Damson Idris

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert featuring Damson Idris
Episode Release Date: July 7, 2025
Guest: Damson Idris
Podcast: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Host: Stephen Colbert

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1. Introduction of Guest

Stephen Colbert welcomes Damson Idris, highlighting his rising prominence as an actor known for his role in the hit FX series Snowfall and his leading role opposite Brad Pitt in the highly anticipated film F1.

• Stephen Colbert (04:01): "Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest tonight is an actor who caught the attention of audiences in the hit FX series Snowfall. He now stars opposite Brad Pitt in F1 the Movie."

2. Damson Idris's Background and Transition to Acting

Colbert delves into Idris’s initial aspirations to become a professional footballer (soccer player), inspired by watching Lionel Messi. However, Idris pivoted to acting due to a combination of personal reflection and encouragement from his sister and mentors.

• Stephen Colbert (04:48): "You had another big dream. You wanted to be a... What we would call a soccer player, and you would call a footballer."
• Damson Idris (04:58): "I went to Brunel University. I studied drama and tv, film studies there. And my sister said, you know, you're a class clown. You're always making the whole family laugh. Try and do drama."

3. Role in Snowfall and John Singleton's Influence

Idris discusses his breakthrough role in Snowfall, emphasizing the significant impact of working with the late John Singleton, a revered figure in the film industry.

• Damson Idris (05:50): "John Singleton cast you in Snowfall, which was great. He created, and it was on FX. What do you remember about that? That was like... That was a big break for you."
• Damson Idris (06:02): "He was the greatest. He would call me 'damsel' all the time. Which is it now?"

4. F1 the Movie and Collaboration with Brad Pitt

The conversation shifts to Idris’s role in F1 the Movie, where he stars alongside Brad Pitt. Idris elaborates on his character's journey and the dynamics between his character and Pitt’s.

• Stephen Colbert (06:30): "Well, now, as I said, you're in the F1 movie. F1. The movie. And I heard you're working with this really promising up and coming new guy named Brad Pitt."
• Damson Idris (07:00): "Yeah. And Brad is really fast. He is just such an amazing adrenaline junkie."

5. Anecdotes from Filming

Idris shares a humorous and memorable incident from the set involving an accidental spit towards Brad Pitt during a particularly intense scene, highlighting both the challenges and camaraderie on set.

• Damson Idris (06:47): "It's so funny working with Brad. I mean, he is such a beautiful human being, such a giving actor."
• Damson Idris (07:10): "I spat in Brad Pitt's face. It was an accident. It was a rageful scene."
• Stephen Colbert (07:13): "You spat on Brad?"
• Damson Idris (07:15): "It was just the spray was coming out."

6. Insights into the Racing Experience

Idris provides an insider's view into the making of F1 the Movie, discussing the rigorous training and authentic racing experiences undertaken to portray his character realistically.

• Stephen Colbert (10:32): "Did you actually get in the cars? Did you actually drive?"
• Damson Idris (10:40): "Yes, yes. We drove up to 180 miles per hour."
• Damson Idris (11:08): "When you think about the training. They trained us for four months before filming and then it took us around two years to make this movie."
• Damson Idris (11:25): "So technically, I'm probably faster than Lewis Hamilton."

7. Conclusion and Movie Release Information

Colbert wraps up the interview by promoting the release of F1 the Movie, sharing key details about its premiere and encouraging listeners to watch the film.

• Stephen Colbert (11:37): "F1. The movie opens in theaters on Friday, June 27th."
• Damson Idris (11:35): "Thank you so much for having me."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Stephen Colbert (04:01): "He now stars opposite Brad Pitt in F1 the Movie, which is a movie about F1."
• Damson Idris (04:58): "I'm never gonna be as good as this guy [Lionel Messi]. So Lionel Messi is the reason for my retirement in football."
• Damson Idris (06:02): "He was the greatest. He would call me damsel all the time."
• Damson Idris (07:15): "It was just the spray was coming out."
• Damson Idris (10:42): "We trained us for four months before filming and then it took us around two years to make this movie."
• Damson Idris (11:08): "When you think about the training. They trained us for four months before filming and then it took us around two years to make this movie."

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Key Takeaways

• Career Transition: Damson Idris transitioned from aspiring footballer to actor, influenced by personal insights and mentorship.
• Breakthrough Role: His role in Snowfall under John Singleton’s direction was pivotal in his acting career.
• F1 the Movie: Idris stars alongside Brad Pitt, portraying a rookie F1 driver mentored by Pitt’s character.
• Authentic Experience: Extensive training and real racing experience contributed to the authenticity of his performance.
• Anecdotal Insights: Idris shared light-hearted moments from the set, illustrating the professional and personal rapport among the cast.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of Damson Idris's appearance on The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, providing listeners with an insightful overview of his career progression, his latest film project, and personal anecdotes that highlight his experiences in the acting sphere.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. Stephen Colbert here about to read the copy for our sponsor. This is from our friends at Wonderful Pistachios. And I was the wonderful pistachio spokesman for years. Yeah, I have a real close association with nut meat. Okay. You know what they say when they reach for a snack? Don't hold back. And that's exactly the approach with Wonderful Pistachios. The don't hold back snack. These little wonders are so tasty, it feels like getting away with something. But surprise. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of regret. That's right. No guilt. Just glory, glory in our nuts. Whether it's a satisfying crack of in shell pistachios, and that's capitalized in shell, or the smooth, instant gratification of no shells. No judgment. That's just it. Just eat. No judgment. I take issue with one thing. It's instant gratification. It's super tasty smooth.

