Larry Wilmore is not about to be spoiled by sudden success.

The next late-night host on Comedy Central said a friend recently told him not to let success change him. Mr. Wilmore, who is 53 and probably best known for his stinging comedy commentaries as the “senior black correspondent” on “The Daily Show,” said he responded:

“It’s too late for success to do anything to me. I’m too old. Success had its chance. It’s too late for you, success. You had your shot. You’re not going to change me at this point.”

That was a bit of a comedy riff, of course. But Mr. Wilmore was sincere about appreciating the opportunity when his new late-night show starts on Comedy Central. The start date, being announced officially on Thursday, is Jan. 19.

“When you’re older and you get this kind of thing, you can really enjoy it for what it is,” he said on Sunday. “I’m raring to go.”

He said he was also not thrown by the pressure of limited time to get the show up and running, nor a last-minute wrinkle in its official identity. When the series was announced last May by Jon Stewart, the “Daily Show” host and Mr. Wilmore’s mentor (as well as an executive producer on the new show), the title was to be “The Minority Report With Larry Wilmore.”