Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · September 15, 2025 · Entertainment

Stephen Colbert's Heartfelt Plea at the Emmys: Hollywood, Hire My Team!

Stephen Colbert, 61, made a plea to Hollywood to hire his staff after his late night talk show was canceled two months earlier

EXCLUSIVE

The drama continues to unfold in the world of television, and we've got the scoop! Stephen Colbert, the 61-year-old comedian and host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, made a shocking plea to Hollywood during his opening monologue at the 2025 Emmy Awards. But what was behind this bold move?

As he strutted onto the stage in his dapper black suit, Colbert couldn't help but reference the cancellation of his show by CBS just two months prior. The audience erupted into cheers and applause as he began to speak.

After expressing his gratitude for the warm reception, the talk show host then referenced to CBS canceling his show during a surprise monologue; seen on The Late Show in June

While I have your attention, is anyone hiring? he asked with a mischievous grin, followed by a chorus of laughter from the crowd. Because I've got 200 very qualified candidates with me here tonight. Who will be available in June?

The room fell silent, with all eyes on Colbert as he revealed that he had brought his resume along to the star-studded event. And not just any resume – an old headshot of himself was plastered on the back!

I haven't had a chance to update my head shot in a bit, but I think it still works, he joked, showing off the classic black and white photo.

'While I have your attention, is anyone hiring?' he asked, followed by laughter. 'Because I've got 200 very qualified candidates with me here tonight. Who will be available in June'

Colbert then asked none other than Harrison Ford, who was sitting in the audience, to pass along his resume to none other than the legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. And to everyone's surprise, Ford got up from his seat and retrieved the resume for Colbert!

Back on stage, Colbert presented the award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series to Seth Rogen for his role in The Studio. But we're getting ahead of ourselves – let's take a look at what led up to this moment.

The Cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

'I haven't had a chance to update my head shot in a bit, but I think it still works,' he said, showing a black and white throwback photo. 'I am in there somewhere'

In July, CBS announced that it would be canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert after 10 years on the air. And as it turns out, the decision had nothing to do with the show's performance or content – but rather a purely financial one. Yes, you read that right – the network claimed that they were losing $40 million a year.

The move came just days after Colbert had gone on a furious rant live on air about CBS's parent company Paramount settling a $16 million lawsuit with none other than President Trump. The comedian blasted the settlement, calling it a "big, fat, bribe" amid Paramount's potential merger with Skydance – which needs the Trump administration's approval.

Colbert even took to the stage and read out a fake statement from Paramount: "You may take our money, but you will never take our dignity. You may, however, purchase our dignity for the low, low price of $16 million. We need the cash."

The comedian then asked actor Harrison Ford - who was also in the crowd - to pass along his resume to filmmaker Stephen Spielberg

But CBS had other plans – and the show was canceled in an effort to cut costs.

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards

As we all know, the Emmys are one of the most prestigious awards shows in the industry. And this year's ceremony did not disappoint! With a star-studded lineup of nominees, winners, and presenters, the night was filled with excitement and drama.

After returning to the microphone, the talk show host presented the award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, which went to Seth Rogen for his role in The Studio

But let's get to the juicy stuff – who won what? Here are the highlights:

Best Drama Series

  • The Diplomat
  • Paradise
  • Severance
  • Slow Horses
  • The White Lotus

'It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,' the statement further read; taken in July in NYC

The winner: Andor, a historical drama series that follows the early days of the Star Wars universe.

Best Limited or Anthology Series

  • Adolescence - WINNER
  • Black Mirror
  • Dying For Sex
  • Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story
  • The Penguin

After the announcement of the show's cancellation, other stars defended Colbert such as Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman; Colbert and Kimmel seen above in 2017

The winner: Adolescence, a gritty drama series about four teenagers navigating love, relationships, and identity.

Best Television Movie

  • Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
  • The Gorge
  • Mountainhead
  • Nonnas
  • Rebel Ridge

Before taking to the stage during the 2025 Emmy Awards on Sunday, the star notably walked the red carpet alongside wife Evelyn McGee-Colbert

No winner was announced in this category – but we're sure it's because the competition was just too fierce!

Reality Competition Program

  • RuPaul’s Drag Race
  • Survivor
  • Top Chef
  • The Amazing
  • The Traitors - WINNER

The winner: The Traitors, a reality show where contestants are divided into two teams and must figure out who among them is a traitor.

Best Actor in a Drama Series

  • Sterling K. Brown: Paradise
  • Gary Oldman: Slow Horses
  • Pedro Pascal: The Last Of Us
  • Adam Scott: Severance
  • Noah Wyle: The Pitt

The nominees were all strong contenders – but the winner was Pedro Pascal, who stole our hearts with his portrayal of Joel in The Last Of Us.

Best Actress in a Drama Series

  • Kathy Bates: Matlock
  • Sharon Horgan: Bad Sisters
  • Britt Lower: Severance - WINNER
  • Bella Ramsey: The Last of Us
  • Keri Russell: The Pitt

The winner was Britt Lower, who blew us away with her performance as Helly in Severance.

And the Rest...

As we mentioned earlier, there were many other categories and winners at the 2025 Emmy Awards. Here are some highlights:

  • Best Writing for a Drama Series: Dan Gilroy, Andor
  • Best Directing for a Drama Series: Adam Randall, Slow Horses
  • Outstanding Variety Special (Live): SNL50: The Anniversary Special

We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at the 2025 Emmy Awards! Who do you think deserved to win? Let us know in the comments below!

In related news, we've got some juicy gossip about what really went down during the Emmys. Stay tuned for our next article – it's going to be a wild ride!