Since leaving his "Late Show" hosting duties nearly a month ago, David Letterman has opened up about his new life as a retiree and is reflecting on his late-night experiences in a new interview with Indianapolis Monthly. 

In the article, Letterman revealed that he had a particularly tough time interviewing two guests: singer-songwriter Warren Zevon and former President Bill Clinton. 

Letterman said he was "anxious" to interview Zevon because he wasn't sure how to address the singer's terminal illness.

"Warren Zevon was on years ago, and we all knew he was dying," Letterman said in the interview. "I was at a loss because I couldn’t think of an entry point for a conversation with a dying man on a television show that’s supposed to be silly. 'How are you doing? You look great!' doesn’t exactly work. I was really dissatisfied with my part of that conversation. I was ill-equipped to connect with a friend who was going through something like that."

Zevon died in 2003 due to an inoperable form of mesothelioma, and his appearance on Letterman in 2002 ended up being his last interview and final public performance. 

Interviewing Bill Clinton for the first time, however, Letterman said he was "anxious for totally different reasons."

"Of course, what I learned about Bill was that you don’t even need to be in the studio for that interview. He’ll take care of it," Letterman said about the famous orator and former president.

Clinton would go on to make nine other appearances on Letterman's show. Their tenth and final interview took place during Letterman's penultimate week as host of "The Late Show," where Clinton joked that there's a 100% chance he'll move back to the White House if his wife, Hillary Clinton, wins the presidential election.

SEE ALSO: David Letterman kept his assistants after 'Late Show': 'I can no longer operate a telephone'

MORE: Tina Fey, Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Murray, and more read Letterman's final 'Top 10' list

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Princess Bride' Star Cary Elwes Describes His Bizarre Meeting With Bill Clinton

Former "Late Show" host David Letterman thinks he may have retired a little too early.

“I was complacent. I was satisfied. I was content," he said Friday night. "And then a couple of days ago Donald Trump said he was running for president. I have made the biggest mistake of my life.”

Letterman was crashing Steve Martin and Martin Short's show in San Antonio, Texas when he pulled one of his famous top ten lists out of his suit pocket.

He proceeded to rattle off jokes about the Republican presidential candidate that ran the gamut from the personal -- “Donald Trump weighs 240 pounds, 250 with cologne" -- to the political.

"Thanks to Donald Trump, the Republican mascot is also an ass," Letterman quipped.

Of course, the comedian also made a crack about the backlash to Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants.

"Donald Trump has pissed off so many Mexicans he's starring in a new movie entitled 'No Amigos,'" Letterman said to big laughs.

Watch below around the 3:30 mark:

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump just doubled down on his immigration argument in an intense way

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The trailer for season two of Comedy Central's hilarious 'Review' goes to insane new heights

The internet went into a frenzy over David Letterman's Santa Claus-like retirement beard when he made an appearance at Ball State University, his alma mater, a few days ago.

But Letterman isn't the first to change up his looks after finishing a show. Both Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart let their beards grow when they finished their daily hosting jobs.

And for some other actors, specific characters call for distinctive looks, so once the project is finished, the opportunity for a switch presents itself.

These six actors drastically changed their looks after wrapping a show:  

SEE ALSO: Harrison Ford got really honest about why he's doing 'Star Wars' again: 'I got paid'

David Letterman

Letterman had a clean-shaven face during the last episode of the "Late Show with David Letterman" in May 2015. 

Six months later, Letterman was sporting this Santa Claus-style beard during a visit to his alma mater, Ball State University. 

Nick Offerman

Offerman's mustache distinguished his character of Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation." He sometimes grew a beard in between seasons, but the mustache was a staple and was still there when the show finished filming in 2014. 

The best speeches — whether they're funny, inspiring, maddening or harrowing — are remembered long after the speaker has left the stage. Some are notable precisely because someone decides to leave the stage (we're looking at you, Kanye). 

These seven speeches — by actors, musicians, and even the international champion of public speaking — run the emotional gamut and were among the most memorable of 2015.

Scroll through to watch the most memorable speeches of the year, curated by Toastmasters International, a nonprofit that teaches public speaking and leadership skills.

SEE ALSO: Here's a breakdown of the speech that won the 2015 World Championship of Public Speaking

SEE ALSO: The best advice from the greatest commencement speeches of all time

While accepting his Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, J.K. Simmons told the audience to "call your mom, call your dad" and tell them how much you love them.

