"Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them"
About this Quote
Then she flips the power dynamic with a quick, salty intimacy: “I’m damned glad to see them.” “Damned” punctures the sentimentality. It’s not a dainty thank-you note; it’s a backstage truth delivered with a wink. Colbert had a reputation for control and professionalism, and the line reads like a veteran’s refusal to sentimentalize the job while still honoring the exchange that makes it possible. She’s reminding you that the audience isn’t an abstraction or a “fanbase” to be managed; it’s the partner in a transaction that only works when both sides show up.
Context matters: Colbert’s stardom was forged in an era when studio systems engineered images and kept distance between celebrity and public. This quote quietly insists on reciprocity. Fame may elevate, but it also obligates. The audience grants permission; the actor returns it, nightly, with craft.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Colbert, Claudette. (2026, January 16). Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/audiences-always-sound-like-theyre-glad-to-see-me-110054/
Chicago Style
Colbert, Claudette. "Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/audiences-always-sound-like-theyre-glad-to-see-me-110054/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/audiences-always-sound-like-theyre-glad-to-see-me-110054/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.



