Stephen Colbert Says Bill Hader’s ‘SNL’ Exit Reflects His Career Pivot to Writing ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie: ‘Just Do Something You Love’

Home TV News Apr 6, 2026 2:23pm PT Stephen Colbert Says Bill Hader’s ‘SNL’ Exit Reflects His Career Pivot to Writing ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie: ‘Just Do Something You Love’ By Ethan Shanfeld Plus Icon Ethan Shanfeld @ethanshanfeld Latest Stephen Colbert Says Bill Hader’s ‘SNL’ Exit Reflects His Career Pivot to Writing ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie: ‘Just Do Something You Love’ 2 minutes ago ‘Girls Gotta Eat’ Co-Host Ashley Hesseltine Sets Debut Comedy Special ‘Here Comes the Bride’ (EXCLUSIVE) 2 hours ago Jessica Lange Returns to ‘American Horror Story’ After 8 Years in Season 13 Set Photos as Filming Begins 5 hours ago See All Getty Images Stephen Colbert recently revealed his unexpected next career move after “The Late Show” will come to an end on CBS in May: He will be co-writing a new “Lord of the Rings” movie titled “Shadow of the Past.” He may have hinted at the announcement on Monday’s episode of the “Smartless” podcast (which was taped on March 18, a week before the “LOTR” project was unveiled on March 24). Asked by co-hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes about what he will do when he leaves the desk at the Ed Sullivan Theater, Colbert kept mum on the specifics, but said, “I’ll tell you, the person who did the thing I most admire — I mean, not most admire, but the thing that really struck me is, you know what [Bill] Hader did when he left ‘SNL’? He went and wrote for ‘South Park’ for a season.” Popular on Variety Related Stories Savannah Guthrie Shares Emotional Easter Message Amid Her Mom's Disappearance: 'I Have Questioned Whether Jesus Really Ever Experienced This Particular Wound That I Feel'