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"I would say laughter is the best medicine. [204][205] On December 9, 2006, Merriam-Webster also announced that it selected truthiness as its Word of the Year for 2006. [19] As a child, he observed that Southerners were often depicted as being less intelligent than other characters on scripted television; to avoid that stereotype, he taught himself to imitate the speech of American news anchors. ", "Bush Plays Straight Man to His Lookalike", "Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner President Not Amused? It was released on DVD in November 2008. Bill Lee's announcement that he plans to sign bills that will prohibit "gender-affirming care" for minors and drag shows for children on Wednesday's edition of The Late Show on CBS. June 21, 2021 9:00am. But the family was struck by tragedy when his father and two brothers were killed in a 1974 plane crash. [196][21], The couple are friends with Broadway actress Jackie Hoffman, who jokingly made a scene to the shock of Evelyn's unknowing side of their 1993 wedding when she did not catch Evelyn's bouquet.[197]. He is an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church Monastery. [20][21], While Colbert sometimes comedically claims his surname is French, he is of 15/16ths Irish ancestry; one of his paternal great-great-grandmothers was of German and English descent. [162][163] The couple also served as executive producers for In & Of Itself, a film version of Derek DelGaudio's off-Broadway show of the same name. [191], Colbert has been married to Evelyn "Evie" McGee-Colbert since 1993. His father was a medical school dean while his mother was a housewife. [64], Colbert hosted his own television show, The Colbert Report, from October 17, 2005, through December 18, 2014. John Andrew Colbert (brother from same parents) He has a daughter Kate and a son. Colbert read the part of Leopold Bloom in Bloomsday on Broadway XXIV: Love Literature Language Lust: Leopold's Women Bloom on June 16, 2005, at Symphony Space in New York City. Colbert was born on May 13, 1964, in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, the youngest of 11 children. 5 (which also features a cameo of an alien Skrull posing as Colbert). The complex machine is now used eight hours daily by astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station in order to maintain their muscle mass and bone density while spending long periods of time in a zero-gravity environment. The blissful moment in the pairs' life repeated in 1998 when Evelyn gave birth to Peter Colbert. Comedy Central Insider Blog", "Company The Movie: Can Dr. Doogie and Stephen Colbert Sing Sondheim? With the help of his lawyer Trevor Potter, he then signed over control of his Super PAC to Jon Stewart, with the organization title then being referred to as "The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC". [256] NASA named the treadmill after Colbert,[257] who took an interest during the Node3 naming census for the ISS module, Tranquility. (inset right) Stephen Colbert photographed August 10, 2015. . Stephen Colbert Wife Shortly thereafter, he was hired to perform with Second City's touring company, initially as an understudy for Steve Carell. | The 1 Second Film", "A Colbert Christmas Premieres Sunday! [93][94] Richard Cohen, also writing for The Washington Post, responded that the routine was not funny. After the 2012 New Hampshire primary, a poll for the subsequent South Carolina primary taken by Public Policy Polling (of 1,112 likely GOP voters, Jan 57, 2012) was reported to place Colbert at 5%, one point ahead of Jon Huntsman polling at 4%, in spite of the fact that Colbert was not on the ballot. [citation needed], After the Saginaw Spirit defeated the Oshawa Generals in Ontario Junior League Hockey, Oshawa Mayor John Gray declared March 20, 2007 (the mayor's own birthday), Stephen Colbert Day, honoring a previous bet with Stephen. [122], 'Painfully awkward and pointless, it made the committee's majority members look ridiculous. Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night tore into "big dumb a-hole" Gov. [83] On the intersection of faith and politics, Colbert has pointed out that his views are in line with those of Cesar Chvez.