John C. Reilly | Drama King

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: John C. Reilly | Drama King
Release Date: June 13, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert welcomes the multifaceted actor and musician John C. Reilly. Known for his roles in films like Chicago, Step Brothers, and Stan and Ollie, Reilly delves into his latest creative venture as Mr. Romantic, alongside promoting his forthcoming album, What's Not To Love. The conversation seamlessly blends humor, personal anecdotes, and insightful discussions on artistry and empathy.

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Host’s Monologue

Before the guest segment, Stephen Colbert delivers his signature monologue, blending humor with sharp political satire. He humorously critiques the potential cancellation of former President Donald Trump's birthday parade due to inclement weather, mocking the extravagance and public perception of such events.

Notable Quote:

"Polls show six in 10 Americans say a military parade is not a good use of government money. No, it's a complete waste."
—Stephen Colbert [05:00]

Colbert continues to lampoon government spending and political theatrics, setting a lighthearted yet critical tone for the episode.

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Guest Introduction

Stephen warmly introduces John C. Reilly, highlighting his recent projects and teasing the unique character he's portraying—Mr. Romantic.

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Interview with John C. Reilly

a. Career Overview

Reilly reflects on his extensive acting career, emphasizing his versatility and passion for performing. He shares insights into his transition from traditional acting roles to his current artistic endeavors.

Notable Quote:

"When I was a younger actor, I felt like I gotta be like Bob De Niro or, you know, like serious actor. And then I got that movie, and I was like, wait a minute. I can do this, too."
—John C. Reilly [21:31]

b. New Project: Mr. Romantic

Reilly introduces his new character, Mr. Romantic, a persona he developed to explore themes of love and empathy through music and live performances.

Notable Quote:

"The character doesn't have to go back into the steamer trunk if he can find one person who will love him forever. Which is a big ask."
—John C. Reilly [23:26]

c. Inspiration and Development of the Show

Drawing inspiration from the American Songbook and his experiences in musical theater, Reilly discusses how he curated a repertoire of love songs to create an emotionally resonant performance.

Notable Quote:

"I started collecting songs that I thought were in that style over, like, 20 years, really. And then eventually I had this whole body of songs, and I realized they're all about love."
—John C. Reilly [21:08]

He elaborates on the concept of the show being an "emotional magic show" designed to foster a deep connection with the audience.

d. Experiences at Cannes Film Festival

Reilly shares amusing anecdotes from his appearances at the Cannes Film Festival, highlighting his quirky fashion choices and interactions on the red carpet.

Notable Quote:

"I did sing La Vie En Rose at the closing ceremonies. This time at Cannes... I sang it in English, which the words are actually totally different in English in order to make them rhyme. Like they're totally different. But they loved it."
—John C. Reilly [19:50]

e. Clowning and Clown Ministry

Exploring his background in clown ministry, Reilly discusses the importance of bringing joy to others and contrasts the traditional perception of clowns with their genuine purpose.

Notable Quote:

"I'm very sad that clowns have become these villain characters in horror movies. Because the truth about clowns is they're like people that have dedicated their lives to human joy."
—John C. Reilly [24:12]

He reminisces about his time in clown ministry, emphasizing the serious training and heartfelt mission behind the performances.

f. Themes of Love and Empathy

Reilly delves into the overarching themes of his show, focusing on the necessity of empathy and human connection in today's world. He articulates his desire to contribute positively through art, fostering a sense of unity and understanding.

Notable Quote:

"Empathy seems to be something you gotta fight for these days or, you know, the idea that you should love someone that you don't even know seems like this radical concept."
—John C. Reilly [25:35]

He underscores the role of his performances in promoting humanism and emotional connection.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Stephen Colbert expressing enthusiasm for Reilly’s upcoming show and album. Reilly encourages listeners to attend his live performances and support his music, emphasizing the importance of love and empathy in his work.

Notable Quote:

"So I thought, it's joyful to sing these songs. It's joyful to tell people that you love them. And the despair part was like, what was happening in the world."
—John C. Reilly [26:35]

Colbert thanks Reilly for his insights and leaves listeners with information on how to engage further with his projects.

