While studying product design at Stanford, Spiegal proposed Snapchat as a class project. Snapchat
allows users to take photos or video and add text or drawings to it. These are known as “Snaps.” The user can then send out the Snap to a controlled set of recipients, who can view it for up to 10 seconds before million Snaps are viewed per day.
Bill Withers (“Lean On Him: A Tribute to Bill Withers”) and Ed Sheeran (Performer at “Lean on Him”)
Bill Withers is an American blues and R&B singer/songwriter who is famously known for the hit songs ‘Lean on Me’, ‘Just the Two of Us’ , and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. He was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ this year. On October 1, 2015, there will be a tribute concert for Bill Withers at Carnegie Hall. Withers has not stated whether he will be performing at the concert. Ed Sheeran is one of the many performers to pay tribute to Bill Withers at this concert, and will be headlining the event along with D’Angelo. Other performers include Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Kathy Mattea, and many more. General Admission for the event is sold out, but there are still VIP tickets available, and they can be purchased on this site : http://www.musicof.org
Thursday,October 1 (2015)
John Kerry (United States Secretary of State)
Secretary Kerry is currently in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. His seven day trip began on Saturday, September 26th. He will participate in over 60 meetings and events. Recently, Secretary Kerry led negotiations with Iran to curtail Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon. On Monday, he met with Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif. Kerry has also presided over the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba and has worked with partners from around the world to limit the effects of climate change.
Claire Danes (Actress – “Homeland“)
Claire Danes stars Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer with bipolar disorder, in the hit Showtime series, ʻHomeland.ʼ For her role, Danes has received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. On September 25th, Danes was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The fifth season, premiering on Sunday, October 4th, takes places two years after the events of season four, and is set in Berlin, Germany, where Mathison works for a private security firm, and is no longer an intelligence officer.
PewDiePie (YouTube Comedian)
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better know as PewDiePie, is a Swedish web-based comedian and producer. PewDiePie has over 39 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel. He refers to his fans as the “Bro Army.” The main focus on PewDiePie’s videos are his commentary to the video games he plays. Variety said, “PewDiePie acts like he’s spending time with a friend. He begins each video introducing himself in a high- pitched, goofy voice, drawing out the vowels of his YouTube moniker, then delves into the videos.”
Friday,October 2 (2015)
Morgan Freeman (Executive Producer – “Madam Secretary“)
Legendary actor, Morgan Freeman, plays a United States Senator in the upcoming film, ‘Momentum.’ The film is a fast-paced thriller about a mysterious thief and a master assassin. ‘Momentum’ opens in the US on October 16th. Freeman is an executive producer of the CBS drama series, ‘Madam Secretary.’ He will have a cameo as a Supreme Court Justice on October 4th, 2015 on CBS.
Ruth Wilson (Actress – “The Affair“)
Ruth Wilson stars as Alison Bailey on the Showtime series ‘The Affair.’ Wilson won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama for her performance in the first season of ‘The Affair.’ In a review of the second season, Brian Lowry from Variety said, “‘The Affair’ is ambitious and meticulously executed, a grown-up series that allows its characters to be flawed and unhappy in a very real, sometime profound way.” The second season of ‘The Affair’ premieres on Showtime on Sunday, October 4th.
Sean Murray (Founder of Hello Games)
Sean Murray will join Stephen for an interview and demonstration. Murray is the co- founder of Hello Games, a British video game developer and publisher. They are best known for the critically acclaimed ‘Joe Danger’ series. Murray is currently working on the highly anticipated, ‘No Man’s Sky.’ On the Hello Games website, Murray stated, “My degree was straight Computer Science which generally frowned on anything games related. Becoming a game developer from there was definitely my dream job.”
Better Know A Guest – September 28 – October 2, 2015
Hello Hubsters! Welcome to a brand new ‘Better Know A Guest’. This week there will be some very exciting people on the show. We have the First Lady Michelle Obama, John Oliver, John Legend, Ellen Page and many many more. We are going into week 4 of the show, and it looks to be like an amazing week. Which show are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comment section. Will Stephen ask Oliver about his activist efforts in his satire? Will Stephen sing with John Legend for old times’ sake? Let us know the issues, and or questions you would like to hear the show discuss this week, down in the comment section below.
Here are your guests for the week!
