James Cameron Takes The Colbert Questionert

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: James Cameron Takes The Colbert Questionert
Date: February 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging and funny episode, legendary filmmaker, environmentalist, and deep sea explorer James Cameron sits down with Stephen Colbert to take the famed "Colbert Questionert." The segment, designed to pierce the public personas of even the most private celebrities, puts Cameron in the hot seat as he answers a rapid-fire series of personal and philosophical questions. The conversation is filled with playful banter, witty insights, and several moments of genuine reflection, offering listeners a rare and revealing glimpse into the mind of the blockbuster auteur.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Colbert Questionert Begins

• Format Introduction (02:18–02:35)
  • Stephen explains the purpose: “A series of 15 questions... designed like sort of a psychic spike that penetrates the armor of even the most guarded human being and then pries them open like some sort of psychic jaws of life.”
• James Cameron Jokingly Hesitant (02:41)
  • Cameron teases, “Has anybody ever said no?”
  • Both laugh, Cameron agrees to participate.

2. Cameron’s Responses to the Questionnaire

• Best Sandwich (03:05–03:48)

  • Cameron nostalgically describes a post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, letting the bread soak up the cranberry until it turns purple.
  • “When it soaks through and goes purple because of the cranberry sauce, you eat it.” — James Cameron [03:42]

• First Concert (04:01–04:14)

  • Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Buffalo, New York, 1972.
  • Cameron and Colbert briefly geek out over prog rock.

• Scariest Animal (04:17–04:45)

  • Cameron: “A lot of creatures are flashing before my eyes… I’m gonna go with humans. Cause they’re everywhere, you know? And they’re making all the other animals extinct.” — James Cameron [04:44]

• Apples or Oranges (04:48–05:01)

  • Cameron chooses apples: “You can eat an apple, but an orange, you gotta peel. So it’s kind of unfriendly.”

• Asked for an Autograph? (05:05–05:27)

  • Ray Bradbury, the science fiction author.
  • Playful ribbing about knowing who Ray Bradbury is.

• What Happens When We Die? (05:41–06:28)

  • Thoughtful answer about energy and legacy:
    • “I think that your energy, your life energy ripples outward through everybody you ever knew, everybody you ever loved… every act of kindness, everything you taught your kids, everything you created in life. And it just keeps going endlessly. So I don’t think we actually really die at all.” — James Cameron [06:12–06:28]

• Favorite Action Movie (06:37–07:10)

  • “Die Hard. It’s best one liner, best villain. …Best Christmas movie.” — James Cameron [06:53]

• Window or Aisle? (07:10–07:24)

  • Chooses window, jokes: “If that sucker’s going down, I want to see it coming. It’ll be a great shot.”

• Favorite Smell (07:33–08:47)

  • "Baby scalp." Both discuss the newborn fontanelle and brain smell in a hilarious riff.
    • Colbert: “Did you get a whiff of that brain?” [07:39]
    • Cameron: “All my kids’ brains.” [07:50]

• Least Favorite Smell (10:43–10:53)

  • “I’m going to go with the stench of lies coming out of Washington.” — James Cameron

• Earliest Memory (11:03–11:36)

  • Receiving a wrapped Christmas present as a child, curious about what was inside. The gift was a toy tractor.
    • “It was a tractor. Hey, I remembered that it was a tractor. That’s pretty good.” — James Cameron [11:30]

• Cats or Dogs (11:36–12:42)

  • Favors dogs, delivers a scientific and comedic roast of cats:
    • “Cats are disingenuous little pricks… It’s a mark of ownership because you don’t own a cat, the cat owns you… If you were designing an alien sort of parasite that was going to invade the earth…and enslave them, that’s cats.” — James Cameron [12:02–12:42]

• One Song to Listen to Forever (12:42–13:19)

  • Selects Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”:
    • “If I have to listen to it for the rest of my life, I want something that’s going to make me smile.” — James Cameron [13:10]

• Guess a Number (13:19–14:08)

  • Colbert asks Cameron to guess, Cameron says “16” and calls Colbert a liar in a mock-accusatory exchange.

