--- description: Stephen Colbert is the "right person" to head the "Late Show," says Conan O'Brien, who apparently was not a contender for the position title: Conan O'Brien: Colbert Is the 'Right Person' for Late Show image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2727b1b7d704faff/69868a5ee8524b5b8560258b/ls_stephen_colbert.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Conan: Colbert Is the 'Right Person' for _Late Show_ by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 12, 2014 2:06 PM CUT  David Letterman shakes hands with fellow talk show host Stephen Colbert after Colbert comes by for a surprise visit on the Late Show, May 4, 2011. David Letterman shakes hands with fellow talk show host Stephen Colbert after Colbert comes by for a surprise visit on the Late Show, May 4, 2011.Worldwide Pants Inc. by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 12, 2014 2:06 PM CUT Conan O’Brien is all smiles and handshakes over CBS’ [decision](http://nypost.com/2014/04/12/obrien-colbert-right-person-to-do-late-show/ "undefined") to [anoint Stephen Colbert](http://time.com/58043/cbs-let-stephen-colbert-be-stephen-colbert/ "undefined") the next host of the _Late Show._ The 50-year-old talk show host of _Conan_ said Stephen Colbert is the “right person” to [take over](http://time.com/57935/stephen-colbert-david-letterman-late-show-host/ "undefined") the _Late Show_ from the departing David Letterman, the Associated Press reports. “I’m very happy where I am, but I love Stephen. I think Stephen is great. I’m a huge fan of his as a comic and as a human being. I think it’s fantastic. I’m really glad that he got the job. I look forward to seeing his show,” O’Brien said. O’Brien took over for Letterman on NBC’s _Late Night_ in 1993, and then took over Jay Leno’s spot at NBC’s _Tonight Show_ for a brief seven months before being replaced by Leno in 2010\. O’Brien now hosts his own late-night show, _Conan_, on TBS. O’Brien said he was never in the running for Letterman’s spot anyway. “Whenever I would hear there was speculation (that I’d take over the _Late Show_), I was like, ‘No. What?’ I’m happy,” said O’Brien, whose TBS talk show has been renewed through November 2015\. “I get to do what I want.” \[[AP](http://nypost.com/2014/04/12/obrien-colbert-right-person-to-do-late-show/ "undefined")\] **MORE:** _The Best of Stephen Colbert_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/"},"headline":"Conan: Colbert Is the 'Right Person' for Late Show","datePublished":"2014-04-12T14:06:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:16:41.082Z","description":"Late-night comedian Conan O'Brien, who apparently was not a contender for the coveted position to be vacated by David Letterman, but who insists he's \"happy\" with Conan on TBS, says Stephen Colbert is the \"right person\" to head the CBS program","url":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/","keywords":["NBC","David Letterman","Conan O'brien","stephen colbert","CBS","late show"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2727b1b7d704faff/69868a5ee8524b5b8560258b/ls_stephen_colbert.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2727b1b7d704faff/69868a5ee8524b5b8560258b/ls_stephen_colbert.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN","caption":"LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN","creditText":"Worldwide Pants Inc.","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/","name":"Conan: Colbert Is the 'Right Person' for Late Show"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Best of Stephen Colbert","description":"The next host of","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/PNJDP9f3/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-04-10T21:49:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PNJDP9f3.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/","duration":"PT4M30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/60354/stephen-colbert-late-show-conan-o-brien/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```