The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Jeff Bridges Takes The Colbert Questionnaire
Date: December 27, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, beloved actor Jeff Bridges joins Stephen Colbert for the "Colbert Questionnaire Extraordinaire," a playful yet revealing rapid-fire Q&A intended to probe the depths of Bridges’ personality and life philosophy. The result is a funny, laid-back, and unexpectedly contemplative conversation between two warm and witty personalities, filled with offbeat memories, philosophical tangents, and classic Jeff Bridges charm.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
The Colbert Questionnaire Begins (03:01)
Best Sandwich
- Jeff Bridges opts for a classic cheeseburger with a raw red onion, referencing his wife's love of Havarti cheese and throwing in an offbeat idea: “What about some endive on there?” (04:00)
- “The onion is very important. Not a cooked onion. I like the raw onion. Red, preferably.”
— Jeff Bridges, (03:42)
First Concert Attended
- Bridges recalls his first concert was seeing James Brown and the Flames at a sports arena in California when he was about 15 or 16.
- Colbert, clearly impressed: “Wow. The Godfather. The Hardest Working Man.” (04:26)
Scariest Animal
- Bridges recounts a tense encounter with two mountain lions while walking in Montana:
“They look at each other. They look at me. They then look back at each other and say, you go that way, I’ll go this way.” (04:55) - Bridges’ advice: act weird and don’t run.
- “Only food runs. Apples or oranges?”
— Stephen Colbert, (06:00)
Apples or Oranges
- Bridges admits he eats apples daily and likes Fugi apples but ultimately, if both are perfect, might choose a sweet navel orange in the moment. (06:05–06:37)
Ever Asked Someone for an Autograph?
- Initially says no, but then reflects on meeting David Byrne of Talking Heads. He didn’t ask for an autograph, but told Byrne his music was as influential as the Beatles to him. (07:05)
- Colbert “fact-checks” Jeff, recalling that Bridges asked Colbert for his autograph after a Colbert Report taping, which surprises Bridges:
“You asked me for my autograph.” — Stephen Colbert, (08:26)
Brushes with the Beatles
- Bridges shares a memory from when he was about 14 or 15, waiting in line with his father and sister to meet the Beatles. John Lennon recognized his dad, exclaiming “He was a Seahawk Fair.” (08:53)
What Happens When We Die?
- Bridges candidly begins with “Nothing,” then jams philosophically on the paradox of life’s meaninglessness and quotes Viktor Frankl’s "Man’s Search for Meaning":
“The greatest gift to humanity is that life is meaningless... But it’s the meaning that you bring to it.” (09:17–10:11) - Colbert: “So it’s like a blank canvas.”
- Bridges: “Yes. What are we gonna paint?” (10:10)
Favorite Action Movie
- Bridges amusingly admits the first movie to pop in his head is “2001: A Space Odyssey” and laughs at the lack of conventional “action.” (10:27)
Favorite Smell
- Bridges reveals he has lost his sense of smell due to long COVID, affecting his sense of taste as well.
- Before COVID, his favorite scent was “fresh weed, man.” (11:33)
Least Favorite Smell
- Bridges notes how people are generally tolerant of their own smell but not others’, concluding:
“I would have to say other people’s shit.” (12:19) - Leads to Colbert sharing the saying: “He acts like his shit don’t stink.” (12:32)
Window or Aisle?
- After some humorous digressions, Bridges chooses window. (13:25)
Earliest Memory
- Bridges shares a vivid childhood memory of seeing his mother, whose hair was shaved under a mink coat, causing him to mistake her for a monkey and to flee in terror. (13:35)
- “I ran and locked myself in the bathroom. It was terrible. Wow.” (14:03)
Cats or Dogs?
- He says he likes both but currently has a Cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle mix). The two riff on possible future interspecies mixes via genetic engineering, joking about “minotaurs.” (14:12–14:31)
What Number Am I Thinking Of?
- Bridges guesses seven.
- Colbert responds: “No.” (14:39)
Describe the Rest of Your Life in Five Words
- Bridges: “It’s happening right now. Soon.” (14:45)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On being open and relaxed:
“You relax me on sight. You know, you don’t hide who you are. You’re very open with your thoughts, your feelings, your philosophy.”
— Stephen Colbert (02:02) -
On encounters with wild animals:
“I remember being in Montana…two mountain lions. And you’re alone. And they look at each other. They look at me…That’s in my mind.”
— Jeff Bridges (04:55) -
On meaning in life:
“The greatest gift to humanity is that life is meaningless.”
— Jeff Bridges (09:41)“It’s about life. It’s the meaning that you bring to it…It’s a blank canvas.”
— Jeff Bridges (10:10) -
On the oddities of personal hygiene:
“You ever notice you don’t mind the scent of your defecation? And everybody else smells like shit.”
— Jeff Bridges (11:59–12:19) -
Final words describing his future:
“It’s happening right now. Soon.”
— Jeff Bridges (14:45)
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 03:01 — Questionnaire begins: “What is the best sandwich?”
- 04:19 — First concert: James Brown
- 04:55 — Scariest animal: Mountain lions
- 06:05 — Apples or oranges?
- 07:00 — Autograph stories and Beatles memory
- 09:17 — “What happens when we die?”/philosophy
- 10:27 — Favorite action movie
- 11:01 — Favorite/least favorite smell, post-COVID
- 13:35 — Earliest memory
- 14:12 — Cats or dogs/genetic engineering jokes
- 14:45 — Five words to describe the rest of your life
Tone and Style
The episode is playful, introspective, and laced with the humor and warmth typical of both host and guest. Colbert balances his signature sharp wit with sincere curiosity about Bridges’ worldview, while Bridges’ answers are both laid-back and surprisingly philosophical.
For listeners seeking to know Jeff Bridges beyond his films—or for anyone intrigued by life’s big questions with a lighthearted twist—this is a must-listen episode filled with laughs, wisdom, and the unmistakable breezy charm of two masters of conversation.