Stephen Colbert, 62, has urged the increasingly Trump-friendly Hollywood bosses to protect late-night TV during his Emmy acceptance speech.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series. The show’s last episode aired in May after Paramount caved to the Trump administration’s pressure and announced The Late Show’s cancellation in July 2025.
“Thank you so much, on behalf of the over 200 people who threw themselves at this show for 11 years, to try to do the best show they possibly could for you,” Colbert said in his acceptance speech. “The thing about these late shows is that, besides being a really good, steady job, they require so many people.”
“They’re a fantastic incubator for young people to come in, to learn to work professionally, on a deadline, in cooperation, in collaboration,” he continued. “And that is the future of our business that we have to look after.”
In addition to advocating for preserving late-night TV’s unique environment, Colbert tried to do a solid for his former staff members.
“I got some great news,” he said. “They’re all tech-avail. Hire them. They will make your show better; they will make your day easier.”
He then said he’d interviewed countless people in the theater over his career, both on The Late Show and The Colbert Report. He jokingly apologized for forgetting to play film clips during their segments.
“Thank you for coming on to talk to this idiot,” he quipped. “You were the perfect guest.”
