Stephen Colbert gets Scarlett Johansson on a blanket under the stars, then asks about death, Oprah

Stephen Colbert and Scarlet Johansson, under the stars

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 10 September 2015

"I get the impression that you're a deep person," Stephen Colbert told guest Scarlett Johansson on Wednesday's Late Show. "I like to give the impression that I'm a deep person. Can we get real?" The proposition was for her to lay by him on a blanket under the night sky, in a segment he called "Big Questions With Even Bigger Stars."

It's hard to tell how planned out this was, but Johansson had the best question — "What do you think Oprah is doing right now?" — setting Colbert up for the best answer. Not the most interesting answer: That would be Johansson's statement that when she dies, she wants her body dumped in the Hudson River. As a recurring bit, this has potential to upend the interview section, mixing entertainment with a bit of spontaneous deep stuff. Colbert still looked a bit nervous in this inaugural run, but then again, he was laying next to Scarlett Johansson on a blanket under the (fake) stars. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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