>>> THIS MORNING WE ARE CATCHING UP WITH SIX-TIME EMMY WINNER HANK AZARIA. FOR 30 YEARS, OF COURSE YOU KNOW THAT VOICE. IT'S BEEN A STAPLE ON ""THE SIMPSONS." THE LATEST PROJECT ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT SHOWS OF THE YEAR. HANK STARS ALONGSIDE THE WEEKND IN "THE IDOL". >> THAT'S RIGHT. HE'S PROTECTIVE OF HER, BUT HE'S ALSO BRUTALLY HONEST. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE DEPEND ON ME. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO KEEP FLOATING FOR A YEAR NOW IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PUT OUT ANY COMMERCIAL MUSIC. I CAN'T KEEP COVERING HALF THE MORTGAGE. I'M SORRY. >> YOU'RE NOT LISTENING TO ME. I'M TELLING YOU, I WANT TO BE BIGGER THAN THIS SONG. I WANT TO BE A ONCE IN A GENERATION ARTIST AND I WANT TO MAKE MUSIC THAT LASTS LONGER THAN MY LIFE. >> BUT YOU ARE HANGING BY A THREAD RIGHT NOW. YOU ARE PRCTICALLY BROKE. YOU DON'T LIKE THE SONG. I UNDERSTAND. BUT YOU ARE NOT GIVING ME ANY ALTERNATIVES. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD MORNING. >> THANK YOU. >> SO SECOND EPISODE DROPPED LAST NIGHT FOR THIS. AND YOU -- I MEAN, YOUR PORTFOLIO IS KIND OF EVERYWHERE. YOU DO ALL SORTS OF ROLES. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS ONE THAT BROUGHT YOU TO IT. >> I WORKED WITH SAM LEVINSON BEFORE ON "THE WIZARD OF LIES." WE HAD A NICE SIMPATICO ON THAT. SAM CALLED ME UP TO COME IN AND DO THIS, AND I WAS LIKE, OF COURSE. ARE YOU KIDDING? AND THEN I READ IT. I WAS REALLY HAPPY I SAID YES BECAUSE I WAS REALLY INTRIGUED BY THE WHOLE THING. I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME THAT SAM WAS THE "EUPHORIA" GUY. >> THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY. >> I HADN'T HEARD. >> OH, I KNOW. >> SOME HAVE CALLED OUT THE SHOW'S, SHALL WE SAY, EXCESSIVE NUDITY HAS BEEN THE CLAIM. ROLLING STONE PUBLISHED THIS REPORT CITING 13 MEMBERS OF THE CAST AND CREW HAD GONE WILDLY DISGUSTINGLY OFF THE RAILS. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT? >> WELL, I WAS -- YOU KNOW, I WAS MERCIFULLY LEFT OUT OF THE NUDE SHENANIGANS PERSONALLY. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I KNOW LILY ROSE, WHO WAS THE CENTER OF ALL THAT MAINLY HAS SAID PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY HOW PROTECTED AND TAKEN CARE OF AND COLLABORATED WITH AND LISTENED TO AND SAFE SHE FELT. I KNOW EVERY CARE WAS TAKEN, NOT JUST WITH THOSE KIND OF SCENES, BUT THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF SENSITIVE SCENES IN THIS SHOW. AND I CERTAINLY FELT SAFE THAT WAY AND COLLABORATED WITH. SAM GOES FOR IT. HE POINTS A STARK -- STARK TRUTH LENS AT WHATEVER SCENE HE'S DOING, WHETHER IT IS PROFESSIONAL, PERSONAL, ABOUT THE BUSINESS, ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP, ABOUT THE BUSINESS, ABOUT SEX. THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE DOING ON THAT SET. WE WERE ALL ACTUALLY QUITE EXCITED BY THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE. >> WE SHOULD POINT OUT, NBC NEWS HAS NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED THE REPORT. WE REACHED OUT TO SAM ABOUT THE ONGOING CONTROVERSY. HE WILL NOT BE GIVING COMMENTS. >> OH, HE LEFT ME HERE TO DO IT. I WANT TO SAY THIS, IT SEEMED TO BE IN THAT ROLLING STONE PIECE CONNECTED TO WHAT THEY CALLED THE CHAOTIC NATURE OF THE SET AND HOW IT WAS HAPPEN HAZARD. AND THAT I CAN TELL YOU WAS RIDICULOUS. THAT WOULD BE LIKE WALKING ON TO LIKE A ROBERT ALTMAN SET OR A MIKE LEE OR A LARRY DAVID SET WHERE BRILLIANT FOLKS ARE ENCOURAGED TO IMPROVISE DURING THE CARE OF A DIRECTOR. THE ACTORS DON'T KNOW THEIR LINES. IT IS CHAOS. I FELT THAT WAY THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS. I WAS LIKE, WHAT'S HAPPENING? BECAUSE A LOT OF CHANGES WERE MADE BASED ON SOMETIMES THE BEAUTY OF THE LIGHT WE WERE SHOOTING IN OR HOW THE SCRIPT WAS CHANGING OR HOW A CHARACTER'S STORY WAS EVOLVING. BUT IT WAS INCREDIBLY CREATIVE AND WONDERFUL. REALLY. I HAVE BEEN ONSETS WHERE IT WAS THE OPPOSITE. WHEN YOU FINALLY GET THE PAGES LATE AND YOU LONG FOR THE DAYS WHEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE PAGES BECAUSE YOU ARE SO DISAPPOINTED BY WHAT YOU'RE READING AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE LEMONADE ABOUT LEMONS. >> DO WE HAVE TO READ THE STATEMENT THEY GAVE US. >> HE HAS TO READ IT. >> LAST MONTH AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE ROLLING STONE ARTICLE, SAM CALLED THE ALLEGATIONS COMPLETE FOREIGN. HE ALSO SAID I KNOW WHO I AM. HBO DID TELL US IN PART THAT THE SHOW WAS ONE OF THE THEIR EXCITING AND PROVOCATIVE PROGRAMS ADDING THE CREATIVE TEAM HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING A SAFE, COLLABORATIVE AND MUTUAL RESPECTFUL WORKING ENVIRONMENT. THAT'S THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT. >> IT REALLY WAS. I DON'T HAVE TO ENDORSE THAT. >> ONE LAST THING. YOUR PERFORMANCE IN "THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL". >> LET'S TALK ABOUT ME. >> IT WAS SPECTACULAR. >> AND MY CLOTHES. >> NO NUDE SCENES. >> I FELT VERY SAFE THERE. >> AND THERE IS TALK ABOUT ANOTHER EMMY NOM. >> I JUST HEARD THIS BEFORE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. OKAY. >> WHAT WAS THAT LIKE BEING PART OF THAT FINAL SEASON? >> THAT WAS -- I -- THAT WAS LOVELY AND WONDERFUL. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE PART OF SEASON ONE OF "FRIENDS," FOR EXAMPLE. AND OBVIOUSLY "THE SIMPSONS" FROM THE BEGINNING. AND IT WAS -- YOU'RE AWARE IN ALL THOSE, INCLUDING MAISEL THAT YOU ARE A PART OF SOMETHING. THEY WERE ALSO AWARE THEY WERE FINISHING. >> NO LIE. I WAS AT AN EVENT THIS WEEKEND IN NEW ORLEANS FOR THE BIRTHDAY PARTY, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT EPISODE AND HOW GREAT IT WAS. AND I HADN'T SEEN IT YET. >> OH, THANK YOU. >> YOU ARE JUST PROVING WHY WE LOVE HAVING YOU ON. >> THANK YOU. HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH MY CLOTHES ON