• Five-Word Life Description (14:08–14:46)

  • At first, jokes about using his wife’s suggestion, “Stop and smell the roses.” For himself, he answers: “Fight hard until the bell.” — James Cameron [14:46]

3. Notable Interludes and Banter

• Ray Bradbury Exchange (08:50–09:29)

  • They share a friendly, escalating back-and-forth over Bradbury’s works and adaptations, ending with mutual apologies and a joking “hug it out.”

• New Zealand Aside (09:34–10:16)

  • Cameron and Colbert discuss how polite and lovely New Zealanders are compared to Canadians, with Cameron adding, “They’d be mortified to be impolite… but they’ll punch the crap out of you. But they’re polite.” [10:04]

• AVATAR Production Update (10:16–10:34)

  • Cameron confirms shooting live action for the AVATAR sequels in New Zealand, with performance capture in LA. He jokes about replenishing the studio’s “treasure” through box office returns.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Do you have the courage to be fully known?” — Stephen Colbert [02:36]
• “If you were designing an alien sort of parasite that was going to invade the earth…and enslave them, that’s cats.” — James Cameron [12:32–12:42]
• “I don’t think we actually really die at all.” — James Cameron on legacy [06:28]
• “Fight hard until the bell.” — James Cameron [14:46]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Colbert Questionert Introduction: 02:15
• Thanksgiving Sandwich: 03:23–03:48
• First Concert (Emerson, Lake & Palmer): 04:01–04:14
• Scariest Animal (Humans): 04:17–04:45
• What Happens When We Die: 05:41–06:28
• Favorite Action Movie (Die Hard): 06:45–07:10
• Baby Scalp Banter: 07:33–08:47
• Ray Bradbury Exchange: 08:50–09:29
• Cats vs. Dogs: 11:36–12:42
• Life in Five Words: 14:08–14:46

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Overall Tone

Playful, energetic, and deeply revealing, the conversation oscillates between Cameron’s earnest philosophical insights and the duo’s comedic chemistry. Listeners are treated not just to Cameron’s wit and warmth, but also Colbert’s sharp, friendly probing that makes the Colbert Questionert a truly unique interview format.

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For more behind-the-scenes moments and full video clips, visit The Late Show’s YouTube channel.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, Sal.

[James Cameron]

Hank. What's going on? We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana.

[Stephen Colbert]

And it was so easy.

[James Cameron]

Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price, and.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

It got delivered the next day.

[James Cameron]

It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Yeah, you're right.

[James Cameron]

Case closed.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift. Well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do you have to lose?

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time, 50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required. $45 for three months, $90 for six month or $180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month. When network is busy. See terms.

[James Cameron]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. Welcome back, folks. My next guest is an environmentalist and deep sea explorer who has also made some of the most popular, most transformative films of all time. Please welcome to the Late Show. James Cameron, Good to see you again. It has been too long. As I was saying before, you've made these gigantic films. I say they're transformative. They've changed the standard of movie making, how stories are told, the technology that goes into it, what we expect from a movie spectacle. And I can't keep going.

[James Cameron]

This is good.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is great.

[James Cameron]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

You've done it again with fire and ash. And as much as I've enjoyed your work and I've seen pretty much everything you've ever done, it's hard to really know who the person is behind the lens to actually figure out what makes this director tick. And I was hoping, if you wouldn't mind, if I could subject you to something that we call the Colbert questionnaire.

[James Cameron]

And what a job. You've heard of it? You've heard of it. You've heard of it.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

You've heard of it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, so for the people who don't know, it's a series of 15 questions that are designed like sort of a psychic spike that penetrates the armor of even the most guarded human being and then pries them open like some sort of psychic jaws of life.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

So that you can see the beating heart and soul of that person. And it takes a lot of courage. Do you have the courage to be fully known?

[James Cameron]

This sounds extremely invasive. Has anybody ever said no? I mean, it would make up an awkward.

[Stephen Colbert]

No one has ever said no. No one said no. But you could be the first.

[James Cameron]

Well, you challenged me with the whole courage thing.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's it.

[James Cameron]

Yeah. All right. So we're on.

[Stephen Colbert]

The answer is.

[James Cameron]

We're on.

[Stephen Colbert]

We're on. Okay.

[James Cameron]

Yes. On.

