Jeff Bridges Takes The Colbert Questionert

Summary

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The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Jeff Bridges Takes The Colbert Questionnaire

Date: December 27, 2025

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

Transcript

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[Jeff Bridges]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hello, Internet. Don't tell TV I'm here. She'll be so jealous. Now, you may be familiar with the Colbert questionnaire, a series of questions meticulously calibrated to plumb the depths of a guest's psyche. Well, it turns out that we may have plumbed far deeper than we could have imagined. And due to what the teleprompter right here assures me is popular demand, I'm excited to introduce a new online only series of questionnaires. This is the Colbert questionnaire extraordinaire. First up, Jeff Bridges. You know him from the Big Lebowski. You know him from Crazy Heart. You might even know him from one episode of Lassie in 1969. But do you really know him? You will after he takes the Colbert questionnaire. Jeff, you know I always love it when you're on the show. It's great to talk to you.

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, as I've said to you before, you relax me on site. You know, you don't hide who you are. You're very open with your thoughts, your feelings, your philosophy. But even with the amount of time I've been able to spend with you, the luck that I've had, there are certain things that you just don't know about somebody. You can't really find out who they truly are until you actually plumb the depths a little bit. Well, we here at the Late show have come up with something Called the Colbert Questionnaire. And it is a series of questions that have been ergonomically designed to penetrate the emotional armor of anyone and actually peer into the ocean of reality that is that person. It's an exploratory adventure is what it is.

[Jeff Bridges]

I'm up for it. I'm into exploration.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. And I'm just curious. Would you be brave enough?

[Jeff Bridges]

I would.

[Stephen Colbert]

To take the Colbert questionnaire? You would?

[Jeff Bridges]

You would?

[Stephen Colbert]

All right. Good man. Ladies and gentlemen.

[Jeff Bridges]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Not everybody's got what it takes. Here we go. Jeff Bridges. This is the Colbert questionnaire. Question 1. What is the best sandwich?

[Jeff Bridges]

I think I'd have to go with the classic cheeseburger with a hamburger sandwich. Yes. Cheeseburger with onion. A big, you know, raw onion on it. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

The rye toasted bod. What cheese we talking here?

[Jeff Bridges]

It's nice to have your choice. You know, I would go with. My wife likes Havarti. Is that how you pronounce it?

[Stephen Colbert]

Ooh, a nice, nutty Havarti. Fantastic. An alpine. Alpine cheese. Very nice. Alpine cheese.

[Jeff Bridges]

I don't know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Just very quickly. Condiments on there? Are we just going with the condiments?

[Jeff Bridges]

Well, the onion is very important. Not a cooked onion. I like the raw onion. Red, preferably.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. You go for pickled onion ever?

[Jeff Bridges]

Maybe on the side, but probably not. But what's popping in my. What about some endive on there? Is that how you pronounce. That?

[Stephen Colbert]

Little crunch? Crunch, sure.

[Jeff Bridges]

Like her opinion.

[Stephen Colbert]

What was your first concert that you attended?

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, just popped into my head. James. James Brown, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. The Godfather. The Hardest Working Man.

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, man. And the Flames.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where and how old were you?

[Jeff Bridges]

Huh?

[Stephen Colbert]

How old were you?

[Jeff Bridges]

Maybe, you know, 16, something like that. 15.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Out in California.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jeff Bridges]

Sports arena.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you ever think to yourself, I want to do that?

[Jeff Bridges]

No. Let's move on then.

[Stephen Colbert]

What is the scariest animal?

[Jeff Bridges]

I remember being in Montana, going for a walk and having a great time. And about as far away as that camera is two mountain lions. And you're alone, and I'm alone, and they look at each other. They look at me, and it's like they then look back at each other and say, you go that way, I'll go this way. That's in my mind.

[Stephen Colbert]

They both went different.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah. And so I went, act as weird as I possibly could. Right. Do you think that was a good move?

[Stephen Colbert]

You think you're trying to get off on a section 8?

[Jeff Bridges]

I don't think so. I think that just, you know, I think I had heard that. That's what you do.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, they make a loud noise and everything.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah. I don't know if you have to.

[Stephen Colbert]

Be insane, but a loud noise is a different thing. I don't want to eat that guy. We need to take him in on a 5150. Oh, wow.

