>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST
IS A HILARIOUS MENSCH AND ONE OF THE BIG REASONS
I HAVE A JOB IN SHOW BUSINESS. HE'S JUST WRITTEN AND DIRECTED
A NEW ANIMATED MUSICAL STARRING ADAM SANDLER CALLED "LEO."
SPEAKER WHERE ARE YOU? WHETHER I DO DRAMA OR WANT TO BE
A DOCTOR. I NEVER WANT TO BE A DOCTOR NOW.
THE DMV. >> MOTHER OF GODZILLA.
>> WHAT WAS THAT? WHO SAID THAT?
THE WALL? WALLS DON'T TALK.
WHY WOULD A WALL SAY ANYTHING. WHY DO YOU KEEP POINTING TO IT.
THEY SAY IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK BUT THEY CAN'T TALK.
YOU SAID SOMETHING! YOU JUST SPOKE.
MOM, YOU TALKED. YOU'RE TALKING.
I HAVE TO TELL MY MOM OR PEOPLE WILL THINK I'M CRAZY.
GOING TO SCHOOL IN TAMPA FOR KIDS WITH ISSUES.
I HAVE TO. >> NO!
>> WHY ARE YOUR HANDS WET? >> THERE ARE NATURALLY MOIST.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME ROBERT SMIGEL!
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] HOW LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
>> LOVELY TO SEE YOU, HEALTHY? >> Stephen: ALL HEALTHY,
EXACTLY. >> Robert: A VERY OLD FRIEND
OF MINE. >> Stephen: VERY FEW PEOPLE
KNOW HOW LONG WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER AND HOW MANY THINGS WE
HAVE IN COMMON AFTER ALL THESE YEARS AND HOW MUCH I OWED TO YOU
WHICH WILL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT LATER.
BUT NOW YOU'RE A DIRECTOR. YOU'RE A BIGSHOT DIRECTOR.
>> Robert: ANIMATION DIRECTOR. I USED TO DO ANIMATION ON
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE." >> YES!
>> Robert: YEAH, SOMEBODY REMEMBERS.
YES, I'M IN ANIMATION DIRECTOR. FANCY.
I DIRECTED IT WITH ROBERT MARINETTI AND DAVID WACHTENHEIM.
AND WE DID WITH AND ADAM SANDLER.
>> Stephen: IT'S HEARTWARMING. >> Robert: FOR THE LOVE OF G
GOD. IT'S ON NETFLIX.
>> Stephen: TELL THE GOOD PEOPLE WHAT YOUR MOVIE IS ABOUT.
>> Robert: ADAM CAME TO ME WITH THIS IDEA.
LIKE REALLY? A MUSICAL ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL,
FIFTH GRADERS TRANSITIONING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE ANXIETIES THEY FACE. HE STARTED WORKING ON A PROJECT
THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE A TALKING LIZARD.
THAT BECAME MY -- I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY
FUNNY IF THERE WAS A CLASS PET WHO HAD JUST BEEN COOPED UP IN
THIS TERRARIUM FOR LIKE 75 YEARS IN THE SAME FIFTH GRADE
CLASSROOM. EVERY YEAR HE PEGS EVERY KID,
THAT'S ALWAYS SICK THAT SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME CAN, THAT KIND
OF THING. ONE DAY HE EXCELLENTLY FINDS OUT
OR BELIEVES HE'S GOING TO DIE. HE'S HIT THE AGE.
>> Stephen: LIZARDS OF A LONG TIME BUT HE 74.
>> Robert: YEAH, HE'S 74. HE WANTS TO REALIZE ALL HIS
DREAMS, LIKE EATING A SNAIL OR CATCHING A FLY, SEEING THE
EVERGLADES. AND SO HE DECIDES --
THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER WHOSE REINSTATED KIDS TAKING
HOME PETS FOR THE WEEKEND. HE TRIES TO ESCAPE, AS YOU SAW,
AND THEN HE EXCELLENTLY SPEAKS. WHAT THAT SCENE LEADS TO IS THIS
GIRL KIND OF POURING OUT HER HEART SHARING HER ANXIETIES WITH
THIS LIZARD AND THAT KIND OF -- HE ENJOYS THAT AND THAT HAPPENS
OVER A COUPLE MORE KIDS THEN HE STARTS TO REALIZE THAT THAT'S
HIS LIFE DREAM. THAT'S REALLY WHAT HIS PURPOSE
IN LIFE IS. >> Stephen: SEE?
I ALSO LIKE THAT IT'S A MUSICAL. BEFORE I STARTED WATCHING IT I
DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS A MUSICAL. >> Robert: I USED TO WRITE --
I WROTE A WHOLE ALBUM FOR TRIUMPH.
>> Stephen: CHRISTMAS TIME FOR THE JEWS.