Monday, September 28 (2015)
Michelle Obama (“Let Girls Learn” and “Reach Higher“)
First Lady Michelle Obama has helped with the ‘Let Girls Learn’ government initiative, which helps the 62 million girls around the world get the education they deserve, and to get rid of the complications that makes it harder for these girls, so that they can go further in their education. The ‘Reach Higher’ project is another effort in which the First Lady is trying to expand the education of children in America, this project helps students to get inspired to go beyond their high school education by helping them plan financially and academically, so that they are prepared for a college education. The First Lady joined Stephen and the other co hosts at the ‘Global Citizen Festival’ to help raise awareness for girls education. In a recent article written by the First Lady for ‘The Wall Street Journal’, she stated this about her efforts in helping girls around the world get the education they deserve:
“While the focus of this work is international, Let Girls Learn is also about inspiring young people here at home to commit to their education. Through Let Girls Learn, I want girls—and boys—here in the U.S. to learn about the challenges girls world-wide face in getting an education. I want them to understand that even though their own school might be far from perfect—and my husband is working hard to change that—they still have a responsibility to show up every day and learn as much as they can. And I want them to connect with other young people from every background and nationality, particularly young women who set such a powerful example.”
John Legend (Campaign – “We the People“)
John Legend is helping with the ‘We the People’ campaign to help raise awareness of the UN Global Goals, through this campaign you can record yourself talking about one of the 17 UN Global Goals listed, so that you can become part of the video to help raise awareness on these issues. John Legend is also working with the ‘LRNG Innovation Initiative Challenge’ to help teachers inspire more creativity in the classroom, and to help teachers get grants for certain projects. John Legend had this to say about his efforts in helping with LRNG, “We’re certainly tapping into demand from the young people to have an education that’s really suited to the 21st century and to the needs they have,”.
Tuesday, September 29 (2015)
Ellen Page (Actress – “Freeheld“)
Ellen Page stars in the new film ‘Freeheld’, which is about the true story of a New Jersey Detective Lieutenant who is diagnosed with cancer, and becomes terminally ill, and then must to fight for her rights for her partner, Stacie Andree, to get her pension when she dies. The film goes deeper and shows the struggle she had with the “Ocean County Freeholders”, her battle with cancer, and her relationship with her partner. Ellen wanted their story to be told, and in a recent article with ‘The Daily News’ said how she helps this film will open people’s eyes to the struggle for equality, “We see stories about people we thought were different from us, and then we realize they’re really not. And that’s the only way progress is made.” The film will open in theaters starting October 2, 2015.
Jesse Eisenberg (Actor – “American Ultra” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice“)
Jesse Eisenberg recently starred in the film ‘American Ultra’ with Kristen Stewart. This film was released August 21, 2015, and is about a man named Mike Howell who is a drug using government agent, working under cover in a failed CIA operation that ends up having Mike targeted to get killed by criminals. Eisenberg will also be in the highly anticipated film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’. In a recent article for ‘Cinema Blend’ Eisenberg discussed why people will enjoy the film ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’, “The man wrote the movie, Chris Terrio, is absolutely phenomenal. He also wrote Argo. He’s such a brilliant guy, so well read. He’s interested in very sophisticated topics and discussions. So in Batman V Superman, even though it’s a superhero movie, people who don’t necessarily see movies in that genre, like this crowd, will probably enjoy it. It discusses sophisticated and important themes.” ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ will be released March 25, 2016.
Dominic Wilcox (Inventor and Designer)
Dominic Wilcox is an inventor and designer who comes up with very impractical inventions and ideas. Liam Saint Pierre did a short film called ‘The Reinvention of Normal’, which features Wilcox and some of his inventions, including the stained glass driverless car. In a recent article on the website ‘This is Colossal’ , Wilcox had this to say about why he comes up with impractical inventions, “Let’s do the ridiculous and by doing the ridiculous something else might come of it.”
Wednesday, September 30 (2015)
John Oliver (Host – “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver“)
John Oliver is the host of the HBO show ‘Last Week Tonight’, which won it’s first Emmy for ‘Outstanding Interactive Program’ this year. John Oliver has taken political satire to the next level by getting his audience involved on certain issues, and taking action. The website ‘The Conversation’ has taken notice, and had this to say about Oliver, “Oliver has now distinguished his new program by moving a step closer to activism. Like Stewart, Oliver allows himself to become incensed about an issue – clearly assuming his viewers will, too – but he doesn’t stop there. On multiple occasions, he has concluded his segments by offering instructions to his audience on what they can do to take action.” His latest action was the opening of his “church” called ‘Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption’, which he did to expose Televangelism, and how churches receive tax exemptions. The show has been signed on for two more seasons, the show is currently in season 2, with season 3 starting in 2016.
