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Stephen Colbert is one of the biggest names in comedy. He developed a cult following with his popular series Strangers With Candy in 1999, but he became a household name when he was a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. He eventually went on to host his own satirical news show The Colbert Report for almost a decade and later became the host of The Late Show in 2015, which is ending in May 2026.
Stephen has been married to his wife Evelyn McGee since 1993, and they’re proud parents to three adult children: Madeleine, Peter and John. All three kids have dabbled a bit in the entertainment industry. Stephen revealed some advice he gave his kids in a January 2023 episode of his show. “The advice I’ve given my kids just in general being in business is: be enthusiastic and competent,” he said. Find out more about all of his kids here!
Madeleine Carlisle
Stephen and Evelyn welcomed their eldest child and only daughter in 1995. The comedian was still working on his early career when Madeleine was born. He had previously joked about cradling his daughter in audition tapes, per Rolling Stone. Stephen had also revealed that he had Evelyn had hired Jennifer Garner to babysit for her early in their careers after both of the actors appeared on Spin City. Stephen and Jennifer reminisced on when the actress used to babysit for their daughter in a 2017 appearance on The Late Show. “I just remember your gorgeous little girl,” Jennifer told Stephen. “She was really smart. She was very verbal.”
As a youngster, Madeleine did make an appearance on The Daily Show in a 2004 episode as the “Oil Industry in Disguise,” per IMDb. She later worked as a makeup artist on The Late Show in 2020.
While her dad has always had a knack for making the news funny, his love of current events clearly inspired his daughter. Madeleine, who now goes by Madeleine Carlisle, is a working journalist. She had previously written for both The Atlantic and Time, according to her Twitter bio, and she’s now an associate producer at 60 Minutes, via LinkedIn, sharing the CBS network with her dad.
Peter Colbert
Evelyn gave birth to her and Stephen’s second child Peter in 1998. The middle Colbert child has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, but he has dipped his feet into the entertainment industry. Given what a big fan of the Lord of the Rings series his father is, it’s no surprise that the comedian seemed to pass on some of that love to his children, and Peter had a small acting role alongside his dad as a Laketown spy in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013. He’s also acting in an upcoming short, called The Virgin, per IMDb. Aside from acting, Peter does have some credits behind the camera. He directed the 2018 short At The Crossroads Down Yonder, which he also wrote, and an episode of the 2019 TV series Where’s Noah? , which he also executive produced four episodes of. He was also listed as a cinematographer on a 2020 episode of The Late Show.
John Colbert
Stephen and Evelyn welcomed their youngest child, John, in 2002. Like his older siblings, John has also dabbled a bit in entertainment. Like his brother and father, he also made an appearance in The Hobbit series as a Laketown spy. Aside from The Hobbit cameo, he appeared in four shorts in 2019: Egg Evan, Real Detective, The Sockpocalypse, and Cardboard By Your Name, per IMDb. Aside from his acting, he has also worked as a grip in the camera department on the 2022 short Carmonizer