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/EBoMKkmJEMg
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

Tim Cook encouraged graduates to find their "North Star" and never forget their values during his commencement speech at George Washington University.

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/KBr7YXDYN1c
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

David Letterman effusively thanked viewers for supporting him throughout his 33-year run as the host of the 'Late Show.'

Youtube Embed:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/0d3FKQupM9A
Width: 560px
Height: 315px

After spending more than 33 years on TV, David Letterman retired this May. And after months away, he's not missing it like he thought he would. 

In an interview with the Whitefish Review, a Montana publication (Letterman has a ranch there), the former host said that he was surprised by his reaction when Stephen Colbert took over for him on the "Late Show."

"I thought I would have some trouble, some emotional trouble, or some feeling of displacement, but I realized, hey, that’s not my problem anymore. And I have felt much better," he said. "It’s something for younger men and women to take on. So I haven’t missed it, the way I thought I might. And I do little things here and there to sort of keep me up and moving." 

Letterman said stepping away from the show has given him a chance to reflect on his career and made him realize that he doesn't care about television as much anymore. 

"You believe that what you are doing is of great importance and that it is affecting mankind wall-to-wall. And then when you get out of it you realize, oh, well, that wasn’t true at all," he said. "It was just silliness. And when that occurred to me, I felt so much better and I realized, geez, I don’t think I care that much about television anymore. I feel foolish for having been misguided by my own ego for so many years."

Retiring has also allowed him to spend valuable time with his 12-year-old.

"Because of my son I do things I would have done when I was 12, to show him — look, you can do this," he said. "You have to grow up to have some wisdom, but I think part of that is letting your kids know that there’s some pretty silly stuff that you can get away with that is going to enhance your life."

He later added: "I know I’ve grown old. But I don’t think I’ve grown up. I think I have achieved a certain level of wisdom, probably not what it ought to be, but in terms of growing up, no, I still like goofing around."

And as for the Santa Claus-esque beard Letterman is sporting these days, he said everyone — including his wife and son — hates it, but after shaving every day for 33 years, he was tired of it. 

"I’ve kind of developed a real creepy look with it that I’m sort of enjoying," he said. "And I can tell that people are off-put by it. And the more people implore me to shave, the stronger my resolve is to not shave. So the day that I shave, I’ll call you.

"And I know, it’s not a good-looking beard. But I don’t even care," he continued. "I just don’t care. And it’s kind of fun — well, I won’t say that it’s fun to walk around irritating people, I think I’ve proved that on TV­ — but it’s sort of amusing to see the reactions." 

Read Letterman's complete interview with the Whitefish Review. 

SEE ALSO: This chart shows the number of TV shows hit a 'staggering' new high in 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: M&Ms passed on the ultimate product placement opportunity back in the ‘80s

Chris Rock is returning to host the Oscars this Sunday amid the #OscarsSoWhite protests. But the actor had once said that he wouldn't take the MC spot again unless there were a lot more black people on the show.

The comedian said that about 10 years ago on CBS's "Late Night with David Letterman," just after hosting the 2005 awards ceremony, and Vulture dug up the clip.

During the interview, Letterman and Rock compared their Oscars hosting experiences (Letterman served as the show's host in 1995 in a notable low point). At one point (about 3:05 into the clip), Letterman asked Rock if he would host again.

"Yeah, if there are a lot of black people on it, I would do the show again. Oh, it was black that night, man," he joked. "Jamie Foxx and Morgan [Freeman] and Beyoncé. It was like the Def Oscar Jam."

In fact, 2005 was a relatively good night for diversity. Foxx won best actor for playing Ray Charles in “Ray,” and Freeman was named best supporting actor for “Million Dollar Baby.” Beyoncé, Antonio Banderas, Carlos Santana, and Yo Yo Ma performed.

But Rock will next host one of the most controversial awards, in which all the acting nominees are white for the second year in a row. In Rock's defense, when he signed on to host this year's ceremony, the nominees had not yet been announced.

Spike Lee, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and other celebrities are sitting out this year's Oscars in protest, and others like George Clooney have expressed their anger over the lack of nominees of color.

In response, the Academy reiterated its intention to make diversity a priority, and is changing some rules to do so. And Rock reportedly went back to the drawing board to craft a show script that reflected the #OscarsSoWhite protests.