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Final Notes

This episode masterfully balances humor, personal storytelling, and meaningful discourse, offering listeners a comprehensive look into John C. Reilly's artistic journey and his commitment to spreading joy and empathy through his new character and music.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, everybody. Stephen Colbert here about to read the copy for our sponsor. This is from our friends at Wonderful Pistachios. And I was the wonderful pistachio spokesman for years. Yeah, I have a real close association with nut meat. Okay. You know what they say when they reach for a snack? Don't hold back. And that's exactly the approach with Wonderful Pistachios. The don't hold back snack. These little wonders are so tasty, it feels like getting away with something. But surprise. Each serving has 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of regret. That's right. No guilt. Just glory, glory in our nuts. Whether it's a satisfying crack of in shell pistachios, and that's capitalized in shell, or the smooth, instant gratification of no shells. No judgment. That's just it. Just eat. No judgment. I take issue with one thing. It's instant gratification. It's super tasty smooth.

[Jon Batiste]

It's a hard nut smooth.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. I mean, even out of the shell, it's still a nut.

[Jon Batiste]

We can't disparage the nuts.

[Stephen Colbert]

You. I'm not disparaging the nut. I'm describing the nut.

[Jon Batiste]

Don't disparage any flavors.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm not. I am celebrating the pistachio right now. I'm on board. I love pistachios. I love. I love crushed pistachio. Like a pistachio crusted trout. Oh, unbelievable. Instead of a trout amandine, a trout pistachio. Fantastic. Enough butter? Who cares?

[Jon Batiste]

Very good.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I love pistachio ice cream.

[Jon Batiste]

Have you had the sea salt and vinegar? Wonderful pistachio. It's delicious. I get them.

[Stephen Colbert]

I didn't even know I get them.

[Jon Batiste]

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[Stephen Colbert]

But that's. You see, it's been a while since I've been the spokesman for wonderful pistachios. I didn't realize we'd achieved new pistachio technology.

[Jon Batiste]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Batiste]

That was a wonderful.

[Stephen Colbert]

I wonder what more there is to learn. We just told them so much. We just told them so much about pistachios. But evidently there's a whole other world. There's an unexplored vista.

[Jon Batiste]

They got a bunch of flavors. They got dill pickle, jalapeno lime, as we learned, smoky barbecue. There's a lot of different flavors.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. And I would not disparage any of them.

[Jon Batiste]

No, no, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

Bring it on.

[Jon Batiste]

Nothing bad to say.

[Stephen Colbert]

Nut me, nut, nut me with nut meat.

[Jon Batiste]

We're nut.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, we got nothing but nut. Nutty, nutty, nutty, nutty. Talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about, talk about nutty. Good.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Thanks so much. Thanks so much. Welcome, one and all, to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Folks, I have got some great news. We're going to have some terrible weather on the east coast on Saturday, and that means Trump's birthday parade may be canceled due to thunderstorm. Ha ha. You made God mad and now he's shooting lightning at your birthday tanks. This is true. This actually might happen. According to the army spokesman. Rain won't stop us, but if there's lightning, that puts the crowd at risk. They will cancel or postpone. It will depend on the President, too, when he's available. Let me tell you, if it's raining, he won't be available because if he gets too wet, it all slides off and someone has to carry his favorite around in a bucket. That's not the only bad news for Trump's big day. Polls show six in 10Americans say a military parade is not a good use of government money. No, it's a complete waste. It's a complete waste of government money, especially since he's already throwing a big military parade out in Los Angeles now. Oh, you watch the news. That's interesting. If this birthday jackboot jamboree does come officially, it's to honor the 250th anniversary of the army, which is why they're planning to have the troops march in historical military costumes from the Revolutionary War to today. The showing off every era of army fashion. Colonial war of 1812. Apple bottom jeans, boots with the. Well, there could be a bunch of protesters out there too, thanks to something called the no Kings movement, which is planning. Which is planning counter demonstrations nationwide. And today, Trump was asked about no kings and he swore he's not a monarch.

[John C. Reilly]

No, no, we're not a king.

[Stephen Colbert]

We're not a king at all. Oh, we are not a king then. Verily. Why dost thou sons look so inbr. Now. Now, when Trump's not busy claiming he's not a king, he still has plenty to do as the self anointed chair of the Kennedy Center. Last night, he and Melania saw the opening of Les Miserables and he took questions on the red carpet. We've seen it a number of times. It's fantastic. Do you identify more with Jean Valjean or Javert? That's a tough one. That last part of that question. That's tough. I think you better answer that one, honey.

