John Oliver reflects on Jon Stewart’s ‘Daily Show’ exit

The departure of Jon Stewart from “The Daily Show” on Thursday is going to be a pretty emotional occasion for many, as this is not just a guy who entertained millions of people and really helped introduce many young people to the political process. He also became a real cultivator of great talent. Look at people like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Olivia Munn, Larry Wilmore, Ed Helms, Samantha Bee, Rob Corddry, and many more who were at one point a major part of the show.

Of course, we’re talking today about a man in John Oliver who may even defeat Stewart at the Emmys this year for his show “Last Week Tonight,” which Oliver admitted to Entertainment Weekly this week would not be possible were it not for his future boss.

“He’s such an influential presence in my life … Especially right now – I can’t really imagine my life without him in it. It’s hard to overstate – I wouldn’t be sitting in this country if it wasn’t for him, you know? I left the country for him, so I think I have a slightly different relationship to him – in my own head, at least – compared to Americans who’ve worked there before. I left my country for that man. I don’t live in the country I was born in because I wanted to work with him … And the show I do now, I definitely would not be doing without him.”

Working on Stewart’s show helped Oliver to immigrate to the county, and one of the more interesting stories that came out of this was that he was forced to work during the 2008 writers’ strike since immigration rules prohibited him from striking. He was on a visitor visa at the time, but later received his green card.

We’re still hoping that Oliver turns up at least one more time on “The Daily Show” before it ends; for now, you can head over here to see the announced roster of final guests. Also, be sure to sign up for our CarterMatt Newsletter here, where you can get some other TV stories sent over to you every week. (Photo: Comedy Central.)