In 1995, Drew Barrymore hopped up on David Letterman’s desk for a dance that became one of the most memorable moments in late-night TV history. Thirty years later, the endlessly charming actress has reprised her classic pop culture touchstone by climbing onto another late-night host’s desk to shimmy her hips once again, this time atop the desk of Stephen Colbert, whose show was shockingly canceled earlier this year. Days after she showed up and shook it on Late Night With Stephen Colbert, Barrymore welcomed Letterman as a guest on her own daytime program, The Drew Barrymore Show, where he offered his reflections on their infamous moment and her recent recreation.
Drew was just 20 years old when she made the now-legendary appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. At the time, she was well known as a wild child, with effortless cool and an unpredictable streak. The mid-90s were a notoriously rebellious, free-spirited phase for Drew, and her desktop dance was certainly no exception. During the live taping on Letterman’s 48th birthday, she jumped up to offer him a spontaneous celebratory dance. She turned her back to the crowd and the cameras, and ever so briefly, lifted her blouse and flashed this host. The crowd erupted, and Letterman was clearly flustered, telling Barrymore, “You know, I can’t thank you enough for that,” as she returned to her chair and curled up in a fit of giggles. The moment has lived on, and on several occasions, the pair have come back together to reminisce.
Drew Barrymore Reprises Her Desktop Dance, This Time for Stephen Colbert
Fast-forward just over three decades, and Barrymore appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In a nod to her famous Letterman scene, she kicked off her shoes and climbed onto his desk to deliver a dance that echoed the original stunt. Now 50, Drew gave a tamer version of her dance, crawling across the desk and reclining, remarking with a laugh, “It’s different now!” She didn’t quite flash Colbert, but mimicked the moment by taking her jacket off to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the message “We Love Stephen.”
The dance came at a bittersweet moment. Earlier this year, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show franchise which ends May 2026. Colbert, who has anchored the program for 10 years, was let go and with that comes the end of the 33-year legacy of Late Night itself. Barrymore’s dance seemed to be a celebration and a send-off. She discussed the upcoming season of her show, and told Colbert about upcoming guests, which included David Letterman. And of course, she couldn’t mention Letterman while sitting in the Ed Sullivan Theater without reflecting on the memories she’d shared with him there. “I’m only mildly insulted you’ve never been on this desk,” he joked, prompting Barrymore to spring into action. And once he got her going, he couldn’t stop her.
Drew Barrymore and David Letterman Reflect on their Iconic Moment
Letterman and Drew took a walk down memory lane together during his appearance on her show. “I need to talk to you about something, and I get the feeling I’m at the right place,” he began. “You ever have a dream that you can’t tell if it’s real or did you wake up? I don’t know, it was more of a nightmare. It was god awful, and very upsetting. It was so upsetting, I TiVo’d it. Hal, roll that dream.” They watched Drew’s most recent desk dance before running back the original, and Letterman told her, “The interesting thing about that dream, I think it was born of an actual occurrence in my life many, many, many years ago that I still carry with me in my subconscious and cherish.”
Drew defended her updated dance, “I kept my top on this time!” She also insisted that any desktop dancing is done in Letterman’s honor. It’s not the first time they’ve reflected on the infamous stunt; he visited The Drew Barrymore Show a few years ago to re-watch the dance with Drew on its 25th anniversary. The two have formed a genuine friendship over the years, and their admiration for one another is evident each time they sit down together. And with Drew’s recent tribute to Colbert, Letterman seemed thrilled to be a part of this full-circle moment.
Catch The Drew Barrymore Show, weekdays on CBS.
Release Date
2015 – 2025-00-00
