Stephen Colbert’s career has taken him from the improv stages of Chicago to the heights of late-night television, but the most pivotal moment of his life didn’t happen on stage. It happened in Charleston, South Carolina — outside a theater, on a regular day that turned into something extraordinary.

It was 1990. Colbert was back in his hometown to clear his head and decide whether he wanted to marry someone he had been dating in Chicago. What he didn’t expect was that the decision would be made for him — in the most unexpected way.

While walking down the street, he saw a woman standing outside the Spoleto Festival. Her name was Evelyn “Evie” McGee, and Colbert was instantly struck. She wasn’t a stranger, technically — her father had once been a prominent figure in South Carolina politics — but Colbert didn’t know that at the time. All he knew was that she was beautiful, standing there like something out of a dream.

“I remember thinking, ‘Her. That’s your wife. You will marry her,’” he once said in an interview. “I had never felt anything like it.”

And here’s where it really starts sounding like a rom-com: instead of speaking to her right away, Colbert went into the theater to avoid looking awkward. It wasn’t just any show — it was Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass and Allen Ginsberg, a rather niche production. As fate would have it, Evelyn was also at the show. They ended up sitting next to each other.

It was more than coincidence. It was one of those strange, serendipitous alignments the universe seems to offer only once. They began talking. Not just idle chit-chat, but long, meaningful conversation that lasted well into the night. Colbert says they talked for hours — about everything. By the end of the evening, he knew: he didn’t need to go back to Chicago to make any decisions. He had already found the answer.

The two fell in love quickly, and in 1993, they got married. Today, over 30 years later, they are still together — a rare and refreshing love story in an industry often marked by divorces and drama.

Colbert often credits Evelyn for grounding him. She’s been the steady force in his life, especially during the early days of his career when money was tight and recognition was far away. They lived humbly. At one point, they even shared a tiny apartment in Chicago where he says the kitchen and the shower were basically the same space.

But it wasn’t always easy. Colbert has spoken candidly about struggling with anxiety and depression, and how Evelyn’s presence helped him navigate those dark moments. In one emotional interview, he said, “She makes me feel safe. She makes me feel sane. She is my reality check and my greatest joy.”

Evelyn, for her part, is no stranger to the world of performance. She studied acting herself and appeared in several projects — including small roles in Strangers with Candy and The Hobbit (yes, that Hobbit — she appeared alongside Colbert’s cameo). But she’s largely kept a low profile, choosing to focus on family life and raising their three children.

Despite Colbert’s fame, their relationship has remained unusually private and refreshingly grounded. They’re rarely the subject of tabloid headlines, and they’ve never used their relationship as a publicity tool. What they have instead is something much rarer: a genuine, enduring partnership rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and deep, unshakable love.

In an industry that often chews through relationships, Stephen and Evelyn Colbert are proof that sometimes, the best love stories don’t happen under the spotlight — they happen on quiet Charleston streets, during strange plays, and in conversations that last long after the curtain falls.