[Pluto TV]

I don't.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do you mean you don't know? Javert is the bad guy? You just said you've seen the show a number of times. Is that number zero? Though it is possible Trump doesn't remember who the characters are because his brain is wet bread. The character I identify most with is less. Less Lester Miserables. Big, big tough guy built that castle on a cloud. Not happy about it. JD Vance also attended last night with the second lady and he tweeted this, I'm gonna say joke about to see Les Miserables with POTUS at the Kennedy Center. Me to Usha. So what's this about a barber who kills people? Usha. Hysterical laughter My wife thinks I'm so funny. She's actually been hysterically laughing non stop ever since Trump picked me as his running mate. She just laughs and laughs and keeps washing her hands, muttering, they never get clean. They never get clean. We have fun. It's fun. You guys have a floor here. For weeks, Trump has been attacking drag performances at the Kennedy Center. So in protest, a group of decked out drag queens walked right in to watch the show last night. That is, yes, good for them. Yeah, that is amazing. Except for anyone sitting behind them. Yes, yes. You slay queen. I'm with you. Are you going to wear the big wig the whole time? Okay. Work. In another act of Protest, at least 10 members of the touring cast of Les Mis have chosen not to perform during the show's run at the Kennedy Center. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But you'd never really notice thanks to the breathtaking performance of understudy Jean Valmophobic. That's the character I identify with right there. Trump made a big deal of attending last night because things aren't going so great at the Kennedy Center. In fact, ever since Trump's takeover, ticket sales have fallen 50% while subscription revenue is down 82% for theater. I don't understand why people aren't flocking to see Trump's revamped hand picked programming. For instance, for just $99, you could have seen the world premiere of the conservative docudrama the American. Our nation is no accident. See, America, you weren't an accident. England and Jesus were ready for a baby. Okay, now, while Trump was out on the red carpet, a Fox News reporter asked him about the growing protests against his immigration crackdown.

[Jon Batiste]

The protests have spread now to 16.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cities across the U.S. if this turns in, do I believe you? I don't think so.

[Jon Batiste]

Well, I got that from the Fox News brain room.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, yes. If you, if you didn't know already, Fox News has what they call a brain room. It's where they keep all of their brains to make sure they don't accidentally use them on air. The protests have been largely peaceful. Boy, you wouldn't know that from watching cable news. Listen to this dire warning from cnn. There is graffiti behind where these officers are that says F Trump. The smell of weed is in the air. Oh, no. The smell of weed is in the air where it's legal in Los Angeles. They better call a SWAT team and then a taco truck. Between the smell of I smell churro with both a caramel and a chocolate sauce. Between sending in the National Guard uninvited and then deploying active duty Marines. Experts say that Trump is opening the door to the most extensive use of military force on American soil in modern history. Yes. Dammit, why can't I live in a time when we have the most extensive use in modern history of something fun? Just once, I want to see the headline. Americans faced with unprecedented level of calamari for the table yesterday. You want to Come on, come on, come on. Let's get Orange Whip. Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee tried to get some answers from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. But things got weird when Hegseth started talking about how the military has been wasting money on research.

[Pete Hegseth]

We did find lots of other research inside the Defense Department to the tens and millions and in some cases, hundreds of millions of dollars. That was a boondoggle for the American people.

[Stephen Colbert]

Give me an examp of a boondoggle in medical research. There are more.

[Pete Hegseth]