[Jeff Bridges]

That.

[Stephen Colbert]

But mountain lions. I was just out hiking in Idaho and I was afraid of the. Of the mountain lion situation there. What do you do? Never turn your back and do not run.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yes. No.

[Stephen Colbert]

When you run, you're food. That's what I was told.

[Jeff Bridges]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Only food runs. Apples or oranges?

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, well, I like both navel or if it's a really good orange. I eat apples just about every day, though.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Have to choose.

[Jeff Bridges]

Apple.

[Stephen Colbert]

Apple.

[Jeff Bridges]

The way you say that.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, no, no.

[Jeff Bridges]

It was judgmental, man. Apple. I think. Here's what. If you had both of those fruits.

[Stephen Colbert]

Here, or a really good navel and a really good apple.

[Jeff Bridges]

Say a Fuji. I would go for the Fuji. You said. See, that's because that's my favorite everything, baby. No, I'm gonna go for the. I'm gonna go for the sweet navel thing. All right. There you go. There you go. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Have you ever asked someone for their autograph?

[Jeff Bridges]

No, but different things are popping up in my mind now. Should I just share those?

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure.

[Jeff Bridges]

I can't remember. I don't think I. I don't think I did, but I'm a fan of people. You had David Byrne on your show, didn't you?

[Stephen Colbert]

I did, yeah.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah. I was a huge Talking Heads fan.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Jeff Bridges]

They were like, you know, after the Beatles. They were. They were. You know, I was just kidding. Oh, I love them. And I was in New York and ran into him at some club. Yeah. And I said, dave, wow. I just want to tell you, I love your music so much. No, I mean. I mean. I mean, really, you know, like the Beatles, but you're the next Beatle. And the soul and, you know, that was my moment.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, sure.

[Jeff Bridges]

And that's what popped into my mind. I'm asking for his autograph.

[Stephen Colbert]

Can I fact check you on this, though?

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, yeah. That's good.

[Stephen Colbert]

Because the first time I had you on my show, which was the Colbert Report at the time, after the show was over, you had a poster, I think, of our Vancouver shows because we did shows for the Olympics of Vancouver. It was me riding eagle with a torch, and it said, defeat the world at the bottom. And you asked me to sign it.

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh. So you there. And where is that?

[Stephen Colbert]

I don't know, man. I'll get you another if you want it. You lost. Just fact. I don't want to fact check you, but you asked me for my autograph.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah. You can cut this out. One other thing.

[Stephen Colbert]

This one stays in there.

[Jeff Bridges]

This one popped into my head. 63. Maybe the Beatles were here or in on this stage. Actually. La. Oh, I remember the day that that happened. That was good. But my dad is in line with me and my sister and John Lennon saw my dad and went. He was a Seahawk Fair.

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[Jeff Bridges]

That popped in my head.

[Stephen Colbert]

How old are you?

[Jeff Bridges]

What, 14? 15?

[Stephen Colbert]

And John Lennon wants to meet your dad?

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. That's pretty great. What do you think? What do you think happens when we die? Nothing.

[Jeff Bridges]

That's what's happening now in a way. You know? Who knows? Who knows, man? You know? Can I jam on that thought a little bit?

[Stephen Colbert]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Jeff Bridges]

Somebody said something that made a lot of sense to me. Don't you know? There's so many things that are so paradoxical in life. Don't you find? It's not just one wife. And the guy said, the greatest gift to humanity is that life is meaningless.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm letting it sink in. Yeah.

[Jeff Bridges]

And then I superimpose that over Frankl. You've read Man's Search for Meaning, I would imagine. I have not. You haven't. But you know about it a little bit. Yes, but it's about life. It's the meaning that you bring to it.

[Stephen Colbert]

So it's like a blank canvas.

[Jeff Bridges]

It's a blank canvas, yes. What are we gonna paint? How do we want it? You know?

[Stephen Colbert]

That's an interesting paradox, isn't it? Yeah. Favorite action movie.

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, different, you know. Fires different thoughts.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's what the. That's what the Colbert questionnaire does. That's his power.

[Jeff Bridges]

Exactly. That's the power.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's a catalyst.

[Jeff Bridges]

Now, the first. The weirdest movie popped in my head was 2001. Now, why would you. Why? What's the action? But I see K. Delay in that white room.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. That's very little action.

