Stephen Colbert Reveals A-List Actress He Was “Wildly Attracted to”

Stephen Colbert wouldn’t be blue if this actress was his Valentine.

Stephen Colbert recently shared that Michelle Williams became his celebrity crush when he interviewed her for the first time in 2016.

During a recent reunion podcast episode of Strike Force Five, Stephen Colbert admitted he was surprisingly attracted to Michelle Williams. He confessed to being flustered, saying he admired her work but hadn’t previously considered her strikingly attractive and didn’t know where to look when she first appeared on the show. He shared this on the podcast alongside Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Jimmy Fallon.

Colbert, 62, couldn’t help but pile on more praise for the Dawson’s Creek alum, 45.

Oh my god, I remember interviewing her and I literally panicked the second she sat down! I just thought, ‘Whoa, what is happening to me?!’ I was so worried I’d stare like an idiot the whole time, so I made a rule for myself: absolutely no direct eye contact! It was the hardest interview of my life, honestly, trying not to completely lose it.

Colbert remembered the Manchester By The Sea actor well, perhaps because he himself married Evelyn Colbert in 1993.

Colbert explained he was captivated by the actress, saying, “It was just everything about her – her energy, her appearance… she’s incredibly beautiful.”

Stephen Colbert is used to interviewing celebrities, having hosted The Late Show for 11 seasons before it ends on May 21st. So, while Williams caught his attention during the Oscars, he wasn’t the only performer who briefly distracted Colbert on stage.

I used to get really nervous around Rachel Weisz. I’ve gotten over it now,” Colbert joked. “Whenever she was on The Daily Show, I’d actually leave the studio because I was afraid I’d say something embarrassing.

Colbert imitated his own nervous habit, raising his voice to say, “Hi, you were great in The Constant Gardener.”

Despite meeting many famous people, the comedian is most touched by his wife, Evelyn.

Stephen Colbert first met his future wife, who works as an actress and producer, while waiting in line for a movie in 1990. He revealed on The Late Show in 2019 that they talked for two hours and he immediately fell for her.

Colbert immediately knew she was the one. He realized, very quickly, that Evelyn was unlike anyone he’d ever met. The thought of life without her was terrifying – he couldn’t imagine a level of loneliness and emotional pain that profound.

Keep reading to discover which celebrity crushes turned into real love.

Machine Gun Kelly is now with Megan Fox, but he used to have her poster on his wall over a decade ago! In a recent interview with a former high school classmate, Wesley Lowery, for GQ, it was revealed that MGK once declared he would marry the actress, who was then famous for her role in the Transformers movies. MGK jokingly called it a “full-circle moment.” Although they haven’t gotten married yet, the couple announced in November 2024 that they are expecting a baby.

Hailey Bieber might have been Justin Bieber’s very first fan! She was only 12 years old when she met the 14-year-old singer, thanks to an introduction from her father, Stephen Baldwin, before a TV appearance on Today. There’s even a video of the awkward meeting where you can see a shy Hailey shaking Justin’s hand. It was definitely a memorable first encounter!

Years later, they posed for a photo together on the red carpet at the premiere of Justin’s movie, Never Say Never, with Hailey’s dad right there. It’s clear she was a fan back then!

After becoming friends, Hailey and Justin dated on and off for several years before getting married in September 2018. They had a second wedding ceremony the following year and welcomed their son, Jack Blues Bieber, in August 2024.

Jodie Turner-Smith, known for her role in Queen & Slim, shared with W Magazine in January 2020 that she initially developed feelings for her soon-to-be-ex-husband while watching him on the popular teen show Dawson’s Creek.

She revealed her first crush was actor Joshua Jackson, best known as Pacey from the TV show Dawson’s Creek, adding that she and Jackson are now a couple. She playfully teased him by wearing a Pacey t-shirt and singing the show’s theme song on Instagram, eager to share her fandom.

Despite having a daughter together, the couple ultimately separated in 2023.

In an interview with the Sunday Times in February 2024, Turner-Smith explained, ‘Sometimes, even when you really want a relationship to work, it just doesn’t. And that’s okay. The most important thing is to prioritize your health and the well-being of your family, especially your children.’

