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>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
HE IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "THE
NEWSROOM," "GODLESS," AND "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" ON
BROADWAY.
HE NOW STARS AS FORMER F.B.I.
DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY IN SHOWTIME'S MINISERIES "THE COMEY
RULE."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," JEFF DANIELS!
HELLO, JEFF DANIELS.
>> STEPHEN, HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: I'M DOING OKAY, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> I'M OKAY.
I GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A MULLET GOING.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH, LOOK AT THAT.
>> BRINGING IT BACK.
>> Stephen: A SKI LIFT.
THIS IS VERY LATE 70s.
>> THAT HAPPENS.
THAT HAPPENS A LOT.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE JAMES COMBY-- "THE
COMEY RULE."
YOU PLAY JAMES COMBY.
YOU'RE 6'3", BUT COMBY IS 6'8".
HOW DO YOU ACT THOSE EXTRA FIVE INCHES?
>> IT'S TOUGH.
YOU KNOW, I I HARKEN BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN ROBERT DeNIRO DID
"RANGING BULL" AND PUT ON 60 POUNDS.
YOU IMMEDIATELY THINK, I NEED TO BE 6'8" AND HOW DO I DO THAT.
YOU SEE "RAGING BULL" TOO MANY TIMESES WHEN YOU SAY, "I NEED
LIFTS."
I COULD HAVE DONE THE ALAN LADD JR., THING?
REMEMBER HIM?
HE WAS 5'6", AND THEY WOULD CAST THE OTHER ACTORS, AND THEY WOULD
BUILD A TRENCH SO THAT THE TALLER ACTOR WOULD BE LOWER AND
THEY WOULD WALK DOWN TOWARDS THE SALOON.
AND I COULD HAVE DONE THAT, BUT THEY SAID NO.
I PUT TWO-INCH LIFTS IN.
THAT GOT ME UP TO 6'5".
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> AND THEN I JUST SAID, HELL, I'LL JUST ACT THE REST OF IT.
OTHERWISE, IT WAS A CALL TO ELTON JOHN, WHICH I WASN'T GOING
TO DO.
>> Stephen: COULD YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD DUNK UP THERE?
>> HE'S NOT 6'8".
HE'S SEVEN-12.
HE IS AS TALL -- >> Stephen: HAVE YOU MET HIM?
HAVE YOU MET THE GUY?
>> YEAH, I'M IN MY LIFTS AND I'M GOING, "DIRECTOR COMBY."
>> Stephen: HE'S THE LIKE THE ALIENS THAT COME OUT OF THE SHIP
AT THE END OF "CLOSE ENCOUNTERS."
IT'S JUST ALL THESE LONG LIMBS AND HE PICKS PEOPLE UP BY THE
SKULL AND PUTS THEM SOMEPLACE ELSE.
NOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT COMBY, PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF,
WELL, MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT HIM.
I'VE HAD MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT HIM OVER THE YEARS.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE HE'S A HERO DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE HE'S A GUY WHO SHANKED IT FOR,
PERHAPS, SELF-PRESERVATION OR EGOIVITYICAL REASONS.
IT'S HARD TO KNOW AT TIMES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT COMBY PLAYING HIM, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL
THE OTHER SIDE OF HAVING DONE THAT?
>> I THINK THE BIGGEST IMPACT, WAY BACK IN 2016, WAS OWCT WHEN
THEY REOPENED THE INVESTIGATION INTO HER E-MAILS, AND IF
ANYTHING, I WAS GOING, "WHAT IS THIS GUY THINKING?"
BUT YOU END UP LEARNING WHAT HE'S THINKING.
YOU READ THE BOOK.
YOU-- THE MOVIE, AND YOU START TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T AS
SIMPLE AS WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON YOUR TWITTER FEED.
THAT IT'S COMPLICATED.
THE GUY WAS CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE TIME AFTER
TIME AFTER TIME.
HE-- HE-- HE ALSO-- HE HAS THIS THING ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW AND
THE SACREDNESS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND WHAT IS RIGHT,
AND FACTS ARE FACTS AND TRUTH IS REALLY TRUTH.
THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUTH, YOU KNOW.
THOSE ARE SACRED TO HIM.
THEY'RE BIGGER THAN HE IS.
AND HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A TSUNAMI OF NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
WE'RE STILL IN IT.
AND JIM, WHAT I LEARNED, WAS THAT HE IS AN APOLITICAL PUBLIC
SERVANT.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.
IN OCTOBER OF 2016.
WE WERE TOO WORRIED ABOUT BILLY BUSH AND, YOU KNOW, OH, MY GOD.
IT'S HILLARY'S E-MAILS!
