Priscilla Presley

Summary

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The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Guest: Priscilla Presley
Air Date: September 29, 2025
Episode Theme:
An intimate and revealing conversation with Priscilla Presley about her new memoir, Softly As I Leave You, her life with Elvis, her own journey toward independence, reflections on her acting career, and thoughts about cinematic portrayals of her life.

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Episode Overview

Stephen Colbert welcomes Priscilla Presley, who has just published a memoir titled Softly As I Leave You. The episode focuses on Presley's personal and professional evolution—from her formative years with Elvis, through a challenging departure, to finding her individual identity and career. Discussion covers the significance of her memoir, memories of Elvis, her acting experiences (notably in Dallas and The Naked Gun), and her views on recent film adaptations of her story.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Memoir: Softly As I Leave You

• Title Significance & Motivation
  • The title reflects the pain and complexity of leaving Elvis (“It's really my life with Elvis and how difficult it was to leave.” - Priscilla Presley, 02:13).
  • Writing the book was emotional and challenging: “He was the love of my life... The type of life was very fast... I was surrounded by six guys. There was no other women.” (02:22)
  • Decision to write: After years of requests, Priscilla wanted to take ownership of her narrative and clarify public misconceptions: “Because I have a lot to say. I think people would be very interested in it... I've been asked many, many times, am I going to do a book? So I figured it was time.” (03:28)
  • Importance of telling her side of the story: “Was it important to you to tell your own story so that people don't sort of characterize you in ways you don't approve of?”
    “Absolutely.” (03:47–03:54)

2. Early Life and Challenges Within Elvis’s World

• Marriage and Young Adulthood
  • Met Elvis at 14, married at 21, and separated in early 30s.
  • Life around Elvis was isolating—she was often the only woman in an all-male entourage.
  • She left not because she lacked love but due to the overwhelming lifestyle:
    “Listen, I didn't leave because I didn't love Elvis. I love him to this day. It was just... the lifestyle was very difficult. I had a little girl... It was a guy's world, completely a guy's world. And I kind of felt a bit left out.” (06:03)
  • Discovery of self-worth by pursuing dance and new interests:
    “I started taking dance classes... I love being, you know, being out there and doing something that I like to do and love to do actually... I started feeling confident and feeling like I can do something too.” (06:03–07:11)

3. Establishing Her Own Career

• Acting Highlights
  • Broke into television as Jenna Wade on Dallas.
    • Colbert: “You're right about making a name for yourself as an actress. We all remember you playing Jenna Wade on Dallas.” (03:56)
  • Starred as Jane Spencer in The Naked Gun series; initially hesitant due to lack of comedic experience:
    • “I told the director, you know, I'm not a comedian. I said, I don't know why I'm here... He said, you know, I'm not looking for a comedian. You just go with the flow, you know.” (04:30)
    • Worked closely with Leslie Nielsen, who helped her adjust to comedy on set—even improvising, sometimes to her confusion and amusement.

4. Reflections on Cinematic Portrayals

• Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla
  • Accurate and emotionally resonant, though she wishes it were longer: “I did. I thought, I wish it were longer. They only gave her so much time. And she wished she could do it longer, too.” (07:25)
• Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis
  • Praised Baz's energetic style but felt the story was incomplete:
    “I think it could have been better. I wish there was again, more time.” (07:52)
  • Colbert notes Luhrmann captured the enormity of Elvis’s presence, especially in the Vegas era, which Priscilla agrees with but still hopes for a fuller story in the future:
    “Absolutely, it was. I just wish you could complete it. There was much more that he could have said.” (08:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leaving Elvis:

  • “Listen, I didn't leave because I didn't love Elvis. I love him to this day. It was just... the lifestyle was very difficult.”
    —Priscilla Presley [06:03]

• On Her Decision to Write the Memoir:

  • “Because I have a lot to say... people would be very interested in it...”
    —Priscilla Presley [03:28]

• On Acting With Leslie Nielsen:

  • “Actually, Leslie was very funny, so it was easy. He would come out with stuff... the camera's on, we're supposed to be doing the scene, and he's talking gibberish to me... I go, Leslie, are you okay?”
    —Priscilla Presley [04:30]

• On Finding Herself:

  • “I started taking dance classes... and I figured out this is what I love to do... and I started feeling confident and feeling like I can do something too.”
    —Priscilla Presley [06:03–07:11]

• On Future Storytelling:

  • “Well, you should write another book.”
    —Stephen Colbert [08:20]
  • “I may.”
    —Priscilla Presley [08:21]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:39] — Guest Introduction and memoir topic
• [02:13] — Title significance of Softly As I Leave You
• [03:28] — Motivation for writing the memoir
• [04:30] — Priscilla's experience on The Naked Gun
• [06:03] — Challenges in Elvis's world and finding self
• [07:25] — impressions on Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla
• [07:52] — Reflections on Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis
• [08:20] — Closing banter about future storytelling

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

Colbert’s signature warmth and humor guide a discussion that’s both revealing and respectful. Priscilla Presley’s candor shines as she peels back layers of public perception, sharing vulnerability, humor from her Hollywood days, and wisdom drawn from her journey toward independence. The episode offers a poignant mix of nostalgia, self-discovery, and Hollywood anecdotes—making it a must-listen for fans of Elvis, classic television, or anyone interested in personal transformation.

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Transcript

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[Priscilla Presley]

It's the Late Show Poncho with Stephen Colbert.

