>>> YOU DON'T WANT TO BE GOOD. YOU WANT TO BE GREAT. >> OKAY, I HAVE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT. THIS IS BATHROOM. I SPEND MANY DOLLARS ON THIS. IT'S FOR ME ONLY. DIRECTOR ONLY, OKAY? >> THERE'S A REAL BATHROOM WITH DOORS AND EVERYTHING RIGHT THERE. >> THIS REAL MOVIE SET HERE, REAL MOVIE SET. NO MICKEY MOUSE STUFF. >> COPY THAT. >> Jimmy: THAT'S FROM "THE DISASTER ARTIST." JAMES FRANCO IS THE DIRECTOR, WRITER, AND STAR OF THAT MOVIE. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, AND STAR OF ONE OF THE STRANGEST CULT MOVIES OF ALL-TIME, IT'S CALLED "THE ROOM." PLEASE WELCOME TOMMY WISEAU! [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] ♪ >> Jimmy: WELCOME. FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS. JAMES FRANCO MADE A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR MOVIE. THAT'S GOT TO BE EXCITING FOR YOU. >> IT IS. >> Jimmy: YOU ARE WHAT, 36, 37 YEARS OLD? >> WHATEVER IT IS. >> Jimmy: WHATEVER IT IS, IT DOESN'T MATTER. >> YEAH. >> Jimmy: YOU WILL NOT SAY WHERE YOU'RE FROM? >> NO, I CAN TELL YOU. >> Jimmy: TELL ME. >> I'M ORIGINALLY FROM RIO. RIGHT NOW I'M AMERICAN. LONG STORY SHORT, I'M FROM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. PEOPLE ASK ME WHERE YOU COME FROM, RIGHT? WHAT YOU WANT TO DO -- WHICH COUNTRY I PICK? WELL, I PICK NEW ORLEANS. >> S>> Jimmy: I SEE. >> WAIT, THIS IS NEW. >> Jimmy: THIS IS BIG. >> HE HAS NEVER SAID THIS BEFORE. JIMMY, THIS IS NEW. >> Jimmy: WHAT STREET DID YOU LIVE ON IN NEW ORLEANS? >> CHALEMS. IT'S A CITY AND A STREET. >> Jimmy: A CITY AND A STREET ALL IN ONE LITTLE AREA? >> TOMMY, ALL THIS TIME I THOUGHT THIS WAS A NEW ORLEANS ACCENT. >> Jimmy: WE KNOW YOU'RE FROM EUROPE. WE KNOW YOU LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS. YOU'RE AN AMERICAN NOW. YOU'VE COME TO THIS COUNTRY -- >> I THOUGHT YOU WERE AN ALL-AMERICAN GUY. >> I AM NOW. >> Jimmy: TOMMY -- >> YOU HAVE TO SEE "THE ROOM." I KNOW YOU SAW "THE ROOM." >> Jimmy: I HAVE THE DVD OF "THE ROOM." FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE SEEN "THE ROOM" TO ENJOY THE MOVIE BUT IT HELPS. IT'S A FUN MOVIE TO SEE. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MOVIES ARE BAD BUT NOT FUN. YOUR MOVIE IS FUN. >> ABSOLUTELY. I ALWAYS SAY, YOU CAN LAUGH, YOU CAN CRY, YOU CAN EXPRESS YOURSELF, BUT PLEASE DON'T HURT YOURSELF. >> Jimmy: DO YOU LIKE JAMES' IMITATION OF YOU? >> I LOVE IT. HE DOES GREAT ACCENT. MY ACCENT ALWAYS CHANGE. HE HAS TO KEEP GOING, YOU KNOW. >> NOW TOMMY, YOU TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU LIKED MY MOVIE. >> YOUR MOVIE? WHICH ONE? >> "THE DISASTER ARTIST." [ LAUGHTER ] >> OKAY. I THOUGHT "SONNY." >> I STAGE DIRECTED AND PLAYED A GIGOLO IN NEW ORLEANS. >> Jimmy: SO YOU WERE CONFUSED. >> I'M NOT CONFUSED AT ALL, I LIKE THAT MOVIE. "DISASTER ARTIST," DEFINITELY I SAW THREE TIMES, I THINK EVERYONE IN AMERICA SHOULD SEE IT. >> Jimmy: YES. HOW CLOSELY DO YOU THINK JAMES AND THE STORY CAPTURED YOUR ESSENCE? >> I WOULD SAY 99.9%. >> Jimmy: WHAT WAS THE POINT OF -- [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ARGUMENT ABOUT -- HE'S TOLD ME THAT BEFORE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO THINK OF IT THE FIRST TIME HE SAW IT. BECAUSE HE SAID OF THE BOOK, ONLY 40% TRUE. >> THAT'S CORRECT, YES. >> OKAY, SO WE BASED IT ON THAT BOOK. I THOUGHT HE WOULD MAYBE NOT LIKE IT. NO, HE SAID I APPROVE 99.9%. I SAID, TOMMY, WHAT'S THE .1%? NO, HE SAID -- HE SAID, "JAMES, I THINK YOU SHOULD LOOK AT LIGHTING IN THE BEGINNING OF FILM." LIKE YOU'D THINK HE WAS GOING TO SAY, NO, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, WHATEVER. HE'S LIKE, LOOK AT LIGHTING IN BEGINNING OF THE FILM, I THINK A LITTLE OFF. WHAT I REALIZED IS HE WAS WEARING THE GLASSES. HE WEARS THOSE WHEN HE WATCHES MOVIES. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> Jimmy: SO THAT WILL THROW THE LIGHTING OFF, YEAH. >> NO, NOW HE DENIES IT, LIKE JAMES, I NEVER SAY THAT. >> WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE. >> Jimmy: THERE'S SO MANY MYSTERIES. >> YOU KNOW, I HOPE YOU WRITE A BOOK ABOUT IT TO GET ALL THE DETAILS. >> Jimmy: ANOTHER BOOK, WHO KNOWS, MAYBE ANOTHER MOVIE. THAT'S TOMMY WISEAU. THIS IS JAMES FRANCO. THEY MADE A COUPLE OF MOVIES TOGETHER. IT'S CALLED "THE DISASTER ARTIST."
This is actually a pretty big deal, it's the first time he's ever admitted he's from anywhere other than America. Up until this interview he's always explicitly stated he's an All-American Guy and where he was from has been a total mystery.
Lol didnt know nathan was in the movie!
What a great clip, Mark!
Is there any more interview kind of stuff between Franco and Tommy? I really want to see more of what the dynamic was like between the two.
I'm worried Tommy's pants are not gonna stay on....
For anyone who is wondering about Tommys second belt below his butt, it is there (according to Tommy) to keep his great ass up.
TIL his last name is pronounced Wise-O. Always that it was like Wee-Zo.
Kimmel is great but it feels like a waste to have this interview in such a straight laced late night format.
I find James Franco's relationship with Tommy very sweet and endearing. Apparently, he listened to hours of him speaking and watched hours of his behind the scenes footage of the making of The Room. Combine all of that with him actually playing him, and you've got a really special bond, I think. It seems like the kind of unique and personal bond that would be difficult to understand. It makes me think of what it would be like to have a twin–I don't think non-twins would really be able to understand it. It makes me happy for Tommy to have that kind of a connection with someone like James Franco who clearly is affectionate towards him.