[Damson Idris]

It's a hard nut smooth.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[Damson Idris]

We can't disparage the nuts.

[Stephen Colbert]

You. I'm not disparaging the nut. I'm describing the nut.

[Damson Idris]

Don't disparage any flavors.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios. I love. I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?

[Damson Idris]

Very good.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[Damson Idris]

Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get them.

[Stephen Colbert]

I didn't even know I get them.

[Damson Idris]

Before the softball games.

[Stephen Colbert]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[Damson Idris]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Wonderful pistachios has every snack style covered. Right now. There's an obsession with jalapeno lime. There is an obsession session. It's almost a disorder. It's spicy, it's zesty. It's basically a flavor roller coaster in a nut. Snacking on the go. Grab a bag of no shells. Feeling contemplative and want to work for it a little. So earning it, they're saying if you want to earn your nut, crack open those in shell beauties. Either way, it's snacking like a champ. So the next time hunger strikes, don't hold back. Unless it's a hunger strike. And Then it's important that you do, because whatever you're doing that for, I'm sure it's a worthwhile cause. Snack like you mean it with wonderful pistachios. Visit wonderfulpistachios.com to learn more.

[Damson Idris]

That was a wonderful.

[Stephen Colbert]

I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios, but evidently, there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[Damson Idris]

They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[Damson Idris]

No, no, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

Bring it on.

[Damson Idris]

Nothing bad to say.

[Stephen Colbert]

Nut me, nut. Nut me with nut meat.

[Damson Idris]

We're nut.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty. Good.

[Unknown]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Unknown]

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[Unknown]

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[Damson Idris]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome back, everybody. Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest tonight is an actor who caught the attention of audiences in the hit FX series Snowfall. He now stars opposite Brad Pitt in F1 the Movie. Please welcome to the Late Show Damson Idris. Oh, wow. Nice to see you. Seems like it's a good time to be Damson Idris. You know you're starring in one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, F1 the movie, which is a movie about F1.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And it's all there in the title. You don't need to even know much more than that. But I understand this was not with the original plan.

[Unknown]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

You had another big dream. You wanted to be a. What we would call soccer player, and you would call footballer.

[Unknown]

Football. Yeah. And I call your football. Was it handball or something like that?

[Stephen Colbert]

No. Yes. Yes. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Handball. No, I wanted to be a footballer. I played up until the age of 18, and I remember seeing Lionel Messi play. He was around 23 years old.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Unknown]

And I was like, I'm never Gonna be as good as this guy. So Lionel Messi is the reason for my retirement in football.

[Stephen Colbert]

Who pushed you toward acting?

[Unknown]

So I went to Brunel University. I studied drama and tv, film studies there. And my sister said, you know, you're a class clown. You're always making the whole family laugh. Try and do drama. And there was an actor.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wait a second. Yeah, you're a class clown. Try drama.

[Unknown]

Yeah. He's like, you're always getting in trouble in school. You should just act. It was so interesting. Wow. And then there was a lady who came back. She was an actress called Kathy Tyson. So big shout out to her, and she encouraged me in uni to do a play, a theater production. So she's the reason why I got into acting. Really?

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, John Singleton cast you in Snowfall, which was great. He created, and it was on fx. What do you remember about that? That was like. That was a big break for you.

[Unknown]

I mean, it was kind of big. Yeah, it was kind of big.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Unknown]

I was 23 years old. I was 23 years old. And the great late John Singleton, rest in peace, you know, directed Boyz n the Hood, Baby Boy. Poetic Justice.

[Stephen Colbert]

There you are together. That's nice. That's nice.

[Unknown]

He was the greatest. He would call me damsel all the time. Which is it now?

[Stephen Colbert]

Did your sister say, he told you so, or did you, like, you know?

[Unknown]

No, she still thinks I'm a bad actor. Yes. She's like, you should have stuck to the football. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, now, as I said, you're in the F1 movie. F1. The movie. And I heard you're working with this really promising up and coming new guy named Brad Pitt.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And.

[Stephen Colbert]

Good guy.

[Unknown]

He's good. He has a really bright future, that guy.

[Stephen Colbert]

I think he does. Exactly. We're pretty close friends. I met him once. Oh, wow. Yes. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Yeah. I hope he sticks around.

[Stephen Colbert]

I hope so, too. Yeah.