I mean, we're talking about some stuff I shouldn't say in public. You know, marbles in the rear ends of cats.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, that sounds unusual, sticking marbles in the rear end of a cat. For the record, that is part of a real study to develop critical treatment for spinal injuries. But also, finally, explains those motivational posters. Ow. My ass is full of marbles. Makes the cat very heavy, hard to hang on. Very. Donald Trump is trying to spray his scent on everything. Reportedly, the folks in charge of the National Zoo are now hunting for improper ideology. You hear that, zoo animals? You better get right with Maga. That means birds may only use their right wings. Elephants must forget our shameful history of racism and all monkeys doing it in front of our preschoolers must be married. Put a ring on it, Bobo. By which I mean the finger. That's where I want the ring to go. In addition to the zoo, the National Park Service will now be asking visitors to offer feedback on any information they feel portrays American history and landscapes. Negative light. And it's clear what kind of negative feedback they're looking for. For example, at one Civil War battlefield, Trump's folks put up a sign that asks visitors to identify any signs or other information that are negative about either past or living Americans. I'm sorry, I thought all the reviews were in on the Civil War. They might as well just give out response cars like at the Cheesecake Factory. Let us know your thoughts. Excellent. Good. Needs more slavery. Oh, this is exciting. This is exciting. There's a new tell all book about public radio. It reveals that Back in the 1970s, the NPR newsroom was awash in sex, drugs, and rock and roll, complete with a staff cocaine dealer. Okay, well, in that case, we've been pronouncing it wrong this whole time. It's actually. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Okay, tell me. No, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[John C. Reilly]

Wa.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, here's the thing. According to the book, early NPR reporters saw themselves as radio revolutionaries who were mostly young and single and frequently slept with each other. And let's just say all things were considered sometimes, right on that tiny desk. We got a great show for you tonight.

[John C. Reilly]

Coming up.

[Dermalogica]

John C. Reiman.

[Stephen Colbert]

Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for joining us, folks. My first guest tonight Is an actor, you know, from films like Chicago Step Brothers and Stan and Ollie. He's now performing a new show as a character named Mr. Romantic. And his new album, what's Not To Love, comes out tomorrow. Please welcome back to the Late Show, John C. Reilly.

[John C. Reilly]

Nice.

[Stephen Colbert]

Very nice. Hey, good to see you again.

[John C. Reilly]

Tell them to be nice to me, Stephen.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, no, no, no. People are very excited to see John C. Reilly. They're very nice. All day. All day for fun, we've been calling you Chauncey Riley.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, yeah, that's good. My secret pseudonym.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you get the Jauncey a lot? Jauncey, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Jauncey.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Why the sea? Was there a John Riley out there that you had to get around? That's usually what happens.

[John C. Reilly]

There was the late, great John Reilly, who was on a. He was a soap opera actor. Yeah. And so they said, if you want to be in the union, pal, you got to add that middle initial.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. You know, when you were a young actor, you were here in New York, right? When did you start off?

[John C. Reilly]

No, I grew up in Chicago, actually.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, okay. Okay. That's a fine town to be from, I hear.

[John C. Reilly]

I hear you put a splash there yourself.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I was there for about 11 years. Really enjoyed it. Yeah, I've got a great warm spot in my heart. Hey, how about that Pope, huh?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, come on. My favorite Chicago Pope joke so far has been the prayers. Yeah, pretty good.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's very nice. Did you see that? His house on the south side. That his house is from the south side. His house was up for sale when he became Pope. Somebody had bought it for, like, 200 grand, not knowing it was gonna be the Pope's house. Now the town has bought it, it's, like, gonna be turned into, like, a monument.

[John C. Reilly]

I just saw something where he's related to Madonna, too. His family tree somewhere along the way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like Madonna or.

[John C. Reilly]

No, no. Yeah. Madonna, the pop star.

[Stephen Colbert]

Madonna, the pop star. Okay. Wow. Well, I didn't know that. I didn't know. That's kind of fitting, though.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. She's very Catholic, right?

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure she is.

[John C. Reilly]

She is.

[Stephen Colbert]

She's extremely Catholic. Thanks for dressing up, by the way. So few guests actually take this seriously anyway. Really? Oh, yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, come on.

[Stephen Colbert]

They come out here in their T shirts and stuff like that. You and Natalie Portman at this point, that's basically it.

[John C. Reilly]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

That's nice company, you guys.

[Stephen Colbert]

Very similar, I think.

[John C. Reilly]

You know, you wear something nice, it makes yourself feel good and makes the world a more beautiful place. So why not?

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, you made a. You made a splash. You made a splash at the old Cannes Film Festival recently. Vogue. Vogue call you one of the most dressed.

[John C. Reilly]

Ah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is that a compliment? Let's check out. I think so. I say at least it's volume, if nothing else. Look at some of these outfits. That's fantastic. Oh, yeah, look at that.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then you got. You got Riverboat Gambler.

