Steven Spielberg believes he may be humanity’s best choice if Earth ever makes contact with extraterrestrial life. During a playful appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the legendary filmmaker jokingly argued that his decades of experience creating iconic alien movies make him uniquely qualified to serve as Earth’s official ambassador.
The lighthearted conversation began after former President Barack Obama recently suggested he would make a good representative for humanity in the event of alien contact. Obama cited his diplomatic experience and calm personality as reasons he could handle such an important responsibility, but the famous director quickly offered his own impressive résumé for the imaginary role.
Steven Spielberg Points To His Legendary Alien Films
Appearing on the May 19 episode of The Late Show, Steven Spielberg humorously explained that his long history with extraterrestrial-themed films gives him an edge over the competition. He referenced classics such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, War of the Worlds, and Men in Black while making his case to the audience.
The filmmaker also revealed that his fascination with alien stories began long before Hollywood fame. He shared that his very first alien-themed project was an 8-millimeter film called Firelight, which he made when he was just 17 years old. Despite decades of telling stories about extraterrestrials, he joked that aliens still have not chosen to reveal themselves to him personally.
A Friendly Debate With Barack Obama
According to Yahoo Entertainment, the filmmaker made it clear there was no rivalry between himself and the former president. While joking that Obama had already enjoyed “his eight years,” he also praised the former president and his family warmly during the interview.
The playful exchange became even funnier when Stephen Colbert suggested aliens might actually avoid Earth because they fear ending up in one of Spielberg’s movies. Laughing along with the audience, the director ended the conversation with one final message directed toward extraterrestrials everywhere: “I’m available, guys!”