[84][85][86]. October 11, 2007. [70] However, Colbert's actual career history in acting and comedy was often downplayed or even denied outright, and he frequently referred to having attended Dartmouth College (which was at the forefront of the conservative campus movement in the 1980s) rather than his actual alma mater, Northwestern. Conceived by co-creators Stewart, Colbert, and Ben Karlin in part as an opportunity to explore "the character-driven news", the series focused less on the day-to-day news style of the Daily Show, instead frequently concentrating on the foibles of the host-character himself. Larry King Live. logo being applied to the Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill at NASA before Launch, Launch of Discovery Mission STS-128, which delivered the COLBERT to the ISS. [229][230], In January 2013, Rolling Stone placed him at number 2 in their "The 50 Funniest People Now" list. Stephen Tyrone Colbert[1] (/kolbr/ kohl-BAIR;[2] born May 13, 1964)[3] is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Most offensive to pro-family advocates. Though Colbert's real-life presidential campaign had ended, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada established in an interview on The Colbert Report that Colbert's campaign was still going strong in the fictional Marvel Universe, citing the cover art of a then-recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man which featured a Colbert campaign billboard in the background. [152][153], On July 17, 2016, Colbert hijacked the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, while dressed as Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games series. Colbert urged his followers to post the name "Colbert", which upon completion of the census received the most entries totaling 230,539, some 40,000 votes more than the second-place choice, Serenity. [79][80] In an interview at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Institute of Politics, he said he has "no problems with Republicans, just Republican policies". [37][38] When he was younger, he had hoped to study marine biology, but surgery intended to repair a severely perforated eardrum caused him inner ear damage severe enough to preclude a career involving scuba diving, and leaving him deaf in his right ear. [52] Colbert served as a main writer alongside Sedaris and Dinello, and portrayed Jerri's strict but uninformed history teacher, Chuck Noblet, seen throughout the series dispensing inaccurate information to his classes. . Stephen Colbert is, above all, a family man. [34] The series debuted on Comedy Central in 1995 and aired through 1996. It was released on October 7, 2007, by Grand Central Publishing. With my lover @ericfuckingandre and my defining hero @colbertlateshow", "The Delightfully Difficult Julie Klausner", "When I pitched Billy on the St 6 yrs ago I talked a lot about Colbert Report as an influence. Search Interest His mother Paula and father Nevin are music teachers for Purchase Line and Indiana Area School Districts respectively. Born July 23, 1963, Evelyn McGee-Colbert is the daughter of prominent Charleston litigation attorney and politician Joseph McGee. In 2008 a species of California trapdoor spider was named Aptostichus stephencolberti. [150][151], Colbert guest-hosted Only in Monroe, a public access television show in Monroe, Michigan, for an episode that aired July 1, 2015. [116][117][118] At the end of his often-humorous testimony, Colbert broke character in responding to a question from Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, and explained his purpose for being at the hearing: I like talking about people who don't have any power, and this seems like one of the least powerful people in the United States are migrant workers who come and do our work, but don't have any rights as a result. [221], In 2008, Colbert won the Emmy Award for writing again, this time as a writer for The Colbert Report. [81], Colbert supports the implementation of the Medicare for All plan introduced by Bernie Sanders, considering it "a sensible fix to Obamacare". [61], Colbert appeared in several recurring segments for The Daily Show, including "Even Stevphen" with Steve Carell,[62] in which both characters were expected to debate a selected topic but instead would unleash their anger at one another. [139], In January 2010, Colbert was named the assistant sports psychologist for the US Olympic speed skating team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. USO Senior Vice President John Hanson said the shows are an important diversion for the troops.[115]. Prince Harry opened up to Stephen Colbert about his afterlife wishes and his hopes for the future during a "Late Show" appearance. At the event, Mayor Gray referred to the publicity the bet brought the city, remarking, "This is the way to lose a bet". Colbert is co-author of the satirical text-and-picture novel Wigfield: The Can Do Town That Just May Not, which was published in 2003 by Hyperion Books. Colbert originally studied to be a dramatic actor, but became interested in improvisational theater while attending Northwestern University, where he met Second City director Del Close. [113] Colbert had a suit tailored for him in the Army Combat Uniform pattern. Published May 8, 2017. Colbert commonly hosted "This Week in God", a report