Career Timeline of Stephen Colbert: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Stephen Colbert, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Stephen Colbert is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He gained prominence as the host of the satirical Comedy Central program *The Colbert Report* (2005-2014) where he played a character based on conservative political pundits. Since 2015, he has hosted *The Late Show with Stephen Colbert* on CBS, a more traditional late-night talk show, though still infused with his comedic and often political perspectives.
1986: Work at Second City
After graduating in 1986, Stephen Colbert accepted a job answering phones and selling souvenirs at Second City and started taking improvisation classes there.
1992: Audition for Saturday Night Live
In 1992, Stephen Colbert unsuccessfully auditioned for Saturday Night Live after being scouted at Second City by Robert Smigel.
1995: Debut of Exit 57
In 1995, Exit 57, a sketch comedy show created by Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, and Paul Dinello, debuted on Comedy Central.
1996: End of Exit 57
In 1996, Exit 57 ended after 12 episodes, though it received favorable reviews and was nominated for five CableACE Awards.
1996: Performance on The Dana Carvey Show
In 1996, Stephen Colbert performed on and wrote for The Dana Carvey Show.
1997: Joining The Daily Show
In 1997, Stephen Colbert joined the cast of Comedy Central's parody-news series The Daily Show on a trial basis.
1998: Development of Strangers with Candy
In 1998, Comedy Central picked up Strangers with Candy, a comedy series developed by Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello.
1999: Jon Stewart Takes Over The Daily Show Hosting Duties
In 1999, Jon Stewart took over hosting duties for The Daily Show, also serving as a writer and co-executive producer.
1999: Strangers with Candy Sitcom
In 1999, Stephen Colbert collaborated with Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello on the sitcom Strangers with Candy.
1999: Airing of Strangers with Candy
In 1999, thirty episodes of Strangers with Candy were made and aired on Comedy Central.
2000: Colbert Wins Emmy Awards for The Daily Show
In 2000, Stephen Colbert and the other writers for The Daily Show received three Emmy Awards for their writing on the show.
2000: Increase in Popularity of The Daily Show
In 2000, The Daily Show's popularity began to increase, particularly in the latter part of the U.S. presidential election season.
2002: New Correspondents Imitated Stephen Colbert
In 2002, new Daily Show correspondents Rob Corddry and Ed Helms imitated Stephen Colbert's style for a year or two.
2003: Publication of Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not
In 2003, Colbert co-authored the satirical novel "Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not" with Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. The three authors toured performing an adaptation of Wigfield on stage the same year the book was released.
June 16, 2005: Bloomsday on Broadway XXIV
On June 16, 2005, Colbert read the part of Leopold Bloom in Bloomsday on Broadway XXIV: Love Literature Language Lust: Leopold's Women Bloom at Symphony Space in New York City.
2005: Departure from Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
In 2005, Colbert left Adult Swim's "Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law" to work on The Colbert Report. He voiced the characters of Reducto and Phil Ken Sebben.
2005: Colbert Receives Emmy and Satellite Award Nominations
In 2005, Stephen Colbert and the other writers for The Daily Show received three Emmy Awards for their writing on the show, he was nominated for a Satellite Award for his performance on The Colbert Report.
2005: Hosting The Colbert Report
In 2005, Stephen Colbert left The Daily Show to host The Colbert Report.
2005: Strangers with Candy Film Premiere
In 2005, Stephen Colbert reprised his role for a film adaptation of Strangers with Candy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
2005: Colbert coins "truthiness" on The Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert coined the word "truthiness" on the premiere episode of The Colbert Report in 2005.
January 2006: American Dialect Society Names 'Truthiness' Word of the Year
In January 2006, the American Dialect Society named "truthiness," a word Stephen Colbert coined on the premiere episode of The Colbert Report, as its 2005 Word of the Year.
May 2006: Colbert Listed as One of New York's Most Influential Persons in Media
In May 2006, New York magazine listed Stephen Colbert (and Jon Stewart) as one of its top dozen influential persons in media.
October 30, 2006: Custody Agreement for Emmy on The Colbert Report
On October 30, 2006, on an episode of The Colbert Report, Barry Manilow and Stephen Colbert jokingly signed and notarized a revolving biannual custody agreement for the Emmy Award after Colbert lost to Manilow in the category of Best Performance in a Variety, Musical Program or Special.
November 2006: Colbert Named a "Sexy Surprise" by People
In November 2006, Stephen Colbert was named a "sexy surprise" by People in the Sexiest Man Alive honors.
