Stephen Colbert kicked off the 2025 Emmys with a playful yet poignant query for the crowd. "Is anyone hiring?" he quipped as he strode onto the stage to present the first award of the evening—Best Actor in a Comedy (which ultimately went to Seth Rogen for *The Studio*). "Because I’ve got about 200 incredibly qualified people with me tonight," he added with a wry smile.
Colbert’s jest was a nod to the impending finale of *The Late Show With Stephen Colbert*, which CBS announced would conclude after the 2025-26 season. The network broke the news in July, just weeks before its parent company, Paramount, finalized its merger with Skydance. Describing the decision as a "purely financial" move, CBS cited the end of an era for the late-night franchise that began with David Letterman in 1993 and had been helmed by Colbert since 2015. While reports claimed the show was bleeding $40 million annually for the network, industry insiders have contested that figure.
Not one to let a good joke fade, Colbert escalated the bit by revealing he’d brought his résumé to the ceremony. "I’ve even got it right here," he said, slipping the document to Harrison Ford with a request: "Could you pass this along to [Steven] Spielberg?"
Adding another layer to the evening, Colbert was also in the running for an Emmy himself, as *The Late Show* vied for Best Talk Series alongside *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* and *The Daily Show*. (Spoiler alert: He claimed the trophy.)
The 77th Emmy Awards unfolded live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, airing Sunday on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Nate Bargatze emceed the festivities, while red carpet highlights can be found [here].
