This is a list of characters from the
satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...
television program ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
''.
Main characters
*
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
(played by
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
) – Described as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed high-status idiot," the show's host is a blustery, self-obsessed
right-wing
Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...
commentator with a strong distaste for facts. He incorporates aspects of the real Colbert's life and interests, but is modelled primarily as a
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of cable news
pundits
A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport).
Origins
The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowle ...
, particularly
Bill O'Reilly.
[Steinberg, Jacques (October 12, 2005).]
The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
* The Bullet – The
bullet
A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
point produces the words that appear on the right side of the screen during the show's "The Wørd" segment. It frequently provides comedic asides and counterpoints to what Colbert is saying, occasionally even contradicting or arguing with him. As the real Colbert explains it, often "the bullet points end up being their own character. Sometimes they're reinforcing my argument, sometimes they're
countermanding my argument. It's a textual addition of jokes or satire to the verbal essay I'm doing at the moment."
Retired characters
*Jimmy (played by
Peter Gwinn
Peter Gwinn is an American comedy writer and improviser from Evanston, Illinois. He attended Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He was a member of The Second City Touring Company from 1997 to 2000. He has taught at both the I.O. and Upright Ci ...
) – The show's director, who shared his name with real-life Colbert Report director Jim Hoskinson, he was often heard but rarely seen on the show, though Colbert frequently addressed him to ask for video or graphics to be brought up on the screen. He was also a huge fan of the band
Rush, to the point of replacing the video of Colbert with a shot of
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian-American musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an ...
's
drum kit
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player ( drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsti ...
on the episode in which Rush appeared as guests.
*
Wilford Brimley
Anthony Wilford Brimley (September 27, 1934 – August 1, 2020) was an American actor. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and working odd jobs in the 1950s, Brimley started working as an extra and stuntman in Western films in the la ...
(played by
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
) – Colbert's "Spiritual Advisor" with whom he occasionally had phone conversations. These conversations usually took place in the middle of the night, with Colbert only half-awake, and end up with Brimley (voiced by Colbert) going off on angry tangents that he usually blames on "
The Diabeetus".
*Ching Chong Ding Dong (played by
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
) – Colbert's stereotypical Asian impression, who "roves" tea. Colbert (the character) defended himself against criticism for the character by stating that as Ching Chong Ding Dong was merely a fictional character, he was not a racist and he could not be held responsible for what Ding Dong says, a jab at the relationship between Colbert the character and Colbert the actor.
*Esteban Colberto (played by
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
) – A
Cuban
Cuban may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean
* Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent
** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof
* Cuban citizen, a perso ...
themed version of Colbert who was actually a self-described Mexican. He hosts the Colberto Reporto Gigante and was usually flanked by two dancing ''chicas''. He appeared in numerous
immigration
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
-themed segments.
*
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
(played by
Ralph Archbold
Ralph Archbold (January 17, 1942 – March 25, 2017) was a Philadelphia-area actor and speaker best known for his long-time impersonation of U.S. Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin impersonation
Archbold began impersonating Franklin i ...
) – The Founding Father made occasional appearances in the show. He first featured in a "Better Know a District" spin-off called "Better Know a Founder", and later returned as a recurring character when ''The Colbert Report'' did four special shows live from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
's
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
in the run-up to the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
's
2008 Pennsylvania primary.
*Killer (uncredited) – A roadie for Colbert. Due to his constant scowl, threatening stare, and probable
criminal
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...
history, he was the only staff member that Colbert was afraid to abuse. He also has been described by Colbert as a "
Demolition
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
s Expert".
*Meg (played by
Meg DeFrancesco
Meg is a feminine given name, often a short form of Megatron, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc. It may refer to:
People
*Meg (singer), a Japanese singer
*Meg Cabot (born 1967), American author of romantic and paranormal fiction
* Meg Burton Cahill ( ...
) – A female intern on Colbert's staff, she frequently endured sexual harassment and suggestive remarks from him and in a 2008 appearance mentions that she has filed more than five complaints against him.
*The Professor (uncredited) – A homeless man who was mentioned as Colbert's "
protégé
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
" from time to time. This mention was usually accompanied by a picture of 'The Professor' howling madly.
*Sweetness – Colbert's
pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
, "
life partner
The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...
," and the "co-host" of "Trigger Happy", a segment which dealt with gun-related issues. Colbert claimed that he can hear Sweetness talking to him and would often converse with "her" by holding the gun up to his deaf ear and then relaying what "she" has supposedly said. Sweetness made a final appearance as the weapon that killed Grimmy with Colbert tossing it away into the possession of a fan. Resembles a
Colt Detective Special
The Colt Detective Special is a six-shot, carbon steel framed, 2" or 3" barreled, double-action revolver, and the first example of a class of firearms known as "snubnose revolvers". Made by Colt's Manufacturing Company, this model revolver, as th ...
, Third Issue.
*Tad (played by
Paul Dinello
Paul E. Dinello (born November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, actor, and writer, best known for his collaborations with Stephen Colbert and Amy Sedaris. He portrayed Geoffrey Jellineck on Comedy Central's ''Strangers with Candy'', and later b ...
) – The building manager at Colbert's studio. He hosted several special segments, such as a fire drill, a visit to a bank auction for
Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Randall Harold "Duke" Cunningham (born December 8, 1941) is a former American politician, decorated Vietnam War veteran, fighter ace, and ex-felon. Cunningham served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's ...
's assets and a trip to
Colbert County
Colbert County () is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census the county's population was 57,227. The county seat is Tuscumbia. The largest city is Muscle Shoals.
The county is named i ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, to open The Stephen Colbert Museum and Gift Shop.
*Gorlock (uncredited) – A luminous green alien in a business suit who only appeared in stills. Gorlock was Colbert's financial adviser, although he did not fill the role particularly well, failing to warn Colbert of impending financial crises despite being
from the future. Colbert claimed Gorlock was recommended to him by
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
, and made his portfolio "
thetan
In Scientology, the concept of the thetan () is similar to the concept of self, or the spirit or soul as found in several belief systems. The term is derived from the Greek letter Θ, theta, which in Scientology beliefs represents "the source of l ...
-free". Gorlock has an associate called "Hal", a reference to
Arthur C. Clarke's fictional computer character
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's ''Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer ...
.
*P.K. Winsome (played by
Tim Meadows
Timothy Meadows (born February 5, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on ''Saturday Night Live'', where he appeared for ten seasons and for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emm ...
) – (Percy Kittens Winsome) A
political commentator
A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport).
Origins
The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...
, entrepreneur, and black
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. P.K. sells questionable
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
commemorative merchandise. He was played by former ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' cast member Meadows, who also starred with Colbert in an episode of ''
Strangers With Candy
''Strangers with Candy'' is an American comedy television series produced by Comedy Central. It first aired on April 7, 1999, and concluded its third and final season on October 2, 2000. Its timeslot was Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ( ET). A pre ...
''. Meadows appeared as Winsome in a pre-taped segment at the
Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was a gathering that took place on October 30, 2010, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The rally was led by Jon Stewart, host of the satirical news program ''The Daily Show'', and Stephen Colbert ...
, and also voiced him in the audiobook of ''
America Again
''America Again: Re-becoming The Greatness We Never Weren't'' is a 2012 satirical book written by Stephen Colbert and other writers of ''The Colbert Report'' as a follow-up to 2007's ''I Am America (And So Can You!)''. It is published by Grand Ce ...
''.
*Homer (played by
Kumail Nanjiani
Kumail Ali Nanjiani (; ur, کمیل علی ننجیانی, ; born May 2, 1978) is a Pakistani-American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Dinesh in the HBO comedy series ''Silicon Valley'' (2014–2019) and for co-wri ...
) – A Greek man mistaken by Colbert for an Arab terrorist called "Omar" and imprisoned in a cell beneath Colbert's desk. He returned to the Report as a member of the staff.
*Barry the Starbucks guy (played by
Barry Julien) – A
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain.
As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
barista
A barista (; ; from the Italian/Spanish for "bartender") is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.
Etymology and inflection
The word ''barista'' comes from Italian where it means a male ...
employed at the Starbucks under Stephen Colbert's desk, who appears in Starbucks related segments.
*An Audience Member (played by
Tom Purcell) – An audience member that Stephen often shot in the knee either on purpose or accidentally.
*
Tek Jansen
Tek Jansen is a fictional character featured on ''The Colbert Report'' and in a comic book series published by Oni Press. Jansen originated as a recurring joke in the form of a supposed self-published science fiction novel on the ''Report'', repor ...