[John C. Reilly]

Oh, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Very good. You're an extra in Maverick.

[John C. Reilly]

Look at the size of that hat.

[Stephen Colbert]

That hat. Look at this damn hat.

[John C. Reilly]

I know. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Look at that damn thing. You look like the Flying Nun.

[John C. Reilly]

Both those hats were made by this amazing Italian hat company called Peroni that makes hats for movies.

[Stephen Colbert]

Who made this hat?

[John C. Reilly]

A little place in Chicago named Optimo Hats. Oh, very nice. Yeah, at some point, I used to. I've been to Cannes a bunch of times, you know, I'm proud to say.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is it fun?

[John C. Reilly]

It is really fun. And at some point I realized, like, you know, all these girls are out here with their gowns and everything. Like, I have to do these red carpets too. I don't want to just wear the same. I'm gonna go for it. And so one year I brought all these crazy suits and stuff and a cane and hats and, you know, like, it makes it fun because you're nervous out there anyway, and it makes it kind of fun. But, yeah, Cannes is a real emotional roller coaster because.

[Stephen Colbert]

How so? What do you mean?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, you have your movie premiere, you get all this special attention. A car with flags on it brings you to the premiere, you know, with flags on it. Yeah, these, like, official. Like. Like you're an ambassador or something.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is it the movie flag or what is, like, the nation flag?

[John C. Reilly]

I don't know. It's like cinematic immunity or something. I don't know. And then you get there and you're like, oh, you see the movie? I saw my movie this year for the first time.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[John C. Reilly]

And nine minutes standing O. Yeah, that happens. And they start clapping. You're like, oh, my God. Like, you're literally like, it doesn't get any better than this. I'm the coolest person in the world right now. And then the morning happens, and you don't have any scheduled events, and you're like, I'm a schmuck. Like everyone else trying to be fancy in Canada. I don't speak French. What am I doing here? You know? Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[John C. Reilly]

But I did sing La Vie En Rose at the closing ceremonies. This time at Cannes.

[Stephen Colbert]

You sing La Vie En Rose to French people? And you don't speak French.

[John C. Reilly]

I sang it in English, which the words are actually totally different in English in order to make them rhyme. Like they're totally different. But they loved it. You know they loved it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure.

[John C. Reilly]

I think they did.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. You don't speak French. You have no idea what they were shouting or why that garbage was being pelted.

[John C. Reilly]

If I get invited back, I'll know that they did like it.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more John C. Reilly, everybody. Hey, everybody. We're back with a lovely interview. Talented crooner John C. Reilly. Speaking of your ability to croon La Vie En Rose, I understand that now you've assumed a new character called Mr. Romantic.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, so, Mr. Romantic, you're doing live shows. You've even. You're releasing an album.

[John C. Reilly]

That's right. What's not to love?

[Stephen Colbert]

There you go. What's not to love? Mr. Romantic. And who's Mr. Romantic? And how did he come to be.

[John C. Reilly]

So I grew up listening to these kind of songs, you know, songs from the American Songbook standards, if you will. My mom used to play them on this player piano. And, like, that's how I learned them from my mom. And then did a lot of musicals when I was a kid. And then I did that movie, Chicago the Musical, where I played. Thank you very much. Little jazz hands for the folks.

[Pluto TV]

Sure.

[John C. Reilly]

I played Mr. Cellophane, and I loved it. And it made me rediscover, like, you know, because when I was a younger actor in acting school, I felt like I gotta be like Bob De Niro or, you know, like serious actor. And then I got that movie, and I was like, wait a minute. I can do this, too. This is wonderful. And what a cool American art form, you know? And then the movie was over, and then there aren't that many movie musicals made. And I was like, I miss being that guy. I miss that style of performance, you know, that. That heart on your sleeve right out to the audience. Vaudevillian, I call it, style of performing. And I thought, like, how can I keep doing it? And I said, well, you can't go on tour with Mr. Cellophane because he only has one song. It'll be a short show. So I started collecting songs that I thought were in that style over, like, 20 years, really. And then eventually I had this whole body of songs, and I realized they're all about love. And I was like, oh, so he's not like Mr. Sullivan. He's more like Mr. Romantic. And so I created this show. I call it kind of an emotional magic show. You know, I come out of the steamer trunk at the beginning, and he doesn't have any.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like, Houdini.