Joe Jonas was a big fan of Game of Thrones, especially Sansa Stark—so much so that he messaged Sophie Turner on Instagram in 2016. They had mutual friends who had been trying to set them up for a while. As Turner explained to Harper’s Bazaar U.K. in 2019, Jonas simply reached out to her one day. He later publicly thanked the show for bringing them together, calling her “the QUEEN OF THE MF NORTH.” Unfortunately, the couple announced their divorce in September 2023 after four years of marriage. The divorce was finalized the following year after a public disagreement about the care of their two daughters, Willa and Delphine.

Back in 2015, Olivia Munn shared a story about first meeting John Mulaney at a wedding. She was a big fan and actively tried to connect with him and his then-fiancée, even asking them to have dinner. She admitted to being very eager to talk to him and followed up with an email, though she didn’t receive a response at first.

Years later, in 2021, they became parents to their son, Malcolm. Munn clarified that their relationship wasn’t a traditional romance when she found out she was pregnant; they barely knew each other and initially planned to co-parent.

Despite this, their connection deepened. Mulaney supported Munn after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023. The couple married in July 2024 and welcomed their daughter, Méi, via surrogate in September of that same year.

During a 2021 Zoom interview with students at Marquette University, Pete Davidson was asked who his celebrity crush was. He responded that he was already dating her, referring to then-girlfriend Phoebe Dynevor. However, their relationship didn’t last, and they broke up later that year. Phoebe Dynevor is now engaged to producer Cameron Fuller.

I remember being absolutely fascinated by Katie Holmes’ long-time crush on Tom Cruise! Even before they were ‘TomKat,’ she was a huge fan. Back in 2004, she told Seventeen magazine that she’d dreamed of marrying him since she was a little girl. It was so sweet! Her Dawson’s Creek co-star, Mary Beth Peil, later shared that Katie had posters of Tom on her bedroom wall since she was fifteen and couldn’t stop talking about him – all way before they actually started dating! It was clear she was ready for him. And then, in 2006, she actually did marry him in Italy, after welcoming their daughter, Suri. Sadly, things didn’t last, and they divorced in 2012, but it was amazing to witness her childhood dream come true, even if just for a while.

Wells Adams didn’t need to bring roses to win over Sarah Hyland! While Wells was competing for JoJo Fletcher’s affection on The Bachelorette, Sarah publicly expressed her attraction to him on Twitter, playfully praising his intelligence. When he was announced as the bartender on Bachelor in Paradise, she enthusiastically tweeted that it would be the best season ever. This sparked a flirty exchange, with Wells jokingly offering her a job as his barback. Their connection quickly blossomed, and they later confirmed their relationship on Instagram before getting married in 2022.

Long before Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez dated (and even before their split in 2021), Rodriguez admitted in 1996 that J.Lo was his ideal date, playfully asking someone to set them up. Years later, in 2019, he shared a clip of this old interview on Instagram, commenting, “I just had a feeling,” with a laughing emoji. Lopez responded with three black hearts, saying she “loved” the throwback moment.

Liam Payne first met Cheryl Cole when he auditioned for The X-Factor at age 14, and he admitted to having a long-time crush on her. He recalled being teased by friends after his audition aired. They began dating in 2016 and welcomed their son, Bear, in 2017, but separated in 2018. Sadly, Payne passed away in October 2024 following a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Jason Momoa had a long-time crush on Lisa Bonet, considering her the love of his life for years before they became a couple. In a 2019 interview with Esquire, Momoa, known for his role in Game of Thrones, shared that Bonet was “literally my childhood crush.” He emphasized their unlikely romance, saying, “If someone says something isn’t possible… I’m like, ‘Listen here, I married Lisa Bonet. Anything is possible.’”

The Aquaman star and The Cosby Show actress were together for ten years before marrying in 2017, but they announced their separation in 2022. They share two children, Lola and Nakoa-Wolf, and Bonet also has a daughter, Zoë Kravitz, from her previous marriage to Lenny Kravitz.

2026-05-14 00:50

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