COMBY, WHAT IS HE--" IT'S LIKE WE'RE ALL-- WE'RE ALL DOING
THIS.
AND HE REALLY-- HE JUST-- HE LED THE WAY A FOR PEOPLE LIKE FIONA
HILL, WILLIAM TAYLOR, COLONEL VINDMAN, AND OTHERS.
JIM WAS LIKE THE FIRST APOLITICAL PUBLIC SERVANT.
TALK ABOUT AN ALIEN.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE.
WE'RE SO POLITICALLY LEFT AND RIGHT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT
APOLITICAL-- WHICH IS WHAT JIM HAD TO DO AIMING AT THE RULE OF
LAW.
ANY TIME SOMEBODY CAME IN AND SAID, "WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THIS
BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL--" TALK TO THE HAND.
HE HAD TO STAY TRUE TO THAT APOLITICAL KIND OF POINTING
TOWARDS THE RULE OF LAW.
AND THE SACREDNESS OF THAT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT AFFECTED THE ELECTION?
BECAUSE I THINK THE EFFECT ON THE DEPARTMENT IS SELF-EVIDENT.
>> I-- I THINK HE HAD AN IMPACT ON THE ELECTION, CERTAINLY.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> THAT WAS ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SAYING IT'S ALL AT HIS FEET.
I'M NOT LAYING IT ALL AT HIS FEET.
>> AND I WON'T EITHER, BUT IT CERTAINLY HAD AN IMPACT ON IT,
AND THAT'S WHAT MADE THOSE DECISIONS SO DIFFICULT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE MOVIE SHOWS YOU.
IT SHOWS YOU ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
THESE ARE THE THINGS IF HE DOES THIS.
THESE ARE THE THINGS IF HE DOES THAT.
STOP THE MOVIE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
AND THAT'S JUST STORY-- THAT'S US TRYING TO GO, "PUT YOURSELF
IN HIS SHOES AND PUT YOUR TWITTER FEED DOWN, AND YOU
DECIDE."
BECAUSE HE HAD TO.
THE OTHER THINGS THAT IN DOING IT, THAT I LOOK BACK ON NOW, YOU
KNOW, HE CAME OUT WITH THAT BECAUSE GIULIANI WAS GOING TO
COME OUT TWO DAYS LATER AND LEAK IT.
WIKILEAKS WAS GOING TO COME OUT WITH THE 33,000 E-MAILS.
THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, IN OCTOBER.
THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA JUMPED ON THAT.
THAT'S RED MEAT.
THAT'S A BIG STORY.
THAT'S EYEBALLS.
THAT'S RATINGS.
AND THEY STAYED ON THAT UNTIL WHAT-- THE BEST STORY OUT OF
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN HILLARY'S GUILTY.
THEY FOUND SOMETHING CRIMINAL THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION.
OH, MY GOD.
RED MEAT, EVEN BIGGER STORY.
BUT THEY DIDN'T.
THEY FOUND NOTHING.
SO THEY RELEASED THAT INFORMATION, NOT AS BIG A STORY.
AND THEN YOU GOT THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE-- THIS IS BACK IN
OCTOBER 2016.
WE'RE NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION.
WE'RE INFORMED, BUT NOT REALLY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY ARE GOING, "YOU KNOW WHAT,
TRUMP, YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS MAN RUNNING THE COUNTRY.
MAYBE IT'S FIREMAN THAT.
AND I'LL GET MY TAXES CUT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
HE'S GOING TO HAVE 10 PEOPLE AROUND HIM WHO ARE GOING TO STOP
HIM FROM DOING SOMETHING STUPID AND DANGEROUS.
I'M GOING TO NOT VOTE FOR HILLARY OR VOTE FOR TRUMP.
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE LIKE THAT.
I LIVE AROUND THEM.
AND IT ENDED UP BEING WE WEREN'T PAYING-- WE WEREN'T AS INFORMED
AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
NOW THOSE 10 PEOPLE ARE GONE.
HE FIRED THEM.
HE GOT RID OF THEM.
AND NOW MAYBE THE COMBY RULE WILL HELP INFORM PEOPLE.
THE ONE SIDE IS TRUMP SAYS COMBY'S A LIAR.
THIS IS THE OTHER SIDE.
YOU WILL LEARN STUFF ABOUT WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID AND MAYBE
THERE'S A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY GOING INTO THIS ELECTION IN
2020.
>> Stephen: AS YOU IMPLY WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT THERE,
LEADINGUM TO THE ELECTION IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
THEN THERE'S ACTUALLY UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND COMBY'S
RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP LEADING TO COMBY BEING FIRED-- SPOILER
ALERT.
THAT GETS ME TO A QUESTION I HAVE ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THIS
MOVIE.
