The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Benedict Cumberbatch (Extended) | A Sign Of The Times

Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a lively mix of Stephen Colbert’s signature monologue, sharp political humor, a viral goat story, and an introspective, engaging interview with acclaimed actor Benedict Cumberbatch. The conversation delves into Cumberbatch’s new film "The Thing with Feathers," the artistic choices behind iconic roles like Smaug, experiences during the pandemic, and reflections on grief and parenting. The episode blends political satire with genuine conversation and moments of levity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Satire & Current Events (01:35–10:49)

• Epstein Files Vote & Political Hypocrisy

  • Colbert discusses the congressional vote to release the Epstein files, questioning Trump's motives for previously blocking the release and joking about the unpredictable nature of political decisions.
  • Memorable satirical commentary about Trump, congressional shenanigans, and the proposed timing (joking about a "pervert Advent calendar").
  • [03:31] Colbert: “If they f*** around, they'll find out. Release all the files. Don or Chucky Shoom's will cut a bitch.”

• Nancy Mace’s Isolation & Political Quips

  • Refers to Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s media appearance and jokes about political loneliness and inviting her dog to future parties.

• Mockery of Political Events

  • Colbert skewers Trump for hosting a state dinner for Mohammed bin Salman after the Khashoggi killing.
  • Jokes about Apple releasing a product called the "I Didn’t See Anything" in response to ignoring human rights records.

• Midterms & Redistricting

  • Discusses attempts by Republicans to manipulate House seats in Texas and California, lampooning political gerrymandering and its spectacular backfire in Texas.
  • [08:47] Colbert: “If only there had been some sign that Texas is something you shouldn't mess with.”

• RFK Jr. Anecdotes

  • Pokes fun at RFK Jr.'s alleged drug use and rumors of brain worms; jokes that “Oops, all farts” is now the US nutritional advice.

• Airline Delay Compensation Rollbacks

  • Colbert addresses the reversal of a Biden plan to compensate for airline delays, with extended metaphors comparing the policy to dental visits involving mice.
  • [10:50] Colbert: “If I'm stuck at the airport for nine hours, I demand the right to suckle right out of the Cinnabon frosting nozzle.”

2. Refreshing Change of Subject: The Viral Detroit Goat (11:52–18:07)

• Goat Escapades in Detroit

  • Shifts from hard news to a viral story: an escaped goat named Smokey causes chaos in Detroit and a man’s over-the-top fear goes viral.
  • [13:26] Colbert: “In terms of overreacting, I think that guy is the goat.”
  • Benedict Cumberbatch playfully interjects: [14:24] “Demon.”

• The Psychedelic Healing Shack

  • The story reveals the goat came from the “Psychedelic Healing Shack,” leading to jokes about the intersection of goats and psychedelic drugs.
  • [16:24] Dr. Bob (quoting): “You know, they're just gentle creatures and they're biblical and they're very healing.”
  • Colbert riffs on possibilities of family life with therapeutic goats.

• Legal Troubles and Quirky Local Color

  • Quick digression into Dr. Bob's legal trouble involving mushrooms and marijuana, with Cumberbatch and Colbert bantering about goat ownership as a lifestyle choice.
  • [17:25] Colbert (half-joking): “Quick note to my wife, Evie, I think I know what we're doing come June, darling… How many goats do you want?”

3. Extended Interview with Benedict Cumberbatch (19:14–31:16)

A. On Acting and "The Thing with Feathers"

• Personal and Emotional Layers

  • The film’s focus: A father grieving his wife’s sudden death, raising two children, and the arrival of a symbolic “crow” (grief itself).
  • Cumberbatch discusses the emotional weight and ongoing nature of grief.
  • [20:04] Cumberbatch: “But if I'm lucky, once or twice a week, I think she's gonna be back in a minute. She's gonna be back.”
  • [26:06] Cumberbatch: “It takes place over three sort of chapters. One is about the dad's point of view, then about the children's… And then this entity that is… eventually comforting… which comes alive in the book.”

• Literary Allusions & Symbolism

  • Discussion of Emily Dickinson’s “the thing with feathers” as hope, and how the film pivots to grief.
  • [26:47] Cumberbatch: “Max, I think, changed it to grief as a thing with feathers, because it is literally a thing with feathers.”

• Manifesting Grief on Screen

  • The crow is portrayed by a sculpted costume and physical actor—NOT CGI.
  • [27:55] Cumberbatch: “Eric Lampert… was wearing that weight on his head and on stilts to give it this otherworldly height… Because he just pushes himself in there like grief does…”
  • The crow’s voice is David Thewlis; on set, the actor did a Thewlis impression for cue lines.

