 Because of this enlarged role, the personality and beliefs of the Stephen Colbert character have become more clearly defined over the course of the show, complete with a fictitious backstory that has been revealed piecemeal in short monologues accompanying a part of the program.The character Colbert portrays in "Report" originated as an amplification of his self-important "Daily Show" correspondent.As they developed the character and the show Colbert and his staff began to look at some more specific models.