The Advice Stephen Colbert Gave Taylor Tomlinson | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

honestly the best thing coar said to me. is before I think the week before we. Steven coar this is Steven coar okay. because I I've never I can't call him. Steven disrespectful I only say I only. say that because I'm I don't feel people. know him uh and the word's not out but. stepen coar and he has the show that's. on before Taylor and it's it's it's fine. anyway go. ahead and shout out to Stephen I know. he's a huge uh he likes to just sit uh I. think in a parking lot in his hometown. and just listen to this podcast over and.

over again he's I heard it was a hot tub. it's a hot tub yeah he's has has a hot. tub in his car uh in a parking lot. anyway um it's all very sad uh but. anyway what did Steven colar tell you. Steven colar um I remember we were at. dinner the week before the show came on. and he he gave me a lot of great advice. and he has the entire time um but one. thing he said that was really helpful is. he goes you don't have to be as good as. you think you have to be like right away. he's like as a host of a late night show.

like people are just happy to see you. like people just want to hang out with. you at night like you don't have to be. like hilarious every second and I was. like oh okay great like awesome then I. won't even try like it's awesome I think. that philosophy has really hurt Steven I. just want to say because every time I. see a show I think he's not even trying. and this needs to be better and i' I've. told him we're friends I tell him this. all the time but you know he's always. saying no I don't have to try it's okay.

people are just happy to see me I'm like. no raise the bar man well that's the. other thing too is like he like for. example he was like so you should go out. before the show and like talk to the. audience and like build some report and. like you know ask if anyone has any. questions and I did that for the first. couple weeks and I and I haven't said. this to him but I I probably should like. I told other people I was like I don't. know if Stephen realizes he's much more. famous than I am so people have. questions for Stephen before his show.

they're like oh thank God he's going to. talk to us and when I'm like does anyone. have any questions they're like we know. where the bathroom. is we're good like can you just get on. with it you know what you now made me. really want to go and sit at the. audience of Steven show and put my hand. up and ask where the bathroom. is I really want to do that um cuz. people in his audience come with. questions for him specifically and I go. up and I'm like anybody have anything.

they're like not really and I was like. great to be clear that was a CBS note. that they wanted me to say that um but. and we have such a great Percy our. warm-up guy is like so incredible and he. just did a whole dance and you're like. I'm not going to bring the room down. right you know I don't think you'd be. bringing their room down I say hi but. I'm not you know okay I'll tell you I. used to uh I used to way I used to work. way too hard before the show started on. The Late Night show just Monday through. Friday Monday through Friday Friday.

Monday through Friday I would go out and. I would entertain them like it was like. they were it was the last show they were. all going to see and then they were they. were all going to be taken away in the. mother ship and destroyed and I was like. I have to I would go out I was doing. songs I was doing shti and they loved it. and I was sweating and then I would go. backstage and then go here he is Conan o. Brian and I would come out and I was. like I looked like a people watching at. home like he looks uncomfortable and. tired like I just and I I I gave them.

everything up front and then it took me. about a year to realize stop doing that. it was it was such a needy thing to do. well probably hard to follow yourself. right that's yeah well well it's also I. just did a show for them yeah personally. then they saw me walk out and cameras. are there and then that's. for the television viewer and they. happen to be there too yeah and so of. course they felt like well we just got. the dessert up front which is we got him.

talking to us so yeah it's like trying. to follow crowd work during an hour is. like if something just destroys you're. like this is great but now I have to go. back to my material and hard to follow. yourself I'm still on that that's just. so deeply philosophical especially for. for you just how do you follow you you. know well I'm a big fan of me I know. what I mean you intimidated by is that. really him I can't follow that guy he's. so much taller than I thought he'd be no. that's really helpful to hear actually I. was also going to ask cuz you didn't go.

into dressing rooms before the show. right I did oh you did okay never came. into mind did the show twice never said. hi but that's okay I was a standup no I. will tell you why when it was women I. was told when it was women I was told. sometimes that my appearances were. abrupt and it almost looked like I was. trying to catch them uh so I I got a. talking too remember Sona you talked to. me you were the one yeah I was I was. like stop just barging in there and then.

you come in with the women you kick the. door open and go what's going. on uh no I would I wouldn't do it all. the time but uh I would do it uh the. sometimes I thought if there was a guest. especially if there was a guess that I. wasn't sure what the chemistry was going. to be I wanted to go in first and get a. reading of like what is our and you can. tell like you can go in and if I had a.