• Working with Child Actors

  • On maintaining the emotional safety of child co-stars, and the challenges of producing as well as acting.

  • [29:07] Cumberbatch: “You have to protect them and reinforce this idea that this is just storytelling. We're all pretending here we're different people in reality… and then there are days when they are children and they were seven when they did this and they just didn't want to do it.”

  • Humorous anecdote: Director Dylan Southern bargains with kids, eventually allowing them to write “poo” on his forehead with lipstick so they would cooperate.

  • [30:30] Cumberbatch: “He had to walk around with that… Like the Joker… in front of a crew being called weak man… I thought, I don't know if I could imagine Ridley Scott getting the shot this way.”

B. Reflections on Iconic Roles & New Zealand

• Smaug Performance in "The Hobbit"

  • Details of doing motion capture for Smaug, initially only hired for voice work but Cumberbatch insisted on embodying the character in full motion.
  • [21:10] Cumberbatch: “I really want to do motion capture with you… I think I need to do that because this thing is in its body, it's not just this kind of cut off entity.”
  • Describes the set as “a group of guys in a room that looked like a kind of IRS office… Formica everywhere, fake, horrible carpet.”
  • [22:21] Cumberbatch: “It was like doing very strange, you know, one man pub theater in London…”

• Bond with New Zealand

  • Shares how "The Hobbit" and later "Power of the Dog" led him to discover and appreciate New Zealand’s landscape, Maori culture, and pandemic response.
  • [23:39] Cumberbatch: “It's astounding. It is like an Eden. And from tip to top, it is utterly, transformatively different from the South, south island to the north… And the southern alpinisme…”
  • Pandemic story: got “stuck” in New Zealand filming; ultimately grateful for safety and freedom.
  • [24:44] Cumberbatch: “They shut down so fast and so that it was utterly free of it within the community.”
  • [25:11] Cumberbatch: “I picked up a beer and went, oh, shit, that's not my beer… But it was this realization, we thought, okay, well, look, the rest of the world is still pretty all over the place… and we decided to keep ourselves there and have a holiday of it.”

C. Reflections on Grief and Parenting

• Link between Grief and Love
  • The depth of loss and the way hope and grief are intertwined—“Grief is interchangeable for love, I think… you can't love without loss.” (27:20)
  • The hope that “there is something on the other side of grief.” (27:34)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Political Irony:
  [03:31] Colbert: “If they f*** around, they'll find out. Release all the files. Don or Chucky Shoom's will cut a bitch.”

• On Playing Smaug:
  [21:10] Cumberbatch: “I really want to do motion capture with you… I think I need to do that because this thing is in its body, it's not just this kind of cut off entity.”

• On Discovering New Zealand:
  [23:39] Cumberbatch: “It's astounding. It is like an Eden. And from tip to top, it is utterly, transformatively different from the South, south island to the north… And the southern alpinisme…”

• On Grief:
  [20:04] Cumberbatch: “But if I'm lucky, once or twice a week, I think she's gonna be back in a minute. She's gonna be back.”
  [27:20] Cumberbatch: “It changes form. And… grief is interchangeable for love, I think, you know, you can't love without loss.”

• On Making “The Thing with Feathers”:
  [29:07] Cumberbatch: “You have to protect them and reinforce this idea that this is just storytelling. We're all pretending here we're different people in reality…”

• On Directing Kids:
  [30:30] Cumberbatch: “He had to walk around with that… Like the Joker… in front of a crew being called weak man… I thought, I don't know if I could imagine Ridley Scott getting the shot this way.”

Important Timestamps

• 01:35–10:49 – Political Monologue (Epstein files, Trump, Nancy Mace, RFK Jr., airline delays)
• 11:52–18:07 – Escaped Detroit Goat & Psychedelic Shack Segment
• 19:14–31:16 – Extended Interview with Benedict Cumberbatch
  • [19:32] – Dramatic/Emotional “Thing with Feathers” discussion
  • [20:49] – Smaug & The Hobbit motion capture story
  • [23:39] – New Zealand reflections
  • [26:06] – Deeper exploration of the film’s themes (grief, hope, and love)
  • [29:07] – Working with child actors and production anecdotes

Tone & Style

• Colbert: Whip-smart, sardonic, playful, emotionally astute.
• Cumberbatch: Sincere, reflective, witty, self-effacing, warm, and openly emotional.
• The exchange is marked by genuine rapport, mixing comedic banter with candid insights.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers both classic Late Show satire on the week’s bizarre political headlines and a rewarding, thoughtful conversation with Benedict Cumberbatch. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the cultural commentary, or the emotional resonance on grief and creativity, this episode covers it all—with timestamps to find your favorite segments.