Stephen Colbert has always been very open about his faith, which clearly has had a profound impact on his life, his work and his comedy. It’s not always easy to balance Stephen Colbert the courtly goofball with Stephen Colbert the devout Catholic, but it’s always clear that part of what makes him very funny is that he is a person who takes life (and eternity) very seriously. That raises all sorts of questions, and they’re questions Dua Lipa wants answered.
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Yes, the global superstar was a guest on The Late Show this week and briefly traded interviewer/interviewee positions with Colbert to ask him about the intersection of his religious beliefs and his comedy.
Colbert, always game to meet his guests on their own footing, took her question seriously and the result is a fascinating and even moving discussion of laughter and Christian teaching. “Laughter keeps you from having fear of it,” he says. “And fear is the the thing that keeps you turning to evil devices to save you from the sadness.”
“If there’s some relationship between my faith and my comedy, it’s that no matter what happens, you are never defeated,” Colbert says. “You must understand and see this in the light of eternity and find some way to love and laugh with each other.”
The conversation starts around the 3:40 mark, and is well worth your time.