'Late Show' Dream Comes True

"I saw an opportunity and I took it."

So 11-year-old Shawn Presser told Anchor Bryant Gumbel on The Early Show Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Shawn's dream came true when he appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman, thanks, in part, to Gumbel's intervention.

On Dec. 29, Shawn and his father, Lee Presser, were hiking in the Colorado mountains when the elder Presser slipped, knocking them both at least 50 feet down the side of a mountain.

Lee Presser was rendered unconscious. Shawn managed to get his father's cell phone and call 911 for help. Because of this call, he and his father were rescued.

Shawn Presser and his dad appeared on The Early Show Jan. 7 to talk about their amazing rescue from the Colorado mountains.

As Gumbel was wrapping up his interview with the Pressers, Shawn spoke up, saying, "Hey, Gumbel. I have a quick question."

His question was whether Gumbel could arrange for Shawn to appear on the Letterman program. Gumbel, ever the gracious host, said he would see what he could do. By Monday, Shawn was booked, and the Pressers were flown to New York.

What did his parents think of Shawn's request?

"When I heard the 'Hey, Gumbel,' I could have gone through the floor," said his mother. "I hoped people at home didn't think he was raised in a barn."

Added his father, "I was caught off guard. I had no idea he'd blurt it out on television but, like any kid who wants something, he went for it."

When he got to the Ed Sullivan Theater, where The Late Show is taped, Shawn said, "I thought the stage and the studio would have been a lot larger. They look big on TV, but they're both really small."

Letterman signed the cast on his arm. (Shawn also has a cast on his leg.) If all goes well, both of Shawn's casts will be removed Feb. 7.

But when Letterman asked him about his father, Shawn got a severe case of the giggles. "I was so nervous," he recalled. "I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stop laughing."

Shawn and his family met with Letterman privately after the show. "I told him how nice it was for him to let me be on his show, and I told him that I had a really good time," the boy said. "We took pictures with him, and he met my mom and dad."

Mom Marina added, "The staff told me that David Letterman never comes backstage after the show to chat with guests. I thought it was so nice of him to treat Shawn so special."

During the interview, Letterman presented Shawn with a GPS radar locating device and a copy of the book Mountain Climbing for Dummies.

But that's not all the late-night host gave the Pressers. After the taping of the show, Letterman sent them out for dinner - on him - at a New York steakhouse. The Pressers planned to spend the rest of their time in the Big Apple taking in the sights.

"I'd like to thank you for makinall this happen," Marina Presser told Gumbel during the family's appearance on The Early Show Wednesday.

"It's my pleasure," replied the anchor. "It's always been my desire to be a booking agent."

In the glare of Shawn's spotlight, his parents are advising him to enjoy the moment, because fame is fleeting. But it may linger longer than they had expected.

"A network show wants to book him to share his story on a piece they're doing on survival stories," said Lee Presser. "He's appearing on Extra sometime this week. And he's already been asked to write a book and to work on a movie deal. It's really overwhelming for us."

Who does Shawn think should play him in the movie version? With little hesitation, the boy replied, "Leonardo DiCaprio."