For more than 30 years, David Letterman was a staple on the late-night talk show scene — but what is he up to now?
The comedian cemented himself as one of the biggest names in broadcasting with Late Night With David Letterman, which ran from 1982 to 1993. Without skipping a beat, the talk show host began hosting Late Show With David Letterman that same year.
The CBS series, which won nine Emmys during its run, ended in 2015 after 22 seasons.
Over the next decade, Letterman flew under the radar most of the time, but was never far from the world of comedy or talk shows — even if some fans assumed he was retired.
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“Retirement is a myth. You won’t retire. The human mechanism will not allow you to retire,” Letterman told GQ in December 2024. “As long as you are healthy, you still want to produce, and you will find ways to do it.”
He explained, “Once I stopped doing the show, it took me a couple of years to figure out that, ‘Oh, this is a completely different rhythm.’ And without the rhythm that you’re accustomed to, largely unsatisfying. So you gotta find something that’s important to you.”
So what was that “something” Letterman was referring to? In his case, it’s been many things, including keeping up with his hosting duties via a few different forms.
Seven months after the final curtain fell on his Late Show, Letterman spoke at his alma mater, Ball State University, in November 2015.
The following year, Letterman ramped up his public appearances. He teamed up with former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in May 2016 for the USO Comedy Show in Maryland.
That same month, the Emmy winner was presented with a 2016 Peabody Award by pal Steve Martin. (Letterman was awarded the Mark Twain Prize in 2017.)
Letterman made another public appearance in May 2016 for the Maxim Indy 500 Party alongside Bobby Rahal. As a co-owner of Indy Car team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing since 1996, Letterman hasn’t slowed down when it comes to his support of the sport.
“It’s a jolt of adrenaline I have never experienced in my life,” Letterman revealed during a rare appearance on CBS Sunday Morning in June 2025, recalling the first time his team won the Indianapolis 500 in 2004. “Your world changes immediately. That euphoria stays with you.”
In addition to keeping up with the Indy Car world, Letterman has maintained a foothold in the journalistic realm as well.
In 2018, his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, premiered. On the show, Letterman seamlessly slips back into interview mode, speaking with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus and more. Seasons 1 through 3 premiered yearly but season 4 didn’t drop until May 2022.
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During a brief break from My Next Guest, Letterman partnered with his former Late Night producer Barbara Gaines for her YouTube talk show (that is also featured on other social media channels), The Barbara Gaines Show.
Letterman has been part of the show since 2022 and often reminisces about his career, life milestones and clears up rumors alongside Gaines and Mary Barkley.
“I love being here on The Barbara Gaines Show,” Letterman revealed during a January 2025 episode, teasing, “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t be out of the house. Never!”
While it felt like a long wait for Letterman’s return to Netflix, fans were treated to season 5 of My Next Guest starting in April 2024. There was another break from June 2024 to April 2025 before a special episode featuring WNBA star Caitlin Clark dropped on the streamer.
Outside of his work with Netflix and Gaines, Letterman has been spotted out and about more frequently since 2023. In July of that year, the TV icon surprised shoppers at one of Iowa’s Hy-Vee grocery store locations as he worked a shift, sharing the experience via Instagram.
Letterman made a red carpet appearance that same year in support of Disney+’s Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming With David Letterman premiere in Los Angeles. In the docuseries, Letterman joins U2 for a concert during his first visit to Dublin.
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Letterman expanded his entertainment portfolio in 2024 with the release of Maestra, which he was an executive producer for, as well as the 2025 movie project Andy Kaufman Is Me.
Throughout 2025, Letterman has upped his public persona and even returned to late night in February. At the time, he dropped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and made jokes about his former career.
Letterman told host Jimmy Fallon, “We didn’t do the Chuck-E-Cheese crap” on his show before laughing with the crowd.
While in New York City, Letterman made another red carpet appearance in celebration of SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, which he attended with former sidekick Paul Shaffer.
In April 2025, Letterman spent time with SNL alum John Mulaney for an episode of Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney.
“I used to do a television show and every now and then we’d come out with a lame premise like the height deal,” Letterman said, poking fun at a skit featured on Mulaney’s show. “I am thrilled and stunned that it’s working so well.”
So, while Letterman isn’t on TV screens nightly anymore, he is quietly working and staying busy. Fans, however, can relive some of his best moments from Late Night on YouTube or Letterman’s Instagram, where he shares old clips frequently.