difficult. time um I remembered going in and well I. can say Lance Armstrong years before his. uh you know Scandal he was on the show. and he was like the biggest you know. thing in in um in cycling and and one of. the biggest figures in sports and I was. excited to have him on I didn't know. anything about him personally and I went. in to talk to him and he was very just. kind of felt like he had a chip on his. shoulder and I couldn't connect and I. can I can connect with with a burnt out.

light bulb if I have to like I can I can. really connect if I and I I couldn't. figure it out Lance I have chemistry. with everyone yeah I know this is not on. me but I just I said yeah your Chemistry. seems altered um oh boy but no I left. the room and you know my producer was. eating a bowl of soup and going what's. going on and I said uh I said Jeff I. don't know I don't know about with Lance. Armstrong and he was like oh I'm sure. it'll be good slurp slurp and uh so then. I I you know we had the interview and I. felt the same thing yeah you know it's.

not anyone would look at it now and go. like oh it's fine but I couldn't I. couldn't figure it out and I like to go. in sometimes sometimes there were people. who were really nervous MH um really. nervous and sometimes surprising because. extremely famous actors who um I'm a. huge I mean I love Walkin Phoenix I love. him I think he's a terrific actor and I. think he was what a lot of people forget. is that these PE these people have a.

different skill which is he's an amazing. actor but um I think it at that stage. anyway he would come on the show and it. was he didn't do a lot of talk shows and. I remember he was really nervous oh wow. so I would go in and just talk to him. and he would say this is crazy I I can't. do this and I thought what are you. talking about you're you're this you're. an iconic young actor they're going to. be so happy to see you but it was not. his process to go out and just shoot the.

with someone so sometimes I would. go in and just let them know first of. all the stakes are really low it's just. you and me I like to take take care of. people uh and we're going to have we're. going to have a good time yeah and that. would help if we had a relationship. prior to them uh coming out well and our. show is also different cuz I mean this. is something I've been sort of trying to. find time for CU like I just didn't. realize how fast the day was going to go. so you're like there's not a lot of time. I usually meet panelists when they're.

coming out to rehearse which is when. everybody else is meeting them right so. I've been looking at my schedule going. like okay where can we find time because. they also they get there and they start. working with the writers on jokes um not. to like destroy the illusion everybody I. was going to say a real game when I've. watched when I've when I have watched it. the first time I thought it I saw it and. as as jaded as I am you'd think I'd know. but I'm watching it I was like wow these. people are killing it with their. answers and then literally a stepped out.

of me and went come on man they smarter. than that oh okay the writers okay great. but it's it works it's funny yeah it's. great and I mean they're working with. the writers like in their rooms in hair. and makeup like I don't want to take. time away from that so figuring out how. to do that and there's also like there's. guess I feel nervous around like you. know Maria banford came on the show and. I was like very nervous around her. because I just think she's a genius and. like Janie my social media manager was. like you wouldn't even look her in the. eye and I was like yeah cuz I was scared. like but there 's also lots of people.

that I am friends with or I know and. that's like an easy day and I feel very. comfortable around them um but there's. also a lot of people I haven't met um. and you know finding out how to do that. and I'm horrified to find out you did go. into everyone's dressing rooms uh except. for mine not yours again it was an HR it. was an HR issue yeah I only did it twice. it's fine um but third time is when I go. in Tom Hanks came on many times first. two times I wouldn't go in it was was. always you got to be uh it's got to be.

third time oh but like but like Kelly. Clarkson doesn't go in or doesn't go. into mine um you know I now I don't can. I just say not to bum you out but Kelly. Clarkson walks in here all the. time just walks in to check in on us she. stops by my house sometimes I know I. know she's incredible she inflated the. tires on my uh on my mountain bike but. both times I did I did her show twice. and both times like she just makes you. feel so comfortable immediately on stage. so you're like oh yeah it's fine and the. same way you did um um but like yeah it.

I think everyone just has their own you. know process and so it's it's been. interesting like in the first month that. we're doing it trying to find how it. works best for me everyone's got their. own way uh some people I know Letterman. never went in and talked to anybody uh. and I think he just wanted to keep it. all fresh but I it it's all what serves. you like I said you have to get to the. point. where uh there's got to be just some. this ruthless quality of as you go.

through it you're going to realize I. like this this makes me comfortable this. I'm less comfortable with and you can't. judge it you just have to make sure that. that's what happens yeah so if something. works for you and serves you do that.