[Stephen Colbert]

My next guest is an actress and a businesswoman who has just released a new memoir called Softly As I Leave youe. Please welcome to the Late Show, Priscilla Presley. Thank you so much for being here, ma'. Am.

[Priscilla Presley]

Thank you for having me. Now, this is my first time for.

[Stephen Colbert]

You with you, the first time we've ever talked. Yeah. Your new memoir is Softly As I Leave youe. It's out today. It's a beautiful title. What's the significance?

[Priscilla Presley]

It's really my life with Elvis and how difficult it was to leave.

[Stephen Colbert]

To leave the King.

[Priscilla Presley]

So it's all there. And it was a very difficult book for me, you know, to write. You know, he was the love of my life. It was really the type of life was very fast. He, you know, it was his life. I was surrounded by six guys. It was really. There was no other women.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you were so young. You met when you were 14, started dating at 6 and married at 21.

[Priscilla Presley]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then how old were you when you all divorced?

[Priscilla Presley]

I was about 20, actually. 21. Gosh, I don't remember. 32.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, 11 years. I mean, that could be wrong.

[Priscilla Presley]

I'd never think about it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Don't worry. You know what? I've got a book. I can check to see whether that's right. I mean, you've written a memoir before, but as you said, this handles your divorce from Elvis. You're managing businesses, you're raising children, losing family members. As you said, it was sort of difficult for you to do. Then why did you do it?

[Priscilla Presley]

Because I have a lot to say. I think that people would be very interested in it. You know, my life and how I handled it. Of course, the life with Elvis. I've been asked many, many times, am I going to do a book? So I figured it was time.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I think, was it important to you to tell your own story so that people don't sort of characterize you in ways you don't approve of?

[Priscilla Presley]

Absolutely.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you're right about making a name for yourself as an actress. We all remember you playing Jenna Wade on Dallas.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

There you are.

[Priscilla Presley]

I don't know.

[Stephen Colbert]

They're too young. No, no, cbs. They know. Ok? They know. And you also had a very different role after that, which you also excelled in. Okay. You played Jane Spencer in the Naked Gun films. You do a great job in this. Was it true you were hesitant to do these films?

[Priscilla Presley]

Very hesitant. I told the director, you know, I'm not a comedian. I said, I don't know why I'm here. And he said, you know, I'm not looking for a comedian. You just go with the flow, you know. And I just went along with my cohort there and Leslie, and we had the best time. And actually, Leslie was very funny, so it was easy. He would come out with stuff that. Right, the camera's on, we're supposed to be doing the scene, and he's talking gibberish to me. I mean, he's. And I'm looking at him. What are you saying? He goes, then he'd do it again. I go, leslie, are you okay?

[Stephen Colbert]

It's great to see a silly, you know, a silly person in a straight package like that. What was it like the first time you guys met?

[Priscilla Presley]

He introduced himself. He was a gentleman. I mean, I didn't know anything about Leslie, really. And so he, you know, we talked a little bit. He welcomed me. He asked me, you know, was this my first comedy? I said, absolutely. I'm scared to death. He said, don't worry, we'll make it work. And I said, thank you. I really appreciate your help.

[Stephen Colbert]

You learn anything surprising about yourself as you were working on this book. The things that. As you go through your recollections, as painful as some of them might be, did you discover something that you didn't know or had forgotten?

[Priscilla Presley]

No. No. I knew myself.

[Stephen Colbert]

Not everybody does.

[Priscilla Presley]

No. It was hard for me to write it, but I felt I needed to write it. I needed to get it off me. I needed to share it with people that always came to me, like I said, and asked me, how was it living with Elvis? Listen, I didn't leave because I didn't love Elvis. I love him to this day. It was just. The lifestyle was very difficult. I had a little girl, you know, I had guys all around, about six of them. It was a guy's world, completely a guy's world. And I kind of felt a bit left out. And I thought, I'm going to have to do something for myself. And I started taking dance classes, and then I started going to the gym, and I love the dance classes, by the way. And I was in a couple of shows with it, and I figured out this is what I love to do. I love being, you know, being out there and doing something that I like to do and love to do, actually, like I said. And I started feeling confident and feeling like I can do something too.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now, your.

[Priscilla Presley]

Thank you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Your early days with Elvis were the subject of Sofia Coppola's film Priscilla. Did you like that film?

[Priscilla Presley]

Did you enjoy that? I did. I thought, I wish it were longer. They only gave her so much time. And she wished she could do it longer, too. I mean, because the story went on what she did. I thought it was good.

[Stephen Colbert]

And a few years back, Baz Luhrmann did his film Elvis, which is huge in scope. And I'm just curious, did you like that again?

[Priscilla Presley]

I think it. It could have been. It could have been better. I wish there was again, more time.

[Stephen Colbert]

I like that Baz Luhrmann's style can be very over the top. And the way that captured, like, the enormity of Elvis's personality and his impact on an audience, especially in the Vegas days, I thought it was very fitting.

[Priscilla Presley]

Absolutely, it was. I just wish you could complete it. There was much more that he could have said.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, you should write another book.

[Priscilla Presley]

I may.

[Stephen Colbert]

Who would you like to direct this book?

[Priscilla Presley]

Will you want to?

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure. I'm in. I'm available soon. Her book, Softly As I Leave youe is out now. Priscilla Presley, everybody.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

Thank you for listening to the Late.

[Stephen Colbert]

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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