Amber Ruffin

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert: Amber Ruffin Episode Summary

Release Date: May 5, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert welcomes comedian and bestselling author Amber Ruffin. Known for her work on The Amber Ruffin Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and CNN’s Have I Got News for You, Ruffin brings a wealth of experience and humor to the conversation.

White House Correspondents Dinner Incident

The discussion kicks off with a notable incident involving the White House Correspondents Dinner. Stephen Colbert brings up Ruffin’s scheduled performance at the event, only for her to be disinvited four weeks prior to the show.

Stephen Colbert [02:09]: “My next guest tonight is a comedian and bestselling author, you know, from the Amber Ruffin Show, Late night with Seth Meyers and have I got news for you. Please welcome to the Late Show Amber Ruffin.”

Amber Ruffin [02:32]: “I had said that it would be impossible to, you know, make jokes about both sides…”

Ruffin explains the challenges she faced in crafting jokes that addressed political polarization without favoring one side over the other.

Amber Ruffin [04:44]: “...saying that out loud now makes me glad that I got canceled.”

Despite the initial disappointment of being pulled from the lineup, Ruffin shares how the experience ultimately led to positive personal moments, such as a brunch that lifted her spirits.

Tough Comedy Rooms and Improv Experiences

Stephen dives deeper into Ruffin’s comedic background, exploring her experiences performing in challenging environments.

Amber Ruffin [05:36]: “So a million years ago, I used to work at this theater called Boom Chicago. Boom Chicago is a theater in Amsterdam.”

Ruffin recounts her time at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, where she and her fellow comedians performed improv in challenging settings, including window performances in Mechs stores across Holland. She humorously describes these experiences as some of the worst shows she’s ever done.

Amber Ruffin [06:29]: “...It was the single worst show I've ever done. It was really bad.”

Current Projects: Have I Got News for You

Shifting focus to Ruffin’s current endeavors, Stephen highlights her role on CNN’s Have I Got News for You.

Amber Ruffin [07:32]: “...we battle it out to see who knows more about the news, but we're really just goofing around.”

Ruffin provides insight into the show's format, emphasizing the comedic interplay between team captains Roy Wood Jr., Michael, Ian Black, and herself. She underscores the show’s lighthearted approach to news commentary.

Musical Endeavors

The conversation then transitions to Ruffin’s impressive work in musical theatre. She discusses her contributions to Broadway productions and her latest project.

Amber Ruffin [08:04]: “I have done Some Like It Hot and rewrote the Wiz. And they were both on Broadway last year.”

Ruffin reveals she is currently developing a musical titled Bigfoot, centered around the mythical creature living in a town plagued by a corrupt mayor who scapegoats Bigfoot for the town’s problems. She teases the storyline without giving away the ending.

Amber Ruffin [08:53]: “I don't want to ruin it for you. But I wrote it, so of course it does.”

Her enthusiasm for the project reflects her creative spirit and commitment to storytelling through theatre.

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Stephen expresses his appreciation for Ruffin’s diverse talents and contributions to comedy and theatre.

Stephen Colbert [09:00]: “Amber. So lovely to have you on. Thanks for being here.”

He also promotes additional content available on The Late Show YouTube channel, encouraging listeners to engage further with her work.

Notable Quotes

• Amber Ruffin [02:32]: “...making jokes about both sides.”
• Amber Ruffin [04:44]: “...saying that out loud now makes me glad that I got canceled.”
• Amber Ruffin [06:29]: “It was the single worst show I've ever done. It was really bad.”
• Amber Ruffin [07:32]: “...we battle it out to see who knows more about the news, but we're really just goofing around.”
• Amber Ruffin [08:53]: “I don't want to ruin it for you. But I wrote it, so of course it does.”

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert offers a comprehensive look into Amber Ruffin’s career, highlighting her resilience in the face of professional setbacks, her versatility across different entertainment mediums, and her ongoing creative projects. Whether discussing the intricacies of political humor or the challenges of musical theatre, Ruffin’s insights provide valuable perspectives for both fans and aspiring comedians.

