The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Stellan Skarsgård | ICE Rage
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Stephen Colbert welcomes acclaimed actor Stellan Skarsgård, fresh off his Golden Globe win for "Sentimental Value." The episode opens with Colbert’s signature mix of political satire and monologue humor, focusing on political turmoil involving ICE in Minnesota and Trump’s outlandish threats regarding Greenland. The atmosphere transitions to a warm and lively interview with Skarsgård, discussing his career, family, and philosophy on acting—including plenty of laughs about Mamma Mia, spicy European films, and family life with eight children.

Monologue & Political Satire (01:44—14:45)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Colbert on Early 2026 Turmoil (01:56)

  • He laments the new year’s rocky start:

    “I have found the first couple of weeks of 2026 to be a grade A extra crispy cluster munch of suckitude.” (01:56)

  • Focus: Masked ICE agents causing chaos in Minnesota. Colbert jokes about Trump threatening the Insurrection Act.

• ICE Agent Mishaps and Satirical AI Critique (03:51)

  • Satirical look at ICE’s rushed agent training:
    • Four weeks of training for those with law enforcement pre-experience, eight weeks otherwise.
    • “I feel like it should take longer to become an unaccountable armed member of a secret police than it does to take classical chain making for absolute beginners at the 92nd Street Y.” (04:34)
  • Jokes about the AI tool mishandling applicant screening, including accepting those merely mentioning “officer” on their resumes.

• International Absurdity—Trump and Greenland (05:17)

  • Trump’s wild plan to “take over Greenland.”
  • Denmark and Greenland's foreign ministers try to talk him down, failing spectacularly.
    • Colbert: “That’s the kind of sentence you normally only hear in a 1940s newsreel... Denmark’s Foreign Minister fails to slow the president’s march toward the icy continent.” (06:10)
  • Germany sending 13 troops to Greenland: “That sounds intense. But bear in mind, Germany is only sending 13 soldiers. Well, that's because of German efficiency.” (08:46)

• Nobel Peace Prize Satire and Trump’s Melancholy (09:54)

  • Trump receives an actual Nobel medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
    • Colbert quips: “Stellan Skarsgrd, my guest tonight, can give me his Golden Globe tonight if he wants, but that won't make me heartbreakingly convincing as a Norwegian father..." (10:21)
  • Reads from a gloomy Trump fundraising email:
    • “‘I'm sitting here alone in the war room, fighting for you. The rest of the staff went home hours ago. It’s just me, one dying laptop, and the 72 hour countdown clock to my first mid month deadline of the year.’” (11:16)
    • Colbert jokes: “Plug in your laptop. Sitting in the dark. Turn on the lights. Feel all better now.” (11:56)

• Mar-a-Lago Surrealism: Hero Dog Awards (12:10)

  • Describes a bizarre gala with “sexualized human dog hybrids and ball gowns.”

    “I don't remember smoking peyote in a Pet Smart today.” (12:36)

  • Trump arrives late and confused at the spectacle.

    “Dog, dog, dog, Dog. Giraffe. Dammit, dog.” (13:27)

Stellan Skarsgård Interview (15:05—26:04)

Celebrating a Golden Globe Win (15:55—16:35)

• Colbert congratulates Stellan on his award.
• Skarsgård describes his celebration:
  • “Yes, actually, I had a little too much fun.” (16:11)
  • “I got drunk.” (16:19)
  • Colbert jokes about the perils of flying hungover: “But I regretted it the day after at 39,000ft.” (16:27)

Family, Acting, and “Sentimental Value” (16:49—19:07)

• Role as a director in ‘Sentimental Value’:

  • Skarsgård jokes about getting “revenge” on directors:

    “My first instinct was, he’s a director. Right. Directors, huh? Revenge. ... But of course, I didn't do it because I was too serious.” (17:03)

• Skarsgård’s acting children:

  • “Are all of them actors?” Colbert asks.
    • Skarsgård: “No, just five.” (17:48)
  • Skarsgård discusses his children’s varied opinions and honesty:

    “With eight kids, you can't be perfect to everybody. So it's got to be. Some are not pleased with you all the time, right?” (18:01) “Quite a few of them are not pleased with you all the time.” (18:37) Colbert: “But of course, you are pleased with all of them.”
    Skarsgård: “No, they're trying to help you. So it goes both ways.” (18:43)

• On flaws:

  • “I've got flaws, but they've got flaws. That's important to know.” (18:51)
  • Colbert grins: “Where do you think they got them, Stellan?”
  • Skarsgård deadpans: “From the mother.” (19:02)