>> Robert: CHRISTMAS TIME FOR THE JEWS ON
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE." >> Stephen: SOME OF THEM ARE
VERY SWEET SONGS. AS I SAID BEFORE WE'VE KNOWN
EACH OTHER A LONG TIME AND I WOULD NOT BE IN THIS CHAIR
WITHOUT YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER TRY TO GET
ME A NETWORK JOB. TRIED TO GET LORNE TO HIRE ME.
>> Robert: I HAD A COMEDY CRUSH ON YOU.
>> Stephen: I WAS A YOUNG GUY, 29 OR SOMETHING.
>> Robert: I WAS A COPRODUCER AT "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
AFTER A FEW YEARS THERE. EVERY SUMMER WE WOULD GO WITH
LORNE TO SCOUT CHICAGO TALENT IN ONE YEAR WE WERE THERE AT SECOND
CITY AND THE GUY WE KEPT HEARING ABOUT WAS THIS GUY, STEVE
CARELL. KEPT HEARING STEVE CARELL IS
AMAZING. YOU'VE GOT TO SEE HIM SO WE GET
TO THE SHOW WHEN WE HEAR STEVE CARELL IS NOT ON THE SHOW.
FORTUNATELY HE GOT A CHICKEN COMMERCIAL.
SEE YOU BROWN'S CHICKEN COMMERCIAL.
>> Robert: LOCAL CHAIN IN THE CHICAGOLAND AREA.
>> Stephen: WE WERE ALL JEALOUS.
OH, [BLEEP]. HE GOT A BROWN CHICKEN
COMMERCIAL. YOU DON'T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY IS
AN IMPROV COMEDIAN. THE SECOND CITY, REALLY GREAT
THEATER, YOU CAN BARELY MAKE RENT AND THAT COULD PAY YOUR
RENT FOR MONTHS. BUT THEN HE WASN'T THERE.
>> Robert: HE WASN'T THERE AND IT WASN'T LIKE LORNE WAS GOING
TO "OH, NUTS. I'LL COME BACK TOMORROW."
THAT'S NOT HOW HE WORKS. SO WHO'S ON?
WE WATCHED THE SHOW AND THERE WAS NO UNDERSTUDY AND HE WAS
PRETTY GOOD IN THE REGULAR SHOW BUT THEN THERE WAS AN IMPROV SE
SET. SUDDENLY THE UNDERSTUDY IS
MAKING ALL THESE INCREDIBLY SMART, DRY JOKES, PROBABLY
THROUGH A "LORD OF THE RINGS" REFERENCE, I'M GUESSING.
AFTER THE SHOW, LORNE WAS LIKE WOULD YOU LIKE?
I WAS LIKE I'M SORRY, I LIKE THE UNDERSTUDY.
I LOVE THE UNDERSTUDY. THAT MAN WAS RIGHT HERE!
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: AND YOU WERE SUCH
A TOWERING FIGURE OF SUCH INFLUENCE AT "SNL" THAT I DIDN'T
GET HIRED. >> Robert: NO, YOU DIDN'T GET
HIRED. LORNE WAS LIKE, WHAT DID YOU
LIKE? >> Stephen: MANY YEARS LATER
YOU HIRED ME. >> Robert: THE DANA CARVEY
SHOW. >> Stephen: MY FIRST NETWORK
GIG AND THAT LANDED ME ON THE SCENES I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU.
>> Robert: I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN YOU AND TO HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO DO THAT AND LOOK AT US. I WOULDN'T BE HERE IF YOU
WEREN'T THERE. I KIND OF OWE YOU.
>> Stephen: I THINK BOTH OF US...
>> Robert: OH BROWN'S CHICKEN. >> Stephen: EXACTLY.
WHICH IS WHY WE FLEW IN BROWN'S CHICKEN.
>> Robert: I KNOW YOU. I KNOW HE DRINKS A LOT WITH
GUESTS ON THE SHOW BUT I LIKE TO EAT.
>> Stephen: "LEO" IS AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX.
THE MAN IS ROBERT SMIGEL. BEFORE WE GO, I'LL GIVE THE LAST
WOR TO THE MAN WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE, THE TALENTED CHICKEN
SALESMAN, STEVE CARELL. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
>> BIG NEWS FROM BROWN'S CHICKEN.
WE'VE ALWAYS COOKED OUR CHICKEN AND CHOLESTEROL FREE COTTONSEED
OIL. WE NOW HAVE CHOLESTEROL FREE
BATTER TOO SAW OUR CHICKEN IS COOKED COMPLETELY CHOLESTEROL
FREE AND IT TASTES JUST AS GREAT AS ALWAYS.
WE FIGURE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE OUR NEW HEALTHIER WAY OF
COOKING BUT QUITE FRANKLY THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN BETTER THAN
WE'D ANTICIPATED. BROWN'S CHICKEN, IT TASTES
BETTER AND IT'S BETTER FOR YO.