on topics in the news pertaining to religion, presented with the help of the "God Machine". [73] The first guest of the new Late Show was George Clooney. The CBS star told Father James Martin on his Catholic talk show "Faith in Focus" on Thursday night that there was a time in his life he turned away from God. Colbert told the book-hider's story on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" right after taking a playful dig at Coeur d'Alene, saying people may know the city as "the home of the Museum of North . Stephen Colbert is known all across the globe as a comedian, TV host, producer and writer, who was delivered in 1964.His career in the entertainment sphere b. King, Larry. [7][8] Colbert's book I Am America (And So Can You!) And, you know, 'Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers,' and these seem like the least of our brothers right now Migrant workers suffer and have no rights. Prince Harry plays polo in a charity match to raise funds for . He is the youngest of eleven children. [53] Though its ratings were not remarkable during its initial run, it has been characterized as a cult show with a small but dedicated audience. The exemption allows 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. The two exchanged vows in 1993, and Evelyn has given birth to their three children, Peter, John and Madeleine. Colbert's "The Late Show" monologue on Wednesday focused on the fact that the state's top executive was on the verge of signing the drag-queen ban when the press unearthed a photo of a . [158][159][160] In 2017, Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Colbert is a producer of The 1 Second Film, the world's largest nonprofit collaborative art film. Kappy, who was 42, "forced himself off" a bridge early Monday, an official with the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a statement obtained by the Daily News. And yet we still invite them to come here and at the same time ask them to leave. As Cain was still on the ballot, despite having recently dropped out of the race, Colbert announced that he would consider any votes cast for Cain to be in direct support of his own possible candidacy. When Kilborn left the show prior to the 1999 season, Jon Stewart took over hosting duties, also serving as a writer and co-executive producer. On the January 11 episode of The Colbert Report, Colbert asked his audience if he should run for president in South Carolina, to which he received strong applause. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list in 2007. He grew up along with his siblings, Peter Colbert, and Madeline Colbert. Hobbies and other interests Colbert filed reports from the floor of the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention as a part of The Daily Show's award-winning coverage of the 2000 and 2004 U.S. presidential elections; many from the latter were included as part of their The Daily Show: Indecision 2004 DVD release. He also portrayed the letter Z in Sesame Street: All-Star Alphabet, a 2005 video release. [260], C.O.L.B.E.R.T. [49], Following the cancelation of Exit 57, Colbert worked for six months as a cast member and writer on The Dana Carvey Show, alongside former Second City castmate Steve Carell, and also Robert Smigel, Charlie Kaufman, Louis C.K., and Dino Stamatopoulos, among others. Colbert was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2006 and 2012. Background appearances of Colbert campaign ads continued to appear in Marvel Comics publications, as late as August 2008's Secret Invasion No. [211] In November 2006, he was named a "sexy surprise" by People in the Sexiest Man Alive honors[212] and in the December 2006 issue of GQ he was named one of GQ's "Men of the Year". [125] On the September 10, 2010, episode of the Daily Show[126] and The Colbert Report, Stewart and Colbert made preannouncements of a future event. It was taken to the ISS by the Space Shuttle Discovery during the STS-128 mission in August 2009. Getty Stephen Colbert, wife Evelyn Colbert and sons Peter Colbert and John Colbert pose with Goofy. Colbert has shared in his late-night monologues that his family members have been helping him put on the shows. [224] Colbert was the 2011 commencement speaker for Northwestern University, and received an honorary degree. James was the Father of Stephen Colbert, of "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central. [64] He was also nominated for three Emmys for The Colbert Report in 2006, including Best Performance in a Variety, Musical Program or Special, which he lost to Barry Manilow. [65], On April 10, 2014, CBS announced in a press release[72] that Colbert "will succeed David Letterman as the host of The Late Show, effective when Mr. Letterman retires from the broadcast." The book contains similar