Dua Lipa turns the tables on Stephen Colbert with question about his faith. Here's what he said.
Beneath the zippy punchlines and sidesplitting satire, Stephen Colbert believes laughter is not only the best medicine, it can be a form of salvation too.
Colbert opened up about his Christian faith with Dua Lipa on CBS' "Late Show" Thursday.
As the two chatted about the pop star's recently launched online newsletter Service95 and its upcoming podcast, “At Your Service,” Colbert asked her if she would like to interview him. After a moment of reflection, Lipa asked Colbert about the relationship between his faith and his work as a comedian.
“I think something that your viewers really connect with in your comedy and your hosting skills, especially in the past few years, is how open and honest and authentic you are about the role your faith plays in your life,” Lipa told Colbert. “(Do) your faith and your comedy ever overlap, and does one ever win out?”
The CBS host was quick to offer a witty response: “Ultimately, us all being mortal, the faith will win out in the end. But I certainly hope when I get to heaven, Jesus has a sense of humor.”
But Colbert, who also identifies as Catholic, went on to elaborate on the core principles of his faith and the spiritual dimension humor can have. He said his faith is “connected to the idea of love and sacrifice being somehow related and giving yourself to other people” and that “death is not defeat.”
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Colbert also said that one of his favorite films of the past year, “Belfast,” resonated with his Catholic faith and mirrored the synergy of humor and religion.
“('Belfast' is) funny and it’s sad, and it’s funny about being sad, in the same way that sadness is like a little bit of an emotional death, but not a defeat if you can find a way to laugh about it,” Colbert said. “Because that laughter keeps you from having fear of it, and fear is the thing that keeps you from turning to evil devices to save you from the sadness.”
He added: “So, if there’s some relationship between my faith and my comedy, it’s that no matter what happens, you are never defeated. You must understand and see this in the light of eternity and find some way to love and laugh with each other."
More: Review: Despite a few missteps, Kenneth Branagh's 'Belfast' is an Oscar-bound crowd pleaser
Colbert’s response elicited an eruption of cheers and applause from his studio audience. Some on social media were similarly moved by what Colbert had to say.
“Wow. I just became a huge fan of Stephen Colbert,” @MarisaWard57 tweeted. “I'm a non-Christian, who's always thought *this* is what Christian faith should be. And that comment about fear? Exactly what I needed to hear.”
Wow. I just became a huge fan of Stephen Colbert. I'm a non-Christian, who's always thought *this* is what Christian faith should be. And that comment about fear? Exactly what I needed to hear.??????♀?
— Marisa W. (@MarisaWard57) February 4, 2022
“I needed this today,” @AJLueck wrote. “Beyond the wisdom of the words themselves, the seemingly effortless in real time conception and delivery of the message is extraordinary.”
I needed this today. Beyond the wisdom of the words themselves, the seemingly effortless in real time conception and delivery of the message is extraordinary.
— Dr Anjali Lueck, DMD (@AJLueck) February 4, 2022
However, Twitter user Jocelyn Johnson was not at all surprised by the depth of Colbert’s reply.
“People forget how fundamentally intelligent and well read he is,” @jocelynjtweet wrote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stephen Colbert gives deep response to Dua Lipa's question on faith