The Academy also announced a list of presenters that looks much more diverse than many of the nomination categories.

Rock has consistently shown he could bring humor to the scrutinized event through various tweets, such as this one posted on Friday morning:

SEE ALSO: Sylvester Stallone offered to boycott this year's Oscars in solidarity with 'Creed' director

SEE ALSO: The surprising earliest TV gigs of 11 Oscar-worthy actors

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jada Pinkett Smith says 'people of color' don't need the Oscars anymore

A lot changes when you leave your job for good: the freedom to choose what to do with most of your hours, your mental focus.a

And then there are the visual changes. David Letterman has proven a man's look can change a lot in retirement, as he's stepped out since leaving CBS's "Late Show" with a huge, bushy beard and, more recently, what appears to be a shaved head.

Letterman also looks distinctly happy. Following his 33-year career in late-night hosting, he's been exercising by the beach in the Caribbean and visiting his hometown. This is a man who looks like he doesn't have a care in the world.

See how David Letterman has been living it up in retirement below:

David Letterman's last day as host of the "Late Show" was May 20, 2015. Celebrities including Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin showed up for the occasion, and Letterman wished his replacement Stephen Colbert well on the gig.

Days later, Letterman attended the Indy 500 in his hometown of Indianapolis. You can see the stubble of a man who has defiantly quit shaving.

Letterman joined his old musical sidekick from the "Late Show," Paul Shaffer, for the annual Little Kids Rock Benefit in October. The beard was already getting pretty bushy.

David Letterman's beard has captivated the country with its chill retirement aesthetic, but as it turns out, the former "Late Show" host has a few qualms about retiring since leaving the show in May 2015. Accepting a Peabody Award this week from his friend Steve Martin, Letterman discussed how a recent state dinner at the White House gave him a major blow to his self-esteem and why retiring might not be as grand as people expect. Read an excerpt from his speech below:

Thank you very much. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Uh, I dozed off just a little bit — is this still the 75th anniversary?

Steve Martin, first of all — if you want to be in show business of any description, Steve Martin is who you ought to shoot for. This man, multifaceted, great talent. When he leaves the planet, he will leave behind a tremendous, wonderful, brilliant body of work. When I leave the planet, I will leave behind a body. It's only May, but already Steve is featuring his midsummer tan. So pale, is Steve.

I tell you, if you want to have something affect your self-esteem, retire.

First, of course you must tire, and then retire. And a few weeks ago, I got very excited because the Obamas invited myself and my wife to a state dinner, and I said, "Oh my god, Regina, we've been invited to a state dinner!" And she says, "Oh, I love steak." I said, "No."

Am I the only one who noticed how pale Steve is? So we go to the steak, state dinner, and it's for the heads of the Nordic states, and President Obama was giving remarks before he introduced the heads of state. And he was talking about how cooperative their union was, the Nordic states. Yes, they have differences, but by and large they all felt and had the same beliefs, and they were good for mankind, and believed in the right thing, and they were strong allies for the United States. He said: "Don't misunderstand me, they do argue. They do have ... as a matter of fact, there is still an ongoing fight in the Nordic States about which country is happiest."

And then the prime minister of Iceland got up, and he said, "We are working on a defensive weapons system right now." And this gets everybody's attention! Like, Iceland, really? Working on a defensive weapons system? And he said: "Yes, volcanoes. We just haven't figured out how to aim them yet."

So I'm seated at dinner next to a man who is the assistant chief of staff to the prime minister of Norway. And I'm feeling like a big shot. And we're chatting, and we're chatting, and we're chatting. And when it comes about dessert time, and the guy says to me, "Excuse me. Why are you here?" And I said, You know what? I think I picked up somebody else's mail. And he said, "So you're here by mistake?" And I said, Yeah. And he said, "Oh."

So there you go — you get invited to the state dinner, nobody knows why. That's the sum total of being retired.

Awkward.

SEE ALSO: The biggest box-office hit the year you were born

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: All 460 Sports Authority stores are closing — here’s when clearance sales begin

Many people are fascinated (and horrified) by David Letterman's unruly retirement beard. But apparently, that will only make it worse.

Letterman has let his former "Late Show" band leader Paul Shaffer in on the reason why he grew and continues to grow the offensive facial hair.