political satire, but was written primarily by Colbert himself rather than as a collaboration with his Colbert Report writing staff. [193] She also had an uncredited cameo as a nurse in the series pilot and a credited one (as his wife Clair) in the film. With the extended exposure of the character on the show, he often referenced his interest in and knowledge of Catholicism, science fiction, and The Lord of the Rings, as well as using real facts to create his character's history. Stephen Tyrone Colbert in MyHeritage family trees (Denger Web Site) view all 16 Immediate Family Private spouse Private child Private child Private child Lorna Elizabeth Colbert mother Dr. James W. "Jim" Colbert, Jr. father Private sibling Edward Tuck Colbert brother Private sibling William George Colbert, Sr. brother Private sibling Private He gained attention for his role on the latter as closeted gay history teacher Chuck Noblet. His video request that IMDb list his credit for The1 Second Film ("it is as valid as most of my credits") enabled thousands of the film's producers to be listed in the massive movie database until they were removed in early 2007. James William Colbert III (brother from same parents) Thomas Francis Colbert (brother from same parents) Their daughter Madeleine was born in 1995, son Peter was born in 1998, and John was born in 2002. [217] In August 2007, Virgin America named an airplane, "Air Colbert", in his honor. [119], Democratic committee member John Conyers questioned whether it was appropriate for the comedian to appear before Congress and asked him to leave the hearing. [208] Colbert was named Person of the Year by the U.S. Stephen Colbert noted on Thursday that Fox News is supposedly trying to move on from Donald Trump, with Semafor reporting that the right-wing network even has . On September 24, 2010, Colbert testified in character before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Security. [95] The video of Colbert's performance became an internet and media sensation,[96][97] while in the week following the speech, ratings for The Colbert Report rose by 37% to average just under 1.5 million total viewers per episode. Not only for things, he stands on things. Stephen Tyrone Colbert (pronounced col-BEAR) (born May 13, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and author. [149], After the resignation of South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint to run Heritage Foundation, Colbert was named a possible candidate for appointment to the seat being vacated by DeMint, which would have triggered a special election in 2014 to finish out DeMint's term. However, on April 14, 2009, NASA renamed it the "Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill", or COLBERT. ", "Dinner Theater: Why Stephen Colbert didn't bomb in D.C", "Stephen Colbert's Attack on Bush Gets A Big 'No Comment' From U.S. Media", "Video of Presidential roast attracts big Web audience", "That After-Dinner Speech remains a favorite dish", "Stephen Colbert and the Death of 'The Room', "S.C.'s favorite son of a gun bringing the campaign home", "Stephen Colbert thanks Craig Newmark for killing the American newspaper", "Stephen Colbert Joins DonorsChoose.org Board of Directors", "Obama supporters pressed Dems to keep Colbert off ballot", "Stephen Colbert is a swinger for Marvel", "In Iraq, Colbert gets military haircut to show his solidarity", "Colbert storms Capitol Hill for migrant workers", "Stephen Colbert, in GOP pundit character, testifies on immigration in D.C.", "Stephen Colbert testifies before Congress", "Stephen Colbert Breaks Character in Congressional Testimony to Advocate for Migrant Workers", "Stephen Colbert cracks jokes at Capitol Hill hearing", "Colbert seriously jokes to Congress about migrant agricultural work", "Stephen Colbert's Congressional Testimony: Appropriate or Waste of Time? In 2012, he was listed as No. Prince Harry shows Stephen Colbert necklace William allegedly broke. [243][244], At least five species have been given scientific names honoring Colbert. [21][34], He developed a love of science fiction and fantasy novels, especially the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, of which he remains an avid fan. On Saturday, April 29, 2006, Colbert was the featured entertainer for the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Jon Stewart continues to hold the Colbert Super PAC hostage, so Stephen urges Colbert Nation to comfort his frightened money by sending it more of itself. Grand Central Publishing is the successor to Warner Books, which published America (The Book), written by The Daily Show staff. So I just suffered through it. CNN values . [34] During his adolescence, he briefly fronted A Shot in the Dark, a Rolling Stones cover band. Colbert devoted time on five successive