Stephen Colbert takes stage of "The Late Show" one last time

U.S. Stephen Colbert takes stage of "The Late Show" one last time: "We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years" By Kierra Frazier Kierra Frazier News Editor Kierra Frazier is a news editor for CBS News & Stations. Read Full Bio Kierra Frazier May 21, 2026 / 11:59 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Stephen Colbert said goodbye to "The Late Show" Thursday night in the franchise's finale following a 33-year run, saying he was "lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years," and couldn't take the experience for granted."There is so much history here in the Ed Sullivan Theater, and we've been honored to have been just a small part of it," Colbert said in his opening monologue. In the opening of the show, Colbert emphasized the "joy" the show brought him and cast members throughout the 11 years. Stephen Colbert on the finale of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," on May 21, 2026.  Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images "We call it the joy machine, because to do this many shows, it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn't hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears," Colbert said. "And I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other and how much we mean to each other."Actors Paul Rudd, Bryan Cranston and Don Cheadle appeared on the final show Thursday as surprise cameos during Colbert's opening monologue. In the lead-up to the franchise finale, a stream of star guests had appeared on the show, such as actors Tom Hanks and Billy Crystal, director Steven Spielberg, David Letterman, the show's host when it debuted in 1993, Bruce Springsteen and Martha StewartFellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and John Oliver also joined Colbert on an episode. In recognition of Colbert's final show, Kimmel and Fallon both aired reruns on Thursday. CBS announced back in July that it would end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and reti...