The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Stephen Presents: Robert Smigel (Extended)
Date: March 27, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode features an extended interview with legendary comedy writer and performer Robert Smigel, creator of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Stephen Colbert and Smigel dive into their long history together, reminisce about classic writers' rooms, share behind-the-scenes stories (including SNL, TV Funhouse, and the cult classic Dana Carvey Show), and discuss the unique dynamics of writing comedy. Smigel also discusses his new podcast “Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends” and the annual "Night of Too Many Stars" benefit show.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Writer's Room: "Human" vs. "Inhuman" Comedy
Timestamps: 01:07–11:50
- Thursday Night Energy: The hosts discuss why Thursday night audiences are the best—full of weekend vibes but not yet "hammered" like Friday crowds (01:18).
- Being “Human”: Colbert explains a recurring joke in the writers' room about being "not human"—referring to writers who have done the job so long, they sometimes lose touch with a regular audience's perspective (03:08–10:00).
- Colbert: “After you do this for a long time ... you learn the joy of simply doing it in a way that is not necessarily meaningful to an audience. It is meaningful to you.” (06:34)
- Becoming “inhuman” means playing an inside game—finding the biggest laughs among writers, but sometimes losing sight of a common audience reaction.
- Colbert: “That works in the writer’s room, because nobody in there is a human being anymore ... It never touches the ground where everybody lives.” (10:00)
- Community and Humanity in Comedy: Colbert applauds Alison Silverman for "maintaining her humanity," though she jokes it's an insult after so many years in comedy (11:16).
2. Legendary Writers’ Rooms and First Jobs
Timestamps: 12:02–13:19
- Colbert and Smigel reminisce about the iconic Dana Carvey Show writers’ room, listing a murderer’s row of talent including Bob Odenkirk, Louis C.K., Charlie Kaufman, and Robert Carlock.
- Colbert: “It was all his. Bob Odenkirk and Dino Stamatopoulos and Mike Stoyanov and myself and Robert and Louis C.K. and Dana Carvey … I just couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to be in that room.” (12:20)
3. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog – Live Phone Appearance
Timestamps: 13:29–17:46
- Smigel briefly “calls in” as Triumph, roasting Colbert for everything from his show’s future to his love of Lord of the Rings.
- Triumph: “The T is silent. Just like the audience when you talk about Lord of the Rings.” (15:15)
- Triumph: “You’re the James Dean of Late Night—no one born after 1995 has ever heard of you.” (17:13)
- Colbert and Smigel banter about the joys and dangers of letting Triumph talk unsupervised.
4. Early TV Disasters: TV Funhouse and Clown Characters
Timestamps: 18:01–22:58
- Smigel tells the story of giving Colbert another writing job after the Dana Carvey Show ended—on a failed TV Funhouse pilot for Fox.
- Their work included obscure characters like Grimey the Outhouse (voiced and operated by Colbert) and “Furball the Cat,” with slapstick stories of getting glued into costumes and desperate bathroom breaks (19:00–21:30).
- Colbert: “I had to push the letters through and I had to go—and he would vomit up the letters. … Both of my hands were glued into the cat, and I couldn’t take them out. And I desperately had to go to the bathroom.” (21:13)
- They recall the tough logistics, unpredictable live animals, and the time a live duck “shat” on a puppeteer. (22:04)
- Smigel: “He was under there with a chicken puppet, and a live duck shat in his mouth.” (22:32)
5. Humor Me with Robert Smigel – New Podcast
Timestamps: 23:02–24:41
- Smigel describes the concept—replicating the magic of a writers’ room for “regular people,” helping them punch up wedding speeches, job interviews, even acapella banter.
- Smigel: “I bring on people like Jim Gaffigan, Dave Attell, really funny people and really funny writers … And we punch up. We give them ideas, we interview them, and then we revisit it to see how it works.” (24:13)
- His wife Michelle helped develop the idea and supports the project while doing important work for autism awareness.
6. Night of Too Many Stars and Comedy Collaborators
Timestamps: 25:05–26:35
- Smigel plugs the annual “Night of Too Many Stars” autism benefit at the Hollywood Bowl, hosted by Jon Stewart, with Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and others.
- Colbert jokes about being invited but being unable to attend.
7. Working with Al Pacino and The Dunkacino Story
Timestamps: 25:50–28:25
- Smigel shares a story about working with Al Pacino on Adam Sandler’s “Jack and Jill” movie.
- Pacino enthusiastically played himself in the infamous “Dunkacino” ad, improvising in the role:
- Smigel (on Pacino): “[He] treats every movie with absolute [dedication]. He had us improvise scenes ... He had Adam [Sandler] read the script with him and then they would go off … discovering our characters.”
- Smigel expresses awe at Pacino’s commitment—even to a bonkers comedy like "Jack and Jill."
- They play the Dunkacino rap scene, and laugh about its viral legacy.
- Pacino enthusiastically played himself in the infamous “Dunkacino” ad, improvising in the role:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Colbert: “Some of my best friends are humans. And I aspire to be a human being...” (05:50)
- Colbert: “After you do this for a long time ... you learn the joy of simply doing it in a way that is not necessarily meaningful to an audience.” (06:34)
- Colbert: “That works in the writer’s room, because nobody in there is a human being anymore ... It never touches the ground where everybody lives.” (10:00)
- Triumph (Smigel): “The T is silent. Just like the audience when you talk about Lord of the Rings.” (15:15)
- Triumph: “You’re the James Dean of Late Night—in that no one born after 1995 has ever heard of you.” (17:13)
- Colbert (about Furball the Cat): “Both of my hands were glued into the cat and I couldn’t take them out. And I desperately had to go to the bathroom.” (21:13)
- Smigel (about his podcast): “I didn’t want to do the podcast that everybody does, which is old white person complimenting old white person ... I just wanted to create the magic of the writers room...” (23:26–23:34)
- Smigel (on Al Pacino): “You can't believe how excited he was to do Jack and Jill with Adam Sandler. He treats every movie with absolute [dedication].” (26:01)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:07–11:50 – Human vs. Inhuman Writers’ Room Banter
- 12:02–13:19 – Dana Carvey Show Memories
- 13:29–17:46 – Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Appearance
- 18:01–22:58 – TV Funhouse, Weird Clown Characters, Puppeteer Stories
- 23:02–24:41 – “Humor Me” Podcast Concept
- 25:05–26:35 – Night of Too Many Stars Benefit
- 25:50–28:25 – The Dunkacino Story with Al Pacino
Episode Tone and Style
True to the Late Show’s spirit, the conversation is fast, self-deprecating, candid, and packed with clever asides. Colbert and Smigel move rapidly between loving mockery, foundational comedy lessons, and absurd war stories, all with a reverent sense of comedy craft and camaraderie.
Summary by your Podcast Summarizer.