Topline

Late-night host Stephen Colbert began the final episode of his late-night show with an emotional message thanking his audience and followed it up with an opening monologue featuring guest appearances from Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows.

Before the show opened, Colbert delivered an emotional message to the audience in the studio and at home, saying it has been a joy for him to do the show and “we call this show the Joy Machine.”

Colbert said he realized pretty early that his job at “The Late Show” was not to read the news to the audience but rather “feel the news with you.”

In the opening monologue, the audience booed loudly when he announced it was his last show