Stephen Presents: Cole Escola (Extended)

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert – Episode Summary: “Stephen Presents: Cole Escola (Extended)”

Release Date: May 29, 2025
Host: CBS
Guest: Cole Escola, Broadway Star and Tony Award Nominee

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Introduction and Setting the Scene

The episode opens with casual banter between Stephen Colbert and Jon Meacham, setting a relaxed and personable tone for the discussion. The hosts engage in light-hearted conversation about their shared experiences with constant construction noise near their studio on Broadway. This segment not only humanizes the hosts but also establishes a relatable atmosphere for listeners familiar with New York City's ever-changing landscape.

Notable Quote:

• Jon Meacham [01:00]: "It's hump day."

Navigating the Construction Chaos

Colbert and Meacham delve into the intricacies of ongoing construction projects near their location, sharing anecdotes about past and present building endeavors. They discuss the challenges of working amidst heavy machinery and the unique geological aspects of Broadway, such as the proximity to bedrock. This discussion provides listeners with an insider's glimpse into the urban development that shapes their work environment.

Notable Quotes:

• Jon Meacham [01:33]: "They're drilling into the bedrock."
• Stephen Colbert [02:29]: "And that's where we are."

The Mystery of the Daily Bang

A humorous yet intriguing segment unfolds as the hosts recount the enigmatic "Daily Bang" noise that resonates from their studio each afternoon. Colbert affectionately attributes the sound to their stagehand, Nikki, creating a light-hearted mystery that adds a whimsical element to the episode.

Notable Quotes:

• Stephen Colbert [05:35]: "Our joke is that Nikki is body slamming someone up there."
• Jon Meacham [05:55]: "The mystery of the Daily Bang continues."

Introducing the Guest: Cole Escola

Transitioning from their local anecdotes, Colbert introduces Cole Escola, a celebrated Broadway star known for his role in "Strangers with Candy" and his Tony-nominated performance in "O Mary." The introduction sets the stage for an in-depth conversation about Escola’s latest theatrical achievement.

Notable Quote:

• Stephen Colbert [12:25]: "Please welcome to the Late Show, Cole Escola."

In-Depth Conversation with Cole Escola

Background and Inspiration for "O Mary"

Cole Escola opens up about his Broadway play "O Mary," portraying Mary Todd Lincoln as an alcoholic aspirant cabaret star. He delves into the genesis of the play, inspired by contemplating the impact of Abraham Lincoln's assassination on his wife. This introspective exploration highlights Escola's creative process and his ability to blend historical context with contemporary storytelling.

Notable Quotes:

• Cole Escola [14:21]: "It's about Mary Todd Lincoln's hopes and dreams."
• Cole Escola [15:09]: "What if Abraham Lincoln's assassination wasn't such a bad thing for Mary Todd?"

Journey of "O Mary" to Broadway Success

Escola recounts the journey of "O Mary" from its initial off-Broadway run at the Lucille Lortel Theater to its extended performances and eventual move to the prestigious Lyceum Theater on Broadway. He expresses astonishment at the play's reception and the enthusiastic embrace by the audience, underscoring the unpredictable nature of theatrical success.

Notable Quotes:

• Cole Escola [16:24]: "It's still surprising to me."
• Jon Meacham [16:50]: "What was it like to see somebody else doing the part that you created?"

Collaboration and Support Within the Theater Community

Cole expresses gratitude towards fellow actors Betty Gilpin and Titus Burgess, who took over his role in "O Mary." He emphasizes the supportive and collaborative nature of the theater community, highlighting how such relationships can elevate a production and foster mutual growth among artists.

Notable Quotes:

• Cole Escola [16:51]: "They enthusiastically took over this role and loved it like it was their own."
• Jon Meacham [17:15]: "People hate you."

Future Aspirations and Creative Directions

Looking ahead, Escola shares his desire to diversify his roles by portraying a straight character, moving away from the flamboyant persona he is known for. This ambition reflects his commitment to challenging himself and expanding his versatility as an actor.

