Stephen Colbert pays tribute to Morley Safer on "Late Show"
Stephen Colbert paid tribute to late "60 Minutes" Morley Safer on Thursday night.
The "Late Show" host said two of his favorite memories about the influential journalist, who died Thursday morning, were cigarette-related.
Colbert said the first time he met Safer was for his own "60 Minutes" profile while he was hosting "The Colbert Report." He said Safer was outside standing against a wall, smoking a cigarette in a checked jacket, looking "like he was reporting on the Belmont Stakes from 1972." He remembered Safer stomping out the cigarette in a way that reminded him of James Dean.
The last time Colbert ran into the reporter was in an elevator, where it seemed like Safer was about to light up again -- but this time, he simply took a drag from his e-cigarette. The "Late Show" host told Safer he looked like he was from the future, to which the newsman responded, "Stephen, I am the future."
But one fond memory Colbert has of Safer is not nicotine-related at all: Safer once recorded an open for Colbert's guitar battle against the Decemberists in 2006.
Watch below to see the legendary correspondent's introduction to Colbert's shredding contest.