Stephen Colbert hosts talk shows.
Stephen Tyrone Colbert -LRB- -LSB- koʊlˈbɛər -RSB- , ne  : -LSB- ˈkoʊlbərt -RSB- born May 13 , 1964 -RRB- is an American comedian , television host , and author .. Colbert has hosted The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , a late-night television talk show on CBS , since September 8 , 2015 .. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. CBS. CBS. Colbert originally studied to be a dramatic actor , but became interested in improvisational theatre while attending Northwestern University , where he met Second City director Del Close .. Northwestern University. Northwestern University. improvisational theatre. improvisational theatre. Second City. The Second City. Del Close. Del Close. Colbert first performed professionally as an understudy for Steve Carell at Second City Chicago , where his troupe mates included Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris , comedians with whom he developed the sketch comedy series , Exit 57 .. sketch comedy. sketch comedy. Second City. The Second City. understudy. understudy. Steve Carell. Steve Carell. Paul Dinello. Paul Dinello. Amy Sedaris. Amy Sedaris. Exit 57. Exit 57. He wrote and performed on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show before collaborating with Sedaris and Dinello again on the cult television series Strangers with Candy .. Dana Carvey Show. The Dana Carvey Show. Strangers with Candy. Strangers with Candy. He gained considerable attention for his role on the latter as closeted gay history teacher Chuck Noblet .. Chuck Noblet. Strangers with Candy characters#Chuck Noblet. His work as a correspondent on Comedy Central 's news-parody series The Daily Show gained him wide recognition .. Comedy Central. Comedy Central. The Daily Show. The Daily Show. In 2005 , he left The Daily Show to host a spin-off series , The Colbert Report .. The Daily Show. The Daily Show. The Colbert Report. The Colbert Report. Following The Daily Shows news-parody concept , The Colbert Report was a parody of personality-driven political opinion shows including The O'Reilly Factor , in which he portrayed a caricatured version of conservative political pundits .. The Colbert Report. The Colbert Report. The O'Reilly Factor. The O'Reilly Factor. caricatured version. Stephen Colbert ( character ). conservative. Conservatism in the United States. political pundits. Pundit ( expert ). The series became one of Comedy Central 's highest-rated series , earning Colbert an invitation to perform as featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents ' Association Dinner in 2006 .. Comedy Central. Comedy Central. Colbert has won nine Primetime Emmy Awards , two Grammy Awards , and two Peabody Awards .. Peabody Awards. Peabody Awards. Colbert was named one of Times 100 Most Influential People in 2006 and 2012 .. His book , I Am America -LRB- And So Can You ! -RRB-. , was # 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2007 .