Notable Quotes:

• Cole Escola [17:32]: "I'm dying to play a straight guy."
• Jon Meacham [19:04]: "Being known."

Interactive and Humorous Segments

The episode features playful interactions where Escola demonstrates his acting skills by attempting to portray a straight character, leading to humorous exchanges with the hosts. These segments showcase Escola's comedic talent and his ability to engage the audience through improvisation and character work.

Notable Quotes:

• Cole Escola [20:05]: "Do you know that eggs are actually bad for you?"
• Jon Meacham [20:19]: "Ow. I felt like I just lost an argument I wasn't having."

Conclusion and Final Remarks

As the episode draws to a close, Colbert and Meacham express their appreciation for Educa's presence and contributions. They promote "O Mary," encouraging listeners to experience the play at the Lyceum Theater, thereby supporting the arts and highlighting the show's success.

Notable Quotes:

• Jon Meacham [20:45]: "O Mary is on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater."
• Stephen Colbert [20:49]: "Thank you for being here. Thank you for the frippery."

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Key Takeaways:

• Cole Escola's Versatility: Escola's ability to transition between his iconic comedic roles and his dramatic portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln underscores his range as an actor.

• Theatrical Success Through Collaboration: The supportive relationships within the Broadway community are pivotal in bringing performances like "O Mary" to fruition and achieving extended runs.

• Humor and Human Connection: The interaction between the hosts and the guest fosters a genuine and entertaining dialogue, making complex topics like theater production accessible and engaging to listeners.

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Final Note:

For those interested in experiencing Cole Escola's acclaimed performance, "O Mary" is currently running at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway. The episode not only highlights the intricacies of bringing a play to life but also celebrates the collaborative spirit that defines the New York theater scene.

Transcript

[Stephen Colbert]

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[Jon Meacham]

The host of Cadence 13's new podcast, Fate of Fact, on how America and its political parties got to where we are today. Available now on Odyssey, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, Becca.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey, Stephen.

[Jon Meacham]

What day is it?

[Stephen Colbert]

It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday night on the podcast.

[Jon Meacham]

Fantastic. It's hump day.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's hump day.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah, we always do that when I come on on Wednesday nights. You'll look over and the band will hold up one hand and put another hand over that hand. Like one hand is diving over the other because the first hand conveys Wednesday.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Jon Meacham]

And then we're getting over it with the other hand. We're getting over hump day.

[Stephen Colbert]

And it's so nice to be here with you in this little podcast booth that we have, away from the construction noise on the street. I don't know if that's affecting you.

[Jon Meacham]

Y. Yeah, it's a Caddy corner to us. It's north and east of us. They've torn down something. They tore it down a long time ago.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

But now they're finally hammering out. They've got three, basically, front end loaders with backhoe attachments, but the backhoe is off and they've got jackhammer attachments on, and they're drilling into the bedrock. Because we're on Broadway, and people may not know this, but there are a couple of places in New York where the bedrock comes right. Right level, essentially. If you would have been here hundreds of years ago, before it was developed, when the Lenape or whoever was originally on the site, there was exposed bedrock in places. And downtown, where the skyscrapers are, that's bedrock. Midtown, where that's where the skyscrapers are, that's bedrock. And running down the island, there's this groin of bedrock that's exposed. Back in the old days, on top of that groin that ran diagonally up New York, they paved it over, and that became Broadway.

[Stephen Colbert]

And that's where we are.

[Jon Meacham]

We're on Broadway. So you dig down like six inches around here, you hit bedrock. And so if you wanna build anything, it is loud. My brothers.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, that's the weirdest thing is they were demolishing a huge building for over a year. Didn't hear a thing.

[Jon Meacham]

No.

[Stephen Colbert]

Was doing it like they took it.

[Jon Meacham]

Apart with Allen wrenches or something.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Floor by floor. And now that they're starting to build every day, bang, bang, bang, bang.

[Jon Meacham]

I have never done a television show in New York that is not across the street from a construction site. When we were doing the Colbert Rapp back in the old days on 53rd, on 53rd Street. We're on 54. We're between 53rd and 54th. Right. We were on 53rd Street. Across the street. They were building luxury apartments. But first they had to dig down. They tore something down. They dug really far down. And because it's in midtown, and because there's bedrock, they had to use dynamite. They were blasting. And we would hear this. You'd be sitting at your desk concentrating, trying to write a script.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And you'd hear in the distance, you hear me? And that meant five seconds after that, there was going to be an explosion.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, God.

[Jon Meacham]

So you would hear me. You hear, meep, meep, meep, like that. And then everybody would take their hands off their keyboards and just sit there for a second. Then the whole building. You'd hear the sound. The whole building would go, oh, my God. And the whole building would shake. And then we'd all go. And then you'd start doing it. And keep in mind, this wasn't that long after 9, 11.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And so that rattling. That was truly a disturbing rattling sound to hear. So then. Okay, okay. So that they finish it. They build it. It's over. But that went on for, like, a year.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Jon Meacham]

And then we moved to the Ed Sullivan and Roselyn Ballroom was across the street. And they tore it down.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, geez.

[Jon Meacham]

They tore it down. And they started jackhammering and dynamiting across the street. And now it's another big luxury condos or something. And so I thought, okay, we're done. I'm not moving again. This is it. And now they're jackhammering on Caddy corner.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah. There's a lot happens in New York, you think like, oh, yeah, New York's all built out. Nope. People change their minds about what's gonna be on what corner all the time in the City.

[Stephen Colbert]

Absolutely.

[Jon Meacham]

And then did they just randomly throw sheets of like steel, you know, like big steel plates, like random places on the street. So when cars go over, it goes. It's fantastic.

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean, my favorite sound that happens at work is the Daily Bang is what I call it in rewrite.

[Jon Meacham]

It's quarter til five and we don't know why, because our rewrite is right under the stage and there's a point at which. There's a point at which every day our room, again, which is right below the stage, is like being inside a drum.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Jon Meacham]

And it just goes doom. There's a big thump and we look at our watches and it's always almost exactly quarter to five. And we've never asked what it is, have we?

[Stephen Colbert]

No, we've never asked years of this.

[Jon Meacham]

And it's startling and you forget it's coming.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And they're like, jesus, what was that sound? And we go, oh, it's quarter to five. To me it sounds like a. A bowling ball was dropped from about 30ft.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And then didn't bounce. Just one. It's heavy and it's still one. It hits.

[Stephen Colbert]

Our joke is that Nikki is body slamming someone up there.

[Jon Meacham]

Nikki is one of our stage hands.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, exactly.

[Jon Meacham]

Who is not immediately registered as someone who could body slam someone.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. But yeah. The mystery of the Daily Bang continues.

[Jon Meacham]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Great information about Broadway though, this Sheetrock. I don't know if I told you this and I probably haven't. We've been busy. I'm doing a tip to tip on Broadway.

[Jon Meacham]

What's tip to tip?

[Stephen Colbert]

Tip to tip. You go to the bottom tip of Manhattan, all the way to the top.

[Jon Meacham]

So where does it start downtown?

[Stephen Colbert]

It starts all the way in Battery park. Like where the bull is.

[Jon Meacham]

Oh, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

So basically bottom tip and then it goes actually all the way through. Like Sleepy Hollow, if you really go all the way up. But I'm only going to say Sleepy Hollow.

[Jon Meacham]

What do you mean?

[Stephen Colbert]

It's the longest throwaway in New York.

[Jon Meacham]

Sleepy Hollow's north of the Tappan Zee.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's 33 miles long, the whole.

[Jon Meacham]

So you end up on the Henry Hudson. Or is it a side? It literally keeps the name Broadway.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, it keeps the name Broad. It's like North Broadway at that point, but it still is technically the same contiguous street. Isn't that crazy?

[Jon Meacham]

That is crazy.

[Stephen Colbert]

So I don't know if all my friends are going to be willing to keep going, but I'm trying to cross the river.

[Jon Meacham]

What is that, like 20 miles it's.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like 33 miles total.

[Jon Meacham]

Or are you going to do it in a day?

