>> Stephen: THERE WE GO.
WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
FOLKS. FOLKS AND SUCH.
Y'ALL KNOW MY GUEST TONIGHT FROM "ENCHANTED,"
"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG," AND "WESTWORLD."
HE NOW STARS IN "JURY DUTY." >> ANYONE HERE HAVE ANY REASON
WHY THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY WOULD BE A GOOD JUROR FOR THIS
CASE? >> YES.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A CHANCE THAT I MIGHT BE AN UNWELCOME
DISTRACTION. >> WHY IS THAT, SIR?
BECAUSE I'M A RECOGNIZABLE PUBLIC FIGURE.
>> RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T RECOGNIZE YOU.
I'M SORRY. WHO ARE YOU?
>> THAT'S OKAY. MY MOST RECENT MOVIE IS
"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. "THIS GENTLEMAN AND I WERE
CHATTING ABOUT IT AND HE'S A BIG FAN.
>> YOU WERE TALKING TO THIS GENTLEMAN?
STAND UP. DO YOU KNOW WHO THIS FELLA IS?
>> YEAH, I DO. IT TOOK ME LITTLE BIT TO NOTICE
IT BUT I RECOGNIZE HIM. >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK
TO THE LATE SHOW," JAMES MARSDEN.
♪ ♪ >> James: MY GOODNESS.
>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO. >> James: WOW.
VERY NICE. >> Stephen: NICE.
>> James: WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THEIR DRINKS?
>> Stephen: NOTHING. JUST TOLD THEM YOU WERE COMING
OUT. >> James: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S VERY KIND OF YOU. >> Stephen: WE ARE GOING TO
TALK ABOUT THE SHOW "JURY DUTY" BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU HOW
GRATEFUL I AM OF THE SHOW EXISTS.
I WAS IN THE BAD WEEKEND, WORRYING ABOUT THE STRIKE
POSSIBLY HAPPENING AND I SAID LET'S WATCH SOMETHING FUNNY.
I HEAR "JURY DUTY IS GOOD. WE WATCHED ALL EIGHT EPISODES IN
ONE SITTING. IT'S HILARIOUS.
>> James: THANK YOU. >> Stephen: IT'S ONE OF THE
BEST THINGS I'VE EVER SEEN YOU DO AND IT'S SUCH A STRANGE
CONCEPT. TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT IT IS.
>> James: OKAY. SO THE SHOW IS ESSENTIALLY, IF
ANYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE TRUMAN SHOW, IT'S BASICALLY THE
TRUMAN SHOW MEETS "THE OFFICE." YOU'RE ALREADY GOING, WHAT THE
HELL IS THAT? IT'S ME PLAYING MYSELF, SORT OF
HEIGHTENED SENSATIONALIZED, ENTITLED HOLLYWOOD JERK VERSION
OF MYSELF AND A BUNCH OF IMPROVISATIONAL ACTORS WHO ARE
BRILLIANT. ONE GUY THAT THINKS THE WHOLE
THING IS REAL. SPENT THREE WEEKS ON JURY DUTY
AND IT'S ALL MANUFACTURED AND FAKE.
>> Stephen: AND HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW THAT
EVERYONE ELSE AS AN ACTOR. >> James: THE ONLY ONE.
HIDDEN CAMERAS. HE THINKS HE'S BEING FOLLOWED
AROUND BY A CAMERA CREW FOR A BORING DOCUMENTARY ABOUT JURY
DUTY THAT'S GOING TO END UP ON PUBLIC ACCESS OR SOMETHING.
MEANWHILE, WE ARE FOLLOWING EVERY MOVE.
SEVEN OR EIGHT SCRIPTS THAT HAD COMDIC BEATS.
LEE EISENBERG AND GENE STUPNITSKY WHO CREATED
"THE OFFICE. QUICKLY THERE WAS NO SCRIPTED
DIALOGUE SO WAS MOSTLY IMPROVISATION.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU KNOW HOW FAR YOU COULD PUSH IT
WITHOUT TIPPING YOUR HAND? FIRST OF ALL, YOU PLAY JAMES
MARSDEN. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING
SOMETHING LSE. YOU'RE RECOGNIZABLE.
YOU ARE PLAYING JAMES MARSDEN, A HOLLYWOOD ACTOR WHO DOESN'T WANT
TO BE ON JURY DUTY AND YOU ARE ACTING SUPER ENTITLED.
I'M GLAD YOU SAY THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU LIKE.
IT'S REALLY WONDERFULLY HILARIOUSLY AWFUL VERSION OF
WHAT YOU MIGHT BE LIKE. >> James: IT'S NICE TO SEE MY
TRUE SELF COME OUT. 30 YEARS OF FAKING THE GOOD GUY
THING. IT'S NICE.
>> Stephen: YOU COULD PRETEND THAT WASN'T YOU AND JUST LET THE
REAL YOU COME OUT. >> James: IT WAS EXCITING TO
ME TO SEND UP HOLLYWOOD A LITTLE BIT.
SORT OF LAMPOON WHAT I DO. I TAKE WHAT I DO FOR LIVING VERY
SERIOUSLY BUT SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE, THIS IS ABSURD.
