The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Kurt & Wyatt Russell (Extended) | Peace Out
Date: February 27, 2026
Guests: Kurt Russell & Wyatt Russell

Episode Overview

This lively and heartfelt episode features Stephen Colbert in conversation with father-son acting duo Kurt and Wyatt Russell. The Russells discuss their unique family dynamic, their collaboration on the Apple TV series Legacy of Monsters, family history in film and sports, and Wyatt’s unusual hobby. The tone throughout is warm, teasing, and deeply personal—a blend of Colbert’s sharp wit and the Russells’ open, humorous candor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Monologue and Satire (00:35–12:07)

• Stephen Colbert recaps recent news, blending political satire, pop-culture references, and personal humor.

  • Jokes about Trump's lengthy State of the Union and sinking TV ratings.
  • Highlights a bizarre “camel beauty contest” scandal in the Middle East.
  • Lampoons U.S. military maneuvers and political figures with his trademark irreverence.

  “People may not like watching Trump, but they do like watching me not like watching Trump.”
  —Stephen Colbert (01:22)

2. The Russell Family: Hollywood Royalty (13:07–14:21)

• Family Connections & Support:
  Kurt and Wyatt discuss just how sprawling and talented their family is (including Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Oliver Hudson, Meredith Hagner) and the challenges of keeping up with each other’s work.

  • Wyatt jokes: “Every second of everything.” (13:29)

  • Kurt admits: “We should take some time… probably take three weeks, a month or something to see what everybody's done, because we've seen very little of what we've done.” (13:36)

  • Both laugh about the reality—they’d probably tire of it after a day and a half! (13:43)

  • On watching “adult movies” as a kid:

    • Wyatt: “Not really. They made adult movies, so I was a kid and didn’t really, you know…” (13:56)
    • Colbert quips about “movies for adults” to comic effect.

3. Kurt Russell’s Landmark Film “The Thing” (14:25–17:41)

• Colbert shares that John Carpenter’s The Thing is his “happy place,” and how he and his brother associate the film with brotherly love.
• The Thing’s ambiguous ending is debated:
  • Colbert: “Do you, Kurt Russell, believe that there is a definitive answer?” (16:47)
  • Kurt: “When John Carpenter tells me what it is, I’ll know.” (16:47)
  • Colbert presses about rumors of multiple endings.
  • Kurt: “No, we shot… We talked about it for weeks… He throws things back and forth, and we finally just ended up with that one.” (17:08)
  • Kurt reveals he improvised the film’s final line. (17:25-17:30)

4. Wyatt’s Early On-Set Appearances (17:41–19:06)

• Escape from L.A. & Early Acting: Wyatt remembers visiting sets and being drafted into scene work (“look at your dad and do this thing”), though the memories are vague.
• Father-son Dynamic: Kurt describes instructing Wyatt on how to play a scene (“you're not scared of Snake Plissken, you just see him and you just, if I eyeball you, you eyeball me back”). (18:42-18:53)
• Wyatt: “I was so afraid of my dad that I just do whatever he said.” (19:01)

5. Legacy of Monsters: Acting Together as the Same Character (20:06–21:54)

• Preparation and Process:

  • Wyatt plays the younger version of the main character; Kurt the older.
  • Both were hesitant at first, not sure if Godzilla’s “Monsterverse” was their style, but were drawn in by the grounded approach of the show.
  • Preparation involved zoom script readings across continents (Wyatt in the U.S., Kurt in Europe).

  Wyatt: “We would read it together… As we read through them, it was very apparent that we saw things the same way. We don’t talk about movies like people think we would… So this was the first time we were really talking about something that we were going to do together… but we saw it the same way and it was great.”
  (20:29–21:15)

• Previous Collaborations:

  • Wyatt played the younger version of Kurt’s character in Soldier at age twelve.

  Kurt: “…the joke in our family used to be, well, we have all these people who act and everything, but the best actor in the family is a hockey player.”
  (21:54)

6. Wyatt’s Hockey Career and Return to Acting (22:06–23:29)

• Sports Heritage: Wyatt explains he gravitated toward hockey (“the first thing I fell in love with that was not my parents”) and strived for a blue-collar work ethic, distancing himself from his Hollywood background.
• An injury ended his hockey career, but it reignited his love for movies, leading him back to acting.
• Teeth check:
  • Colbert notes Wyatt still has all his teeth.
  • Wyatt: “I have caps on a few…”
    Stephen jokes about it being a sign of being a goalie (23:29–23:42).