December 9, 2006: Merriam-Webster Selects 'Truthiness' as Word of the Year
On December 9, 2006, Merriam-Webster announced that it selected truthiness as its Word of the Year for 2006 after votes were accepted on their website.
December 2006: Colbert Named One of GQ's "Men of the Year"
In the December 2006 issue of GQ, Stephen Colbert was named one of GQ's "Men of the Year".
2006: Colbert Performs at White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
In 2006, Stephen Colbert performed at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, later earning him the Gutsiest Move award at the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards in 2007.
2006: White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
In 2006, Stephen Colbert was invited to perform as a featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, which he did in character.
2006: Limited Release of Strangers with Candy Film
In 2006, the film adaptation of Strangers with Candy, in which Stephen Colbert reprised his role, had a limited release and received mixed reviews.
February 2007: Ben & Jerry's Unveils Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream
In February 2007, Ben & Jerry's unveiled a new ice cream flavor in honor of Stephen Colbert, named Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream. Colbert donated all proceeds to charity through the new Stephen Colbert AmeriCone Dream Fund.
March 3, 2007: Colbert Named Person of the Year by U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
On March 3, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Person of the Year by the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado.
March 24, 2007: Colbert Receives Speaker of the Year Award
On March 24, 2007, Stephen Colbert was given the Speaker of the Year Award by The Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) for his "drive to expose the rhetorical shortcomings of contemporary political discourse".
June 13, 2007: Colbert Honored for Gutsiest Move at Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards
On June 13, 2007, Stephen Colbert was honored for the Gutsiest Move on the Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards for his performance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.
August 2007: Virgin America Names Airplane "Air Colbert"
In August 2007, Virgin America named an airplane, "Air Colbert", in Stephen Colbert's honor.
October 7, 2007: Release of I Am America (And So Can You!)
On October 7, 2007, Colbert's book associated with The Colbert Report, "I Am America (And So Can You!)", was released by Grand Central Publishing.
December 20, 2007: Colbert Named Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press
On December 20, 2007, Stephen Colbert was named Celebrity of the Year by The Associated Press.
2007: Colbert Loses Emmy to Tony Bennett
In 2007, Stephen Colbert lost the Emmy for Best Performance in a Variety, Musical Program or Special to Tony Bennett.
2007: Colbert Receives Peabody Award
Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award in 2007.
April 2, 2008: Colbert Receives Peabody Award for The Colbert Report
On April 2, 2008, Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award for The Colbert Report.
June 2, 2008: Colbert Delivers Class Day Address at Princeton University
On June 2, 2008, Stephen Colbert delivered the Class Day address to the graduating class of Princeton University and accepted the Class of 2008 Understandable Vanity Award.
August 2008: Appearances in Marvel Comics
In August 2008, Colbert's presidential campaign ads continued to appear in Marvel Comics publications, including a cameo of an alien Skrull posing as Colbert in Secret Invasion No. 5.
November 23, 2008: A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! Aired on Comedy Central
On November 23, 2008, Colbert's Christmas special, "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!", aired on Comedy Central and was released on DVD in November 2008.
2008: Colbert Loses Emmy to Don Rickles
In 2008, Stephen Colbert lost the Emmy for Best Performance in a Variety, Musical Program or Special to Don Rickles.
June 5, 2009: Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando
On June 5, 2009, Colbert arrived in Baghdad, Iraq, to film a week of shows called "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando" sponsored by the USO. During the first episode, which featured a cameo appearance from U.S. President Barack Obama, Colbert had his hair cropped in a military style to show his solidarity with the troops.
August 2009: COLBERT Treadmill Taken to ISS
In August 2009, the new treadmill for the International Space Station, COLBERT, was taken to the ISS by the Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-128 mission.
January 2010: Assistant sports psychologist for the US Olympic speed skating team
In January 2010, Colbert was named the assistant sports psychologist for the US Olympic speed skating team at the 2010 Winter Olympics and was invited to be part of NBC's coverage team.
January 2010: Colbert Wins Grammy Award
In January 2010, Stephen Colbert received the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his album A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!.
September 10, 2010: Announcement of a future event with Jon Stewart
On September 10, 2010, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart made preannouncements of a future event on the Daily Show and The Colbert Report.
September 16, 2010: Announcement of Competing Rallies
On September 16, 2010, Stewart and Colbert announced competing rallies on the Washington, D.C., Mall for October 30, 2010: Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" and Colbert's "March to Keep Fear Alive".
September 24, 2010: Testimony Before House Judiciary Subcommittee
On September 24, 2010, Colbert testified in character before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security, describing his experience participating in the United Farm Workers' "Take Our Jobs" program.
