FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS
AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "GODLESS," "THE
LOOMING TOWER," AND "DUMB AND DUMBER." HE NOW RETURNS TO BROADWAY AS
ATTICUS FINCH IN "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD." PLEASE WELCOME, JEFF DANIELS! <i> ( CHEERS )</i>
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU
AGAIN. >> NICE TO BE SEEN. >> Stephen: NOW, WE'VE GOT TO
GET YOU OUT OF HERE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO DO A SHOW TONIGHT,
RIGHT? >> YES, YES. >> Stephen: WHAT THEATER IS
THIS AT. >> SHUBERT THEATRE. ON BROADWAY. >> Stephen: YOU'RE ON BROADWAY
RIGHT NOW. THIS IS ALSO BROADWAY. >> IT IS. >> I CAN'T GO BACK-- I JUST GO
BEATLES, BEATLES, BEATLES. THE BEATLES WERE HERE. IT ALWAYS KILLS ME. >> Stephen: YEAH, ME, TOO, ME,
TOO. AND ELVIS. ELVIS. >> AND THEN SCIELS AND HENDERSON
AND SIMON AND SCHUSTER-- NOW WE'RE INTO THE COMICS. >> Stephen: YEAH, SURE. IT'S JUST SUCH A GREAT THEATER. >> Stephen: IT REALLY IS, IT
REALLY IS. NOW, DID YOU TAKE IT'S TO GET
HERE TONIGHT, DID YOU TAKE THE PNEUMATIC TUBE THAT JOINS ALL
BROADWAY THEATERS TOGETHER? >> THERE IS? >> Stephen: OH, YEAH. >> I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN IN THAT. >> Stephen: WE PUT YOU IN THE
CYLINDER, YOU POP UP ON STAGE. AS I'VE SAID-- I'VE TALKED TO
YOU ABOUT THIS BEFORE ON THE SHOW, BUT YOU'RE THE ELDEST SON
OF A PROSPEROUS MICHIGAN LUMBERYARD OWNER. WHAT WAS YOUR DAD'S ADVICE WHEN
YOU WANTED TO GO OFF AND BE AN ACTOR? WAS HE THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN? >> MY MOM AND DAD WERE VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF ME WHEN I WAS DOG TEVI ON "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF." >> Stephen: NATURAL. >> 18, BLOND, AND NOT A CLUE
WHAT JEWISH WAS. >> Stephen: HAPPY HANUKKAH, BY
THE WAY. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WHATEVER
THAT MEANS. BUT THEY KNEW THERE WAS
SOMETHING THERE. AND SO HE LET ME-- THEY WERE
VERY SUPPORTIVE "GO." AND THEN AFTER YEARS, IT WORKED
OUT. AND THEN ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO YOU
KNOW WHEN I WAS STILL GOING, "I DON'T KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET
THIS, I'M TRYING TO GET THAT." HE SAID, "LET ME TELL YOU
SOMETHING, ONE DAY YOU'RE GOING TO GROW INTO YOUR FACE." <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT'S-- "I DON'T KNOW A LOT
ABOUT ACTING, BUT WHEN THAT HAPPENS, LOOK OUT." <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
>> Stephen: HAS IT HAPPENED, DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK IT HAPPENED? >> I THINK IT JUST HAPPENED. I THINK ATTICUS FINCH IS-- HOW
DO I TOP THAT? HOW-- YOU'RE PLAYING ATTICUS
FINCH ON BROADWAY. >> Stephen: AND HERE ARE YOU. >> I'VE GROWN INTO THE THING. >> Stephen:<i>
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).</i> >> Stephen: HERE IS THE FACE. HERE IS THE FACE IN QUESTION
RIGHT THERE. FULLY GROWN. LINEN SUIT AND ALL. ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> YUP. PRETTY LUCKY. >> Stephen: NOW, THIS IS A NEW
ADAPTATION THAT AARON SORKIN DID FROM THE NOVEL. >> FROM THE NOVEL. >> Stephen: AND I UNDERSTAND
THAT HE DID THE ADAPTATION AND BROUGHT IT TO YOU AND SAID, "I
WROTE THIS FOR YOU, WITH YOU IN MIND." >> YEAH. >> Stephen: WHAT DOES THAT
FEEL LIKE? FIRST HE'S LIKE, "I HAVE
SOMETHING FUR." AND THEN YOU FIND OUT IT'S
ATTICUS FINCH. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST
STUPID. I JUST SAID, "SO I SHOULD
PROBABLY READ THE BOOK, RIGHT?" <i> ( LAUGHTER ).</i> >> Stephen: YOU HAD NEVER--
YOU HAD NEVER READ-- >> NO. >> Stephen: "TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD"? >> NO. >> Stephen: ARE YOU AMERICAN? >> I KNOW,IN, I KNOW! >> Stephen: ARE YOU A CITIZEN. >> WE READ "LORD OF THE FLIES"
AND "FAREWELL TO ARMS." IT WASN'T ON THE CURRICULUM. IT JUST WASN'T. >> Stephen: WOW. >> I KNOW. >> Stephen: WOW. WHEN YOU READ IT-- WHEN YOU
FINALLY BECAME A FULL-FLEDGED AMERICAN AND READ IT--
>> I SAID, THIS IS A BIG PART! THAT'S WHAT I SAID. <i> ( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE )</i> "WOW!"