Evan Spiegel (Co-Founder and CEO of Snapchat)
Evan Spiegal is the co-founder and CEO of Snapchat, a mobile app. While studying product design at Stanford, Spiegal proposed Snapchat as a class project. Snapchat
allows users to take photos or video and add text or drawings to it. These are known as “Snaps.” The user can then send out the Snap to a controlled set of recipients, who can view it for up to 10 seconds before million Snaps are viewed per day.
Bill Withers (“Lean On Him: A Tribute to Bill Withers”) and Ed Sheeran (Performer at “Lean on Him”)
Bill Withers is an American blues and R&B singer/songwriter who is famously known for the hit songs ‘Lean on Me’, ‘Just the Two of Us’ , and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. He was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ this year. On October 1, 2015, there will be a tribute concert for Bill Withers at Carnegie Hall. Withers has not stated whether he will be performing at the concert. Ed Sheeran is one of the many performers to pay tribute to Bill Withers at this concert, and will be headlining the event along with D’Angelo. Other performers include Aloe Blacc, Sheryl Crow, Kathy Mattea, and many more. General Admission for the event is sold out, but there are still VIP tickets available, and they can be purchased on this site : http://www.musicof.org
Thursday,October 1 (2015)
John Kerry (United States Secretary of State)
Secretary Kerry is currently in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. His seven day trip began on Saturday, September 26th. He will participate in over 60 meetings and events. Recently, Secretary Kerry led negotiations with Iran to curtail Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon. On Monday, he met with Iranian Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif. Kerry has also presided over the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba and has worked with partners from around the world to limit the effects of climate change.
Claire Danes (Actress – “Homeland“)
Claire Danes stars Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer with bipolar disorder, in the hit Showtime series, ʻHomeland.ʼ For her role, Danes has received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. On September 25th, Danes was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The fifth season, premiering on Sunday, October 4th, takes places two years after the events of season four, and is set in Berlin, Germany, where Mathison works for a private security firm, and is no longer an intelligence officer.
PewDiePie (YouTube Comedian)
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better know as PewDiePie, is a Swedish web-based comedian and producer. PewDiePie has over 39 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel. He refers to his fans as the “Bro Army.” The main focus on PewDiePie’s videos are his commentary to the video games he plays. Variety said, “PewDiePie acts like he’s spending time with a friend. He begins each video introducing himself in a high- pitched, goofy voice, drawing out the vowels of his YouTube moniker, then delves into the videos.”
Friday,October 2 (2015)
Morgan Freeman (Executive Producer – “Madam Secretary“)
Legendary actor, Morgan Freeman, plays a United States Senator in the upcoming film, ‘Momentum.’ The film is a fast-paced thriller about a mysterious thief and a master assassin. ‘Momentum’ opens in the US on October 16th. Freeman is an executive producer of the CBS drama series, ‘Madam Secretary.’ He will have a cameo as a Supreme Court Justice on October 4th, 2015 on CBS.
Ruth Wilson (Actress – “The Affair“)
Ruth Wilson stars as Alison Bailey on the Showtime series ‘The Affair.’ Wilson won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama for her performance in the first season of ‘The Affair.’ In a review of the second season, Brian Lowry from Variety said, “‘The Affair’ is ambitious and meticulously executed, a grown-up series that allows its characters to be flawed and unhappy in a very real, sometime profound way.” The second season of ‘The Affair’ premieres on Showtime on Sunday, October 4th.
Sean Murray (Founder of Hello Games)
Sean Murray will join Stephen for an interview and demonstration. Murray is the co- founder of Hello Games, a British video game developer and publisher. They are best known for the critically acclaimed ‘Joe Danger’ series. Murray is currently working on the highly anticipated, ‘No Man’s Sky.’ On the Hello Games website, Murray stated, “My degree was straight Computer Science which generally frowned on anything games related. Becoming a game developer from there was definitely my dream job.”