[Stephen Colbert]

James Cameron, the Colbert questionnair. Cameron, first question. What is the best sandwich?

[James Cameron]

So this is the psychic spike.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's the thin end of the wedge.

[James Cameron]

We're gonna go.

[Stephen Colbert]

The spike gets thicker and the barbs go this way.

[James Cameron]

Oh, okay. A lot of sandwiches are flashing before my eyes. I'm gonna go with. I don't know. You guys may not know this. One day after Thanksgiving, piece of white bread, some cold turkey, and you put cranberry sauce all over the top. Put a slice of white bread on top. And then when it soaks through and goes purple because of the cranberry sauce, you eat it. It's like a. Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

So it's processed.

[James Cameron]

You guys know this. You know this one? Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Can you throw stuffing on there, or do you know how to do that?

[James Cameron]

You could.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, you could go hog wild and put sandwich. Okay. What was the first concert that you attended?

[James Cameron]

Okay, let's see. Emerson, Lake and Palmer In Buffalo, New York, 1972.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[James Cameron]

Lucky. You know, lucky, man. Oh.

[Stephen Colbert]

Brain salad surgery.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, it was before that. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

What is the scariest animal?

[James Cameron]

Okay, so a lot of creatures are flashing before my eyes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like sandwiches.

[James Cameron]

Like sandwiches, yeah. Except more teeth. Right? Yes. Great. Whites are good, you know, if you're diving, but if you're in Kansas, not so scary. Right, Right. So it's kind of situational. Yep. I'm gonna go with humans. Cause they're everywhere, you know?

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Yeah.

[James Cameron]

And they're making all the other animals extinct.

[Stephen Colbert]

Apples or oranges?

[James Cameron]

Oh, apples, you gotta. You can eat an apple, but an orange, you gotta peel. So it's kind of unfriendly. Plus, orange sauce doesn't work.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you. Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?

[James Cameron]

Yeah. Ray Bradbury and the famous science fiction author.

[Stephen Colbert]

You don't have to tell me who Bray Bradbury is. Yeah, well, don't patronize me, sir. Something wicked this way comes.

[James Cameron]

Very good. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you still have it?

[James Cameron]

Yeah. One would hope.

[Stephen Colbert]

If I had Bradbury's autograph, I would know where that is at all times.

[James Cameron]

I have a lot of stuff I have no idea where half of it is.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where do you keep it?

[James Cameron]

Storage?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, where is it? Because I'll break in and steal your Ray Bradbury.

[James Cameron]

So it's. I'm not done. All right.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do you think happens when we die?

[James Cameron]

Ooh, the big one.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's the thick end of the wedge.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, serious answer.

[Stephen Colbert]

Your answer.

[James Cameron]

Okay, my answer is, and bear with me on this, I think it's like a light switch. But I think it's not about what happens when you die. I think it's about what happened while you were alive. And I think that your energy, your life energy ripples outward through everybody you ever knew, everybody you ever loved, everybody you ever touched. A cab driver for 10 minutes. And it's every act of kindness. It's everything you taught your kids. It's everything you created in life. And it just keeps going endlessly. So I don't think we actually really die at all.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right, This is a big one.

[James Cameron]

That's. That's not the big one.

[Stephen Colbert]

Not for James Cameron, it's not. Okay, James Cameron, what is your favorite action movie?

[James Cameron]

Ooh, you mean besides mine?

[Stephen Colbert]

No, it can be one of yours.

[James Cameron]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

You can include one of yours.

[James Cameron]

No, I know the answer to this. It's Die Hard. Die Hard. It's best one liner, best villain. Death. Yeah. Best Christmas movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

That was the next question. That was my follow up.

[James Cameron]

It was a Christmas movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right, great. Window seat or aisle?

[James Cameron]

Window. Okay, window.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you got a big bladder?

[James Cameron]

No, I just get up. I'm rude, but, you know, if that sucker's going down, I want to see it coming. It'll be a great shot.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, I don't. Favorite smell.

[James Cameron]

Ooh, baby scalp.

[Stephen Colbert]

Baby scalp.

[James Cameron]

You know when you. When you got a baby, right?

[Stephen Colbert]

100%. Yeah, 100%. Before the fontanelle closes, please. Did you get a whiff of that brain?

