>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY-AWARD WINNING ACTOR WHO
STARS IN THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES "BILLIONS."
PLEASE WELCOME PAUL GIAMATTI!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> OH!
WOW!
THAT'S EXCITING.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: FOURTH SEASON-- FOURTH SEASON OF THE "BILLIONS."
>> CORRECT.
>> Stephen: ON THE SHOWTIME.
LONGER ROLE OF YOUR CAREER, INDEED?
>> FOR SURE.
IT'S DEFINITELY THE THING I'VE DONE FOR THE LONGEST, YES, YES.
>> Stephen: NOW IS IT-- IS IT--
>> I GENERALLY GET FIRED BEFORE EVERY FOUR YEARS.
>> Stephen: OR JUST NAILED IT ON THE FIRST EPISODE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: IS DOING IT FOR THIS LONG, DOES THAT MAKE IT
HARDER OR EASIER?
>> BOTH.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU GET REALLY ACCUSTOMMEDLY TO THE ROLE.
YOU GET REAL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
IT.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> AND YOU GET TOO ACCUSTOMED TO THE ROLE.
YOU LOSE SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
BASICALLY IN THIS SHOW WHERE THERE IS SO MUCH CRAP HAPPENING
ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: THERE'S INTEAGUE AND DOUBLE-CROSSING.
>> TRIPLE CROSSING, QUADRUPLE CROSSING.
THEY CONSTANTLY HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> Stephen: BEFORE YOU GO ON STAGE, "WHERE AM I SAYING THIS?"
>> "WHY IS CHUCK RHODES GOING OUT HERE?"
AND THE CONSTANT MEMORIZATION OF LINES IS REALLY WEIRD.
I SPEND PRETTY MUCH-- YOU'LL FIND ME ANY DAY OF THE WEEK
SITTING ALONE IN MY LIVING ROOM JUST LEARNING LINES, JUST
TALKING TO MYSELF.
AND I I'VE NOW ACQUIRED THE HABIT OF TALKING TO MYSELF ALL
THE TIME.
MY SON-- I'M TALKING TO MYSELF ALL THE TIME.
MY SON, IF HE DIDN'T THINK I WAS INSANE BEFORE, HE'S CONVINCED
I'M COMPLETELY OUT OF MY (BLEEP) MIND ALL THE TIME.
I'M SORRY.
>> Stephen: THIS?
SHOWTIME.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S NOT AFTER HOURS.
I'M SO SORRY.
SEE, THAT'S EXACTLY IT.
SEE, I'M SO COMFORTABLE WITH THE ROLE.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOTTEN TOO CLOSE--
>> I'VE GOTTEN TO COMFORTABLE.
>> Stephen: IS IT A LOT OF IT JARGON?
YOU HAVE LEGAL JARGON.
YOU HAVE WALL STREET JARGON.
>> THE LANGUAGE ITSELF IS ALMOST LIKE IT'S JARGON.
THESE PEOPLE TALK IN AN INCREDIBLY ELEVATED WAY-- MY GUY
DOES.
I HAVE SOME LEGAL STUFF.
I HAVE SOME FINANCIAL STUFF.
I DON'T HAVE THE BURDEN THAT DAMIEN LEWIS OR SOME OF THE
OTHER GUYS HAVE TO DO.
THAT WOULD REALLY DRIVE ME OUT OF MY MIND.
I WOULD BE MUCH WORSE IF I HAD TO DO THAT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP FROM NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE?
>> I DON'T EVEN I REMEMBER.
>> Stephen: I CAN TELL YOU WHO'S IN IT.
YOU'RE IN IT.
>> I'M IN IT.
>> Stephen: AND DAMIEN LEWIS IS IN TAND YOU GUYS SEEM TO BE
PLOTTING SOMETHING.
>> PERFECT.
THAT'S SHOW THE.
YOU JUST ENCAPSULATED THE ENTIRE SHOW.
>> Stephen: THERE HAS TO BE MORE.
WHAT ARE YOU PLOTTING?
>> I'M TALKING TO HIM ABOUT TRYING TO TAKE SOMEBODY OUT,
LIKE A CROOKED COP, OR RAUL, THIS CHARACTER WHO IS A CROOKED
COP.
AND HE AND I ARE SORT OF BUDDIES NOW.
>> Stephen: LIKE THE RIDDLER AND THE JOKER.
>> I'D RATHER BE THE RIDDLER.
>> Stephen: OH, I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU'D WANT TO BE BATMAN.
AREN'T YOU THE COP?
>> YOU FLATTER ME.
>> Stephen: AREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO IS THE LEGAL ONE?
>> I AM THE LEGAL ONE, BUT I'M THE WEIRDER, SICKER, TWISTED
ONE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
JAMES, PLEASE.
>> WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IF I TAKE DOWN RAUL GOMEZ?
>> I PREFER THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND I APPRECIATE THE GESTURE OF YOU COMING HERE TO ASK.
>> BUT WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE IT THERE.
BECAUSE AS I SAID-- >> YOU'VE BEEN TASKED.
>> I HAVE.
>> IS THERE SOME OTHER WAY TO SATISFY YOUR TASK MAST OR THIS?
>> HE SEEMS TO FEEL RAUL IS USING THE PENSION FUND THE WAY
CHRIS STAPLETON USES TENNESSEE WHISKEY-- TO SCHICK HIS THIRST.
>> HE'S NOT.
NOT IN THE WAY YOUR MAN THINKS HE IS IF THE SOLUTION PRESENTS,
YES?
>> OH.
NINETANYNEFARIOUS.
NEFARIOUS.
A DEAL IS BEING CUT.