episodes to bemoaning the failure of the Associated Press to mention his role in popularizing the word truthiness in its news coverage of the Word of the Year. On September 16, 2010, Stewart and Colbert announced competing rallies on the Washington, D.C., Mall on October 30, 2010, Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity", and Colbert's "March to Keep Fear Alive". Colbert teamed up with Donorschoose.org again in 2008 by asking supporters of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to do the same. He offered his children the option to pronounce the name whichever way they preferred. He admitted to an emotional reaction upon seeing Michelle Williams and Paul Dano dressed as his parents for the first time. The 25-year-old was born as Madeline Colbert to her parents, Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert in 1995. Stephen Colbert's first live show back in studio on Monday evening did not seem go as smoothly for the late night host as he might have hoped. [89] In his politically conservative character from The Colbert Report, Colbert satirized the George W. Bush Administration and the White House Press Corps with such lines as: I stand by this man. [41][42][43] He found the curriculum rigorous, but was more focused than he had been in high school and was able to apply himself to his studies. 01/24/2012. The Fox News host weighs in on Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, and has some advice for a co-host of "The View." By Paul Bond On 9/23/22 at 8:47 PM EDT. Colbert was 10 at. Stephen and Evelyn McGee-Colbert share 3 children: Madeleine (1995), Peter (1998), and John (2002). Colbert viewers donated $185,000 to projects reaching 43,000 students in Pennsylvania public schools. [36], Colbert attended Charleston's Episcopal Porter-Gaud School, where he participated in several school plays and contributed to the school newspaper but was not highly motivated academically. Tragically, when Colbert was only ten years old his father, James, and two of his brothers were killed when Eastern Airlines Flight 212 crashed into a North Carolina cornfield in 1974. [106] [63] In several episodes of The Daily Show, Colbert filled in as anchor in the absence of Jon Stewart, including the full week of March 3, 2002, when Stewart was scheduled to host Saturday Night Live. Comedy Central signed a long-term contract for The Colbert Report within its first month on the air, when it immediately established itself among the network's highest-rated shows. [225] In 2013, Colbert again won the Emmy award for writing for The Colbert Report. Smigel brought his animated sketch, The Ambiguously Gay Duo, to SNL from The Dana Carvey Show; Colbert provided the voice of Ace on both series, opposite Steve Carell as Gary. ", "Bloomsday on Broadway XXIV Leopold's Women Bloom", "Why did IMDb remove thousands of our producers? [252] In 2014, a species of parasitic wasp from Ecuador, Aleiodes colberti, was named for Colbert, along with newly described species named for celebrities Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Ellen DeGeneres, and Shakira,[253][254] and in 2016 a rove beetle, Sonoma colberti, was named after Colbert's on-screen persona.[255]. [215] He was nominated for five TCA Awards for The Colbert Report by the Television Critics Association. 30 episodes; also co-creator, writer and executive producer, Phil Ken Sebben / Myron Reducto / Various voices, 1,447 episodes; also co-creator, writer and executive producer, 46 episodes; also co-creator, writer and executive producer, Co-creator, writer and executive producer, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 00:29. [82] When asked about his views on abortion, Colbert positioned himself as pro-choice. 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. I stand by this man because he stands for things. From this point, the series gradually began to take on a more political tone and increase in popularity, particularly in the latter part of the 2000 U.S. presidential election season. But the big reveal came when Spielberg talked about a film of his that he. Stephen Colbert ripped for 'willful rejection of reality' after taunting Energy Department lab leak report 'Only late-night comics have the authority to judge how COVID-19 was released,' one . [120] Though Colbert offered to depart at the direction of the committee chairwoman, Lofgren requested that he stay at least until all opening testimony had been completed, whereupon Conyers withdrew his request. [75][76], During his tenure as the host of The Late Show, Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, broadcast on CBS on September 17, 2017. Stephen would rise to fame, moving on from Second City to write for the hit show, "Strangers with Candy," after which he made a name for