Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton: Late Show Appearances and Two Public Careers

Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton

On October 27, 2015, Hillary Clinton walked onto the stage of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She was running for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Colbert had spent weeks joking about her campaign, from her emails to her emoji outreach to younger voters. Now she was sitting across from him.

That appearance was one of several times Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton shared a stage. As one of the most-watched late-night hosts during the 2016 campaign and beyond, Colbert regularly interviewed political figures from across the spectrum, including Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jeb Bush, and Donald Trump.

This article covers their appearances together, both of their backgrounds, career highlights, and where they are in 2026.

Quick Facts

Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton on The Late Show

October 2015

Colbert took over The Late Show in September 2015, in the middle of a busy presidential primary season. On October 27, 2015, Clinton appeared alongside Anthony Bourdain and Carrie Brownstein. Before her visit, Colbert had joked about her efforts to seem more relatable, including a segment suggesting viewers read her emails for a glimpse of her private side. Clinton came on as part of a wave of candidates visiting the show, following Jeb Bush, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.

2020 Democratic National Convention Special

In August 2020, during the Democratic National Convention, The Late Show aired live episodes featuring political guests. Clinton was among them, along with Bernie Sanders and others.

A Regular Topic

Beyond her appearances, Clinton was a frequent subject of Colbert’s monologues during the 2016 campaign and after, as was her opponent, Donald Trump.

Stephen Colbert: Early Life and Education

Stephen Colbert was born on May 13, 1964, in Washington, D.C., the youngest of 11 children, and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. He studied at Hampden-Sydney College, then transferred to Northwestern University, where he studied theater and graduated in 1986. He trained in improv at The Second City in Chicago.

Stephen Colbert: Career Timeline

• Early 1990s: Performed with The Second City and worked with Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello.
• 1997 to 2005: Worked as a correspondent on The Daily Show.
• 2005 to 2014: Hosted The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, playing a satirical conservative pundit.
• 2015: Took over The Late Show on CBS from David Letterman.
• 2017 onward: The Late Show became the most-watched late-night show for several seasons.
• July 2025: CBS announced the show would end in May 2026.
• May 21, 2026: Hosted the final episode of The Late Show.
• 2026: Is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film for Warner Bros. with his son, Peter McGee, with Peter Jackson involved.

Hillary Clinton: Early Life and Education

Hillary Rodham was born on October 26, 1947, in Chicago and grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 and from Yale Law School in 1973, where she met Bill Clinton.

Hillary Clinton: Career Timeline

• 1970s: Worked as a lawyer, including on the House Judiciary Committee staff during the Watergate inquiry.
• 1975: Married Bill Clinton.
• 1979 to 1992: Served as First Lady of Arkansas during Bill Clinton’s years as governor, apart from a two-year break after he lost reelection in 1980.
• 1993 to 2001: Served as First Lady of the United States.
• 2001 to 2009: Served as a U.S. senator from New York.
• 2008: Ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, losing to Barack Obama.
• 2009 to 2013: Served as secretary of state under President Obama.
• 2016: Became the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination. She won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump.
• 2017: Published What Happened, a memoir about the 2016 campaign.
• 2020s: Has written books, taught at Columbia University, and worked on projects including a Broadway musical, Suffs, which she co-produced.

How Their Careers Compare

What They Have in Common

• Long public careers: Both have been public figures for decades.
• Bestselling authors: Both have written bestselling books.
• Grammy wins: Colbert won a Grammy for A Colbert Christmas, and Clinton won one for the audiobook of It Takes a Village.
• Broadway ties: Colbert has performed in stage productions, and Clinton co-produced Suffs.
• Midwest roots: Clinton grew up near Chicago, and Colbert studied at Northwestern, just outside the city.

Late-Night TV and Politics

Late-night shows have become an important stop for political figures who want to reach voters in a more relaxed setting. Candidates from both major parties have used The Late Show and similar programs to show a lighter side. Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton’s 2015 appearance is a good example of how comedy and politics often meet on these shows.

Where Are They Now?

Stephen Colbert ended The Late Show on May 21, 2026, after 11 seasons. He is co-writing a Lord of the Rings film and has said he wants to keep making things with his collaborators.

Hillary Clinton continues to write, teach, and appear at public events.

Where to Learn More

For Stephen Colbert, watch clips of The Colbert Report and The Late Show on YouTube. For Hillary Clinton, her memoirs Living History and What Happened give her own account of her career.

Colbert’s Path in Political Comedy

Colbert built much of his reputation on political satire. On The Colbert Report, he played an over-the-top conservative pundit, coining the word “truthiness,” which Merriam-Webster named its Word of the Year for 2006. That same year, he gave a famous in-character speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. In 2011, he formed a real super PAC as part of a running bit about campaign finance.

Clinton’s Books

Clinton has written several memoirs and other books about her life and career, including Living History in 2003, Hard Choices in 2014, What Happened in 2017, and Something Lost, Something Gained in 2024. She has also co-written books with her daughter, Chelsea Clinton.

For readers curious about Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton, their books offer a look at their careers in their own words. Comparing Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton also shows how both have used writing to reach audiences beyond TV and politics.

In Short

In short, Colbert spent more than three decades making audiences laugh, while Clinton spent more than four decades in law and public service. Their appearances together offered a lighter look at a serious political era. They also showed how late-night television became a regular part of campaign life, giving voters a less formal way to see public figures.

Final Thoughts

Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton come from different worlds, comedy and politics, but their paths crossed on one of television’s biggest stages. Clinton’s 2015 visit to The Late Show and her 2020 convention appearance show how late-night TV has become part of modern political life. Comparing Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton highlights two long, public careers that shaped American culture in very different ways.

Key Takeaways

• Stephen Colbert was born May 13, 1964, in Washington, D.C. Hillary Clinton was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago.
• Clinton appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on October 27, 2015, during her presidential campaign, and on a live episode during the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
• Colbert studied at Northwestern, hosted The Colbert Report from 2005 to 2014, and hosted The Late Show from 2015 until its final episode on May 21, 2026.
• Colbert is co-writing a new Lord of the Rings film with his son, Peter McGee.
• Clinton graduated from Wellesley and Yale Law School and served as First Lady, a U.S. senator from New York, and secretary of state.
• In 2016, Clinton became the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination. She won the popular vote and lost the Electoral College.
• Stephen Colbert and Hillary Clinton are both bestselling authors and Grammy winners with long public careers.