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm going to try, but I think realistically, it'll just be top tip of, you know, Harlem of Manhattan.

[Jon Meacham]

North to south, south to north.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm going to do south to north this time. I've done a tip to tip that was north to south along the river. Lovely, lovely. But it's really. It's really great. It's a really great way to spend a day. And it's on foot. You're not like, you know, you stop into restaurants, you stop and get a snack.

[Jon Meacham]

Sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's just a great way to see all of Manhattan.

[Jon Meacham]

Do you map out your bathrooms on the way?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's this great app that used to exist called Sit or Squat that raided public bathrooms.

[Jon Meacham]

It used to exist.

[Stephen Colbert]

I think it could shut down after Covid. But it was a great Covid app for a while because it would rate all the public bathrooms that you have access to, which ones were grosser, the squats and which ones were really nice. The situation.

[Jon Meacham]

Did people make money off of this app or was it just a public service?

[Stephen Colbert]

You know what? I think maybe that's why it doesn't exist anymore. I don't know if there's a lot.

[Jon Meacham]

Of money in the people who are not in New York do not understand the necessity of this app. I don't think.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, okay, well. But I'm going up Broadway. Stephen Colbert, Broadway host of the Late Show.

[Jon Meacham]

You can stop in here.

[Stephen Colbert]

Any wrecks? Oh, well, yeah, sure. I'll grab a seltzer, but any wrecks on Broadway. Of things to see, things to do while going up. The entirety of it. It's a big question.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah, we'll stop in Lincoln Center. Go walk around the Plaza of Lincoln Center.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Beautiful.

[Jon Meacham]

That's a lot of fun. Obviously, we've got this thing that people may not have elsewhere in the United States. We have an Apple store. Amazing, amazing technology.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, great.

[Jon Meacham]

What else is on Broadway? Stop in Zabar's.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Go to Citarella and get yourself a couple pounds of raw tuna.

[Stephen Colbert]

Great. Yeah, exactly.

[Jon Meacham]

Get some whitefish salad at Zabar's. That on a hot summer day. That and a spoon. You'll.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, and just walk it off. Just keep walking with it. Yeah, that'd be great.

[Jon Meacham]

Movie theaters on Broadway. Pause and get your see something at the Lincoln. 13 Lincoln Plaza.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, cool. All right, well, I'll let you know.

[Jon Meacham]

Who's our guest on this one?

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, today we have a Broadway Star Cola Scola.

[Jon Meacham]

Oh, that's fantastic.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

That's why Broadway.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's why.

[Jon Meacham]

And you forgot the entire purpose of your story. That's what we bring. That's what we bring to these intros is just meandering and then forgetting why.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Cola Scola. Fantastic. I loved our straight guy off.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. So good, so fun. And I have a question for you, Steven. Cola Scola ran a panel at the IFC Center, I think, with you and Paul and Amy for Strangers. How did that go? And why wasn't I invited? That's so fun.

[Jon Meacham]

I didn't know that you would want to be invited to work or not.

[Stephen Colbert]

Even invited, but, like, you could tell us when you have, like, something fun going on after work.

[Jon Meacham]

I didn't have much to do. I didn't have much to do with it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Jon Meacham]

I heard about it. And when I heard that Cole was going to do it, I was. I was really happy.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

But I didn't even know they were big fans. I hadn't spoken to them before. And I guess people watched the Strangers movie and then we answered questions. We did twice. Once with Cole and one without. We did before the movie and after the movie.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And it was a joy. You know, I forget about that show. I mean, I just forget that I did it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Because it was so long ago. I stopped this year. We're probably gonna do another one. We want to do another, like a. Like, even a bigger one.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cool.

[Jon Meacham]

And because we're celebrating 25 years of being canceled. Because we were canceled 25 years ago this summer.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, cool.

[Jon Meacham]

And so we want to celebrate that.

[Stephen Colbert]

I do love that in post mortem, a meeting that we have after the show when we have sort of an alt comedian coming on or someone who has sort of a Stranger taste in humor, you and Paul kind of go, like, do you think they watch Stranger the candy? You know what I mean?