[Jeff Bridges]

Very little action.

[Stephen Colbert]

I see the monkeys. The monkeys at the beginning. Favorite smell.

[Jeff Bridges]

I don't. I don't smell anymore.

[Stephen Colbert]

Post Covid.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you got a long Covid thing.

[Jeff Bridges]

I've lost my sense of smell.

[Stephen Colbert]

It'll come back.

[Jeff Bridges]

You think it'll come back?

[Stephen Colbert]

It'll come back, man. It'll come back.

[Jeff Bridges]

You think?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jeff Bridges]

Because that affects taste too. It must.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you not taste?

[Jeff Bridges]

I think I taste. I don't know if it's just wishful thinking.

[Stephen Colbert]

I can dig this. I like that.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah? Yeah. I can dig this texture, you know?

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. But I think, pre Covid, what was your favorite smell?

[Jeff Bridges]

Oh, pre Covid. I dug the smell of some fresh weed, man.

[Stephen Colbert]

Least favorite smell.

[Jeff Bridges]

This is interesting. You ever notice you don't mind the scent of your defecation?

[Stephen Colbert]

You kind of find it on a good day.

[Jeff Bridges]

On a good day? Yeah. You say that's everything.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jeff Bridges]

And everybody else smells like shit.

[Stephen Colbert]

What the hell is that?

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah, exactly.

[Stephen Colbert]

What the hell is that?

[Jeff Bridges]

I would have to say other people shit.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's a safe bet. You know, I remember I was probably in my 20s before I heard the phrase, he acts like his shit don't stink.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's a fantastic way of describing someone, isn't it? Yeah.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Window or aisle?

[Jeff Bridges]

I just thought of a good comeback, but this is my. Stand there. We've done 70 movies together. Met him on Last Picture Show. Oh, man. And he has these great sayings. One of them is, you know what my problem is? I don't realize who you think you are. That's nice. Is that nice? And then you can flip it, too. Your problem is that you don't realize who I think I am. You know what I mean?

[Stephen Colbert]

Lord catnip, I don't realize who you think you are. That's great, but window or aisle?

[Jeff Bridges]

Window or aisle? Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Window or aisle?

[Jeff Bridges]

What do you mean? Oh, on the plane.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, sir.

[Jeff Bridges]

I would say window. Okay. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Earliest memory.

[Jeff Bridges]

Being a little kid seeing my mom. She used to have beautiful long hair. And the door opens and there's my mom in a mink coat and her hair is all shaved. Very short hair. And I went, ah, I thought you turned into a monkey. I didn't know what was going on. I ran and locked myself in the bathroom. It was terrible. Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

That'S a strong memory.

[Jeff Bridges]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cats or dogs?

[Jeff Bridges]

I like both. I currently have a Cavapoo Cavalier Cat Charles Poodle combo. What's that?

[Stephen Colbert]

I thought that was half cat, half poodle. A cavapoo.

[Jeff Bridges]

Can they do that?

[Stephen Colbert]

I don't know. They could do anything now with genetic engineering. Cat, dog.

[Jeff Bridges]

It's going there, man. That kind of stuff is going to happen.

[Stephen Colbert]

Minotaurs. We're going to have Minotaurs next. What number am I thinking of?

[Jeff Bridges]

Seven.

[Stephen Colbert]

No.

[Jeff Bridges]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Describe the rest of your life in five words.

[Jeff Bridges]

It's happening right now. Soon.

[Stephen Colbert]

Congratulations, Jeff. You are known. You are known. Jeff Bridges, 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 YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[NFL on CBS Announcer]

Sunday Count on the NFL on CBS Delivering some holiday cheer featuring teams firmly in the playoff race. The Steelers look to wrap up the AFC north with a win over the Browns or a colossal matchup in Carolina between two first place squads when the Seahawks pay a visit to the Panthers. It all begins at noon Eastern with the NFL today. You can always count on Sundays with the NFL on CBS and streaming on Paramount.

[Jeff Bridges]

Plus Everything you've done has come to this. The biggest and wildest mission yet is now streaming.

[Stephen Colbert]

I need you to trust me one last time.

[Jeff Bridges]

Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible the final reckoning rated BT13 now streaming on Paramount. Plus.