Stephen Colbert has seen it all as a late-night talk show host — but even he couldn’t predict how beautiful Michelle Williams would be upon their first meeting.
During the Wednesday, May 13, episode of the “Strike Force Five” podcast, Colbert, 62, dished about which of his past guests on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “was so attractive” that he “found it distracting.”
“I’ll tell you who I did not expect to be wildly attracted to. Like, I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Colbert told his podcast cohosts, fellow late night hosts, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver.
He confessed, “I did not — I like this person’s work, but I never thought of them as a bombshell — I did not know what to do with my eyeballs when Michelle Williams was on for the first time.”
Colbert recalled the Dawson’s Creek alum, 45, stopping him in his tracks when she was on stage with him.
Stephen Colbert, Michelle Williams. Getty Images (2)
“She sat down across from me and I went, ‘F***. What is wrong with my head? I’d better not look directly at her for this entire interview,’” he revealed. “There was something about her vibe. Her face. Everything. … She’s so beautiful.”
Colbert — who is married to wife Evelyn McGee Colbert — also pointed to Rachel Weisz, Rebecca Ferguson and Andrew Garfield as actors who left him in awe.
“I used to have a Rachel Weisz problem,” he said. “I’ve recovered. When Rachel Weisz would be on The Daily Show, I would leave the building for fear I would say something stupid. I was afraid I would stand in the hallway and go, ‘Hi.’”
Stephen Colbert is opening up about his next chapter after CBS canceled his late night show. In a new interview with GQ, which was conducted shortly before The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won big at the 2025 Emmy Awards, Colbert, 61, said he “accepted” the network’s decision to pull the plug on his show. […]
As the group of entertainers laughed, Colbert added, “Who else is wildly attractive? Rebecca Ferguson. Because she brings game.”
He also shared, “Andrew Garfield, he is so attractive,” before noting that he kissed the Spider-Man actor on his show as well.
Colbert continued to take a trip down memory lane during the podcast, revealing which actors he’s faced in an armwrestling match on TV.
Being a celebrity guest on a talk show isn’t always smooth sailing— remember Dakota Johnson’s infamous on-air clapback to Ellen DeGeneres over a birthday party invite? Celebrity interviews are a risky — but crucial — element of any talk show, since an exclusive chat with an A-lister can draw huge ratings or generate endless social […]
The comedian recalled competing against Daniel Craig, John Krasinski and Josh Brolin, all of which he lost to.
“I took arm wrestling lessons to challenge — because when Krasinski was back on, I wanted to beat him. I went to one of these professional guys,” Colbert remembered, admitting, “I lost the least, that time.”
Colbert’s funny stories about his time on screen come ahead of his final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, airing on Thursday, May 21.
Colbert previously announced in July 2025 that the show is coming to an end after 11 seasons, after being canceled by CBS.