"THIS IS, LIKE, A LEADING ROLE!" >> Stephen: WOW, YEAH. YOU COULD DO BOO RADIALLY, TOO. >> IT WAS JUST-- FIRST OF ALL,
IT WAS SORKIN, AND HAVING DONE "NEWSROOM" FOR THREE YEARS--<i>
( APPLAUSE )</i> -- THANK YOU. WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT RAPPORT. HE JUST WRITES IT, AND I JUST DO
IT. IT'S ALMOST WE DON'T TALK ABOUT
IT. SO FOR HIM TO TAILOR ATTICUS FOR
ME BASED ON THE BOOK, IT'S THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME. >> Stephen: THE LITTLE TOWN
YOU GREW UP IN, IN MICHIGAN, DO THEY REMIND YOU OF EACH OTHER? >> THERE ARE TWO SMALL TOWNS,
CHELSEA, MICHIGAN, TWO STOP LIGHTS, BASICALLY. AND I'M SURE MONROE HAS TWO,
MAYBE ONE. BUT NAWHOLE SMALL-TOWN DYNAMIC,
THAT "PEYTON WIFE PLACE" SOAP OPERA. >> Stephen: EVERYBODY KNOWS
EVERYBODY. >> AND TO RESEARCH IT IT AND GO
BACK TO 1934 ALABAMA, AS BAD AS THE RACISM IS NOW AND THE DIVIDE
IS NOW, TO SEE THAT KIND OF-- THE PRESENCE OF THE K.K.K. BACK
THERE. AND ALL THE RESEARCH DID TO TRY
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES ATTICUS SEE WHEN HE'S STANDING ON HIS
PORCH? AND IT'S SCARY, IT'S SCARY HOW
SERIOUS IT WAS THEN. STILL IS NOW. BUT THAT-- IT WASN'T NECESSARILY
REMIND ME OF MY HOME TOWN. I REMEMBER MY DAD, HE BROUGHT IN
A-- I REMEMBER, I WAS EIGHT OR NINE YEARS OLD IN MY TOWN IN
MICHIGAN, AND I WALKED IN, AND THERE WAS A GUY, AFRICAN
AMERICAN GUY, NAMED HERBIE PEARSON. AND HE SAID, "JEFFREY, A FRIEND
OF MINE, HERBIE PEARSON. AND HE'S GOING TO BE A FRIEND OF
YOURS AND SO IS EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN YOU'RE EVER GOG SEE." HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY A WORD. HERBIE PASSED AWAY IN SEPTEMBER,
AND I HAVE HIS PICTURE UP ON MY DRESSING ROOM MIRROR. IT'S THAT KIND-- IT'S THAT KIND
OF AWARENESS. YOU KNOW. <i> ( APPLAUSE )</i>
SO, Y, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE-- DIDN'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR-- MY
DAD PASSED AWAY, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO VERY FAR TO FIND AN
ATTICUS. MY DAD WAS A LOT LIKE ATTICUS. SO WAS A GUY NAMED FRANK
JOHNSON, WHO WAS A FEDERAL JUDGE IN ALABAMA, WHO I STUDIED, THE
ACCENT AND THE WHOLE DEAL. HE COULD HAVE BEEN ATTICUS
GROWING UP AS A FEDERAL JUDGE. I FOCUSED ON THOSE TWO GUYS AND
THEN THE BOOK AND THEN YOU KIND OF GO OUT THERE WITH SORKIN'S
WORDS. AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
SITTING THERE WITH THE BOOK, YOU KNOW--
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT-- >> "GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD." WE'RE GOING, "PUT THE BOOK DOWN. HANG ON." >> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE
SPECTER OF GREGORY PECK? >> ALL DUE RESPECT. THE GUY WON AN OSCAR FOR IT, AND
DESERVEDLY SO. AND HE'S ICONIC TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE. >> Stephen: WAS THAT DAUNTING
AT ALL? DID YOU SAY TO SORKIN, LIKE,
"WAIT, THERE'S ALREADY A PERFORMANCE OF--" NO. >> NO. >> Stephen: "BRING IT, PECK." IS THAT WHAT IT WAS? GOOD FOR YOU. >> YOU HAVE TO. YOU CAN'T GO OUT THERE AND GO,