October 30, 2010: Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear
On October 30, 2010, the "Rally to Restore Sanity" and the "March to Keep Fear Alive" were merged into the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.
2010: Scripto Conception
In 2010, Colbert and Rob Dubbin conceived Scripto, a collaborative script software for writer rooms, inspired by a mishap on The Colbert Report involving a real life goat.
April 2011: Performance in Company
In April 2011, Colbert performed as Harry in the concert-style revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical Company, presented by the New York Philharmonic at the Lincoln Center.
May 2011: Request for Media Exemption
In May 2011, Colbert filed a request with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) asking for a media exemption for coverage of his political action committee, ColbertPAC, on The Colbert Report.
June 2011: FEC Grants Limited Media Exemption
In June 2011, the FEC voted 5–1 to grant The Colbert Report a limited media exemption, allowing unlimited donations of airtime and show resources to promote the Colbert Super PAC without requiring disclosure to the FEC, but only for ads appearing on The Colbert Report. Colbert then filed paperwork for the creation of his Super PAC with the FEC secretary.
2011: Colbert Placed on Vanity Fair's New Establishment List
In 2011, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 28 in Vanity Fair's "New Establishment List".
2011: Colbert Receives Honorary Degree from Northwestern University
In 2011, Stephen Colbert was the commencement speaker for Northwestern University, and received an honorary degree.
2011: Colbert Receives Peabody Award
Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award in 2011.
January 16, 2012: Satirical encouragement to vote for Herman Cain
On January 16, 2012, Colbert satirically encouraged his viewers to vote for Herman Cain in the South Carolina primary, stating that any votes for Cain would be considered as direct support for his own possible candidacy.
2012: Colbert Listed on Maxim's Hot 100
In 2012, Stephen Colbert was listed as No. 69 on Maxim Magazine's Hot 100, becoming the first man to be included on the list.
2012: South Carolina primary poll results
In 2012, a Public Policy Polling poll placed Colbert at 5% in the South Carolina primary, one point ahead of Jon Huntsman, despite Colbert not being on the ballot.
2012: Collaboration with Montclair Film Festival
Since 2012, Colbert has collaborated with the Montclair Film Festival, participating by hosting an annual fundraising event and leading Q&As with various figures.
2012: Time Names Stephen Colbert as One of the 100 Most Influential People
Time named Stephen Colbert as one of the 100 most influential people in 2012.
January 2013: Colbert Named One of the Funniest People
In January 2013, Rolling Stone named Stephen Colbert number 2 in their "The 50 Funniest People Now" list.
December 2014: Colbert's Twitter Account Recognized
In December 2014, Paste named Stephen Colbert's Twitter one of "The 75 Best Twitter Accounts of 2014" ranking it at number 7.
2014: Hosting Kennedy Center Honors
Since 2014, Colbert has hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for three consecutive years.
September 2015: Hosting The Late Show
In September 2015, Stephen Colbert began hosting The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS, a talk program.
2015: Colbert Receives Honorary Degree from Wake Forest University
In 2015, Stephen Colbert received an honorary degree from Wake Forest University as the commencement speaker.
2015: Colbert Receives Outstanding Civilian Service Award
In 2015, Stephen Colbert was awarded the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, which is the third highest honor within the Department of the Army Civilian Awards, for his significant contributions to the U.S. Army community.
2015: Hired to Host Late Show
In 2015, Stephen Colbert was hired to succeed David Letterman as host of the Late Show on CBS.
September 2017: Hosting the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards
In September 2017, Stephen Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
December 2017: Colbert Named One of GQ's "Men of the Year"
Stephen Colbert was chosen as one of GQ's "Men of the Year" for its December 2017 issue.
2017: Hosting Primetime Emmy Awards
In 2017, Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
2018: Colbert Placed on Vanity Fair's New Establishment List
In 2018, Stephen Colbert was placed at number 32 in Vanity Fair's "2018 New Establishment List".
2019: Conversation with Tolkien cast
In 2019, Colbert hosted a conversation with the cast of the film Tolkien as part of an event for Montclair Film and Fathom Events.
2020: Colbert Receives Peabody Award
Stephen Colbert received a Peabody Award in 2020.
2021: Moderated Lord of the Rings cast reunions
In 2021, Colbert moderated Lord of the Rings cast reunions screened at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and made available on a Bluray collectors edition of the film series.
2024: Publication of Does This Taste Funny?
In 2024, Colbert and his wife co-authored "Does This Taste Funny?", a cookbook featuring recipes from their family, centered on Lowcountry cuisine.
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