Colbert Talks ‘Dry Trumping,’ Late Night Wars, and Making Jon Stewart Cry at TCAs

Stephen Colbert chatted up reporters at the TCAs today to dish on his new Late Show, Jon Stewart‘s big sendoff last week, and “dry Trumping.”

Colbert brought his entire Colbert Report creative team over to CBS with him, but because he’s no longer playing a character, he’ll have the freedom to be more genuine:

"One thing my character and I had in common: I'm honestly scared of bears," Colbert admits, noting there might be differences, too. #TCA15

— Roger Catlin (@rcatlin) August 10, 2015

Stephen Colbert: My character was actively ignorant. I couldn’t have an honest interest in my guests. Now I can just talk. #TCA15

— Debra Birnbaum (@debrabirnbaum) August 10, 2015

"It was an act of discipline as the years went on to keep that cap on." – Colbert on his Colbert Report character. #TCA15

— Haleigh Foutch (@HaleighFoutch) August 11, 2015

What Colbert is revealing now on stage is that playing a “character” on The Colbert Report was very, very draining, mentally.

— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) August 11, 2015

Stephen Colbert: If you’re wondering who the real Stephen Colbert is, it’s me breaking character. It’s the guy who can’t stop laughing.

— Debra Birnbaum (@debrabirnbaum) August 10, 2015

To prep for his big new network role, Colbert sought advice from his predecessor David Letterman:

Colbert went to David Letterman 10 days before Letterman left. Spend an hour of half with him. "Had a bottle of water with him" #TCA15

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) August 11, 2015

.@StephenAtHome asked Letterman if there was anything he would have changed? Dave would have moved his desk. So Colbert did that #TCA15

— Jason Nathanson (@ABCNewsJason) August 11, 2015

Of course, late night has been plagued with “wars” in the past, be they between Jay Leno and Letterman or Leno and Conan O’Brien. But Colbert has no interest in that stuff:

"War between the hosts doesn't make sense to me. Fighting doesn't sound funny" — @StephenAtHome on the late-night wars

— TV Guide (@TVGuide) August 11, 2015

On late-night wars: “I got picked last for dodgeball, so competition’s not that fun to me.” –@StephenAtHome #LSSC #TCA15

— CBS Television (@CBS) August 11, 2015

But it was clear there was one big issue Colbert’s been itching to joke about (and already did in a online video): Donald Trump. And he ended up coining a phrase that will probably end up in your nightmares tonight:

"I want to do jokes on Donald Trump so badly and I have no venue. Right now I’m just `dry Trumping." Stephen Colbert at CBS Press Tour.

— Joe Flint (@JBFlint) August 11, 2015

Can't wait to get on the air Sept 8th. Until then: #dryTrumping

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) August 11, 2015

Stephen Colbert is desperate for Donald Trump to still be in the race by the time he debuts: "Don't ride any motorcycles." #TCA15

— Alyssa Rosenberg (@AlyssaRosenberg) August 11, 2015

But, of course, Colbert also addressed his big moment during Jon Stewart’s finale last week. After a huge segment in which almost every single Daily Show correspondent ever showed up, Colbert topped the entire thing off by not just joking about how Stewart is like Frodo, but taking Stewart completely by surprise and bringing him to tears with a heartfelt thank you for all the lives and careers he’s helped and pushed along over the years. And as far as he’s concerned, that moment was a career highlight:

Stephen Colbert on Jon Stewart sendoff: We were all chanting “Made him cry.” It might be my favorite thing I did on the show. #JonVoyage

— Debra Birnbaum (@debrabirnbaum) August 10, 2015

Oh, and Kendrick Lamar is going to be his first musical guest. Fitting, seeing as how he was the final Colbert Report musical guest.

[image via JStone/Shutterstock]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac