Stephen Colbert says this rare clip of him breaking character on the 'Late Show' shows what he's really like

Who's the real Stephen Colbert?

When Colbert was first named David Letterman's replacement on CBS's "Late Show" in April of last year, the comedian said that he would be himself, not the right wing character he played on Comedy Central's "Colbert Report."

That led many to wonder who it was they've been watching for nearly a decade. Well, short of actually showing you when he hits the "Late Show" stage, Colbert has an answer that comes with a visual aid.

"I promise you, if you're wondering who the real Stephen Colbert is, there's a super cut online of me laughing, me breaking character the entire time. That's me," he said during Wednesday's Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, according to a transcript acquired by Business Insider.

The video consists of nearly 14 minutes of Colbert breaking character, flubbing lines, and genuinely finding the lines too strange or too hard to say without giggling.

"I'm laughing at our jokes," Colbert explained. "What I do with the show is we do the show for each other all day, and it's my job and my privilege and my responsibility to translate to you, the audience at home, what we already did for each other.  That guy who can't stop laughing, that's the real Stephen Colbert.  I can't wait for him to be the only guy you see."

Watch the video below: