Timothy Olyphant Is Just So Good on 'Late Night'

In addition to being the perfect supporting actor, Timothy Olyphant also happens to be one of the all-time best late-night talk show guests. Part of the reason late-night talk shows have fallen out of favor is that the interviews all feel prerehearsed. Increasingly, that even seems to be the case on podcasts, where no one has said anything interesting in three years (no wonder Marc Maron is quitting).

But then there’s Timothy Olyphant. He’s been wilding on Conan’s late-night show (and on his podcast) and on Late Night with Seth Meyers for years. Nothing is scripted. Olyphant plays it by ear, intentionally annoys the host, tells the occasional odd story (there’s one here about Marc Maron), and is an absolute delight. He’s so known for doing his own bits on Late Night, in fact, that the door on the other side of the stage where Olyphant comes through is known as the “Olyphant door.”

Olyphant is a great actor (and very good on Stick this season). He’s an even better late-night guest. Whenever he shows up, I’ll stop whatever I’m doing because I know it’ll be worth the 15-minute investment.