"Yes, it's getting bigger and bigger," Shaffer told TMZ of the state of Letterman's beard. 

When asked if Letterman has confided in him about the hairy situation, Shaffer revealed, "He tells me that everyone in his family hates the beard. And the more they hate it, the more he loves it."

In a late-2015 interview with the Whitefish Review, Letterman acknowledged that he wasn't bothered by his family's feelings on the beard.

"Everybody hates it," Letterman explained. "My wife hates it. My son hates it. But it's interesting. I've kind of developed a real creepy look with it that I'm sort of enjoying."

For the former late-night host, the beard is part of the benefits of being retired after a life spent in the public eye.

"I had to shave every day — every day — for 33 years," he said. "And even before that when I was working on local TV. And I just thought, the first thing I will do when I am not on TV is stop shaving."

Watch Shaffer discuss Letterman's beard below:

Note: The spelling of Paul Shaffer's name was corrected after this article published.

SEE ALSO: 8 photos that show how much David Letterman is loving retirement

DON'T MISS: David Letterman kept his assistants after 'Late Show': 'I can no longer operate a telephone'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These 25-year-old BFFs are Instagram stars thanks to their crazy beards

David Letterman has truly moved on from his former career in late-night television.

In his first TV interview since retiring in May 2015, the former "Late Show" host said that he doesn't look back at his old job at all.

"I thought for sure I would," Letterman told Tom Brokaw on NBC's "Dateline: On Assignment" when asked if he misses the late-night show. "And then, the first day of [Stephen Colbert's] show, when he went on the air, an energy left me and I felt like, 'You know, that's not my problem anymore.' And I've kind of felt that way ever since."

Letterman has been vocal about fully basking in his retirement — from time spent with his young son to rebelliously growing out a beard that's unpopular with his family and many of his fans.

"I devoted so much time [to my career] to the damage of other aspects of my life," he told Brokaw. "The concentrated, fixated, focusing on that, it's good now to not have that. I couldn't care less about late-night television."

As for his replacement, Letterman said that CBS didn't include him on those discussions. If it had, then it sounds as if he would've advocated for a bold move for late night.

"I'm happy for the guys, men and women. There should be more women," he said. "And I don't know why they didn't give my show to a woman. That would have been fine. You know, I'm happy for their success. And they're doing things I couldn't do. So that's great."

The full interview will air on "Dateline: On Assignment" this Sunday at 7 p.m. on NBC.

Watch the excerpt from the interview below:

SEE ALSO: The former 'Late Show' band leader just explained why David Letterman loves his retirement beard

DON'T MISS: David Letterman kept his assistants after 'Late Show': 'I can no longer operate a telephone'

Join the conversation about this story »

Not even the chance to make fun of Donald Trump's presidential run gives David Letterman any regrets about retiring. Surprisingly, it barely seems to register on his joke radar.

When Tom Brokaw asked Letterman in a new interview if he has any feelings of missing out, the retired "Late Show" host didn't seem to feel that Trump's run was all that comical.

"I understand that he's repugnant to people," Letterman said during his first television interview since retiring, on "Dateline NBC: On Assignment." "The men putting together the Constitution, witnessing this election, wouldn't they have just said, 'That's part of the way we set it up. Good luck?'"

He then added, "There's nothing illegal going on. It's just he's despicable."

Letterman was able to find the silver lining — and inject a little humor — in the subject of Trump's run.

"And in this very school," the retired host said while he and Brokaw spoke in front of a school, "and everybody's school, you hear, 'The great thing about America is anybody can grow up to be president.' Oh, jeez."

The full interview will air on "Dateline: On Assignment" this Sunday at 7 p.m. on NBC.

Watch the excerpt from the interview below:

SEE ALSO: David Letterman: 'I couldn't care less about late-night television'

DON'T MISS: The former 'Late Show' band leader just explained why David Letterman loves his retirement beard

Join the conversation about this story »

If David Letterman could have held on for another year in late night, he would've had a really good time taking on Donald Trump.

In previous years, Letterman enjoyed having Trump on his show. They went toe-to-toe several times. In fact, Hillary Clinton uses a clip from a 2012 "Late Show" interview — in which Letterman called out Trump for having his Macy's clothing line made in Asia — in one of her campaign commercials (watch it below).