[Jon Meacham]

We'll have a little, like. Yeah. Do you think?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, it's a judge of character call for you guys. Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And I'll be completely surprised. Sometimes the guest in the commercial. Commercial will go like, I'm a huge Strangers fan. And I'll usually say, I didn't even know you were emotionally disturbed. Because when we used to, you know, Paul and Amy and I would do events and everything, and we would see people walking and some people were fans of. Would be fans of, like, what all of us did on Strangers or something that I did on the Daily show or Amy and the work she's done with her brother. And as they were walking toward us, if they're like one eyebrow was shaved off, we would think that's Strangers.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

You know, the more this person has sort of disassociated with American culture in a slightly hostile way toward themselves, I would think. Yeah. That's a Strangers fan.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And I love him. I just love him to death.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Available on Paramount Plus.

[Jon Meacham]

Is it.

[Stephen Colbert]

It is. Wow. I've been watching. I've been watching it.

[Jon Meacham]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Great show.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah. Yeah. I watched one recently. I always get. I mean, I really like it, but I always. I resurprise myself on some of our choices.

[Stephen Colbert]

I love the episode where instead of getting like a bag of flour.

[Jon Meacham]

Oh. When they teach kids this is what it's like to have a baby and they give them a 10 pound bag of flour.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. But then Jerry got a real baby.

[Jon Meacham]

You got a 10 pound baby and the baby's name is Dizzy.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Because she puts the baby on her dresser and it falls off into a basket of laundry.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Jon Meacham]

I'm gonna call Dizzy. And she gives him half of a. Of a. She takes a beer can and tears it in half and gives Dizzy that one of the halves to play with. Fantastic.

[Stephen Colbert]

So good, so good, so good. All right. Well, this is Cola Scola, Strangers with Candy, fan and Tony Award nominee.

[Jon Meacham]

Welcome back, my friends. My next guest tonight is a comedian, you know, from Difficult People at Home with Amy Session Sedaris and Search Party. They wrote and star in O Mary on Broadway. Please welcome to the late show, Cola Scola. Nice cowboy boots.

[Cola Scola]

Thank you. Thank you. How was the fishing trip, by the way?

[Jon Meacham]

The fishing trip?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah. Didn't you just go on a fishing trip?

[Jon Meacham]

I did just go on a fishing trip.

[Cola Scola]

I'm sorry I couldn't make it.

[Jon Meacham]

Well, you know, next time, next time it was me and Danello. We went down to Mexico.

[Cola Scola]

Right, of course.

[Jon Meacham]

We're fly fishing. The Yucatan. Like you do. Like you do. Do you fish?

[Cola Scola]

Yes, every day. Every day I'm out there. What do you think these are for? Is this offensive? No, my frippery.

[Jon Meacham]

What?

[Cola Scola]

Frippery.

[Jon Meacham]

Is that called frippery?

[Cola Scola]

No, no, no. It's a word. I'm reading Middlemarch right now. Well, I'm not having sex.

[Jon Meacham]

What is frippery?

[Cola Scola]

Frippery is like adornments, like extra little things.

[Jon Meacham]

Gauze.

[Cola Scola]

Gee, gaws. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.

[Jon Meacham]

I like it very much.

[Cola Scola]

My frippery.

[Jon Meacham]

They look like they'd be good self defense. You could whip somebody in the Eye with that.

[Cola Scola]

Well, you might get lucky.

[Jon Meacham]

Exactly. Let's see how the interview goes.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Okay. Okay. So your play, O Mary. Here we go. There you go. Oh, Mary right there is at the Lyceum Theater. It started off Broadway at the Lucille Lortel. Supposed to be a 12 week run, got extended five times.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Two times off Broadway, then moved to Broadway and extended three more times. Did the people's love of the show surprise you in any way?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah, it's still surprising to me. I don't know what to make of it. And if I knew how to process my feelings in real time, I wouldn't be in show business, would I? So, you know, ask me in two years how I feel about right now.

[Jon Meacham]

All right. Yeah, two years. Let's book.