[James Cameron]

I never thought of it that way.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's what you're smelling. You're smelling baby brain.

[James Cameron]

All my kids brains.

[Stephen Colbert]

I don't know if that's true. I don't know if that's true.

[James Cameron]

You made that up.

[Stephen Colbert]

But that's the image that I have because I love the little fontanelle there.

[James Cameron]

You're so smart that this is dangerous.

[Stephen Colbert]

It is, exactly. I think my sister used to put a spoon in my hand and try to get myself to poke myself in my own fontanelle. And that's how this happened. Okay, those are spooky.

[James Cameron]

You have kids?

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[James Cameron]

You have kids?

[Stephen Colbert]

That I know of.

[James Cameron]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. I Have three kids.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, but fontanels are spooky.

[Stephen Colbert]

Fontanels.

[James Cameron]

They are. Right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, before they close, the brain's kind of mushy.

[James Cameron]

Yeah. You're born with a helmet, but it's not a very good one.

[Stephen Colbert]

No. Well, good helmets spring a little bit. You know, they bounce a little bit.

[James Cameron]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Also, before the fontanelle closes, when they emerge into the world, sometimes the head comes out like toothpaste a little bit.

[James Cameron]

It can look like a banana.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. It can have, like a. My daughter had a dog leg right in there. They put a cap on her right away. That's why they put a cap on a baby, because the head looks weird.

[James Cameron]

I've always wondered about that.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's why they put a cap on a baby.

[James Cameron]

Yeah. I'm learning so much.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, that's what we do here. We aim to educate.

[James Cameron]

Good. Good. Do you know who Ray Bradbury is?

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[James Cameron]

Ray Bradbury. You know who he is?

[Stephen Colbert]

Ray Bradbury, of course. Exactly. You ever read his poem about the elements? You know, about, like, prince, glass, ceramic sun? It's all about the materials. A poem about the materials?

[James Cameron]

Sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know the Martian Chronicles?

[James Cameron]

Oh, yeah, Very good.

[Stephen Colbert]

His adaptation of Moby Dick. Did you ever read that script?

[James Cameron]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I'm a huge Bradbury fan.

[James Cameron]

Yeah. You know who Ray Bradbury is?

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, I'm sorry. That's hostile. I shouldn't be hostile. I shouldn't be hostile.

[James Cameron]

I apologize. It was probably hostile on my part.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Part.

[James Cameron]

Can we just. Can we just, like, hug it?

[Stephen Colbert]

Let's hug it. Let's hug it out.

[James Cameron]

Let's hug it out.

[Stephen Colbert]

Just side. Just a side. Just a side thing here. You spent a lot of time down in New Zealand, right?

[James Cameron]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Aren't they the loveliest people?

[James Cameron]

They're. They're polite. Yeah, they are.

[Stephen Colbert]

But I think they mean it. Unlike the Canadians. I think you are. So I think the Canadians are just being a little. Just being a little formal.

[James Cameron]

Well, Canadians can go, you know, elbows up, you know.

[Stephen Colbert]

They can.

[James Cameron]

Exactly right. Exactly right. No, New Zealanders, you know, they run the gamut just like everywhere, but I think they'd be mortified to be impolite.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[James Cameron]

You know. Yeah, for the. For the most part.

[Stephen Colbert]

They look out for each other, too.

[James Cameron]

But they'll punch the crap out of you. But they just. But they're polite.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you been punched by.

[James Cameron]

Not by a New Zealander yet.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[James Cameron]

No, other than just, you know, boxing. Sure. Sparring.

[Stephen Colbert]

Are you doing. Are you doing the Avatars down there?

[James Cameron]

We shoot the live action there. And we do the performance capture in Los Angeles.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you have some more shooting to do down there now?

[James Cameron]

You're done.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're done.

[James Cameron]

Well, this one. Oh, but are you doing more though, right? Hopefully. Like, we got to make some money. We got to replenish the treasure.

[Stephen Colbert]

James Cameron needs cash. You heard it here first.

[James Cameron]

We, the collective we, including Disney. Okay. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Least favorite smell.