"Nobody took him seriously, and people loved him when he would come on the show," Letterman, 69, said in a new interview with The New York Times. "I would make fun of his hair, I would call him a slumlord, I would make fun of his ties. And he could just take a punch like nothing. He was the perfect guest."

But that was before he became a serious contender for the American presidency. Letterman has ceased to find the real-estate mogul so funny in that capacity. Letterman said he had been shocked by Trump's comments about immigrants and by the time Trump mocked a reporter with a disability.

"If this was somebody else — if this was a member of your family or a next-door neighbor, a guy at work — you would immediately distance yourself from that person," the retired late-night host said. "And that's what I thought would happen. Because if you can do that in a national forum, that says to me that you are a damaged human being. If you can do that, and not apologize, you're a person to be shunned."

When asked about Jimmy Fallon's recent interview with Trump on "The Tonight Show" that observers criticized for its lack of tough questions, Letterman said he would definitely have been harder on the Republican nominee.

"If I had a show, I would have gone right after him," Letterman, who is promoting his involvement in the National Geographic Channel series "Years of Living Dangerously," told The Times.

"I would have said something like, 'Hey, nice to see you. Now, let me ask you: What gives you the right to make fun of a human who is less fortunate, physically, than you are?'" he continued. "And maybe that's where it would have ended. Because I don't know anything about politics. I don't know anything about trade agreements. I don't know anything about China devaluing the yuan. But if you see somebody who's not behaving like any other human you've known, that means something. They need an appointment with a psychiatrist. They need a diagnosis and they need a prescription."

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Fallon mocks his Donald Trump interview by gifting Hillary Clinton actual softballs

DON'T MISS: David Letterman says 'despicable' Donald Trump proves that 'anybody can grow up to be president'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Letterman rips Trump, calls him a 'damaged human' who should be 'shunned'

David Letterman tells The New York Times how he would tackle an interview with Donald Trump. 

Follow BI Video: On Twitter 

Join the conversation about this story »

Tina Fey has been thinking a lot about dignity in the face of Donald Trump's presidential election victory.

Fey spoke with retired late-night host David Letterman for a wide-ranging interview in honor of the Hollywood Reporter awarding Fey its annual Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.

Letterman began the interview by saying he felt "anxious" after Trump's presidential win last month and asked Fey how she felt about the incoming administration.

Fey said she first looked to the award's namesake, Lansing, for inspiration. The women had worked together when Fey was writing the movie "Mean Girls" and Lansing was the CEO of Paramount Pictures.

"She was a lady who worked in a very, very ugly business and always managed to be quite dignified," Fey said. "But in a world where the president makes fun of handicapped people and fat people, how do we proceed with dignity?"

Fey was referring to remarks Trump had made throughout his campaign and as an entertainer.

Fey had two recommendations: "I want to tell people, 'If you do two things this year, watch 'Idiocracy' by Mike Judge and read [Nazi filmmaker] Leni Riefenstahl's 800-page autobiography ['Leni Riefenstahl: A Memoir'] and then call it a year."

Letterman asked for more information on Riefenstahl. Fey explained that she was a groundbreaking German sports photographer who made films for Adolph Hitler and was an example of how to lose one's dignity.

"She did some terrible, terrible things," Fey explained. "And I remember reading [her book] 20 years ago, thinking, 'This is a real lesson, to be an artist who doesn't roll with what your leader is doing just because he's your leader.'"

The "Saturday Night Live" alum also said she worries about Trump's influence on an already "despicable" internet.

"That's just despicable: people just being able to be awful to each other without having to be in the same room," she said of online behavior. "It's metastasizing now, thanks to our glorious president-elect who can't muster the dignity of a seventh-grader. It's so easy for people to abuse each other and to abandon all civility."

Speaking of dignity and the internet, Fey weighed in on the ongoing Twitter feud between Trump and his "SNL" impersonator and Fey's former "30 Rock" costar, Alec Baldwin. In this case, she feels Baldwin can handle himself quite fine.

"At one level, it just makes me feel sick for the state of the world because it's so beneath a president," she said of Trump's Twitter jabs at Baldwin and "SNL.""But also my feeling is: 'You think you're good at being a jerk on Twitter? You will now face the grandmaster of being a jerk on Twitter.'"

Read David Letterman's full interview with Tina Fey at The Hollywood Reporter.

