During the final days of “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert spun around like a ballerina while David Byrne performed “Burning Down the House,“ dressed up like a pigeon, and sang a song about raining fish.

But he mostly acted like a grown-up.

Anyone else who got axed while being No. 1 in the ratings would probably be using his or her last episodes to throw a tantrum.

“I’m waiting for the angry Stephen to come out,” said competitor Jimmy Kimmel when he visited last week to pay his respects.

But that’s never been Colbert’s style.

He might not rank among the funniest comic to ever host a late-night program. But he deserves to be remembered as one of the most mature.

Yes, there was a bit earlier this week in which he tossed set furniture off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater. But he also auctioned off memorabilia from the show’s 11-year run, including a penny press machine made in Little Canada to raise nearly $2.5 million for the World Central Kitchen.

At the top of Thursday’s finale, Colbert explained why he and his staff nicknamed called their production “the joy machine.”

“To do this many shows, it has to be a machine,” he said in the 78-minute episode that featured lots of surprises, including a performance from Paul McCartney. “But the thing is, if you turn it into joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.”

His only glaring swipe Thursday at his bosses, who claimed they were yanking his show for purely financial reasons, was during a joke about paying for the use of “Peanuts” songs. The band then launched into one of the familiar numbers from the TV specials while Colbert put up a mock protest.

“I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money,” he said, wrapping up a running joke that Conan O‘Brien milked better when he was leaving “The Tonight Show” in 2010.

But for the most part, Colbert didn’t dwell on the theory that he was being pulled due to political pressure. On Thursday, he barely mentioned Donald Trump’s name.

He left the bashing up to his guests.

During episodes in the final two weeks, former “Late Show” host David Letterman used a nasty expletive while addressing the network suits. Tom Hanks “swiped” CBS stationery to use as a farewell gift. Bruce Springsteen said he was on hand to support the “first guy in America to lose a show because a president can’t take a joke.”

Maybe the Boss never heard of the Smothers Brothers. But that omission didn’t take away from the power in his fierce solo version on Wednesday of the anti-Trump number, “Streets of Minneapolis,” in which the song’s obscenity had to be bleeped.

The final two episodes showed off the show’s popularity with stars — and its diversity problem.

The finale featured appearances from nearly 24 big names, including Ryan Reynolds and Bryan Cranston. The only woman on that VIP list was Tig Notaro. Of the 15 celebrities who showed up Wednesday to grill Colbert, only one, Tiffany Haddish, was a minority.

One of the few well-known musicians of color to really shine was Andra Day, who seemed to surprise Colbert when she popped out Tuesday to sing her signature hit, “Rise Up.” But the network tarnished that magical moment by cutting to commercial in the middle of the number.

That was a rare misstep for a show that could be relied on for great musical moments.

At one point, it looked like the final episode was going to end with an overwrought bit about the show disappearing down a wormhole, a sketch that would have worked better if “Stranger Things” hadn’t wrapped nearly five months ago.

But then, the cameras cut to a pretaped performance of Elvis Costello’s obscure but delightful “Jump Up,” with a seated Costello joined by Colbert and the show’s former bandleader Jon Batiste, all harmonizing like they were huddled around a campfire.

Then it was back to the studio with McCartney, who was billed as a last-minute sub for Pope Leo.

With help from Batiste and Costello, McCartney led a joyous version of “Hello, Goodbye” with “The Late Show” crew commandeering the stage during the coda.

It was no way near as an emotional as Johnny Carson’s heartfelt good night in 1992. But Colbert was never one for tears or sentiment. He got to say farewell on his own terms in his own way. These days, that’s something worth celebrating.

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