Did Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert attend college together? Comedian shouts out late night host in commencement speech

Steve Carell, 62, and Stephen Colbert, 61, have been sharing a cordial and admirable friendship for decades.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin star was invited to Northwestern University to deliver the commencement speech for this year's graduating class.

On June 16, 2025, Steve Carell appreciated Stephen Colbert, a Northwestern University alum, calling him a "dear friend."

Carell and Colbert crossed paths in the late 1980s at Chicago's Second City. Over the years, the duo's bond strengthened into a beautiful friendship.

A look at Steve Carell's commencement speech at Northwestern University

On Monday, The Office star expressed a powerful message for the students, saying, as cited by Entertainment Weekly:

"Kindness isn't a weakness -- it is a very potent strength."

Steve Carell was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts on this special day. He further continued with his speech, sharing:

"Remember the little things, like being kind and that you're not alone. Take care of one another. Remember to laugh when you have the opportunity and to cry when necessary."

During his commencement speech, he also gave a shout-out to his dear friend, Stephen Colbert, conveying:

"I do know a famous, powerful person who is also kind. Stephen is a brilliant, wonderful person. Talented, generous, better than I am in almost every way. If he were here today, he'd probably be giving a better speech. An innovator, an icon, a family man, and friend. He is so wonderful in fact, that he makes me feel terrible about myself and I hate him very very much. Which brings me to my next topic, envy."

While continuing with his motivational speech, Carell also inspired the graduates to transform uncertainty into motivation and drive, and purposeful action:

"Envy is an enemy of kindness and lack of belief in your own gifts. And what are you even envious of? A facade that another human being, say, Stephen Colbert creates for themselves. Turn your jealousy into admiration and use it to fuel your ambition in a positive way," he added.

Jokingly asking students to exploit their "parents' guilt," he humorously remarked:

"And keep in mind that as badly as you feel about the state of the world, your parents probably feel worse. Use that, take advantage of that. Now is the perfect time to exploit your parents' guilt and to emotionally blackmail them. They might even let you live in the basement for an extra six months."

In between his engaging commencement speech, Steve Carell surprised everyone by launching into a spontaneous dance break. He performed to The Ting Tings' That’s Not My Name. Post-dance, he reacted to his performance while grasping for breath and chimed in:

"That was as invigorating as it was disturbing. Wow, am I out of shape."

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According to a Vanity Fair report, Steve Carell and Stephen Colbert first met in the early 1990s at the Second City comedy troupe in Chicago. They worked together for The Dana Carvey Show in 1996 and were later seen as the correspondents on The Daily Show. The talented hosts co-anchored the iconic show's Even Stevphen segment.

Steve Carell has made several fun appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. One of the duo's popular episodes was the one aired on December 19, 2018. According to IMDb, the Crazy, Stupid, Love actor graced his presence during the episode alongwith KiKi Layne.

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