[Unknown]

It's so funny working with Brad. I mean, he is such a beautiful human being, such a giving actor. And we once did a scene where I had to scream in his face. And it was like the biggest scene for me. I was so nervous. And in between a take, I spat in Brad Pitt's face and I. On purpose.

[Stephen Colbert]

You spat on Brad?

[Unknown]

It was an accident. It was a rageful scene. Oh.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was just the spray was coming out.

[Unknown]

I watched the spit go to Brad's, and Brad was like. And then he kept going.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And in my head, I'm like, oh, my gosh. I spat in Brad.

[Damson Idris]

Pittsburgh.

[Stephen Colbert]

That guy was Achilles. He could kill you.

[Unknown]

Oh, he can. Yeah. I was like, I'm gonna lose my job.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I watched the spit. The whole take. It was just there. It was just there dribbling down.

[Stephen Colbert]

Had you met him before?

[Unknown]

So I used to work at the Lyceum Theater. I was an usher there in London. They had a play on called Lion King, and I used to stand there. I never heard of it. Yeah, I used to sell ice cream and popcorn. I used to stand in the front. Programs and brochures, souvenir brochures in London. And the reason I worked there is cause I wanted to spy on the actors and try and learn. Be a sponge. And one day, Brad Pitt comes in to watch the play, and I'm at the back working. So I rush out. I'm like, oh, my gosh, Brad Pitt's here. And I don't catch him. I see blonde hair, blue jeans and some tan boots just walk out the door. And I said, wow, one day I'm gonna work with him.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you're pretty sure that was him, not just somebody else in there?

[Unknown]

So then I tell Brad the story. I'm like, hey, you know, when I was younger, I saw you. You came to Lion King. I've never seen a Lion King. No, he didn't say that. Well, we.

[Stephen Colbert]

We got a clip. But before we show it, explain to people the basics and who you play in this movie.

[Unknown]

So F1, the movie is about an underdog team, fictional team by the name of ApexGP, who essentially are trying to win their first race. And a story follows the character of Sonny Hayes, Fantastic, promising new actor, Mr. Brad Pitt. Yes. And he comes back into the sport to kind of mentor this young rookie played by this gorgeous, amazingly handsome actor by the name of Damson Idris.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. I hear good things. Very good things. I thought he was a soccer player.

[Unknown]

That guy has a promising career. No, I'm playing.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. And the thing is, keep in mind, is that F1, for Americans who may not know, F1's a team sport. Like, you gotta do it together.

[Unknown]

Yes. And you know, Joshua Pierce, he's a rookie. He's talented, my character. But he's lacking maturity. You know, he's egotistical. He thinks he's, you know, above the. What? Kind of like, nevermind. And he learned so much from Brad Pitt's character. There's so much wisdom that's shared between the two of them. And together. Watch the movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

So here's. Here's a moment when maybe they're not. Is this the moment you spit on him? Yes.

[Unknown]

Jim, you're making a mistake of thinking that I'm just gonna be some grateful kid who'll bend a knee to an old timer. I climbed a mountain to get here, bro. Formula One. Back home, we call that a participation trophy.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

What the hell are you smiling about, man? Did you win something? There's 20 other drivers still out on that track and you're in here posing for that nonsense. Do you think any of them respect us?

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you?

[Unknown]

They need to learn that no one gets past us without a fight. No one.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, here's important.

[Unknown]

Here's important.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you. You know, we see you guys racing throughout this entire movie. Did you actually get in the cars? Did you actually drive?

[Unknown]

Yes, yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

That is that those things go faster than you could possibly. We can't conceive of how. Those who haven't been in one. What is that like? How fast are you going?

[Unknown]

We drove up to 180 miles per hour.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you actually race against him?

[Unknown]

I tried. Brad is really fast. He is just such an amazing adrenaline junkie. He rides bikes. He'd come out the garages so soon.

[Stephen Colbert]

About 180 miles an hour.

[Unknown]

I know, but I mean, when you think about the training. They trained us for four months before filming and then it took us around two years to make this movie. So I have two years of F1 experience under my belt. So technically, I'm probably faster than Lewis Hamilton.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'll ask him.

[Unknown]

Don't.

[Stephen Colbert]

Lewis.

[Unknown]

Lewis.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm joking.

[Unknown]

I'm joking. Lewis.

[Stephen Colbert]

Call me. Call me. Anyway, so nice to meet you. Thank you for being here.

[Unknown]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Stephen Colbert]

F1. The movie opens in theaters on Friday, June 27th. Damson, Idris, 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. 9116 emergency.

[Damson Idris]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Somebody killed two girls.

[Unknown]

My grandbabies and my friends. They're dead. A Paramount plus original.

[Stephen Colbert]

She wants to find more young women for him to kill.

[Unknown]

The untold story of the real cases.

[Stephen Colbert]

Each one he gets away with. He's emboldened.

[Unknown]

The FBI can't shake.

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