[Cola Scola]

We're writing that down.

[Jon Meacham]

Thank you.

[Cola Scola]

Thank you.

[Jon Meacham]

First, explain to people basically who this Mary is. Tell me. Give them a general idea of who this oh Mary is.

[Cola Scola]

So, oh, Mary is a play about Mary Todd Lincoln.

[Jon Meacham]

Played by.

[Cola Scola]

Played by me. She's an alcoholic wannabe cabaret star inspired by someone very close to me. And it's about her hopes and her dreams and. Yeah. But it's not really about her. Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

When did this first come to you?

[Cola Scola]

In 2009, if you can believe it.

[Jon Meacham]

16 years ago.

[Cola Scola]

16 years ago to the day. I'm kidding. I don't know. But I had no idea. No one's going to see it. No one's gonna check. That's right. It was today.

[Jon Meacham]

And what inspired it, though?

[Cola Scola]

I had. I don't know. I just remember walking one day and I was like, what if Abraham Lincoln's assassination was a good thing for Mary Todd Lincoln? Like, we just assume, right? We assume.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah.

[Cola Scola]

And when you assume, you make an. Exactly.

[Jon Meacham]

Yes.

[Cola Scola]

But. So I sent myself that in an email. Like, what if Abraham Lincoln's assassination wasn't such a bad thing for Mary Todd? And then I sort of sat on that idea for 12, 14 years. Well, because I loved the idea so much. Do you ever have like an idea that you're so excited about that you're like, oh, wait, I missed.

[Jon Meacham]

I can't possibly work on that.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Because I won't get it right.

[Cola Scola]

Exactly, exactly. I was so scared that once I got it on paper, I would be faced with my own mediocrity, and then I got it on paper. But then once you get it on paper, you don't know if it's gonna make it to the cause. I've made a lot of things that are bad. Are really bad. Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

And did you tell. Like when you told people this idea, they go, that's great. Or they go, oh, it's interesting.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah. The second thing, and I was waiting for someone to be like, you have to write this right now. We're going. We're going right now. But because no one did that, I would be like, so I have this idea. And they'd be like, that's great. And then I'd be like, okay, guess it's a bad idea and I'll never write it. But luckily, I loved it enough that I wouldn't leave it alone.

[Jon Meacham]

Well, the star is Mary.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

But you took how long of a break? 11 weeks, something like that?

[Cola Scola]

11. I took 11 weeks.

[Jon Meacham]

Couple of. Brilliant. First of all, here you are as Mary in a moment of passion.

[Cola Scola]

In a moment of passion. There you go. Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

She doesn't have the frippery.

[Cola Scola]

No. No frippery.

[Jon Meacham]

She's a little frippery. It was taken over during that run. Betty Gilpin and Titus Burgess in Mary Child Lincoln, both incredibly talented. What was it like to see somebody else doing the part that you created, this dream of yours?

[Cola Scola]

Heaven.

[Jon Meacham]

Really?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah. As someone who grew up begging people to be part of my skits or my movies or whatever I wanted to do, to have two of my favorite performers in the world just enthusiastically take over this role and love it like it was their own. I mean. Sorry. It was amazing. I know you hate. I know you hate to see me succeed.

[Jon Meacham]

God, people hate you.

[Cola Scola]

These people hate me.

[Jon Meacham]

So. So, okay, so you're back in. I'm back in eventually. You can't run her forever. What do you want to do after this?

[Cola Scola]

I am.

[Jon Meacham]

Because now you got all this attention.

[Cola Scola]

I've got so much attention right now. It's too much. I'm dying to play a straight guy.

[Jon Meacham]

Okay.

[Cola Scola]

I really wanna play a straight guy. Okay.

[Jon Meacham]

Any particular? Or you just wanna.

[Cola Scola]

No, it's just I have this straight guy that I like, and people never think to cast me as a straight guy anymore.

[Jon Meacham]

You have this straight guy, meaning you have a character who's straight?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Can I show.

[Jon Meacham]

I'd be honored. I'd be honored.

