As anyone who has been following late-night television knows, it’s been a rough few months for the hosts of the various late-night programs.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was canceled in a controversial decision by CBS which has raised many questions about the timing and motive behind the decision. Just a few short months later, ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live off the airwaves for several days after the FCC targeted the show over displeasure with comments host Jimmy Kimmel made following the death of Charlie Kirk. Add in the routine attacks against the late-night hosts by President Donald Trump who continues to call for the permanent cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, and Late Night, and it goes without saying that late-night has become one of the most volatile and politically charged realms, giving even Westeros a run for its money.
With late-night under attack, individuals from all walks of life have spoken out in support of hosts Colbert and Kimmel, including politicians, frequent guests of the show, and some of the biggest names in the industry. This includes the man behind one of the biggest franchises in the world: George R.R. Martin.
During a recent episode of The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert welcomed fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel in a rare cross-network interview and the two hosts, naturally, discussed their respective experiences of being informed they were being pulled off the air.
After Kimmel walked Colbert through the events of the day he learned his show was being removed from the air and the immediate days after, Colbert asked Kimmel about the most unusual person he heard from in the wake of ABC’s decision. While Kimmel didn’t reveal too many names, citing his most notable message as being a beautiful text from singer-songwriter James Taylor, Colbert revealed that one of his most unexpected messages actually came from Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.
“I got some fun ones. I gave my phone to Evie as soon as I was canceled. I handed my phone to Evie and I said, ‘Don’t give this back to me for several days,’” Colbert revealed. “When I finally went through it: high school girlfriend, James Taylor and George R.R. Martin.”
Colbert did not elaborate on exactly what Martin had to say about the cancellation of The Late Show; however, he did joke that Martin had sent him The Winds of Winter.
Martin is not known to frequently populate the late-night circuit, but the host has made a few appearances on The Late Show over the years having been a guest on the show back in 2018 and later in 2022. This might seem minor, but The Late Show is the only late-night program Martin has appeared on more than once over the years, with the author clearly having enjoyed his conversation with Colbert enough to merit a rare follow-up appearance.
It seems Martin is among Colbert’s many fans, and it’s sweet to know that he took time out of his busy schedule to reach out to Colbert to offer support following CBS’s cancellation of The Late Show. We can only hope that perhaps Martin might make one final appearance on the show before its run comes to an end in 2026 to catch up with Colbert once again, and there is certainly cause for another appearance, what with 2026 becoming the biggest year in Game of Thrones history with the release of two franchise spinoffs in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 and House of the Dragon season 3.