When Stephen Colbert first emerged from his post-Late Show life with a gray goatee, my mind immediately went to David Letterman. After all, Letterman famously left the same desk in 2015 and promptly grew enough facial hair to make a sasquatch jealous. Colbert’s version was far more restrained, but the resemblance to his predecessor’s retirement move was hard to miss. Turns out Colbert may have accidentally been preparing for a different 2026 TV schedule occasion. It seems the beard was a pretty good fit for an Emmys reunion.
At the 2026 Emmys, Jimmy Kimmel posted a photo with Colbert, Jon Stewart and John Oliver on Instagram and dubbed the gathering the “first annual meeting of the Emmys beard squad.” Sure enough, as you can see in the photo below, all four late-night veterans were sporting some degree of salt-and-pepper facial hair.
Look, some of these qualify as beards more generously than others. Kimmel has had his for years. Stewart’s gray scruff has become part of his current Daily Show look, while Oliver appears to have taken advantage of some recent time away from Last Week Tonight to skip a few dates with the razor.
Then there’s Colbert, whose new goatee makes him look like Guy Fieri after a semester at Oxford. Is he taking that flavor saver to Flavortown? Absolutely not. This is a gentleman’s goatee. It has reservations in Fulsome Municipality.
The former Late Show host has been sporting facial hair since leaving CBS in May. He even joked on the Emmys red carpet that it was actually AI, calling the thing a “beard-bot.” His wife, Evie, apparently is not a fan, so we may want to enjoy Colbert’s membership in this extremely specific club while it lasts. One glaring omission from this face-forrest gang? Jimmy Fallon.
Fallon joined Colbert, Kimmel, Oliver and Seth Meyers on the Strike Force Five podcast during the 2023 writers' strike, and he reunited with the gang during Colbert’s final stretch on The Late Show. But judging by his current clean-shaven face, the Tonight Show host does not meet the minimum facial-hair requirements for this particular face fungus fraternity. Sorry, Jimmy. Maybe next year.
This particular facial hair photo lands during a meaningful Emmys for Colbert. The Late Show ended its 11-season run in May, but the series had one final awards season.
It won Outstanding Variety Series at Monday night’s ceremony, adding to five awards the show had already picked up at the Creative Arts Emmys for categories including writing, directing and editing. Colbert and his former staff received a standing ovation when they took the stage.
The selfie was also a neat snapshot of just how interconnected this corner of late night has become. Colbert, Stewart and Oliver all share The Daily Show history, while Kimmel has spent years trading appearances, jokes and public support with the others. Four friends getting a picture together at the Emmys is hardly historic, but the matching facial hair makes it look suspiciously like somebody scheduled a meeting.
Letterman may still hold the championship belt for the most aggressive post-Late Show beard, but Colbert has apparently found himself a whole squad of guys sporting nose neighbors. Unfortunately, they don't hand out Emmys for lip sweaters. Still, as a fellow mustache appreciator, I’m calling the Brotherhood of Beards winners anyway.
