Madeleine Colbert's dad, Stephen Colbert's irreverent thoughts on politics and culture have made him a household name. The budding journalist has quite a few takes of her own.
As Madeleine Colbert is known professionally, Madeleine Carlisle has worked her way up the ranks as a summer intern at one of the most respected investigative shows to become a full-time employee.
She credits doing jobs outside of journalism as giving her the skills to excel as a journalist. Her hard work paid off early; she was awarded three fellowships at Yale. The producer has made many red-carpet walks with her famous dad.
(L-R) Evelyn McGee-Colbert, her husband television personality Stephen Colbert and their daughter Madeline Colbert arrive at the Comedy Central Emmy after party at STK September 21, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Madeleine Colbert's Former Babysitter Became a Hollywood Star
Producer and actress Evelyn McGee and Stephen welcomed their daughter Madeleine on September 24, 1995. They gave her two brothers; Peter Colbert, born in 1998, and John Colbert, in 2002.
The comedian was still doing regular auditions trying to get his big break when he became a dad. In one audition tape, he begged for help while cradling his daughter. He has clarified that he did this as a joke, but the comedian did suffer from anxiety when he was younger.
"Alias" star Jennifer Garner used to be an "extremely reliable babysitter" for Stephen and McGee. She met the comedian when they guest starred on "Spin City" in 1996.
Stephen Colbert (C) with his son and daughter attend the Legendary Pictures preview and panel during Comic-Con International 2014 at San Diego Convention Center on July 26, 2014, in San Diego, California. | Source: Getty Images
During the wrap party of their episode, she confided in him that she was now out of work. Though out of work himself, Stephen hired Garner to babysit his kids.
During an appearance on "The Late Show," the actress had only good things to say about her former charge Madeleine, whom she accompanied to Italian classes on Mondays:
"I just remember your gorgeous little girl. She was such a peanut. She was really smart."
Madeleine Carlisle Has an Impressive Career
While still a high school student at Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey, Madeleine was working on her future in media by enrolling in the Medill-Northwestern High School Journalism Institute during summer break.
Sometime after graduating with her BA in Art History from Yale magna cum laude, she adopted the name, Carlisle. At the Ivy League school, she was a staff writer and later the editor–in–chief of The Yale Politic and a producer for the Yale Broadcasting Company (WYBC).
As a student, she worked at a criminal justice advocacy group in New Haven and was a video production assistant at the Yale Office of Public Affairs and Communications. She tutored GED classes at a maximum-security youth prison for a few months between 2015 and 2017.
After graduation, Carlisle became the politics editorial fellow at The Atlantic in 2018. She covered significant beats like the Supreme Court and LGBTQ rights over her tenure at Time Magazine from August 2019 and November 2022.
Swift made such a fuss about the teenaged Carlisle in Stephen's telling of the event.
The New Yorker became an associate producer with "60 Minutes" in November 2022, where she had a summer internship in 2017. GLAAD nominated the Yale alum for 'Outstanding Print Article' for her coverage of gender-affirming pediatricians.
Actor Stephen Colbert (R) and Madeline Colbert arrives at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Dad's Popularity Gave Madeleine Carlisle Perks as a Music-Loving Teen
When she was 14, Carlisle attended the Grammy Awards with her dad Stephen Colbert. It was 2010, the year he had the for his comedy album, "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!"
Her father did not mention his win when he recounted the award show during a commercial break of his talk show in 2022. The host said he would "jump off a cliff full of spikes" for Taylor Swift.
Swift made such a fuss about the teenaged Carlisle in Stephen's telling of the event, which he appreciated. The 5' 9" teen in heels towered over Justin Bieber when her dad introduced them. The comedian quipped that it took "a little sparkle out of her eyes" to know that she could "dunk" him.
While her dad was still at "The Daily Show," she appeared in a segment on the oil industry. She helped in the make-up department for one 2020 episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
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