Who Are David Letterman's Final Guests?

Well, the time is slowly ticking on one of America's television institutions. Wednesday, May 20, will mark the final episode the Late Show With David Letterman which has brought some of the most exciting, controversial, and bizarre celebrities into the homes of American audiences. On May 13, Letterman's epic showmances with Julia Roberts came to an end, with one of their final friendly kisses which became a running joke between to the two friends over the course of 25 years. He's had many close relationship with returning guests over the years, so when Letterman announced his retirement and final show date, many fans immediately wondered: Who are going to be David Letterman's last guests?

Tom Hanks became the Late Show's second to last guest on the show, and this also marked his 60th appearance on the show! Hanks ended his run on Letterman by keeping up with the times and asking him for, what else, a selfie using a selfie stick. And on Tuesday, May 19, David Letterman's last scheduled guest on the penultimate episode will be none-other than Bill Murray, with musical guest, Bob Dylan. As for the guests on his absolute final episode, that remains unknown but it sounds like the episode will focus on memories over the years and giving Letterman and the show a fond farewell.

In researching this, my first thought was "YES!" because I really love Bill Murray. I once bumped into him at karaoke while out in NYC and gave him a big bear hug and we high-fived and my life was made (sorry, I had to brag). He also has been in some of my favorite movies, and is pretty much my favorite actor/person, ever. And Bob Dylan, well, he's Bob Dylan, arguably the best songwriter of the past century. Obviously, I thought Murray would be a perfect final guest because he is hilarious and sarcastic in the same way Letterman is, and it turns out, he has been a friend of the show for a very long time.

The scheduling of Murray as a final guest is the perfect final end to an era. Bill Murray was Letterman's first guest on the debut of Late Night with David Letterman on February 1, 1982. This show had its home on NBC, and when the Late Show with David Letterman debuted on CBS in August 1993, Murray was once again the first guest to grace the stage!

This appearance kicked off many years of really great comedic chemistry between the two comedians who love to push the boundaries for a good laugh. Rob Burnett, a long time producer of the Late Show, shared what he thinks is the key to their great coupling. He told the Associated Press,

Bill, like Dave, never latches onto the most obvious take. They both in their own way understand the world and have a view that is 10 percent off to the side. In some ways, Bill really embodies the sensibility of the Late Show and knows how to maximize that to great effect.

So, what should we expect from the penultimate Late Show episode with Bill Muray? Most certainly we can expect something very over-the-top, and based on his history with the show, something involving many costumes. Murray has appeared on the show dressed up as a jockey, Peter Pan, a robed gentlemen, and most famously as Liberace for the shows 20th anniversary, complete with white car and poodle.

And I have a feeling that if Bob Dylan ends the episode with a rendition of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" there will not be a dry eye in the house of millions of Americans across the country. It definitely will be the end of an era in entertainment.

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