7. Family Casting Confusion and Monster Roles (23:53–24:38)

• Wyatt describes a mix-up as his baby’s doula believed he was playing Godzilla due to a family misunderstanding.
  • Wyatt: “She was like, that is perfect. He looks just like him… [with] his jawline.”
    (23:53–24:22)
  • Colbert: “His tail breathes lightning. Yes.” (24:26)

8. Monster Movies: Then and Now (24:45–25:04)

• Discussion about whether Kurt or Wyatt had been in “big rubber suit” monster movies before.
  • Kurt links The Thing to Legacy of Monsters in the sense of reacting to “something that we didn’t quite understand.” (24:45)

9. Unique Hobbies and Heartfelt Family Anecdote (25:47–29:22)

• Kurt’s Interests: Flying planes, making wine, hunting, and driving race cars.

• Wyatt’s Unique Hobby: Violin making. He learned from Vancouver luthiers during hockey downtime, then took up violin construction during COVID with teacher Jim Brown.

  • Wyatt: “Making guitars is like construction. Violin is like sculpting.” (26:37)
  • He modestly claims, “I am a horrible violin player.” (27:18)

• Touching family story: Kurt shares a bittersweet and humorous memory of Wyatt playing violin for Goldie Hawn’s mother in the hospital. The story transitions from moving to awkward as Kurt confesses laughter overtook him during Wyatt’s earnest (and tuneless) performance on video.

  Kurt: “When you see the videotape, you can’t really watch it because I’m laughing so hard because it’s literally—” (28:54)
  Wyatt: “It was one of the greatest things you want to hear… It was awful.” (29:13, 29:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stephen Colbert on ratings:
  “People may not like watching Trump, but they do like watching me not like watching Trump.” (01:22)

• Wyatt Russell on family marathons:
  “Every second of everything.” (13:29)

• Kurt Russell on “The Thing” ending:
  “When John Carpenter tells me what it is, I’ll know.” (16:47)

• Wyatt Russell on preparation for Legacy of Monsters:
  “We don’t talk about movies like people think we would… This was the first time we were really talking about something we were going to do together.” (20:29–21:15)

• Kurt Russell, joking about family acting skills:
  “…the best actor in the family is a hockey player.” (21:54)

• Wyatt on his sports roots:
  “It was the first thing I fell in love with that was not my parents.” (22:06)

• Colbert on teeth & hockey:
  “You have caps on a few. Okay. Does that mean you’re a great hockey player or not great hockey player?” (23:32)

• Kurt Russell on monster movies:
  “The thing… doing those [films], you know, we’re kind of looking at something that we didn’t quite understand what it is. Exactly.” (24:45)

• Wyatt on violin-making:
  “Making guitars is like construction. Violin is like sculpting.” (26:37)

• Family violin anecdote:
  “When you see the videotape, you can’t really watch it because I’m laughing so hard…” (28:54)
  “It was one of the greatest things... It was awful.” (29:13, 29:22)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:35–12:07: Monologue, news satire, intro to guests
• 13:07–14:21: Russell family dynamics, watching each other's work
• 14:25–17:41: The Thing, Carpenter collaborations, ending debates
• 17:41–19:06: Wyatt's first Hollywood experiences, father-son acting
• 20:06–21:54: Collaborating on Legacy of Monsters, process
• 22:06–23:29: Wyatt’s hockey career, sports-family heritage
• 23:53–24:38: Role confusion in the family re: Godzilla
• 25:47–29:22: Hobbies: violin making, heartfelt hospital story

Final Thoughts

Colbert’s conversation with Kurt and Wyatt Russell offers listeners a rare, authentic look into the personal and professional lives of a Hollywood dynasty. The episode is rich in warmth and humor, balancing industry insights, personal anecdotes, and playful banter. It’s a must-listen for movie fans, “monsterverse” enthusiasts, and those curious about the unique dynamic between a famous father and son.