Stephen Colbert net worth is estimated to be around $75 million as of 2024. Stephen Colbert is an American Comedian, Writer, Producer, Actor, and TV personality born on May 13, 1964. He’s famous for hosting the satirical show “The Colbert Report” from 2005 to 2014 on Comedy Central and since 2015 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.
Originally Colbert aimed to be a serious actor but got into improv theater at Northwestern University where he crossed paths with Del Close a Second City director. He started his professional career as an understudy for Steve Carell at Second City Chicago. There he teamed up with comedians Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris to create the sketch comedy series Exit 57. Later they collaborated on the sitcom Strangers with Candy from 1999 to 2000.
Colbert gained fame as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. In 2005, he left to launch The Colbert Report a parody of opinion-driven political shows like The O’Reilly Factor. His portrayal of a caricatured conservative pundit earned him acclaim even performing in character at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in 2006.
After wrapping “The Colbert Report” in 2014 Stephen Colbert succeeded David Letterman as the host of CBS’s The Late Show in 2015. He’s hosted prestigious events like the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2017.
Colbert’s talent has earned him numerous awards including nine Primetime Emmy Awards two Grammy Awards and three Peabody Awards. He’s been recognized as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2006 and 2012. His book I Am America (And So Can You!) topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 2007.
Stephen Colbert in Brief
| Full Name | Stephen Tyrone Colbert |
| Date of Birth | May 13, 1964 |
| Place of Birth | Washington, D.C., USA |
| Occupation | Comedian, TV host, Author |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm) |
| Spouse | Evelyn McGee-Colbert |
| Children | Peter Colbert, Madeline Colbert, John Colbert |
| Net Worth | $75 million |
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What is Stephen Colbert Net Worth in 2024?
Stephen Colbert is an American Comedian, Writer, Producer, Actor, and TV personality with a net worth of $75 million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. People know him best for hosting “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2014.
He has also been the host of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on CBS since 2015. Before that, he was a correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Stephen also helped create and starred in the Comedy Central show “Strangers with Candy.”
Stephen Colbert’s net worth mainly comes from his work as a television host and comedian. Colbert also makes money from book sales and public speaking. His success in comedy and TV has been the biggest part of his wealth.
Stephen Colbert’s Early Life and Education
Stephen Colbert was born in Washington D.C. the youngest of eleven kids in a big Catholic family. His dad James William Colbert Jr. was a medical school dean and his mom Lorna Elizabeth Colbert took care of the home. They were devout and valued intelligence teaching their children to think critically even about their Catholic faith.
Colbert grew up in Bethesda Maryland and later in James Island South Carolina. He recalls a conservative upbringing with his mom voting Democrat just once. As a kid, he noticed how Southerners were stereotyped on TV and learned to mimic news anchors to avoid those stereotypes.
Despite joking that his surname is French, Colbert is mostly Irish. His ancestors came to America from Ireland during the 19th century. His father James changed the pronunciation of his last name KOHL-bərt, who wanted it to be kohl-BAIR but out of respect for his dad he kept the original pronunciation.
When Stephen Colbert was ten, his father and two of his brothers died in a plane crash. This tragedy had a profound impact on him and shaped his views on grief and suffering. His family moved to downtown Charleston after the accident where Colbert struggled to fit in.
He developed a passion for science fiction and fantasy novels, especially J. R. R. Tolkien’s works, and became an avid fan of Dungeons & Dragons. Despite initially wanting to study marine biology surgery left him deaf in one ear steering him away from that career path.
Colbert attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, performing in school plays and contributing to the newspaper. He wasn’t very interested in academics but loved acting. He eventually majored in philosophy at Hampden–Sydney College before transferring to Northwestern University to study performance.
In 1986, Stephen Colbert graduated from Northwestern’s School of Communication setting the stage for his future in comedy and television.
Stephen Colbert’s Career
During his time at Northwestern, Stephen Colbert originally aimed to become a serious actor focusing on experimental plays rather than comedy. He got into improvisation starting with his college team and later at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre under Del Close’s direction. Initially skeptical of Second City’s approach Colbert took a job there after graduation where he could also attend improv classes for free. Despite his initial reservations he ended up enjoying improv a lot.
He eventually joined Second City’s touring group initially as an understudy for Steve Carell. It was during this stint that he met Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello with whom he’d collaborate extensively later on. Although their relationship started rocky they bonded over their shared comedic style while touring together.
When Sedaris and Dinello were offered a chance to create a TV series Colbert joined them in New York to work on Exit 57 which aired on Comedy Central. Despite its short run, the show received positive reviews and multiple award nominations.
The Dana Carvey Show
After “Exit 57” Stephen Colbert worked on “The Dana Carvey Show” and contributed to “Saturday Night Live” briefly. His work on humorous segments for Good Morning America led to an introduction to The Daily Show where he started in 1997 on a trial basis.
Around the same time, Colbert, Sedaris, and Dinello developed “Strangers with Candy” a satire of after-school specials that premiered in 1999. Colbert took on a reduced role at The Daily Show to accommodate his work on Strangers with Candy.
Colbert officially joined The Daily Show during its second season and stood out with his parody of conservative pundits. His character a well-meaning but ill-informed commentator became a hit. He covered various topics with comedic flair often engaging in scripted debates with Jon Stewart or other knowledgeable guests.
The Colbert Report
In 2005, Stephen Colbert began hosting his show “The Colbert Report” which parodied cable news personalities. The show was a spin-off of The Daily Show and gained a large following cementing Colbert’s reputation as a skilled satirist.
