For decades, late-night television was defined by the clean-shaven, wisecracking host David Letterman. But after leaving The Late Show in 2015, Letterman began sporting an unexpected look: a bushy, white beard that drew comparisons to Santa Claus.
David Letterman consistently left a lasting impression with his farewell edition of The Late Show. When he walked away from his famous desk in 2015, he did so with grace and a sense of humor, ending more than three decades of late-night television with a “soft bang”—a celebration of the individuals who made the program what it was. That night was classic Letterman: segments, jokes, and music, but there was a sense of finality about it. The popular host spent the majority of his final minutes on live doing what he did best: giving credit where it was due and expressing genuine gratitude to the staff, his guests, and the people who had supported him over the years.
He concluded not with a boisterous fart, but with a refined performance, proving once again his status as a true master of his field.
Sage-like figure
Many people did not know how much they would miss him until after he went. For years, Letterman had been a late-night TV fixture, following in Johnny Carson’s footsteps and somehow making that coveted time slot even more comfortable and really amusing. Letterman, like Carson before him, had the remarkable ability to make every interview feel like a casual conversation, even when it turned out to be hilarious. But then he disappeared from the airwaves, and late-night television became a bit less spontaneous, a little less raw.
However, David Letterman’s departure from the daily grind of television does not signify his permanent absence. In fact, when he reappeared, many people were surprised by his appearance. He had a scruffy, pure white beard that gave him the appearance of a sage, replacing his usual clean-shaven face and carefully coiffed hair.
I’m not sure the typical person would identify him if they ran into him on the street or saw him go for a jog. Even while many people are aware that David has grown out his beard, this, combined with his aging, has resulted in a quite different picture from the one we have seen on television for decades. New images of the former Late Show host revealed a stunning post-retirement makeover, which surprised many. Images from 2016, when Letterman was photographed running in St. Barts, revealed a bald, bearded, and unrecognizably casual guy, in sharp contrast to the clean-cut TV figure viewers had become accustomed to seeing.
This wasn’t Letterman’s first time leaving his razor unused. In 2007-2008, the Writers Guild of America strike had a significant impact on practically all late-night talk programs. Many broadcasters paused their shows during that time, but David Letterman decided to pay his whole staff’s salary out of his money until the end of the year. In sympathy with the strikes, he joined other presenters in growing a “strike beard.”
However, in a notable episode from the summer of 2008, Dave’s scruffy look eventually met a razor, a moment that still brings a smile to many fans’ cheeks today.
However, David’s 2008 beard pales in comparison to his current facial hair. It appears that he opted to adopt a new appearance the moment he signed off from the Late Show. Only four months after his final episode, the beard was thicker than ever. At the time, he told Whitefish Review that he was just “sick and tired of shaving.” Today, the post-retirement beard is something of a mystery. Some joked that he resembled Santa Claus or a retired sea captain, while others regarded it as a symbol of freedom.
But it was more than simply letting go of the razor; it was a reflection of Letterman’s decision to abandon all of the formality and expectations that had defined his image for so long.
“I had to shave every day for 33 years,” he explained. “And even before that, I worked on local television. And I simply thought, “The first thing I’ll do when I’m not on TV is to stop shaving.”
However, not everyone likes his new appearance.
“Everybody hates it,” Letterman added. “My wife despised it. My son dislikes it. However, I find it intriguing. I’ve developed a scary appearance with it, which I’m liking.”
David Letterman today
David even quipped that the more people told him to shave, the less inclined he was to do so. The New York Post even sought other specialists to do a more thorough analysis of David Letterman’s new style. The article interviewed Douglas LaBier, head of the Center for Progressive Development, who explained why he feels Letterman has undergone such a radical shift in look. According to LaBier, being so prominent, familiar, and frequently idolized might drive public people such as Letterman to conform to a very rigid mold.
“Who you really are is not that external role,” he stated. “That external role brings you external success and material success, but that’s often at the expense of the person you feel you are inside . . . and you need to deal with that in some way.”
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David, 76, has a stunning beard and a laid-back manner that suggest he is finally living life on his own. He appears to be in excellent shape these days! His look now exudes a certain ease, a type of knowledge that only comes with experience, success, and perhaps a few blunders!