Comedian and actor Brett Gelman, positively basking in the glow of playing a critical role as his character Murray in the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, didn’t just take the stage during his appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on July 26. He took the stage, put it in his pocket, carried it around for the rest of the day, and then put it in storage for future usage. During the appearance, Gelman walked out onto the stage (okay, strutted out) unsuspectingly enough. He greeted Colbert and shook his hand warmly. But instead of sitting down on the couch, he asked the host to wait a moment, then proceeded to put on a goddamned show — all while wearing orange designer sunglasses, a beaded necklace, and a suit where the jacket, shirt, and pants were all covered in pictures of puppies. He then walked toward the band — in the midst of playing Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition†— and picked up a microphone to rap-scat over the funky groove. By the time Gelman was finally ready to sit down, Colbert simply mimed at him as if to say, “We’re not worthy!â€
Gelman and Colbert proceeded to chat about Gelman’s role on Stranger Things, and how it has changed the public’s perception of him after playing the despicable Martin on Fleabag. Gelman delivered a bit that doesn’t quite work and then wondered, “Is that the most half-assed bit that’s ever been said on the show?†Colbert assured Gelman that they’d cut it from the show and offered an opportunity to say another thing that would get cut. So what did Gelman say, you may be wondering? “Sometimes in the evenings in my 20s, I would down a full bag of Tostitos and a jar of queso, and two packets of ramen.â€
“I don’t think I’m going to cut this out,†Colbert said. “That makes you relatable.†Gelman, without missing a beat, agreed: “We have to balance out the look with relatability.â€