Colbert later succeeded David Letterman as the host of “The Late Show” in 2015 bringing a more political focus to the show. He has continued to produce and host various programs including podcasts showcasing his versatility beyond traditional television formats.
On August 30, 2023, Oliver started co-hosting the comedy podcast Strike Force Five with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers. The aim was to help their staff members who were affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
Stephen Colbert’s Political Career
Views
Stephen Colbert before joining The Daily Show didn’t consider himself very into politics. However, in a 2004 interview, he described himself as a Democrat. At Harvard, he mentioned having no issue with Republicans personally but disagreed with their policies. A friend Jonathan Alter sees him as leaning towards the left. Colbert’s views on faith and politics often align with those of Cesar Chávez.
Colbert keeps a 1972 Richard Nixon campaign poster in his office admiring Nixon’s progressive actions despite jokingly noting that Nixon would be too liberal for today’s Republicans. His childhood interest in politics was sparked by the Watergate hearings which he discussed later in his career.
His political stance shifted from supporting Ronald Reagan to becoming more skeptical during his time at Northwestern University where he saw through political staging. Colbert has criticized U.S. policies including drone strikes and NSA surveillance under the Obama administration. He’s been vocal about his views on presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton expressing reservations about her candidacy.
Stephen Colbert supports Bernie Sanders’ Medicare for All plan and has advocated for abolishing the U.S. Senate. He’s pro-choice on abortion and has been critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner
In 2006, Stephen Colbert’s satirical speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner made headlines for its bold critique of President George W. Bush and the media. His real-life presidential campaign in 2008 was marked by humor and charitable efforts but he withdrew before it gained serious traction.
Colbert’s activism extended to visiting troops in Iraq in 2009 and testifying in Congress in 2010 on behalf of migrant workers. His satirical rally in Washington D.C. in 2010 and his involvement with Colbert Super PAC in 2011 continued to blend humor with political commentary.
Overall Stephen Colbert’s career has been defined by his unique blend of comedy and political satire influencing public discourse through humor and activism.
Stephen Colbert’s Personal Life
Stephen Colbert is a Roman Catholic who used to teach Sunday school. He’s also ordained with the Universal Life Church Monastery. He loves reading with favorite authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and Isaac Asimov.
Colbert has been married to Evelyn “Evie” McGee-Colbert since 1993. She’s the daughter of a well-known lawyer from Charleston. They met at a festival and it was love at first sight. They discovered they had grown up in the same area and had mutual friends. They live in Montclair New Jersey with their three kids: Madeleine, Peter, and John.
During his college and Second City years, Colbert dealt with depression and anxiety and took medication for it. He later stopped because he felt it wasn’t helping and found that creating new shows helped him manage his anxiety better.
Health
Stephen Colbert discovered he had a balance disorder called benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in 2020. He also tested positive for COVID-19 twice and suffered a ruptured appendix during a taping of his show in 2023 which put the show on hold while he recovered.
Colbert also shared that he’s an INFP according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Stephen Colbert’s Awards
In 2000, Stephen Colbert and his fellow writers on The Daily Show won three Emmy Awards. They later won again in 2005 and 2006. Colbert himself received a Satellite Award nomination in 2005 for his work on The Colbert Report and another in 2006. He was also nominated for three Emmys in 2006 for The Colbert Report including Best Performance which he lost to Barry Manilow. In a humorous twist, Colbert and Manilow signed a joking agreement over custody of the Emmy award on an episode of The Colbert Report in 2006. He lost the same category to Tony Bennett in 2007 and Don Rickles in 2008.
In January 2006, the American Dialect Society named “truthiness” a term Colbert coined on the first episode of The Colbert Report as the Word of the Year for 2005. Colbert dedicated five episodes to criticizing the Associated Press for not mentioning his role in popularizing the word. Merriam-Webster also chose “truthiness” as its Word of the Year for 2006.
In June 2006, Stephen Colbert spoke at Knox College’s commencement ceremony and received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in 2006 and 2012. New York Magazine listed Colbert as one of the top influential figures in media in May 2006 alongside Jon Stewart.
Colbert received several accolades for his contributions to comedy and media. He was named Person of the Year by the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2007 and received the Speaker of the Year Award from The Cross Examination Debate Association in 2007 for his critique of modern political discourse.
Stephen Colbert’s impact extended beyond television. He was named the second Sexiest TV News Anchor by Maxim in 2006 the only man on the list that year. People magazine recognized him as a “sexy surprise” in their Sexiest Man Alive honors in November 2006. GQ magazine named him one of GQ’s “Men of the Year” in December 2006.
Colbert has been honored with multiple Peabody Awards winning in 2007, 2011, and 2020. He also received the Celebrity of the Year title from The Associated Press in December 2007. Virgin America even named an airplane “Air Colbert” in his honor in August 2007.
In 2010, Stephen Colbert won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for his work on “A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!”. He delivered the Class Day address at Princeton University in June 2008 and received the Class of 2008 Understandable Vanity Award.
Colbert’s influence in media and comedy continued to be recognized throughout the years with accolades such as being named one of “The 50 Funniest People Now” by Rolling Stone in 2013 and receiving the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the U.S. Army in 2015.
In recent years Colbert’s achievements include being named one of “The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media” by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018 as well as appearing on GQ’s “Men of the Year” list in 2017. He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yale University in May 2021.