SEE ALSO: Trump tweets 'SNL' is 'unwatchable' after its sketch about his tweets

DON'T MISS: Trevor Noah says there's a 'bright side' to Trump's rampant tweeting

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump slams Alec Baldwin: 'His imitation of me is really mean-spirited and not very good'

If David Letterman could have held on for another year in late night, he would've had a good time taking on President Donald Trump.

"If I still had a show, people would have to come and take me off the stage," Letterman told New York magazine in a new interview. "'Dave, that's enough about Trump. We've run out of tape.' It's all I'd be talking about. I'd be exhausted."

In previous years, Letterman enjoyed having Trump on his show. They went toe-to-toe several times. In fact, Hillary Clinton used a clip from a 2012 "Late Show" interview— in which Letterman called out Trump for having his Macy's clothing line made in Asia — in one of her campaign commercials.

"I always regarded him as, if you're going to have New York City, you gotta have a Donald Trump," the 69-year-old comedian said. "He was a joke of a wealthy guy. We didn't take him seriously. He'd sit down, and I would just start making fun of him. He never had any retort. He was big and doughy, and you could beat him up. He seemed to have a good time, and the audience loved it, and that was Donald Trump."

But that was before Trump was elected president. Letterman says he has stopped finding the real-estate mogul funny in that capacity.

"I'm tired of people being bewildered about everything he says: 'I can't believe he said that.' We gotta stop that and instead figure out ways to protect ourselves from him," Letterman said. "We know he's crazy. We gotta take care of ourselves here now."

When asked about Jimmy Fallon's interview with Trump during the election on NBC's "The Tonight Show," which observers criticized for its lack of tough questions, Letterman offered how he would have behaved in the situation.

"I don't want to criticize Jimmy Fallon," he said, "but I can only tell you what I would have done in that situation: I would have gone to work on Trump."

And if Letterman had a chance to do just that, he already knows what he'd want to cover with the president.

"I would just start with a list: 'You did this. You did that. Don't you feel stupid for having done that, Don? And who's this goon [White House chief strategist] Steve Bannon, and why do you want a white supremacist as one of your advisers? Come on, Don, we both know you're lying. Now, stop it.' I think I would be in the position to give him a bit of a scolding, and he would have to sit there and take it. Yeah, I would like an hour with Donald Trump — an hour and a half."

Read New York magazine's interview with Letterman »

SEE ALSO: David Letterman: Donald Trump is a 'damaged human,' and I would have 'gone right after him'

DON'T MISS: Jimmy Fallon mocks his Donald Trump interview by gifting Hillary Clinton actual softballs

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A hacker explains why Trump using his old Android phone for Twitter could be a huge security threat

David Letterman attacked Donald Trump again in a new interview with New York Magazine. The former host of "The Late Show" previously criticized Trump during his campaign, calling him "a damaged human being," and "a person to be shunned." Now, the former late night host is going after Trump's inner circle, including Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway, Stephen Miller, and Steve Bannon.

Join the conversation about this story »

Sen. Al Franken continued to harp on his favorite target on Tuesday in a wide-ranging chat with David Letterman.

At an event promoting his new book "Al Franken: Giant of the Senate" at the 92nd St. Y in New York, the Minnesota senator fielded Letterman's questions about President Donald Trump, potential collusion between the president and the Russians during 2016, his history as a comedian, and his political aspirations.

But the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member also repeatedly poked-fun at Sen. Ted Cruz, whom Franken joked about at length in his book and described as a "sociopath" and "singularly dishonest" for his policy positions and willingness to break senate protocols while seemingly in pursuit of higher office. 

In recent months, Franken has become more comfortable returning to his comedic roots after attempting to cultivate a veneer of seriousness throughout his 2008 and 2014 campaigns and first term in the Senate.

Franken went viral during an innuendo-laced exchange with now-Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry during his confirmation hearing and appeared onstage with comedian Sarah Silverman during last year's Democratic National Convention.

"Giant of the Senate" recounts Franken's attempts to suppress his humor, including several anecdotes in which his staff attempted to strip jokes from speeches and relegate his sarcastic asides to car rides in between events.

Franken's high profile has stoked speculation about his presidential aspirations, but the former comedian denied that he is interested in running for president in 2020.