[James Cameron]

Ooh, I'm going to go with the stench of lies coming out of Washington to.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's a star that gets a star. Okay, here's a good one. I'm very curious about this one for you, James Cameron. What is your earliest memory?

[James Cameron]

Ooh, well, I don't remember my earliest memory.

[Stephen Colbert]

How about the one after that?

[James Cameron]

Yeah, the one after that. It's all a bit vague until I'm about 2 or 3.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, that's pretty. Still pretty early.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, yeah. Like, I mean, it's so materialistic, I almost hate to say it. It was like a Christmas present that was wrapped and I couldn't figure out what was inside. Right, so it's that curiosity thing. Sure. You know, scientist, you know, young scientist.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's nice. I never figured what was inside.

[James Cameron]

It was a tractor. Hey, I remembered that it was a tractor. That's pretty good.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's pretty good. Cats or dogs?

[James Cameron]

Oh, I'm going with dogs. Well, I got to explain this. Cats are disingenuous little pricks. I mean, you know all that time that they're rubbing up against you?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[James Cameron]

That's a pheromone gland in their cheek that they're marking you with like invisible ink. This is science. And it's a mark of ownership because you don't own a cat, the cat owns you.

[Stephen Colbert]

But isn't that affection in some way? Because they wouldn't own you unless they wanted you in their lives.

[James Cameron]

They just want a slave. It's a form of enslavement. Absolutely. What do you do? You feed them, you take care of them. They don't work for a living.

[Stephen Colbert]

Unless they catch mice or rats or something like that.

[James Cameron]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why am I defending cats?

[James Cameron]

I don't.

[Stephen Colbert]

No cat would defend me, that's for sure.

[James Cameron]

They won't. So look, if you were designing an alien sort of parasite that was going.

[Stephen Colbert]

To invade the earth, which I think you have done.

[James Cameron]

I've done it. I've done it. And co opt human civilization. Right. And enslave them. That's cats. That's cats.

[Stephen Colbert]

You only get. You only get one song to listen to for the rest of your life. You don't have to listen to it continually. But when you go to listen to music, this is the song you get to hear. What is it?

[James Cameron]

Was this like a curse from a witch or. I'm trying to figure out the backstory.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm not entirely sure. Let's imagine that somehow you survived some sort of, you know, apocalypse, and you've got your bunker, and you've got food and water and everything, but unfortunately only brought 1:45.

[James Cameron]

All right, well, if I have to listen to it for the rest of my life, I want something that's going to make me smile. So I'm going, Marley. Three little birds. Three little birds. There you go.

[Stephen Colbert]

What number am I thinking of?

[James Cameron]

Okay, you actually want me to reveal my telepathic ability on national television? Okay, you know, this is a sucker play because you can say no or you can say yes based on whatever I say, so.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you're accusing me of lying before I've answered you? I've never been so pre insulted before.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

Earlier. Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. Oh, okay. You did insult me earlier, too, with Ray Bradbury. Okay, I will be honest with you.

[James Cameron]

Okay, all right, all right. 16. No, see, I told you. It. Liar, liar, liar, liar, pants on fire.

[Stephen Colbert]

16. Who would think of 16? 16 is a terrible number.

[James Cameron]

Okay, but it was 16. It actually was.

[Stephen Colbert]

Describe the rest of your life in five words.

[James Cameron]

Is this like a time drill?

[Stephen Colbert]

No, you can take all the time you need, but five words?

[James Cameron]

Are they like consecutive in a sentence or just sort of.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, they can be just sort of a list if you want. Or they can be grammatically correct.

[James Cameron]

Okay. My wife would love it if I said. If I said stop and smell the roses.

[Stephen Colbert]

Stop and smell the roses.

[James Cameron]

That's not my answer.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's your wife's answer for you.

[James Cameron]

Yeah, exactly. That's the script she would write for me. Fight hard until the bell.

[Stephen Colbert]

Fight hard until. Fight hard until the bell.

[James Cameron]

There you go. Boom.

[Stephen Colbert]

Congratulations, James Cameron. You are known. James Cameron, 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.

[Commercial Announcer 1]

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[Commercial Announcer 2]

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[James Cameron]

We must make a massive demonstration.

[Commercial Announcer 2]

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