Stephen Colbert's Final Late Show Wish: An Interview With Pope Leo XIV

With The Late Show set to wrap on May 21, Stephen Colbert is zeroing in on one remaining dream guest: Pope Leo XIV.

The 61-year-old host revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that landing an interview with the pontiff remains his top priority before the CBS program signs off. "The pope is my white whale," Colbert explained, pointing to his deep Catholic faith.

Colbert even took matters into his own hands by writing directly to the 70-year-old religious leader, who hails from Chicago. "I wrote him. I said, 'Your Holiness, I hope this letter finds you well or, at the very least, infallible. Would you please come on my show? We don't have to talk about politics,'" Colbert shared.

The strategy behind the pitch was deliberate. While Pope Leo has publicly positioned himself against the Trump administration's immigration stance and the Iran war, Colbert sought to make an appearance more palatable by steering clear of divisive subjects. "I didn't really think he'd want to talk about politics or anything like that," the Emmy-winning host said. "Little did I know that the guy could throw a punch. I said, 'Let's talk about being an American Catholic.'"

Colbert added a humorous warning about the competition: if Pope Leo opted for a rival late-night program instead, specifically mentioning Jimmy Kimmel's show, he'd have to seriously reconsider his religious affiliation. "Now, if the pope goes on Kimmel, I'm going to think hard about the Presbyterian church. That's all I'm saying," he joked.