Letterman says he wasn't consulted when CBS was looking for his replacement, claiming he thought a black person or a woman should've replaced him.
- Apr 30, 2015
AceShowbiz - David Letterman opens up about his "Late Show" departure ahead of his last show. In an interview with The New York Times, he talks about his feeling as he's nearing his retirement. "I'm awash in melancholia," he admits.
"Every big change in my life was full of trepidation," he continues. "When I left Indiana and moved to California. When [my wife] Regina and I decided to have a baby - enormous anxiety and trepidation. Those are the two biggest things in my life, and they worked out beyond my wildest dreams. I'm pretending the same thing will happen now. I'll miss it, desperately. One of two things: There will be reasonable, adult acceptance of transition. Or I will turn to a life of crime."
The veteran TV host says he realized it's time for him to sign off now that the late-night line-up is dominated by younger guys. "When I was watching those interim shows they did on 'The Late Late Show', and I saw John Mayer hosting one night, I thought, 'Ohhhh, now I see exactly what the problem is.' Because he's young. He's handsome. He's trim. He's witty. He was comfortable. So then I realized, I got nothing to worry about. I know I can't do what Jimmy Fallon's doing. I know I can't do what Jimmy Kimmel is doing. There's nothing left to be worried about," he says.
Letterman adds that Jay Leno's departure also impacted his decision as now he becomes the only older man in late night. "I'm 68. If I was 38, I'd probably still be wanting to do the show," he explains. "When Jay was on, I felt like Jay and I are contemporaries. Every time he would get a show at 11:30, he would succeed smartly. And so I thought, This is still viable - an older guy in a suit. And then he left, and I suddenly was surrounded by the Jimmys."
Speaking of his replacement, Letterman admits he wasn't consulted about it. "I always thought Jon Stewart would have been a good choice. And then Stephen [Colbert]. And then I thought, well, maybe this will be a good opportunity to put a black person on, and it would be a good opportunity to put a woman on," he says. "Because there are certainly a lot of very funny women that have television shows everywhere. So that would have made sense to me as well."
He reveals that it bothered him at first that he wasn't consulted, "but it doesn't bother me now. At the time, I had made the decision [to leave] and I thought, O.K., this is what comes when you make this decision." He thinks that Stephen Colbert will "add a third, different dynamic to" late-night television and "it will be very interesting to see what he will do."
As for how his final episode would be, he compares it to Johnny Carson's. "That was fantastic. I can remember when he signed off that night, it just left you [with] a nagging sense of loss. This doesn't apply here," he shares. "I want it to be a little more cheery. And I want it to be upbeat, and I want it to be funny, and I want people to be happy that they spent the time to watch it. Of course, Johnny's last show was historic. This one won't be. [laughs] This one, people will say: 'Ah, there you go. When's the new guy starting?' "
Letterman will sign out from the talk show which he has hosted for 22 years on May 20. Prior to that, CBS will present a 90-minute primetime special to pay tribute to the longtime late-night show host and his legendary career. The farewell special will air May 4 at 9:30 P.M. and will be hosted by Ray Romano.