[John C. Reilly]

What are you Kind of like Houdini, But I'm not bound. You know, I can. I can get out.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[John C. Reilly]

And. And, yeah, so I.

[Stephen Colbert]

What kind of songs are we talking here? What do you. What do you like?

[John C. Reilly]

What'll I do? Irving Berlin. You know. You know, you don't know me. This Eddie Arnold song. I mean, we do a ton of them. Bing Crosby songs, Frank Sinatra songs, Nat King Cole, you know, like, you don't know me.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like, you give your hand to me. That one. Wow.

[John C. Reilly]

And you say, hello. And I can hardly speak. My heart is beating, so. And anyone.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, sorry.

[John C. Reilly]

You think you know me well, but you don't know me.

[Stephen Colbert]

Lovely.

[John C. Reilly]

Thank you very much.

[Stephen Colbert]

You do know me a little bit.

[John C. Reilly]

You do know me a little bit.

[Stephen Colbert]

Not as well as others do.

[John C. Reilly]

Anyway, so I started doing that show, and the show ends up being about love, and it ends up about being about empathy and, like, wanting to connect with people in the audience. Cause the character doesn't have to go back into the steamer trunk if he can find one person who will love him forever. Which is a big ask. I know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do you. I don't want. What are the. What's the odds are. The ratio. What's the ratio? You usually end up back in the steamer trunk.

[John C. Reilly]

I won't give it away, but the show is designed so that I fail, so that you feel better about yourself, basically. Like a clown. Like any good clown.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. You studied clowning, didn't you?

[John C. Reilly]

I did. I was in clown ministry at my church.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's lovely. That's lovely. How did clown ministry like clowns for Christ, that sort of thing?

[John C. Reilly]

Not really. It was more like. More like the mission of Christ, you know? Like, they taught us how to be real clowns. They were very serious about how to do the makeup and all the rules about clowning and how to do physical comedy and everything. And then we'd go to, like, nursing homes or street fairs, all for free, just, like, spreading joy. That's one of the things. I'm very sad that clowns have become these villain characters in horror movies. Because the truth about clowns is they're like people that have dedicated their lives to human joy.

[Stephen Colbert]

They're also sad, too, you know, but.

[John C. Reilly]

Again, they're sad so you don't have to be as sad. You know, like, joke's on them.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, they're pretty sad for you. You know Emmett Kelly, one of the greats from when we were kids. We're probably around the same age. I remember he was still working when we were a kid.

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah, Emmett Kelly, one of the greatest. He's one of the only clowns who created an archetype, the hobo clown in the depression era.

[Stephen Colbert]

Anyway, he performed right here in this theater. And that's all the show. Yeah.

[John C. Reilly]

Wow. Yeah, I know. I told. Apparently he never washed his costume. So if you smell a strange, musty smell. No, he was. How dare I say that about Emmett Kelly? He's a genius. I have a painting of him in my office that sits behind me.

[Stephen Colbert]

You have a painting of Emmett Kelly in the office?

[John C. Reilly]

Yes. Whenever I have zooms, Emma Kelly's there looming behind me.

[Stephen Colbert]

You say the show came out of joy and despair?

[John C. Reilly]

Yeah. You know, I've been working on movies and television shows and plays, and it's. It's always somebody else's vision, and you're kind of carrying water for someone else's ideas. And then my last big job ended on hbo, and I thought, what do I want to do? And I thought, well, what does the world need? You know? And I just noticed, like, man, it's getting pretty hard out there. You know, empathy seems to be something you gotta fight for these days or, you know, the idea that you should love someone that you don't even know seems like this radical concept. But. But to me, that's being a humanist, you know, I love all you guys. I do. I love you because you're a human being, you know? So I thought, it's joyful to sing these songs. It's joyful to tell people that you love them. And the despair part was like, what was happening in the world. So I thought, I'm gonna do this show and maybe that'll be my contribution. So come see it if you get a chance. Listen to my album, will you, please?

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, Johnson, it was good to see you as always. Tickets to his Mr. Romantic show are available now. His album, what's not to Love is out tomorrow. John C. Reilly, 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.

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[Stephen Colbert]

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[John C. Reilly]

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