Stephen Colbert's Real Name: Stephen Tyrone Colbert

Quick answer: Stephen Colbert's full name is Stephen Tyrone Colbert. He was born on May 13, 1964, in Washington, D.C., the youngest of 11 children. He hosted The Colbert Report (2005–14) and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015–26). The final Late Show episode aired on May 21, 2026 (Britannica; CBS News).

Real name and early life

Britannica gives his name in full as Stephen Tyrone Colbert. The Library of Congress name authority files him as "Colbert, Stephen, 1964-," with a source citation reading "Stephen Tyrone Colbert; actor, producer." Britannica describes him as an American actor and comedian.

He was raised Roman Catholic, Britannica says, and graduated from Northwestern University in 1986 with a theater degree. He then joined Chicago's Second City improv troupe. There he met Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello, and the three created the Comedy Central sketch show Exit 57 (1995–96) and the sitcom Strangers with Candy (1999–2000).

Career highlights

In 1997 Colbert joined The Daily Show, later hosted by Jon Stewart, as a correspondent and writer. He stayed eight years, becoming known for segments such as "This Week in God" and "Even Stephven," mock debates with Steve Carell.

The Colbert Report launched in 2005, with Colbert playing a self-important conservative pundit modeled partly on Bill O'Reilly. On the first episode he coined "truthiness," which the American Dialect Society named its 2005 Word of the Year. The show won Emmys for writing and for outstanding variety series, plus a 2008 Peabody. In April 2006 he spoke in character at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, delivering a harsh satire of the Bush administration and the press. He and Stewart drew more than 200,000 people to their Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in 2010, and in 2011 he founded a satirical super PAC.

Colbert replaced David Letterman as host of CBS's Late Show in 2015. In 2025 CBS announced it was canceling the show, calling the decision "purely financial." Britannica notes that many commentators suggested his criticism of President Donald Trump was the real reason. CBS News reported that the May 21, 2026, finale featured Jon Stewart, Paul McCartney, and fellow late-night hosts. Colbert said he had been "lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years."

Britannica reports that in 2026 Colbert was announced as a co-writer of the screenplay for The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, to be directed by Peter Jackson. Learn more about the director on our Peter Jackson real name page.

Name notes for searchers

Stephen Colbert is his real name; Tyrone is his middle name. The Colbert Report character shared his name but was a satirical persona, not the real Colbert.