ELECTION, AND THEN FOR REASONS I DON'T UNDERSTAND-- AND I'M
WONDERING WHETHER YOU DO-- IT WAS MOVED TO BEING RELEASED
AFTER THE ELECTION.
AND THEN YOU, THE DIRECTOR, OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THIS
FROM THE ARTICLES THAT I'VE READ, SAY THAT YOU WOULD NEVER
HAVE DONE THIS TO COME OUT AFTER THE ELECTION, AND IT GOT MOVED
UP BEFORE THE ELECTION.
CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
DO YOU KNOW WHY IT WAS MOVED UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION?
WHERE DID THAT DECISION COME FROM?
>> UP HIGH.
AT A CORPORATE LEVEL THAT I'M NOT PRIVY TO.
>> Stephen: WELL, I'M NOT PRIVY TO IT, EITHER.
AND I WORK HERE.
>> YEAH, WELL, OKAY, I MEAN, WE-- WE WERE-- I WAS DOING
"MOCKINGBIRD" AT THE TIME, HAD TO GO RIGHT INTO "COMBY" BECAUSE
WE HAD TO HAVE IT DELIVERED BY MAY THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO RELEASE IT IN THE SUMMER OR THE FALL BEFORE
THE ELECTION.
THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY SIGNED ON.
PEOPLE AT SHOTIME, EVERYBODY, THAT WAS-- AND THEN ALL OF A
SUDDEN IT STOPPED.
NOBODY TALKED TO ME FOR TWO MONTHS WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE MAY I GET THIS ZOOM CALL WITH BILLY
AND JIM COMBY AND THE PRODUCERS SAY IT'S GOING TO BE AFTER THE
ELECTION AND WE HAD TO FIGHT TO GET IT BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
AND I SAID, OKAY, WHEN WAS SOMEBODY GOING TO TALK TO ME
ABOUT THIS?
BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT ME TO PROMOTE THIS, RIGHT?
AND THEY SAID, "YES, YOU'LL GET THE PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE NEXT
WEEK."
OKAY, WELL THEY'RE NOT GOING TO WANT ME TO BE IN FRONT OF A MIKE
ARE PHONE.
SO I'M OUT.
I WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE WITH YOU.
THIS IS NOT THE DEAL.
THIS IS NOT WHY WE ALL SIGNED UP.
IT'S NOT THAT WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BURY TRUMP.
BUT IT IS THAT WE WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED.
WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION.
WE WANT TO BE RELEVANT.
AND TO SOME, IT-- IT-- IT WAS AN AN ATTACK ON TRUMP, I'M HEARING.
AGAIN, NOBODY'S TALKED TO ME.
STILL, NOBODY'S TALKED TO ME ABOUT IT.
IT'S CORPORATE.
IT'S ALL THAT.
I'M GOING, OKAY, THE ONLY CARD I'VE GOT TO PLAY IS I'M NOT IN
IT.
DELETE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM IT BEFORE
THEY GO VOTE?
>> GET INFORMED.
JUST GET INFORMED.
NOT ONLY ABOUT JIM COMBY AND WHAT HIS SIDE OF THE STORY MIGHT
HAVE BEEN.
YOU MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING.
I SURE DID.
AND THEN■, THEN, IF THAT FUELS YOUR OUTRAGE, THEN THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY.
NOVEMBER 3 IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COUNTRY AND ALL OF THOSE
PEOPLE WHO ARE SO ANGRY AND SO OUTRAGED ABOUT SO MANY THINGS TO
OPEN THE DOOR TO A NEW AMERICA.
IT REALLY IS.
IT'S A CROSSROADS.
IT'S A D-DAY.
IT'S A MODERN-DAY D-DAY, AND WE HAVE THE 200,000 PEOPLE DEAD TO
PROVE IT.
THIS IS A BIG ELECTION.
IT'S A CROSSROADS FOR THIS COUNTRY.
AND IF YOU WANT A NEW AMERICA, YOU BETTER VOTE.
AND YOU BETTER GET OUT THE VOTE.
YOU BETTER HELP PEOPLE GET THEIR MAIL-IN BALLOTS TO THE CLERK.
YOU GET ENERGIZED.
BECAUSE THAT-- IT'S A BIG DEAL.
THIS IS IT.
OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ROYAL FAMILY, AND WE'RE GOING TO
HAVE MORE OF THIS INSANITY FOR ANOTHER FOUR TO EIGHT TO 12
YEARS.
BUCKLE UP FOR THAT.
>> Stephen: JEFF, WE HAVE TO ATTACK A QUICK BREAK.
BUT STICK AROUND, EVERYBODY, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
MR. JEFF DANIELS.