The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

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

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.

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.

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]

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

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.

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