Transcript

[IXL Advertisement]

You ever hit that moment when your kid asks for help with homework and you're like, wait, when did long division get this complicated? Or maybe your child's flying through lessons and getting bored in class? Yeah, been there. Whether they're struggling or soaring, IXL can make a real difference. IXL is an award winning online platform that helps kids really understand what they're learning. It covers math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. And it's actually fun, engaging, personalized, and packed with encouraging feedback to help keep them motivated. IXL is used by 96 of the top 100 school districts in the US and it's no surprise it's backed by research. Kids using IXL are scoring higher on tests, and studies from almost every state show they're consistently doing better. Make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL now. And listeners of this podcast can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixcellearning.com audio. Visit ixllearning.com audio to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

[Instacart Advertisement]

Instacart is on a mission to have you not leave the couch this basketball season because between the pre game rituals and the post game interviews, it can be difficult to find time for everything else. So let Instacart take care of your gameday snacks or weekly restocks and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes because we hear it's bad luck to be hungry on game day. So download the Instacart app today and enjoy. $0 delivery fees on your first 3 orders. Service fees apply for 3 orders in 14 days. Excludes restaurants.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

Ladies and gentlemen. My next guest tonight is a comedian and bestselling author, you know, from the Amber Ruffin Show, Late night with Seth Meyers and have I got news for you. Please welcome to the Late Show Amber Ruffin.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yay. Oh, yay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey.

[Amber Ruffin]

Hi.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's so nice to have you on.

[Amber Ruffin]

How cool to be here. Look at this.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, yes.

[Amber Ruffin]

Oh, fun.

[Stephen Colbert]

This past weekend was the White House Correspondents Dinner.

[Amber Ruffin]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Some people may know that you were supposed to perform.

[Amber Ruffin]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

But then four weeks out, they disinvited you.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which might be cooler than being invited actually. What? What? What? Tell the what.

[Amber Ruffin]

You ain't never gonna believe this. So I. I had said that it would be impossible to, you know, make jokes about both sides, you know. Cause we're at a point now where One side is snatching people up off the street and putting them on a plane, and the other side is, you know, not doing that. So I just thought it would be impossible to make jokes about both sides.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you seen your little dangerous. Were they familiar with your material before they asked?

[Amber Ruffin]

I'm saying so. I mean, also, thank you for having me here. Cause I didn't do the White House correspondence.

[IXL Advertisement]

I really.

[Amber Ruffin]

I. I. Yay. I thought I was gonna be here talking about some. Oh, yeah, I did such a good job. Or, oh, well, you know, it's a tough house. Like one of those two.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amber Ruffin]

I didn't think I'd be here going, yeah, well, my big mouth got me in trouble.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, well, even if you do a good job, it's a tough house. That's the thing. Were you disappointed to be canceled or kind of relieved?

[Amber Ruffin]

Right. I was really, really sad for, like, two hours. But then I had a brunch, so then I felt great. But. No, that is true. But I thought if they didn't want me doing that show before I had even opened my mouth, then they would have been really, really sad with what.

[Stephen Colbert]

They got out of your mouth.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yeah. I mean, and then also, after they fired me, I looked back at my Google Doc and was like, this would have been bad. They would not have liked it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Are there any jokes that you loved, you just were so looking forward to, that you might be willing to share with us right now?

[Amber Ruffin]

Absolutely not.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why are your immigration papers not in order?

[Amber Ruffin]

Yeah, I mean, but no, I was gonna end it with, like, this administration is trying to get you to hate other people, and that's not your natural state. Human beings are made to love one another, blah, blah, blah. But, I mean, it's true. And they got you by convincing you that you're filled with hate and you absolutely aren't. It's the opposite of what you're made for. And saying that out loud now makes me glad that I got canceled.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, as you were saying, as you were saying, like, it's thought of as a very tough room for comedians. You've done a lot of work over the years. What's the toughest room you've ever played?