SO TO MAKE FUN OF THE GUYS WHO THINK THE ONLY CONVERSATIONS
SHOULD BE HAD ABOUT THEIR IMDB PAGE.
TO BE GIVEN PERMISSION TO SAY THE MOST HORRIBLE THINGS YOU CAN
THINK OF. AND BE THE WORST PERSON IN THE
ROOM. >> Stephen: AND DO SOME
HORRIBLE THINGS. I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO
DETAIL. UNSAVORY THINGS.
HOW DID YOU KNOW HOW FAR TO PUSH IT?
YOU AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CAST, DID YOU DISCUSS WHAT THE
LIMITS WHERE? HOW DOES HE NOT KNOW SOMETHING
IS GOING ON. AT ONE POINT YOU HELP A YOUNG
COUPLE BIG LOVE TO EACH OTHER BY JUMPING ON THEIR BED.
>> James: I DO. I HELPED THEM SOAK, AS THEY CALL
IT. >> Stephen: YES.
>> James: GREAT QUESTION. >> Stephen: THANK YOU.
>> James: YOU'RE WELCOME. THE IDEA WAS HERE WERE THE
SCRIPTED BEATS THAT WE HAVE TO FIND MOMENTS FOR HER.
AT THE BEGINNING WE WERE WORRIED HE WOULD GET SUSPICIOUS SO WE
HAD TO MAKE DEPOSITS INTO THE REALITY BANK.
LET'S DO THREE OR FOUR HOURS OF JUST BORING COURT.
WE HAD, VERY LUCKY. WE HAD SOMEONE PLAY THE JUDGE
WHO WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR. HE WAS THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR
HIS WHOLE CAREER SO HE KNEW THE LEGALESE IN THE SPEAK.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET THE STAGE AND BE LIKE, THIS CAN'T BE
A SHOW BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST BORING FIVE HOURS.
ANY TIME HE GET SUSPICIOUS, THE DIRECTORATE SAY WE'VE GOT TO
PULL BACK A LITTLE BIT. FIND MOMENTS TO PUSH THE COMPANY
BEATS THAT WERE WRITTEN IN THE SCRIPT.
KNOWING THAT WE WOULD SOMETIMES HAVE A LOT -- CAN WE BE
SUBJECTED TO REALLY BORING COURT DAYS.
>> Stephen: WAS ANYBODY TALKING TO YOU?
>> James: A FEW PEOPLE HAD EARPIECES IN.
I WAS TOO SCARED HE WAS GOING TO SEE IT AND I JUST WANTED TO HAVE
A LONG LEASH AND BE IN CONTROL OF THE SHIP.
I WANTED TO FLY WITHOUT A NET. AND BE HORRIBLE JAMES MARSDEN.
>> Stephen: WHAT I LOVE IS, WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING AWAY, I
LOVE THE FACT THEY ARE ACTUALLY NOT A JUROR.
YOU ARE AN ALTERNATE. >> James: LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO
TO MAKE THIS GUY -- CRUSH'S EGO EVEN MORE.
>> Stephen: YOU GO THROUGH EVERYTHING AND YOU DON'T EVEN
GET TO VOTE. >> James: I DON'T WANT TO
SPOIL ANYTHING BUT YEAH, HE HASN'T TAKEN TO WELL.
THE GENTLEMAN, I THINK THE REASON WHY THE SHOW IS, FIRST OF
ALL I'VE NEVER BEEN A PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAS GONE SO
METEORIC SO QUICKLY. THIS SHOW CAME OUT ON FRIDAY.
SATURDAY WAS SAYING "JURY DUTY." I THINK IT'S ALL BECAUSE THIS
GUY, RONALD GLADDEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN IT, ONE OF
THE MOST PURE HEARTED, KIND, DECENT HUMAN BEINGS.
>> Stephen: I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN AS GOOD WITHOUT
HIM AT THE CENTER OF IT BECAUSE HE MAKES THE RIGHT ETHICAL
CHOICES. >> James: NOT THAT WE WERE
PRESENTING HIM WITH A MORAL OBSTACLE COURSE BUT FROM THE
BEGINNING, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T WANT TO DO A PRANK SHOW.
THREE WEEKS IS A LONG TIME TO MESS WITH SOMEBODY'S HUMAN
EXPERIENCE. >> James: BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S
AN INTERESTING EXPLORATION. GIVES YOU FAITH IN MANKIND THIS
FELLA IS BEING SO KIND TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SO [BLEEP] UP.
>> James: [LAUGHS] I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH
WHAT I DO. NO, THAT'S IT.
THEY SAID WE WANT TO CREATE A HERO'S JOURNEY FOR THIS MAN AND
WE'RE GOING TO SURROUND HIM WITH THE BUNCH OF BIZARRE, ECCENTRIC
WEIRDOS. SEE HOW HE REACTS.
HEALTHY BY THE END OF IT HE WILL HAVE HIS MOMENT AND UNITE ALL OF
US AND INSPIRE US. WE WILL GO HEY, IT WAS ALL FAKE.
HOPEFULLY HE DOESN'T HAVE A MENTAL BREAKDOWN.
>> Stephen: YEAH. WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK
BUT DON'T GO NOWHERE. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH JAMES
MARSDEN, EVERYBODY.