"I'm not going to do that," Franken said on Tuesday, recounting a conversation with his son in which he described running for president as a "stupid" idea.

"That's what I tell people," Letterman replied. "It's not going to happen because his son will beat him up."

SEE ALSO: Democrats are pushing an unlikely person — Jerry Springer — to run for governor in Ohio

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Our democracy is at risk': Watch Rep. Al Green call for Trump's impeachment

Since David Letterman stepped down from his 33-year run as one of the big late-night TV hosts two years ago, he has kept very quiet — outside of the public appearances where he sports his massive grey beard. 

But that's about the change. 

Netflix announced on Tuesday that Letterman will be joining the streaming giant to host an interview series. 

The untitled hour-long show, set to debut next year, will feature “in-depth conversations with extraordinary people, and in-the-field segments expressing his curiosity and humor,” according to the release Netflix sent out.

“I feel excited and lucky to be working on this project for Netflix," Letterman said in the release. "Here's what I have learned, if you retire to spend more time with your family, check with your family first. Thanks for watching, drive safely."

Letterman left his CBS show, "The Late Show," in May of 2015. From 1982-1993 he was the host of NBC's "Late Night," where he built a unique comedy style that would turned him into one of the greatest late-night hosts TV has ever seen.

Letterman is just another major notch in Netflix's belt. The streaming giant on Monday landed its first acquisition with the comic book publisher Millarworld.

This is not Netflix's first foray into the talk-show world. It currently has "Chelsea," hosted by comic Chelsea Handler. However, it seems the show hasn't found its legs yet, as the show's format was changed to just one episode a week for season two, following three episodes a week its debut season.

SEE ALSO: The big Hollywood romantic comedy is dead — here's what happened to it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's the first trailer for the second season of 'Westworld'

• David Letterman's new Netflix original talk show premieres January 12 with Barack Obama as its first guest. 
• The hour-long show is titled "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman," and it airs monthly.
• Jay-Z, George Clooney, and Tina Fey are among the five other guests set to appear.

President Barack Obama will be the first guest on David Letterman's new Netflix original talk show, which premieres on January 12, Netflix announced on Friday.

The series is titled "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman."

New episodes of the show will air monthly, and each episode is an hour long. 

Netflix announced a lineup of influential guests for the show's first six episodes, including Jay-Z, George Clooney, and Tina Fey, with the following tweet:

Letterman retired from CBS' "Late Show" in 2015, after hosting the show for 22 years. 

Netflix landed its deal with Letterman in August. The company described the series by saying that its "interviews will take place both inside and outside a studio setting. The conversations are intimate, in-depth and far-reaching, with the levity and humor Dave’s fans know and love. Field segments will bring Dave to locations far and wide, expressing his curiosity and desire to dig deeper on a specific topic related to the iconic guest featured in the episode."

Netflix made a previous run at a talk show series with Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea," which it canceled in October after two seasons that failed to move the needle in a crowded landscape. In contrast to Letterman's monthly series, "Chelsea" initially aired three times a week before scaling back to weekly episodes in its second season.

Watch a trailer for the new Letterman series below:

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• Barack Obama jokes about an experience of dancing with Prince in a new clip from the first episode of David Letterman's upcoming Netflix talk show.
• "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman" premieres Friday with Obama as its first guest. 
• Subsequent guests on the monthly series include Jay-Z, Tina Fey, and George Clooney.

Netflix has released a short clip previewing Barack Obama's appearance on the first episode of David Letterman's new Netflix talk show, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." 

In the 52-second video, Obama recounts a self-deprecating experience of dancing with Prince, months before the singer died in 2016. The former president jokes that he has "dad moves" and practices "staying in the pocket" to avoid embarrassment while dancing.

Letterman's new, hour-long series is set to air monthly after the Obama episode debuts on January 12. Subsequent episodes feature an influential list of guests, including Jay-Z, Tina Fey, and George Clooney. 

Netflix described the series by saying that its "interviews will take place both inside and outside a studio setting. The conversations are intimate, in-depth and far-reaching, with the levity and humor Dave’s fans know and love. Field segments will bring Dave to locations far and wide, expressing his curiosity and desire to dig deeper on a specific topic related to the iconic guest featured in the episode."

Watch the clip below:

SEE ALSO: Here are all the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We asked the host of HQ Trivia 12 questions to see how much he knows about game shows