Scandinavian Culinary Oddities & Fatherly Jokes (19:07—20:02)

• The pair riff about anchovy donuts and salty licorice—a running joke throughout the episode.
• Skarsgård, on the donut: “As long as you don’t have to eat the donut...” (19:35)

Father-Son Gifts & “Pilon” (21:12—22:38)

• Colbert mentions Alexander Skarsgård’s upcoming appearance and a pickle jar gift:
  • Skarsgård explains the pickle debacle:

    “He put it in his suitcase with his underwear and stuff and it exploded. I don't trust him to bring me anything.” (21:33)

• On “Pilon,” Alexander's new film:
  • Skarsgård: “It’s a romantic comedy with some spicy, spicy.” (22:11)
  • Colbert: “We're all adults. Some of us are European.” (22:17)

Spicy European Cinema & Subtitles (22:18—22:55)

• Playful banter on how subtitles make films seem classier:
  • Skarsgård: “It shows. Subtitled.” (22:49)
  • Colbert: “Can we subtitle just this part of the interview, please? ... Your Mamma Mia star Amanda Seyfried was on the other night.” (22:53)

Mamma Mia, Reunions & The Mia Universe (23:17—24:58)

• Amanda Seyfried suggested a role for Colbert in “Mamma Mia 3.”
• Skarsgård: “Yes, the Mia Universe.” (23:35)
• On singing and dancing in musicals:
  • Skarsgård: “I can't sing. I can't dance. ... I woke up in the middle of the night singing it, Voulez Vous. It's very difficult. Try it.” (24:07–24:27)
  • “Directors are very cruel.” (24:51)
  • “Can we get some people to stand in front of Stellan, please, on this next take?” (24:56)

Working with Family (25:05—26:04)

• Asked if he’d act with his children and Colbert, Skarsgård jests:
  • “A good one.” (referring to a potential script) (25:20)
  • Joke about “Sound of Music” lacking truly good roles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------| | 01:56 | “I have found the first couple of weeks of 2026 to be a grade A extra crispy cluster munch of suckitude.” | Stephen Colbert | | 04:34 | “I feel like it should take longer to become an unaccountable armed member of a secret police than it does to take classical chain making for absolute beginners at the 92nd Street Y.” | Stephen Colbert | | 06:10 | “That’s the kind of sentence you normally only hear in a 1940s newsreel...” | Stephen Colbert | | 10:21 | “Stellan Skarsgrd, my guest tonight, can give me his Golden Globe… but that won't make me heartbreakingly convincing as a Norwegian father trying to reconcile with his daughters.” | Stephen Colbert | | 16:19 | “I got drunk.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 17:03 | “My first instinct was, he’s a director. Right. Directors, huh? Revenge.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 17:48 | “No, just five.” (on how many of his 8 kids are actors) | Stellan Skarsgård | | 18:51 | “I've got flaws, but they've got flaws. That's important to know.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 19:02 | “From the mother.” (joking about his kids’ flaws) | Stellan Skarsgård | | 21:33 | “He put it in his suitcase with his underwear and stuff and it exploded. I don't trust him to bring me anything.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 22:11 | “It’s a romantic comedy with some spicy, spicy.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 23:35 | “Yes, the Mia Universe.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 24:07 | “Have you seen me sing and dance, then? That you can do. I can't sing. I can't dance. And I was working for a month and a half...” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 24:51 | “Directors are very cruel.” | Stellan Skarsgård | | 25:20 | “A good one.” (on wanting to act with his kids and Colbert) | Stellan Skarsgård |

Key Segments / Timestamps

• Opening Monologue & ICE/Greenland Satire: 01:44–14:45
• Stellan Skarsgård interview, Golden Globe win, and family: 15:05–19:07
• Food oddities, anchovy donuts, and family banter: 19:07–20:02
• Pickle incident and Alexander Skarsgård: 21:12–22:38
• Spicy cinema, subtitles, and European vs American sensibilities: 22:18–22:55
• Mamma Mia & performing arts banter: 23:17–24:58
• On making movies with family: 25:05–26:04

Episode Tone & Style

• Satirical, dry, and self-deprecating. Colbert’s political comedy is sharp yet ultimately playful, turning even grim material into absurdity. Skarsgård is affable, droll, and wry, adding low-key Nordic humor and embracing family jokes with genuine warmth.

In Short

This episode offers a quintessential Late Show blend: acerbic political satire, surreal monologue riffs, and an engaging, often hilarious, exchange with a beloved screen legend. Whether lampooning current U.S. events or picking apart Swedish family life and musical mishaps, Colbert and Skarsgård keep the laughs (and the honesty) rolling.