A DEAL IS BEING MADE.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST TIME I HAD YOU ON THIS TO TALK ABOUT
THE FIRST SEASON, I TOLD YOU HOW EMBARRASSED I WAS TO WATCH THE
FIRST EPISODE, THE OPENING SCENE, WITH MY WIFE AND CHILDREN
BECAUSE YOU WERE-- >> HOG TIED.
>> Stephen: HOG TIED ON THE FLOOR AND GETTING YOUR ASS
KICKED FOR SEXUAL PLEASURE.
>> AND GETTING URINATED ON.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS THE PART THAT WAS MOST ENJOYABLE TO
WATCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT I DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT IT WAS A-- IT
WAS A HINT OF THINGS TO COME IN AMERICAN POLITICAL LIFE.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: IS THERE MORE OF THAT?
HAVE YOU BRANCHED OUT?
ARE THERE OTHER FORMS OF S& L?
>> YES TCONTINUE S.
>> Stephen: IT CONTINUES, GOOD.
>> HE GOES DOWN SOME STRANGE THINGS ON HIS OWN AND HE SORT OF
STARTS SELF-HARMING AT A CERTAIN POINT, WHICH IS A WHOLE THING, I
GATHER, THAT THESE PEOPLE DO-- I WOULDN'T KNOW.
BUT DEFINITELY IT'S A THING THEY DO.
I HAD TO DO A KIND OF SELF-HARMING THING TO MYSELF.
AND IT WAS VERY WEIRD TO DO.
I HAD TO ACTUALLY DO THIS THING TO MYSELF BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT
WOULDN'T WORK ON CAMERA.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE THING?
DO YOU MIND IF I ASK?
>> I SUPPOSE I CAN SAY IT.
EVIDENTLY, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHEN THEY WANT TO GIVE
THEMSELVES A THRILL DURING THE DAY WEAR TIGHT RUBBER BANDS ON
THEIR THIGH, SO THEY CAN REACH DOWN-- YOU COULD BE RIGHT HERE--
AND REACH UNDER AND GO LIKE THAT.
I HAD TO DO THAT.
SO I HAD TO REALLY PULL THEM UP AND SNAP THEM DOWN.
AND IT HURT LIKE A MOTHER (BLEEP).
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: IT DOESN'T HELP IF YOU WHISPER!
WE'RE NOT-- IT-- WISP IRG DOESN'T HELP!
DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
>> I'M SORRY.
>> Stephen: ANY OTHER WORD-- >> IT WAS THE ONLY APPROPRIATE
WORD.
>> Stephen: SURE!
>> AND IT HURT SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> AND I REALLY WENT FOR IT BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF ACTOR
I AM!
EXACTLY.
I REALLY WENT FOR IT, AND IT HURT.
AND I HAD TO DO IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND THE DIRECTOR KEPT GOING, "REALLY, PLEASURE, REALLY TAKE
MORE PLEASURE."
I WAS LIKE, WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU AND I ARE BOTH BIG SCI-FI FANS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
AS AN ACTOR, IS THERE A SCIENCE FICTION STORY YOU WOULD LIKE IT
SEE MADE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE IN?
>> I'D LIKE TO BE IN ANY NUMBER OF THINGS.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN A SCIENCE FICTION THING --
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN IN SCIENCE FICTION?
>> A FEW.
I WAS IN THE "TRUMAN SHOW."
MY DEAREST WISH IN THE WORLD AS A CHILD TO THIS MOMENT IS PLAY A
KLINGON.
I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY A KLINGON, OR SOMETHING.
BUT I NEVER, I NEVER-- FOR SOME REASON THOSE JOBS DON'T COME TO
ME.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T SEEM-- SEEM--
>> WHAT?
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW.
DANGEROUS?
YOU DON'T SEEM DANGEROUS ENOUGH.
A KLINGON HAS TO BE DANGEROUS.
>> I GUESS SO.
I GUESS SO.
WHATEVER.
I CAN BE ONE OF THE SILLY BLUE GUYS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS.
>> Stephen: SILLY BLUE GUYS, THAT IS RACIST.
NOT ALL THE BLUE GUYS ARE SILLY!
>> NO, THAT'S TRUE.
YOU'RE RIGHT.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE ALSO EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF A GREAT
SHOW CALLED "LODGE 49."
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> Stephen: IT'S ON ALL KINDS OF "BEST OF" LISTS.
>> IT'S A WONDERFUL SHOW IN ITS SECOND SEASON.
>> Stephen: ON AMC.
YOU'LL BE STARRING WITH IT.
>> I WON'T BE STARRING IN IT BUT SHOWTIME ALLOWED ME TO BE IN IT
A LITTLE BIT.
I WILL BE ON THREE TIMES.
>> Stephen: IT'S ON SHOWTIME?
>> NO AMC.
>> Stephen: OH, SHOWTIME WILL LET YOU OUT, TAKE YOU OFF THE
LEASH.
YOU'RE A FREE-RANGE GIAMATTI.
>> SPREAD MY SPORE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
>> Stephen: FANTASTIC.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
JUST LAY MY SPORE.
>> Stephen: AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DID YOU HAVE TO CLEAR
CASTING YOU WITH ANYBODY?
OR DO YOU JUST HAVE TO GO LIKE, "DO YOU KNOW WHO WOULD BE GREAT
FOR THIS?
PAUL GIAMATTI."
>> THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT HAPPENED.
>> HE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE A PART FAIR KLINGON IN THISSENING
THING?
>> EXACTLY.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THEY HAD TO SAY YES.
I'M GOING TO DO A LITTLE THING IN THAT.
>> Stephen: GOOD LUCK.
>> THANKS A LOT.
>> Stephen: SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "BILLIONS" AIRS SUNDAYS ON SHOWTIME.
PAUL GIAMATTI, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH SENATOR DOUG JONES.
OF A.O.