Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an Emmy and Peabody award winning American comedian, satirist, actor and writer, known for his ironic style , and for his deadpan comedic delivery.

Colbert originally studied to be an actor, but became interested in improvisational theatre when he met famed Second City director Del Close while attending Northwestern University. He first performed professionally as an understudy for Steve Carell at Second City Chicago; among his troupe mates were comedians Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris, with whom he developed the critically-acclaimed sketch comedy series "Exit 57".