Stephen Colbert has met a lot of remarkable people over the years — actors, politicians, activists, scientists — but no one matters as much to him as his wife, Evelyn.

Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert smiling at a celebrity event

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Stephen met Evelyn, an actor and producer, in 1990 at a theater, and they married in 1993. He recalled seeing her and instantly thinking, “[That’s] her. There’s your wife. You’re going to marry her.”

Stephen Colbert in a tuxedo and Evelyn McGee in a sequin dress share a smile on the red carpet at a celebrity event

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After introducing himself, he learned they were actually connected — both grew up in Charleston, and their families already knew each other. He said, “We took two steps out of line, and we talked for two hours. And I was completely taken.”

Stephen Colbert in a suit speaks into a microphone on stage before an audience at an event

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Still, he was unsure if Evelyn liked him. So when a guy came up and interrupted their conversation, he turned away, thinking that would give her a chance to “get away.”

Evelyn McGee Colbert and Stephen Colbert seated at a bar

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“But she didn’t. She was still there when I turned around, smiling at me, and now, we’re married,” he said, visibly emotional.

Today, Stephen and Evelyn have been married for 32 years and share three adult children: John, Madeleine, and Peter. He’s credited Evelyn for helping him through major moments in his career, from producing his show during the coronavirus pandemic to, more recently, helping him tell his staff it was canceled.

Stephen Colbert in a tuxedo and Evelyn McGee Colbert wears an elegant, floral-patterned, one-shoulder gown on the red carpet

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He sang her praises again in an interview with John Oliver, when John asked him to share the relationship that has “impacted [him] the most.” Without hesitation, Stephen answered, “My wife.”

Stephen Colbert and John Oliver have a lively conversation on a late-night talk show set, both seated with wine glasses on the desk

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“Without a doubt,” he continued. “There is absolutely, bar none, no one who comes close, and the most harrowing idea would be that I would spend any part of my life without her because that would be a level of loneliness and irreplaceable, irredeemable emotional desolation that I could not possibly contemplate.”

Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert pose at an event

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“And I understand why old men die, like, a month after their wives go — because how I will actually die is she will die first and I will not last a year,” he continued as the audience collectively said, “Aww!”

People were just as emotional in the comments when the video was shared on TikTok today to mark the couple’s 32nd wedding anniversary. “This is so beautiful ❤️,” one viewer gushed. Another said, “Love Colbert’s love for his wife 😍.”

Stephen Colbert kisses his wife at a tennis game

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“I’ll never not love him talking about his lovely wife,” a third person commented, as someone said, “Makes me tear up.”

Evelyn McGee-Colbert in a gown with puffy sleeves and Stephen Colbert in a patterned tuxedo jacket at the Met Gala

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“came here for comedy but someone is cutting onions,” another person joked. Someone else called Stephen a “class act” and an example of “what men should strive to be.”

Stephen Colbert and Evelyn McGee-Colbert in formal attire on a red carpet with an Apple TV+ backdrop

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And of course, people called on other men to take notes.

One person declared, “You’ll never hear Trump talk like that! About ANYBODY ELSE!” Another added, “In a world of Kanyes be a Colbert.”

(Seriously, though.) Anyway, Happy Anniversary, Evelyn and Stephen! Let me know your thoughts on the video in the comments.