"GEE, I HOPE THEY KIND OF SEE GREGORY." NO, YOU'VE GOT TO-- HE EITHER
GAVE THE DEFINITIVE PERFORMANCE, WHICH IS YOU CAN'T IMAGINE
ANYBODY ELSE IN THE THE ROLE. OR HE'S THE ONLY GUY WHO GOT TO
DO IT. >> Stephen: OH. >> I CHOOSE THE SECOND<i>
( APPLAUSE ).</i> >> Stephen: THAT'S NICE. I HAVE TO. >> I HAVE TO. >> Stephen: OF COURSE. HOW MANY BROADWAY SHOWS IS THIS
FOR YOU NOW? >> FIVE OR SIX. >> Stephen: "OR SIX" WHO
KNOWS, WHO CARES? >> I DON'T KNOW. >> Stephen: REALLY? >> WILL THERE EVER BE ANOTHER
ONE? I DON'T KNOW. WHAT DO I DO AFTER THIS? WHAT DO I DO? YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO. I'M TED WILLIAMS IN THE NINTH
INNING. >> AND HOPEFULLY HIT A HOME RUN. I'M IN IT FOR A YEAR. I'M IN THIS THING FOR A YEAR. >> Stephen: A YEAR! >> EIGHT SHOWS A WEEK. HOW MANY SHOWS A WEEK DO YOU DO? ♪ ♪ ♪
HE DOES A LOT. HE DOES-- HE DOES-- HE DOES A
LOT OF SHOWS. >> Stephen: I DO 202 SHOWS A
YEAR. >> THAT'S A LOT OF SHOWS. >> Stephen: OKAY? AND DO YOU WRITE A NEW PLAY
EVERY NIGHT? <i> ( LAUGHTER )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i> >> I'M-- I'M GONNA TONIGHT. I'M GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND AD
LIB. >> Stephen: YOU'RE A
CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL. HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN CHARACTER
ON STAGE? HAVE YOU EVER-- YOU FAILED AS A
PROFESSIONAL? <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
YOU HAVE TO STAY IN CHARACTER. YOU HAVE TO STAY IN CHARACTER. THAT'S THE FIRST JOB. >> YES, I DID A PLAY OFF
BROADWAY, "THREE SISTERS OF SISTERS, CHECKEF, WRITTEN IN
1900. I PLAY ANDRE, THE SON, WHO IS,
YOU KNOW, TROUBLED. AND HE'S GOT AN ASSISTANT, AN
OLD ASSISTANT, AND IT WAS AN ACTOR THEY HIRED BY THE NAME OF
JEROME-- I HAVE FORGOTTEN HIS LAST NAME. JEROME WAS 92 YEARS OLD AT THE
TIME WE DID THE PLAY IN THE EARLY 80s. >> Stephen: YOU HIRED A
92-YEAR-OLD MAN? WAS IT FIVE PERFORMANCES. >> EIGHT SHOWS, EIGHTS SHOWS A
WEEK FOR JEROME. AND-- AND-- AND JEROME-- IT WAS
EARLY 80s WE DID THE PLAY, WRITTEN IN 1900. HE WAS 92. HE WAS OLDER THAN THE PLAY. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
SO JEROME, HE'S STANDING BEHIND ME, AND OF COURSE THE THING IS
ANDRE ENTERS SOBBING-- OH, THAT'S EASY, YOU KNOW. SO YOU'RE KILLING YOUR DOG. YOU'RE DOING ALL THE THINGS YOU
HAVE TO DO TO TRY TO GET THERE, YOU KNOW. AND I'M SORT OF THERE. AND THEN I HEAR WHAT IS THE
SOUND OF A TRUCK BACKFIRING BEHIND ME. IT'S JEROME FARTING. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
>> Stephen: 92-YEAR-OLD. >> HE'S UNAWARE WHAT'S GOING ON. I MEAN PFFFFF! IT TOOK OUT THE WALL. ENTER SOBBING. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
"GET ME OUT OF THIS SHOW." >> Stephen: WELL, "TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD" OPENS ON BROADWAY AT THE SHUBERT THEATRE DECEMBER
13. JEFF DANIELS, EVERYBODY! <i> ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i>
♪ ♪ ♪ WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK...