[Amber Ruffin]

So a million years ago, I used to work at this theater called Boom Chicago. Boom Chicago is a theater in Amsterdam.

[Stephen Colbert]

A lot of great people. Seth was there.

[Amber Ruffin]

Seth was there.

[Stephen Colbert]

Alison Silverman. Jesus, gross.

[Amber Ruffin]

Everybody was there. And we would do shows all around Europe. Right. So we got hired by this place that's like a fancy gap called Mechs. And we Would perform improv. This is all throughout Holland. At every mech store in Holland, we did a two person improv show in their window, and they took out the mannequins and they put us in there.

[Stephen Colbert]

And we were like, did you wear Mex clothes or something?

[Amber Ruffin]

Yes, we did.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you were the mannequins? Yes, I was doing improv.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yes. Word at a time in Mexico.

[Stephen Colbert]

In English for Dutch people.

[Amber Ruffin]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

How did that go?

[Amber Ruffin]

It was the single worst show I've ever done. It was really bad.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you got paid?

[Amber Ruffin]

Yeah, I did get paid. That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Get that money. Get that mech's money.

[Amber Ruffin]

No money like Mex money.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break. Hey, everybody, we're back. It's the lovely and talented Amber Ruffin.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you've done it all. Now you're doing CNN's have I got News for you.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you ever think all of this. Did you. Did you ever imagine all of this was gonna lead to a primetime Saturday show on cnn?

[Amber Ruffin]

I mean, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

For the people who don't know. Explain what it is, you guys.

[Amber Ruffin]

So there's this show on CNN called have I Got News for your? And it's a comedy show on CNN. And what we do is Roy Wood Jr. Hosts it. Michael. Yay, Roy. Michael, Ian Black and I are the team captains, and each of us has a guest, and we battle it out to see who knows more about the news, but we're really just goofing around.

[Stephen Colbert]

That sounds much better than the news to me. Is it true that you also work on musicals?

[Amber Ruffin]

I do.

[Stephen Colbert]

Are you working on a new. You've done several. You're working on a new one? What is this one?

[Amber Ruffin]

I have done Some Like It Hot. I co wrote Some Like It Hot and rewrote the Wiz.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Amber Ruffin]

And they were both on Broadway last year. Yeah, they're real.

[Stephen Colbert]

What are you working on right now?

[Amber Ruffin]

Right now I'm working on a musical called Bigfoot. And we were just tooting around with it. Bigfoot is a bigfoot. He's, you know, lives outside of this town. The town is run by a drunk, corrupt mayor who blames Bigfoot for what's wrong with the town. So in January, we were like, we gotta hurry up. We gotta get this going. We were like, oh, maybe it'll open in a couple years. We were like, no, no, no, no, no, no. Yeah, so it's really good to work on.

[Stephen Colbert]

Does it end happily for Bigfoot?

[Amber Ruffin]

I don't want to ruin it for you. But I wrote it, so of course it does.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're a cheerful person.

[Amber Ruffin]

Yay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Amber. So lovely to have you on. Thanks for being here. Have I Got News for you is streaming on Max. Amber Ruffman, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

Starting your own business can be intimidating. Suddenly you're wearing all the hats. Designer marketer, customer support, Shipping expert. It's a lot. That's where Shopify comes in. Shopify is the global commerce platform powering millions of businesses around the world and 10% of all e commerce in the US Shopify has your back. With hundreds of ready to use templates, you can launch a beautiful professional online store that looks and feels like you need content. Shopify's AI tools can help you write product descriptions, headlines, even enhance your product photos. Want to grow your reach easily? Create email and social media campaigns to meet your audience wherever they're scrolling. And with Shopify's world class support, you'll have expert help for everything. Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling [e-mail] Odyssey podcast. Go to shopify.com Odysseypodcast shopify.com Odysseypodcast.