The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Intro Rewind: RuPaul’s Colbert Questionnaire
Date: August 24, 2025
Host: Stephen Colbert
Guest: RuPaul
Producer/Co-host: Becca

Episode Overview

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show highlights a recent and memorable Colbert Questionnaire session with RuPaul, the iconic drag performer and host. The main purpose of the episode is to reveal unexpected and intimate facets of RuPaul’s personality through Colbert’s signature quick-hit, revealing questions. The show opens with light banter between Stephen and producer Becca, segues into a charming discussion about Stephen's dog Benny, and then dives into RuPaul’s responses to the Colbert Questionnaire—a blend of humor, candor, and RuPaul’s trademark warmth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & The Mystery Guest (02:12–03:28)

• Stephen and Becca set a friendly and relaxed tone. Stephen quizzes Becca to guess which celebrity answered “James Brown” as their first concert, leading up to the reveal: RuPaul.
• Quote:
  • Stephen: “He’s a very fabulous man.” (03:02)
  • Becca: “Are you saying he’s gay? Is that what you mean by fabulous?” (03:05)

2. The Benny Discussion (03:44–07:00)

• Anecdotes about Benny, Stephen’s Boykin Spaniel, offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life at the Ed Sullivan Theater.
• Benny’s quirks: Loves to sit in the same chair, watches rehearsals like a human, and is highly intelligent but needs a job due to his working-dog nature.
• Quotes:
  • Becca: “He sits up like a human in the chair and looks so intently that it really looks like he’s about to give me notes, and I wish he would.” (04:12)
  • Stephen: “He’s got the girly ears… like an Egyptian pharaoh’s headdress.” (05:23)
  • Becca: “He’s super smart, which is one of the problems with him.” (04:35)

3. RuPaul Takes the Colbert Questionnaire (07:18–13:48)

Setting the Stage (07:18–08:03)

• Stephen praises RuPaul: “You’re a mood elevator. You’re better than Xanax.”
• Explains the purpose of the Questionnaire as a way to get to the "true them."

Questionnaire Highlights

Best Sandwich

• RuPaul: "BLT." (08:12)
• Stephen probes: “How much T?”
  • RuPaul: “All tea, no shade.” (08:26)

First Concert Attended

• RuPaul: “James Brown at the San Diego Sports Arena in July of 1969.” (08:32)
• Shares a memory of meeting James Brown, who owned “36 cars” in Augusta, Georgia. (08:43–09:00)

Scariest Animal

• RuPaul: “Human.” (09:02)

Apples or Oranges

• RuPaul: “Oranges.” (09:10)

Ever Asked for an Autograph?

• RuPaul: “Yes.” Diana Ross, who signed a CD for RuPaul. (09:16–09:26)
• “That’s lovely.” —Becca (09:29)

What Happens When We Die?

• RuPaul: “We are done. Here’s what happens. Energy is forever, right? And we are energy. But these bodies, they’re going to be turned to dust. That’s it. It’s ok. Ok. It’s fine.” (09:34)
• Stephen: “I don’t know about the OK part…” (09:46)

Favorite Action Movie

• RuPaul: “Mr. And Mrs. Smith,” but can always watch a James Bond movie. (09:53–10:10)
• Favorite Bond: “Roger Moore because of the humor.” (10:19)

Window or Aisle?

• RuPaul: Aisle in the theater (“because I’m tall”), window on a plane (“I don’t want anybody rubbing up against me”). (10:24–10:41)

Favorite Smell

• “Moonlight Rose by Van Cleef and Arpels.” (11:02)
• Playful sponsor banter follows. (11:11–11:14)

Earliest Memory

• Watching his mother wash his younger sister Rozzie in the sink, probably age three. (11:27–11:51)

Cats or Dogs?

• RuPaul: “Dogs. We have lots of dogs.” (11:53)

One Song for the Rest of Your Life

• RuPaul: “‘Take Me to Your Heart’ by Rick Astley. I’m a music freak… On a big Shaka thing right now… But Rick Astley, it is just beautiful. If we start talking about the Bee Gees right now, I will start to cry. I will. I’m in love.” (12:03)
• Stephen shares a humorous story about Barry Gibb owning “every car on the street” in Mayfair. (12:43–13:21)

What Number Am I Thinking Of?

• RuPaul: “7.” (13:28)

Describe the Rest of Your Life in 5 Words

• RuPaul: “Laughing his ass off. Honey.” (13:36)

Stephen’s Closing Line

• “Congratulations Ru. You are known.” (13:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• RuPaul, on the “scariest animal”:
  • “Human.” (09:02)
• RuPaul, on the afterlife:
  • “Energy is forever, right? And we are energy. But these bodies, they’re going to be turned to dust.” (09:34)
• RuPaul, on his musical taste:
  • “If we start talking about the Bee Gees right now, I will start to cry. I will. I’m in love.” (12:07)
• RuPaul, five words for the rest of life:
  • “Laughing his ass off. Honey.” (13:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|------------| | Opening Banter & Guest Guessing | 02:12–03:28| | Benny the Dog Stories | 03:44–07:00| | Introducing RuPaul & Questionnaire Start | 07:18–08:03| | BLT and “All tea, no shade” | 08:12–08:26| | First Concert & James Brown Anecdotes | 08:32–09:00| | Scariest Animal, Oranges, & Diana Ross | 09:02–09:26| | RuPaul on Life, Death, and Dogs | 09:34–12:07| | Bee Gees Story | 12:43–13:21| | Five Words for Life | 13:36 | | Episode Wrap-Up and Goodbye | 13:43–13:48|

Tone and Atmosphere

• The tone is witty, candid, and heartfelt, marked by Stephen’s signature humor and RuPaul’s self-assured warmth.
• Interactions are friendly, playful, and often laced with knowing humor and mutual respect.

Summary

This episode brings out both the pleasures of unscripted conversation and the depth that can come from incisive questions. RuPaul’s responses are quick, sincere, and sprinkled with his characteristic wit—whether discussing sandwiches (“All tea, no shade”), the meaning of death, or his affection for Rick Astley and the Bee Gees. The dog stories open a window into Colbert’s behind-the-scenes life, giving fans a soft, personal touch before the star segment. The episode is ideal for anyone wanting a mix of humor, heart, and insight into RuPaul’s world—in Colbert’s own words, “Congratulations Ru. You are known.”