Stephen Colbert’s guest reveals he's never seen his show and it got awkward fast: “We’re not on...”
Stephen Colbert has had many memorable interviews, some of which caught fans by surprise. One such instance was when Donald Trump appeared on the show, despite Colbert's history of criticizing him. During the interview, Colbert even apologized to Trump but later stated that he would never have him on again, The Atlantic reported. According to Colbert, Trump acted very differently behind the scenes compared to how he presented himself on camera. Another difficult interview for Colbert occurred in the fall of 2013 and was described by the LA Times as one of his most awkward moments. The guest was Philip Mudd, the deputy director of the CIA’s counter-terrorist center and a senior intelligence advisor at the FBI. As of the time of this article, the video has been taken down and cannot be found anywhere, yet.
At first, the conversation was going well, with Mudd discussing the role of human informants in counterterrorism. However, the tone shifted when Colbert jokingly suggested that televisions were spying on people. Mudd responded in a way that did not sit well with the host or the audience. He said, “American culture has a lot to offer. We got great books, we got great people, we got great cafes, great food. About 18 down on that list for me is TV, which turns your brain into cotton candy. So I decided 20 years ago, dump it.” Colbert found this response ironic since Mudd was promoting his book on a television show. He asked, “We’re not on Broadway right now. TV is selling your book right now. You want to amend that in any way?” Mudd simply replied, "No," with a serious expression, and then told Colbert to read a book. He also admitted that he had never watched Colbert’s show, which was not the best approach when trying to promote a book.
Despite Colbert's attempt to move on, the interview had already become tense. He shifted the discussion to issues in Syria, but Mudd still appeared displeased. The LA Times noted, "Sensing that it was time to move on, the host switched to the apparently far less heated subjects of Syria, torture and extraordinary rendition. Mudd could barely disguise his contempt for Colbert, who nevertheless pressed on mightily with his frequently very tough questions. Someone get this guy a job in the CIA."
Although this was one of Colbert’s most difficult interviews, it was not his worst. He had other awkward moments with guests as well. During an interview with billionaire Richard Branson, things took a strange turn when Branson seemed upset about not getting enough time to promote his book, as reported by Business Insider. The situation escalated when Branson threw water on Colbert, making it appear as though he was genuinely frustrated rather than participating in a planned joke. Another uncomfortable exchange happened with Diane Keaton.
Throughout the interview, Keaton’s behavior was unpredictable, and the tension increased at the end. After hugging Colbert, she suddenly said, "Oh my god," while smacking him on the chest. She then added, "I'm bringing you up on charges, you touched me." Colbert, trying to lighten the moment, replied, "As well you should. We're gonna make out as soon as the cameras go off," Entertainment Weekly reported.