[Cola Scola]

So, yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Do you wanna.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

You wanna just do him and I'll interview this guy or something?

[Cola Scola]

No. Cause I can't. I only know how to say a couple things as a.

[Jon Meacham]

Okay, great. Great.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah. So there's this. There's a. Do you know eggs are actually bad for you?

[Jon Meacham]

Take your time. Take your time.

[Cola Scola]

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Jon Meacham]

When you're ready.

[Cola Scola]

Wait, what kind of truck is that? Sorry. That wasn't. That was. I was too nervous. The nails are throwing me off.

[Jon Meacham]

Okay, sorry.

[Cola Scola]

Let me try that again. Wait. I'm sorry. Oh. Oh, man. I wrecked my shoulder last night. The key is. And I'm not getting. I'm not nailing it right now, but the key is you have to keep in your mind. Enunciating is gay. Enunciating is gay. So you have to, like. You have to be, like. You have to be really scared to, like, enunciate. You don't want people to understand. Like, basically the worst thing for a straight guy. I've done a lot of research on this. The straight guy's number one fear is being understood. So they.

[Jon Meacham]

Yes. Being known.

[Cola Scola]

Being known. Being known. So it's just. It's sort of like it actually. You know, it seems, like, cool and confident, but it's actually like, don't look at me. Don't look at me. But do you want to try it? Do you want to say. Yeah, so the.

[Jon Meacham]

I don't know if I can convincingly play straight at this point.

[Cola Scola]

All right, Stephen, I don't know that you can either.

[Jon Meacham]

Ok. Thank you very much.

[Cola Scola]

But. So we're in this together.

[Jon Meacham]

Yeah.

[Cola Scola]

Mm, Mm, mm.

[Jon Meacham]

You guys catch the highlights?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Is that it?

[Cola Scola]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You got it.

[Jon Meacham]

Now can I ask you something? Here's an acting challenge. Yeah, here's an acting challenge. Give the same line. Do you know that eggs are actually bad for you, but not just do it as you just give me not straight arguments.

[Cola Scola]

Okay.

[Jon Meacham]

Eggs are actually bad for you.

[Cola Scola]

I can do, like, mean gay, like, please. Did you know eggs are actually bad for you?

[Jon Meacham]

Ow. Ow.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Ow. I feel like I just lost an argument I wasn't having.

[Cola Scola]

Exactly. Exactly.

[Jon Meacham]

Wow. Wait, what kind of truck is that? Can we hear that one, please? Same character.

[Cola Scola]

What kind of truck is that? What kind of truck is that? Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Wow.

[Cola Scola]

See, it's different. You can. Yeah. I love acting. It's one of my favorite things in the world.

[Jon Meacham]

Cole, there's so much. You have to come back so we can talk about so many more things.

[Cola Scola]

Yeah.

[Jon Meacham]

Cole, lovely to see you. Thank you to being here. Thank you for the frippery.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, yes.

[Jon Meacham]

O Mary is on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater. Cola Scola, everybody. 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.

[Cola Scola]

Experience the Champions League final like never before.

[Jon Meacham]

With me, David Beckham and some of my closest friends. The ultimate watch along with the legendary icon. It's PSG and Inter Milan. And I'm giving you the best seat in the house.

[Cola Scola]

Extraordinary.

[Jon Meacham]

Live inside the stadium with some very special guests.

[Stephen Colbert]

You did promise us a lot of a listers.

[Jon Meacham]

Who could it be? Stream Beckham and friends live during the UEFA Champions league final Saturday, May 31st at 3 Eastern. Exclusively on Paramount +911. Six emergency.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, somebody's killed two girls. My grandbabies and my friends.

[Jon Meacham]

They're dead.

[Stephen Colbert]

They're dead.

[Jon Meacham]

A Paramount plus original. She wants to find more young women for him to kill. The untold stories of the real cases each one he gets away with. He's emboldened the FBI can't shake.

[Cola Scola]

It's very satisfying to be able to look at a bad guy and go.

[Jon Meacham]

We never forgot you. An all new season of FBI True. Streaming now on Paramount plus.