There are a lot of perks that come with being the host of a late night talk show on network television, but Stephen Colbert has just stumbled upon one that few have experienced before him: kissing your teenage crushes. While most parts of a talk show interview are planned in advance, Dame Helen Mirren took it upon herself to ad lib a kiss to the noticeably flustered Colbert. Not to be outdone, Sally Field greeted the host with an even longer lip-lock the following night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .
Tonight! Sally Field is determined to steal @StephenAtHome from Helen Mirren. #LateShow #LSSC https://t.co/eFgqzuO2B1
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) March 10, 2016
Helen was the first guest on Tuesday night. After the expected introduction, Mirren walked out and greeted Colbert in a rather unexpected way: by taking Stephen’s standard handshake greeting, grabbing him by the neck, and leaving him stunned after she kissed him and walked away.
Last night, @StephenAtHome got kissed by some Dame. https://t.co/GScFY2VdVn #LSSC pic.twitter.com/rwI4JjIIXA
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) March 9, 2016
Colbert had to gather himself. Normally a very outspoken person, the former host of The Colbert Report was speechless. But when he finally sat back down at his desk, Helen offered an explanation for her actions:
“If I didn’t do it then, I’d never get to do it, so you know… I have been dreaming of doing that for fifteen years, so I just grabbed my chance.”
After sharing a spot of tea, they shared one more kiss before the commercial break.
As a guest the following evening, Sally Field was not going to be outdone. The kiss she planted on Colbert after they reached his desk lasted much, much longer than Mirren’s kiss.
Helen who? #SallyField #LateShow #LSSC https://t.co/m3Kr2fUDmq
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) March 10, 2016
After the Late Show host picked himself up off of the floor, Sally offered the rationale behind the brief make-out session:
“I figure if Helen did it, why can’t I?”
She went on to joke that on-screen kisses aren’t a big deal, as she’s been doing it for 53 years now.
Aside from getting to lay one on Stephen Colbert , the ladies were stopping by the show for the same reason everyone else does: to promote their latest projects. For Helen, it was her role in the upcoming film Eye In The Sky , which explores the ethical decisions and complications that come along with being a military leader.
Sally was there to promote a film of her own. As opposed to the military-themed drama that Mirren was promoting, Field was there to promote Hello, My Name Is Doris , a romantic comedy about a woman falling in love with her young, handsome boss. The day before, while promoting the film with co-star Max Greenfield, Sally had a little make-out session with him on Ellen .
Watch Max Greenfield and Sally Field’s steamy makeout session https://t.co/8qkLDsSBkE pic.twitter.com/U1pX2kThTS
— People (@people) March 8, 2016
Will the trend continue? Anna Kendrick has the opportunity to make it three nights in a row on Thursday, as she is a guest on The Late Show to promote her new movie, Mr. Right . If she passes up the chance, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch could keep the streak alive, as she will be Colbert’s second guest on Thursday night. Colbert’s guests on Friday night are scheduled to include actresses Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Audra McDonald.
Where to watch
CBS airs The Late Show with Stephen Colbert every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. EST. Replays of The Late Show are available to stream on-demand through the CBS website the day after they first air on television.
[Image via Pool / Getty Images]