himself on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." They live in Montclair, New Jersey. [194][195], The couple have three children. I'm doin' it!" [186], Colbert is a practicing Roman Catholic and used to teach Sunday school. During his adolescence, he also developed an intense interest in fantasy role-playing games, especially Dungeons & Dragons,[34][35] a pastime which he later characterized as an early experience in acting and improvisation. And in 1998, their second child Peter was born. Madeline, their oldest child and only. On January 12, Colbert started his show by discussing his role in the presidential campaign, then addressed the law preventing him from being a presidential candidate while running his Super PAC. He was the host of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central from 2005 through 2014. [201], Colbert used the MyersBriggs Type Indicator during a segment of The Late Show, which identified him as an INFP.[202]. "The general sense of the council was that he wasn't a serious candidate and that was why he wasn't selected to be on the ballot", stated John Werner, the party's director. [51][clarification needed], During the same period, Colbert worked again with Sedaris and Dinello to develop a new comedy series for Comedy Central, Strangers with Candy. Versatile Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an author, actor, producer, television host, media critic and comedian. [29][30] Lorna Colbert relocated the family from James Island to the George Chisolm House, in downtown Charleston and ran the carriage house as a bed and breakfast. [11] Another running joke throughout the series was that Noblet, a closeted homosexual, was having a "secret" affair with fellow teacher Geoffrey Jellineck, despite the fact that their relationship was apparent to everyone around them. Since 2014, Colbert has hosted the Kennedy Center Honors for three consecutive years. [74] The show has a much more political focus than David Letterman's Late Show. Colbert waited until Easter to sample the ice cream because he "gave up sweets for Lent". But there is one Scott Kowalchyk/CBS. On October 16, 2007, he announced his candidacy on his show, stating his intention to run on both the Republican and Democratic platforms, but only as a "favorite son" in his native South Carolina. [170] In 2017, Colbert said due to the sexual assault allegations made against Cosby, he can no longer listen to his comedy.[171]. Stephen is the youngest of 10 siblings, a brood that included James III, Edward, Mary, William, Margo, Thomas, Jay, Elizabeth, Paul and Peter. [164], Colbert has said his comedy influences include: Don Novello,[165] Phil Silvers,[166] Alec Guinness,[167] Bill Cosby,[42] George Carlin,[36] Dean Martin,[36] Jon Stewart,[2] Monty Python,[168] Steve Martin,[169] and David Letterman. She gave birth to their only daughter, Madeleine Colbert, in 1995. King, Larry. Long Live Stephen Colbert", The News Is Funny, as a Correspondent Gets His Own Show, Rob and Nate Corddry Find Their Place on TV, "For Aasif Mandvi, cultural irreverence on 'The Daily Show', "Steve Carell The Colbert Report Video Clip", "Stephen Colbert Biography Biography of Comedian Stephen Colbert", "Stephen Colbert Immortalized In Final Episode Of 'The Colbert Report' Video", "Stewart and Colbert Extend Comedy Central Contracts", "CBS Announces Stephen Colbert as The Next Host Of The 'Late Show', "Late Show With Stephen Colbert' will premiere Sept. 8, CBS says", "Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' is rewriting the rules of late night TV for a digital audience", "Stephen Colbert Will Host the Emmy Awards", "Stephen Colbert's Spartina Productions Inks First-Look Deal With CBS Studios (EXCLUSIVE)", "TV's Newest Anchor: A Smirk in Progress", "Flipped Interviews: Late Show Guests Interview Stephen", "Stephen Colbert on the political targets of satire", "Change.org Immigrant Rights: Cesar Chavez's Granddaughter to March for Immigrant Rights at Rally to Restore Sanity", "Stephen Colbert's Fallback Position: Expert Witness? Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. He has a daughter Joan Elizabeth Colbert and son Edward Tuck Colbert Jr. Margaret Colbert Keegan (sister born to same parents) She is a mother and grandmother. [12] He grew up in the Charleston suburb of James Island, South Carolina. [99] Writing six months later, New York Times columnist Frank Rich referred to Colbert's speech as a "cultural primary" and called it the "defining moment" of the 2006 midterm elections. Colbert grew up in Charleston, S.C., the youngest of 11 children. [10][39], For a while, he was uncertain whether he would attend college,[40] but ultimately he applied and was accepted to HampdenSydney College in Virginia, where a friend had also enrolled.