Stephen Colberthas detailed his eclectic first round of Late Show celebrity guests. Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, Stephen King, Tesla Motors/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will appear during the hosts debut week on CBS, joining previously announced first episode guests George Clooney and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, Deadline reports.
The former Colbert Report hosts premiere episode airs Tuesday, September 8th, with house band Jon Batisteand Stay Human joined by special guests for the first musical performance. Johansson and Musk will appear on September 9th, along with an interview and performance from rapper Kendrick Lamar(whod been previously announced as the shows debut musical guest). Kalanick will appear on the 10th, joined by musician Toby Keith. And Colbert will close out his first week on the 11th with Schumer, King and an interview and musical performance by Paul Simon cover band Troubled Waters.
See Stephen Colbert Impersonate Mick Jagger for Howard SternThurston Moore: 5 Songs That Influenced Me Early OnThe 15 Best Whistling Songs of All Time
Colberts shift from Comedy Central to CBS will find the host dropping the conservative persona from Reportin an effort to focus on his guests over himself.
One of the reasons why I most wanted to drop the character is that I felt I had done everything I could do with him other than have my honest interest in my guest, Colbert said earlier this month during a Television Critics Association press event. Which is almost constant. Now I feel actually more freed up. That was in some ways the most energetic, the most exciting part of the show to me and now I dont have to hold back at all.
The host has also promisedto offer a female perspectiveamid late-night televisions sausage fest.
It has been pointed out to me that I, like other late-night TV hosts, am a man, Colbert wrote with help from his shows female staff writers in a recent Glamour op-ed. And while Im happy to have a job, I am surprised that the world of late-night TV lacks a female presence, unlike sitcoms, which are packed with smoking-hot wives who teach their doughy husband a valuable lesson when he slips on a pizza and falls headfirst into a porta-potty full of beer.