It Was Love at First Sight for Stephen Colbert and Wife Evie—Find Out How They Met and Which Celeb Once Babysat for Them!
Since taking over The Late Show from David Letterman in 2015, Stephen Colbert has raced to the top of the TV talk-show game, consistently beating out the competition over the past five years to become the No. 1 host in late night. The 57-year-old also has a lot more than just stellar ratings to show for all his talent and hard work: He's also the proud recipient of two Grammys, two Peabodys and a staggering nine Emmys.
His personal life, we're happy to tell you, is just as successful. Keep reading to find out how a heart-to-heart talk with his mom empowered Colbert to find the love of his life, and learn more about the life Stephen Colbert and wife Evie have made together—including which future celeb once babysat their kids!
Who is Stephen Colbert's wife?
Stephen Colbert has been married for more than two decades to Evelyn McGee Colbert; fans of his show know her as “Evie.” She grew up in a prominent family in Charleston, South Carolina, and graduated from the University of Virginia, where she double-majored in English and drama. She later graduated from New York City's Circle in the Square Theater School.
McGee Colbert is an actress in her own right. She has worked on several projects, including Strangers with Candy, a series that her husband co-created with stars Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. Evie played Nurse Chestnut on the bizarro Comedy Central sitcom and returned to the role in 2005 when a prequel film was made. She's also appeared in Alpha House, In the Saddle and The Nuptials and had a blink-and-you-might-miss-it cameo in the 2013 film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, along with her husband and their two sons.
Behind the scenes, McGee Colbert is an indie film producer and Vice President of Spartina Productions, her husband’s production company. She's also the current president of the Montclair Film Board of Trustees, which oversees the annual Montclair Film Festival in the New Jersey town where she and her family reside. She sits on the board of Charleston's International African American Museum as well.
How did Stephen Colbert meet his wife?
The two grew up in Charleston and were aware of each other’s families, but went to different schools. Without realizing at first, they met again as adults in 1990, soon after Colbert had a heart-to-heart talk with his mom about whether he should marry a different girl he'd been seeing.
As Colbert once explained to his Late Show audience in 2016, he'd been given an ultimatum by the girlfriend: Get married or break up. However, he didn’t know if he was ready to get married. “'I don’t know' isn’t good enough,” his mother had told him, which led him to realize that the relationship in question wasn't meant to be. Then, his mom invited him to see a show, and that night changed his life.
Colbert said that at the show, he saw a woman in a black linen dress and thought, “Her. Honest to God I thought, there’s your wife, you’re going to marry her.” That was Evelyn McGee.
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In May 2021, McGee Colbert shared that she’d noticed him when he walked in that night. “He walked in with his mother on his arm. I was thinking, ‘That man loves his mother,’” she remembered.
After they finally got to talking (for two hours!) at the show’s afterparty they realized they’d known each other as children growing up. At that point, Colbert thought McGee was only talking to him because she was being polite. He tried to give her an out by turning away when someone interrupted their conversation, but lucky for him, “she was still there when I turned around… smiling at me. And now we’re married.”
Colbert was romantic even in the early days of their courtship, according to McGee. As she told Oprah Winfrey in 2012, Colbert once showed up for a date playing a baritone horn to serenade her.
When did Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee Colbert get married?
The two married on October 9, 1993. Colbert was still relatively unknown at that point, as he'd yet to catch his big break on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, so the wedding was not a star-studded affair.
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How many children does Stephen Colbert have?
The youngest of 11 children himself, Stephen and Evie have three kids: two sons and one daughter. Madeline, their oldest child and only daughter, was born in 1995. Peter arrived in 1998 and John joined his siblings in 2002.
Peter’s name may have a connection to a heartbreaking event from Colbert’s childhood. When he was only 10 years old, his two nearest-age brothers, Peter and Paul, were killed in a plane crash along with his father.
Colbert says he didn’t know what it was like to be a parent until he had children. “I didn't know what to expect,” he recalled in an interview. “ But I think the most surprising thing is that, while it's hard — it's hard — but even the hard parts are just beautiful."
What’s the best part of being a parent, according to Colbert? Talking. “You know, coming home, pouring yourself a glass of wine, and sitting there and having a conversation with your kid about how their day was,” he once explained to Buzzfeed. It's not dramatic, it doesn't seem exciting, but it's probably the nicest part of it."
Speaking of low drama, the family has never lived in the showbiz epicenters of New York City or Los Angeles, long making their home in the NYC suburb fo Montclair to keep their children out of the public eye when they were young. Little known fact: Jennifer Garner was their babysitter!
What is Stephen Colbert’s marriage like after 27 years?
It’s obvious to anyone who sees them together that the Colberts are still quite taken with each other, even as their marriage approaches the 30-year mark. “He’s so sexy,” McGee Colbert purred about her husband at the Met Gala in 2017. “He taught me the importance of being silly.”
Last year, when Late Show production moved into the Colbert home because of the pandemic, Evelyn became a makeshift staffer and audience member. She playfully introduced herself as “Evelyn Colbert” for one bit in December 2020, prompting her husband to pause before saying directly into the camera, “Wow...I’m not afraid to say I’m turned on."
At times, he still gets flustered because of her presence. In an earlier quarantine episode of The Late Show, she noticed his nerves were getting the better of him. "I am a little nervous to have you on here," Stephen admitted. "I want this to be a good experience for you!" She smiled and replied, "I'll come back! I live here.”
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