The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Jodie Foster Takes The Colbert Questionnaire

Date: February 2, 2026
Host: Stephen Colbert
Guest: Jodie Foster

Episode Overview

In this episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes the legendary actor and director Jodie Foster to take part in his signature "Colbert Questionnaire." Through a series of rapid-fire and quirky questions, Colbert seeks to lay bare Jodie Foster’s soul—probing everything from her favorite sandwich and childhood memories to philosophical ponderings about the afterlife. The conversation is lively, personal, and filled with Foster’s trademark candor and warmth, creating an engaging and intimate portrait for listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Colbert Questionnaire Introduction

• Colbert introduces the premise: this series of questions is designed to reveal a guest's truest self.
• [01:09] Stephen: “Just as a warning, once you take the Colbert Questionnaire, you’re fully known by the world. Your heart, your soul is laid bare upon the table of the public. Are you willing to be fully known?”
  • [01:50] Jodie: “I’m willing.”

2. Rapid-Fire Questions and Personal Anecdotes

Favorite Sandwich

• [02:00] Jodie: "Well, it BLT or a PTO and arugula sandwich."
  • She clarifies she likes "not so much L, but some B and T for sure."

First Concert Attended

• [02:40] Jodie: "The Grateful Dead."
  • [02:45] Jodie: "Hollywood Bowl. I lived across from the Hollywood Bowl... used parking as trade to get in."
  • Humorous confusion when Colbert asks if she remembers their "set."

Scariest Animal

• [03:22] Jodie: "Snakes, of course. I hate snakes."
  • Surprised to find that most people don’t say snakes—sharks are more common.
  • Admits she's swum with sharks in Australia and the Caribbean.

Apples or Oranges

• [04:00] Jodie: "Oranges. I’m from California. I know everybody says apples, but I’m gonna go oranges."

Asked for an Autograph

• [04:12] Jodie: "Yes. Peter Frampton."
  • Fondly recalls his "ringlets and his like bare chest…"

Near-Erotic Frampton Memory

• [04:38] Stephen: Tells story about Peter Frampton playing his theme song through the talkbox.
  • [05:03] Stephen: “It was nearly... close to an erotic experience.”

What Happens When We Die?

• [05:10] Jodie: "I don’t know. And that feels beautiful and spiritual. And I’m gonna go with hovering."

Favorite Action Movie

• [05:36] Jodie: "Maybe Iron Man. Iron Man one."

Window or Aisle Seat

• [05:44] Jodie: “I’m an aisle person… I like to let other people have the window because they seem to care, and I want to be able to get out of there when I want to.”

Favorite & Least Favorite Smell

• [06:04] Jodie: "Coffee."
• [06:11] Jodie: Least favorite: "Places I've been everywhere in the world in the summertime—the heat of... organic material."

Earliest Memory

• [06:30] Jodie: "Coppertone commercial I did when I was three... freezing cold on a houseboat... refused to wear bikini top. Boy supposed to play my brother fell off the houseboat."

Cats or Dogs?

• [07:10] Jodie: “Dogs. I’m not that fond of cats...”
  • Shares about her cat named "Subtle" whom she loved.
  • [07:20] Jodie: "I was mauled by a lion when I was a kid."
  • [07:33] Jodie: "The lion came around, picked me up by my hip, shook me, turned me around... I thought it was an earthquake."
  • Explains this experience gave her a lifelong wariness of cats.

One Song for the Rest of Her Life

• [08:22] Jodie: "How about 'Changes', David Bowie."

What Number Am I Thinking Of?

• [08:33] Mint Mobile Announcer (jokingly): "Seven." Neither guessed correctly.

Describe the Rest of Your Life in Five Words

• [08:43] Jodie: "Food, movies, skiing, Bed. That's for my family."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:09] Stephen: “Are you willing to be fully known by the world?”
  • [01:50] Jodie: “I’m willing.”
• [02:40] Jodie: “The Grateful Dead. Hollywood Bowl. I lived across from the Hollywood bowl—meant I had a place to park. So I traded parking for a ticket.”
• [03:22] Jodie: "Snakes, of course. I hate snakes."
• [04:12] Jodie: “Yes. Peter Frampton.”
• [05:03] Stephen (on Frampton playing the theme through a talkbox): “It was nearly... close to an erotic experience.”
• [05:10] Jodie (afterlife): “I don’t know. And that feels beautiful and spiritual. And I’m gonna go with hovering.”
• [06:30] Jodie: "My earliest memory is the Coppertone commercial I did when I was three... And I said no [to the bikini top]."
• [07:20] Jodie (on being mauled by a lion): "I was making a movie, and the lion picked me up by my hip, shook me, turned me around... I thought it was an earthquake."
• [08:22] Jodie: “How about 'Changes', David Bowie.”
• [08:43] Jodie (five words): "Food, movies, skiing, bed. That’s for my family."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:09]: Introduction to the Questionnaire
• [02:00]: Favorite sandwich
• [02:40]: First concert (Grateful Dead)
• [03:22]: Scariest animal
• [04:00]: Apples vs Oranges
• [04:12]: Peter Frampton autograph story
• [05:03]: Peter Frampton, the talkbox, and Colbert’s "near-erotic" experience
• [05:10]: Thoughts on afterlife
• [05:36]: Favorite action movie
• [05:44]: Window or aisle seat
• [06:04]: Favorite and least favorite smell
• [06:30]: Earliest memory (Coppertone commercial)
• [07:10]: Cats or dogs and lion mauling story
• [08:22]: One song forever: "Changes" by David Bowie
• [08:43]: Describe the rest of your life in five words

Episode Tone

Jodie Foster is candid, playful, and warm, sharing stories that range from the whimsical (her sandwich ratios, trading parking for concert tickets) to the profound (pondering the afterlife). Colbert’s wry humor and enthusiasm encourage honest and often surprising answers, producing a conversation that is equal parts revealing and entertaining.

Conclusion

Through the Colbert Questionnaire, listeners get an unusually personal, humorous, and insightful look at Jodie Foster’s tastes, formative experiences, and worldview. Standout moments include her lion mauling story, her earliest memory from her Coppertone days, and her philosophical musings on the afterlife. This episode is a lighthearted yet poignant listen for fans of Foster, Colbert, and the art of the interview.