Stephen Colbert, the host of ‘The Late Show’, has opened up about his most distracting guest moment during his 11 seasons on the programme, revealing that actress Michelle Williams left him completely flustered when she appeared on the show for the first time in 2019. The candid confession came during a new episode of the ‘Strike Force Five’ podcast, which Colbert hosts alongside fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver. The episode was recorded specially in honour of Colbert’s final ‘Late Show’ episodes.The popular late-night programme premiered in September 2015 and will air its last episode on May 21, bringing Colbert’s run as host to a close after 11 seasons.
Stephen Colbert on being ‘wildly attracted’ to Michelle Williams
The revelation came after co-host Kimmel asked the group, “Has there been a guest who was so attractive that you found it distracting?” Colbert, 62, was quick to respond. “I’ll tell you who I did not expect to be wildly attracted to,” he said. “Like, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I did not know what to do with my eyeballs when Michelle Williams was on for the first time.”He continued, “She sat down across from me and I went, ‘F**k, what is wrong with my head? I’d better not look directly at her for this entire interview.'” Colbert went on to gush about the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ star’s vibe and face, saying he finds her so beautiful.Williams, 45, first visited ‘The Late Show’ in April 2019 to promote her miniseries ‘Fosse/Verdon’. Her most recent appearance on the show came in April 2025, when she stopped by to discuss her Golden Globe-winning series ‘Dying for Sex’. A representative for Williams did not immediately respond to a request from Page Six for comment.
Rachel Weisz, Rebecca Ferguson and Andrew Garfield also got a mention
Williams was not the only guest to have caught Colbert’s eye over the years. He also name-dropped actresses Rachel Weisz and Rebecca Ferguson, as well as actor Andrew Garfield.“I used to have a Rachel Weisz problem,” he told his podcast co-hosts of the 56-year-old actress. “When Rachel Weisz would be on, I would leave the building for fear I would say something stupid.”As for 42-year-old Garfield, Colbert brought up the moment the two shared an on-screen kiss during a January 2017 episode of ‘The Late Show’. “Andrew Garfield, he is so attractive,” Colbert laughed, as Kimmel reminded him, “And you kissed him!” Colbert responded, “Or he kissed me. We did get our hands tangled in each other’s hair. It was really nice.”Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, Meyers and Oliver all came together for the new episode of ‘Strike Force Five’ specifically in honour of Colbert’s last ‘Late Show’ episodes, marking the end of what has been one of the most talked-about runs in late-night television history.
