David Letterman and Michael Stipe are basically the same person and here's the proof

Gianluca Mezzofiore
Updated

What do a legendary late night comedian in retirement and the former leader of a legendary rock band have in common (beside being legendary and retired)? 

SEE ALSO: David Letterman to Retire From 'Late Show' in 2015

Growing a legendary beard, of course. 

Enter David Letterman, the beloved late-night host who stepped down in 2015 after 22 years of service, smiling gracefully in the cover of New York magazine:

This shot of David Letterman — on the cover of our latest issue — was conceived at the very end of the shoot, says @nymag’s photography director, @JodyQuon. “Photographer Christopher Anderson had taken his last shot of Letterman, who was putting on his hat and sunglasses to leave. Anderson stopped him, and snapped the photo that’s now on the cover.” In the issue, on newsstands Monday, the former Late Show host talks about the man he calls “Trumpy,” how he would have covered his presidency, civilian life two years into retirement, and more. Full interview linked in bio. 📸: @christopherandersonphoto

A post shared by New York Magazine (@nymag) on Mar 5, 2017 at 7:08pm PST

It was fittingly described as "hipster Santa Claus" look or what'd happen if a member of the ZZ Top decided to live in Williamsburg. 

Now enter Michael Stipe, who since R.E.M. broke up in 2011 has been dutifully growing a full-fur look. Here he is, in all his follicular glory: 

Image: Mark Von Holden/REX/Shutterstock

OMG they're basically the same person!

Naturally, he noticed the stunning resemblance to his beard bro: 

So fucked up

A post shared by @michaelstipe on Mar 7, 2017 at 10:38pm PST

People on Twitter were pretty pleased about Stipe's remarks: 

WATCH: David Letterman comes out of retirement to roast Donald Trump