– an animated Science Fiction character.
*Charlene – A woman whom Colbert stalked since the 1980s. Although she never physically appeared on the show, she was the subject of two songs Colbert wrote.
*Jay the Intern (played by
Jay Katsir) – A young man Stephen occasionally mock abused in stories relating to
internships
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
and college students.
*Hans Beinholtz (played by
Erik Frandsen) – The
existentialist
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
fictional
UN ambassador
A permanent representative to the United Nations (sometimes called a "UN ambassador")"History of Ambassadors", United States Mission to the United Nations, March 2011, webpagUSUN-a. is the head of a country's diplomatic mission to the United Nati ...
from Germany. He was portrayed as replying to Colbert's questions and statements with deeply philosophical (and often aggressively depressing) remarks.
*
Buddy Cole (played by
Scott Thompson) – originally from ''
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, in C ...
'', he appeared during the week of the
2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
.
* Randy Ferrar – A fictional Huffington Post writer.
* James – An Asian intern whose name Colbert mispronounced as "Jah-mes"
*
Grimmy – Colbert's travel agent who appeared in the opening of the "Cheating Death" segments and becoming more recurring as the series came to its end. Though intended to be the guest of the final episode, Grimmy accidentally got killed off by Colbert during a last "Cheating Death" segment.
*Alan (played by
Jordan Carlos
Jordan Carlos (born February 2, 1978) is an American stand-up comedian who played a recurring character on ''The Colbert Report'' and is a co-host on the Nickelodeon kids' show '' Me TV''. He also appeared as a panelist and reporter on ''The Night ...
) – Colbert's former token black friend, he was demoted to "black acquaintance" after Colbert saw him march in an
anti-war demonstration
A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against a cause of concern; it often consists of walking in a mass march formati ...
.
*Bobby (played by
Eric Drysdale
Eric Drysdale (born March 20, 1969) is a writer for ''The Colbert Report,'' ''The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee''. He has been nominated for twenty-one Emmys and won ten. In addition to TV wri ...
) – A
stage manager
Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
, played by ''Colbert Report'' writer Eric Drysdale. He frequently was called upon to do degrading things or to answer questions from Colbert and was responsible for keeping track of the whereabouts of Colbert's "son", Stephen Jr. On the April 21, 2008 show, following Drysdale's departure from the writing staff, it was insinuated that Colbert had eaten Bobby during a commercial break. Bobby's ghost made an appearance on December 11, 2008, where he was again cannibalized by Colbert. On 28 October 2009, Bobby reappeared (in living form) as part of a joke about
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
and the
Higgs boson
The Higgs boson, sometimes called the Higgs particle, is an elementary particle in the Standard Model of particle physics produced by the quantum excitation of the Higgs field,
one of the fields in particle physics theory. In the Stand ...
.
*Russ Lieber (played by
David Cross
David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...
) – A satirical liberal radio talk show host from
Madison Madison may refer to:
People
* Madison (name), a given name and a surname
* James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States
Place names
* Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, and the nemesis of Colbert. He is ultra-sensitive to political correctness, and often worries that his own words might be misconstrued as offensive. Colbert frequently encountered him during the early days of the show. Lieber has appeared several times on the show to debate. He appears to be a satirical take on
Al Franken
Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
.
*Gulpy –An
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology.
Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
Gulpzilla soda that Colbert kept as a pet to drink. Gulpy would normally try to kill him, but Colbert later said that they had gone to
therapy
A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis.
As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many different ...
and were all better. When
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
banned all drinks larger than 16 oz. in New York City, Colbert "killed" Gulpy.
*Ham Rove – A raw canned ham with glasses that stood in for Republican strategist
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August 3 ...
in various discussions of statements Rove had made or topics like
Super PAC's which Rove was related to. After the 2012 election, fearing reprisal for not wielding enough influence with his
Colbert Super PAC
Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow (better known as the Colbert Super PAC) was a United States political action committee (PAC) established by Stephen Colbert, who portrayed Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, a mock-conservative political pundit on ...
, Colbert stabbed and killed Ham Rove. Colbert Super PAC'
websitefeatured a memorial to Ham Rove, including his list of ingredients.
References
External links
''The Colbert Report'' official website
{{DISPLAYTITLE:List of ''The Colbert Report'' characters
Characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
Colbert Report characters
Colbert Report characters