Jeb Bush is opening night guest for Colbert’s ‘Late Show’

Colbert’s “Late Show” premiere will also feature appearances by George Clooney and Kendrick Lamar.

The incoming late-night host will sit down with Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on September 8. “But if somebody is not famous and they’ve got something to say and they can present themselves on camera, I think that’d be the ideal guest to have”.

Colbert also gave us an update on the remodeling of The Ed Sullivan Theater, where David Letterman did The Late Show since 1993.

Colbert then spoke about how – because of his improv comedy training – interviewing guests became his favorite thing to do on the Colbert Report.

“I got into comedy to do improvisation”.

If anyone wonders who that is, he says, just look for the supercuts of the times he couldn’t hide a laugh: “The guy who breaks character (and) can’t stop laughing, that’s real Stephen Colbert and can’t wait for people to see”.

Since at the moment he has no outlet for his Trump-related barbs, Colbert quipped, “So now I’m just dry-Trumping”. “We are going to find what is right for me”, he added. He said CBS Entertainment chief Nina Tassler’s main advice to him was to simply continue what he had been doing on The Colbert Report. “But I also hope that nobody gets that candle too close to his hair”.

“Maybe I missed the competitive gene”, he said.

“All late-night shows are topical to some extent”, he said.

Colbert said, “I had a very nice conversation with Dave”. Stephen Colbert is gunning for you.

“I feel the swell behind me and I am paddling as fast as I can”, he says. “I hope everyone has success”.

Colbert said the one thing he is most looking forward to is being able to express genuine interest in his guests, which is something his character on The Colbert Report never could do. “He said ‘No. Nobody ever asked me these questions before, ‘” Colbert said of his talk with Letterman (via Variety).

CBS, he said, had made no suggestions about the new show in terms of content or format: The network “asked nothing of me other than I fill an hour [at 11:35 p.m.] Monday through Friday…”

“We’re competing with ourselves to have fun on the show”, he said. Not only that, but the same goes for who could be appearing on it.

Much like James Corden, who took the stage last winter during another TCA tour, Colbert charmed reporters with his wit, humour and humble persona, even sitting down on the stage following the panel for a gaggle of reporters before a publicist yanked him back up, almost causing him to take a spill.