Stephen Colbert Honoured at the Oscar Wilde Awards 2015

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Stephen Colbert was honoured last night at the 10th annual Oscar Wilde Awards, which recognises the contributions of the Irish in film and television. The easygoing event created by the noprofit US-Ireland Alliance, saw the Colbeard make it’s public debut, becoming an instant hit on the green carpet. The event also marked the return of Colbert’s hipster glasses.

Talking to The Daily Beast, Stephen explained that:

“I have not allowed this to happen to my face since college because I’ve been working professionally pretty constantly since then. I have like nine months where nobody has to see me so I said, ‘I wonder what I look like?’”

But what does Mrs Colbert think of the Colbeard?

“My wife has gotten used to it now. At first she wasn’t sure who this man in bed with her was,” he joked. “She likes it OK, so I guess I’m OK with it.” [E Online]

Stephen Colbert Debuts New Beard and Instantly Becomes a Silver Fox
By Bruna Nessif and Alyssa Toomey

The nonprofit U.S.-Ireland Alliance created the casual soiree, which took place at J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production company in Santa Monica, to recognize the contributions of the Irish in film and television.

“I love this event and all it stands for and the U.S.-Ireland Alliance,” Abrams told the audience upon introducing the funnyman to accept his accolade. “Still, I cannot f–king believe Stephen Colbert agreed to accept this award. I cannot believe it!”

“I’m honored and do not deserve what has just happened to me tonight…,” the 50-year-old comedian told the crowd before poking fun at his new look. “I haven’t been on stage in two months, my show ended two months ago and I’m technically—for the record, I’m not in character, this is me, right now—and it turns out, a lot of people don’t know this, but the real Stephen Colbert had a beard the whole time. I was just so deeply in character for ten years you never noticed, that’s how good of an actor I am.”

Unsurprisingly, Colbert brought the laughs during his speech, which ignited a number of cheers from the crowd as he praised the Irish people in addition to playfully poking fun at their legacy.

“When one thinks of Ireland, one thinks of Los Angeles,” Colbert, whose middle name, Tyrone, is of Irish origin, quipped. “Very much the same only in Los Angeles the grass is brown, the sheep have implants and people starve themselves on purpose.”

And in case that wasn’t enough to remind you just how much the satirist’s humor is missed on the boob tube, he then hilariously called the potato famine the “original Atkins diet.”

Source: E Online

Stephen Colbert On Dropping ‘The Colbert Report’ Persona and the Glorious Debut of ‘The Colbeard’
By Jen Yamato

[…] The Colbeard was an instant hit on the red carpet. “In a pre-industrial stainless steel razor’s edge society, this is what I would have looked like all the time,” he said.

It’s almost Clooney-esque, I offer.

“You know what? I was too humble to drop the C-word, but I’m gonna say Clooney-esque right now—and I’m only echoing you,” he smiled.

The facial hair may not be here to stay as Colbert approaches his new late-night gig, but it slyly got people pondering what is different about the 50-year-old comedian. Gone will be the “Stephen Colbert” clueless pundit persona as the one-time drama student-turned-Second City improv performer revisits his comedy roots.

“I’m looking forward to telling jokes on a nightly basis,” he said. “That’s what I got into this game for, the laughs. And no one should ever mistake me for a newsman and I’m glad now that they don’t have to.”

“As a performer I’m jonesing. I haven’t been onstage in two months,” he said. “My show ended two months ago and technically, for the record, I’m not in character. This is me. It turns out the real Stephen Colbert had a beard the whole time, I was just so deeply in character for 10 years you didn’t notice. That’s how good of an actor I am.”

During the show held at Abrams’ Bad Robot headquarters, Stephen Fry waxed lovingly over Oscar Wilde recipient and old pal Carrie Fisher, but Colbert scored big laughs and showed off those comedy chops in a rollicking 10-minute set riffing almost entirely on the Irish and his fifth-gen Irish heritage (with a little Star Wars thrown in).

When I heard an alliance wanted to give me an award at J.J. Abrams’ production company I thought ‘Great, the Rebel Alliance! Wedge Antilles can give it to me and Chewbacca will go [Chewbacca growl] at the end. Then I found out it was the US-Ireland Alliance and I thought, that’s good too.

Yes, for many years I tried to pass as French. But I’m happy to say tonight with this award I can now finally, openly, be proudly, flamboyantly Irish, and I hope that there are young people out there who are still in the Irish closet and see this as something that gives them the courage to come out. I want them all to know that it gets better.

