Watch Colbert and Letterman interview the same guests

What do the new and current "Late Show" hosts have in common? More than you'd think

Published April 10, 2014 7:00PM (EDT)

David Letterman, Stephen Colbert           (AP/Greg Allen/Todd Williamson)
David Letterman, Stephen Colbert (AP/Greg Allen/Todd Williamson)

Even for the most die-hard fans of Stephen Colbert, it's hard to predict what a Colbert-manned "Late Show" will look like.  His blowhard right-wing persona, needless to say, could hardly be more different from Letterman. Out-of-character Colbert appearances have been scarce. But Letterman and Colbert do have some things in common: like Michelle Obama, Bill O'Reilly and Bill Clinton, to name a few of the bigwigs they've both had in the hot seat. For clues into the future of "The Late Show," we did a side-by-side comparison of the current and future hosts. The verdict: a Colbert-Letterman mashup might be the best "Late Show" host of all.

Michelle Obama, 2012 

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Letterman to Michelle Obama: "Does your husband ever come home to you and say to you, 'Hey, did you see what Todd Aiken said?'"

Colbert to Michelle Obama: "I hope I'm not out of place in saying this: You're a very good looking lady ... Do you think your husband will be okay with me having said that?"

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Bill O’Reilly, 2006 

Letterman to O'Reilly (asked if he wants America to win in Iraq): "That's not easy for me, because I’m thoughtful.”

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Colbert to O'Reilly: “I don’t retain anything in books, okay, they’re just squiggly lines ... I believe that books are, well, full of facts, okay. I’m more of an opinion man."

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Drew Barrymore, 2012 and 1995

Letterman to Drew Barrymore: "What was your relationship like with Steven Spielberg, who is now like, Mr. Bigshot, the biggest most powerful in the world?"

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Colbert to Drew Barrymore: "Can we talk about 'E.T.' for a second? You cry in that movie. Did Spielberg make you cry? Cause if he harmed a hair on your head ... I will protect you. He is a jerk."

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Bill Clinton, 2013

Letterman to Clinton: "You and I have something in common, which is we've both had the heart surgery."

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Colbert to Clinton: "Sir, I took the liberty of opening you a Twitter account. Now 'PresidentClinton' was taken, WilliamJeffersonClinton' was taken, but 'PrezBillyJeff' was available."

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By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Colbert Report David Letterman Interviews Late Night Television Late Show Stephen Colbert Television Video