[…] There is no other award being given out in Los Angeles this week named after an Oscar I would want more than this.

Source: The Daily Beast

Stephen Colbert Grows a Glorious Beard and Contemplates Sex With Princess Leia in Oscar Wilde Award Speech
By Kara Warner

In addition to his facial hair, which fellow honoree Carrie Fisher told the crowd is sure to get him “so laid,” Colbert happily showed off his non-Report persona (a.k.a. his real personality) via a crowd-pleasing acceptance speech in which he considered Fisher’s sexual innuendo, came out of the Irish closet, and boldly addressed “racist” Irish stereotypes. Here are the highlights:

• “I’m not sure which is more exciting, getting this award or the fact that I might have sex with Princess Leia tonight. That would be nice, that would be nice, thank you.”

• “I’m thrilled to be here, as a performer I’ve been jonesing. I haven’t been onstage in two months; my show ended two months ago and, for the record, I’m not in character. This is me right now and it turns out — a lot of people didn’t know this — the real Stephen Colbert had a beard the whole time. I was just so deeply in character for ten years you never noticed, that’s how good of an actor I am.”

• “J.J., thank you so much. What do you say about a man like J.J. Abrams [who emceed the event and presented the award to Colbert] that hasn’t already been said, hidden in some obscure code in the background of a single frame of a scene in Felicity 13 years ago? All I have to say to you, my friend, is: A blue jay jogs my rivals and I mean that.”

• “When I heard that an alliance wanted to give me an award at J.J.’s production company I thought, Great, the Rebel Alliance. Wedge Antilles can give it to me and Chewbacca can go “Waaoooo” at the end, but when I found out it was the U.S.-Ireland Alliance, I thought, That’s good too.”

• “The U.S.-Ireland Alliance was formed in 1998, and since then the Euro has been introduced, we have Rovers on Mars, we have brought righteous justice to Osama bin Laden and anyone who says the US-Ireland had nothing to do with those things I will fight you! And no, I will not fight you because I’m Irish, that is racist! I will fight you because I am drunk. And no, I am not drunk because I am Irish, that is racist!

• “It’s so fitting to be here to accept this award because when one thinks of Ireland one thinks, Los Angeles. The grass is brown, the sheep have implants, and people starve themselves on purpose.”

• “I know what people are saying. They’re saying, ‘Hey, Stephen Colbert. That name sounds French, what gives?’ Well, first of all, please don’t interrupt me when I’m talking and second of all, yes, for many years I tried to pass as French, but I’m happy to say tonight with this award I can now finally, openly, be proudly, flamboyantly Irish, and I hope there are young people out there who are still in the Irish closet and see this as something that gives them courage to come out. I want them all to know, that it gets better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get better for the Irish. They’ve been waiting a long time.”

• “For five generations, my family has been here. As far back as you go in any of those branches, everybody’s Irish and they only married other Irish people, very specific racists. I’m 100 percent pure Irish, regardless of my name. If you cut me, what color do I bleed, J.J.? [Abrams: “Green!”] What? No, I bleed red! Irish people are just like anyone else. That is so racist. We are not leprechauns.”

• “Thank you for this, I am honored. There is no other award being given out in Los Angeles this week named after an Oscar I would want more than this. I’m gratified to finally be recognized for all I have done for the Irish people. I’m not sure what any of that is, but now that I have the award, I know I can stop. Thank you very much.”

Source: Vulture.

Stephen Colbert on His ‘Time Off’ Facial Hair: ‘The Real Stephen Colbert Had a Beard the Whole Time!’
By Abby Stern

Colbert may be lax on his shaving routine at the moment, but that’s because he knows he will be in for a lot of work once he starts prepping for his highly anticipated return to television as the host of The Late Show on Sept. 8 after David Letterman steps down. So for right now, he’s trying to take things easy.

“I’m just really working on growing a beard and driving my boys back and forth to school. That’s all I’m working on right now,” Colbert said.

While fans are bursting with excitement over Letterman passing the baton to Colbert, he isn’t too happy that shortly after his return to TV, his former colleague, Jon Stewart, will be leaving The Daily Show.

“I am in denial like most people that he’s ever going to leave,” Colbert admitted. And once the reality of the situation sets in, he’s conjured up a plan to remedy the situation. “I’m going to kidnap him and put him in my basement and make him read the news to me,” he joked.

Full Article: People Magazine – Style Watch.

(Thank you to StephenSmile64, Ana and Clem for the Tips!)