HANK AZARIA
IS HERE ON THIS "LATE, LATE SHOW," YOU LUCKY DISEF IL.
HANKS, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, ARE YOU JOINING US FROM NEW YORK
CITY, HOW DOES IT FEEL THERE, DO THINGS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE
GETTING BACK TO NORMAL.
>> YES, THINGS ARE SLOWLY COMING BACK TO LIFE, LIKE A PERCENT OR
TWO EACH DAY MORE.
I CAN SAY THAT I DEFINITELY PREFER COMING OUT OF A PANDEMIC
THAN GOING INTO ONE.
I CAN REPORT THAT.
>> James: YES, IT WOULD BE WEIRD IF YOU WERE LIKE I REALLY
LOVED THAT TWO WEEK MOMENT WHEN WE WENT INTO IT, YOU KNOW, WITH
THE TOILET PAPER.
>> AND THE EXISTENTIAL PANIC ATACKS.
>> James: I'M STILL HAVING THEM BUT THEY JUST COME DAILY
NOW, I GOT USED TO THEM.
THERE ARE AS PRESENT AS MY QUOFEE.
NOW HANK WE'VE GOT A VIDEO HERE OF YOU TAKING A WALK IN CENTRAL
PARK.
I HAVE NEVER REALLY SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
TALK US THROUGH IT TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
>> THERE IS ME WITH MY MASK.
IT WAS BEFORE THE MASK MANDATE, THERE YOU SEE MY BACKPACK.
GET A LITTLE CLOSER.
YEAH, THERE IS MY KITTY, WE TOOK HIM FOR A WALK OUTSIDE THERE.
LIKE I WANT TO JUST-- THIS IS MY WIFE'S FAULT.
SHE TURNED ME INTO A CRAZY CAT PERSON, OKAY.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO ABOUT.
SHE THROUGH THE BACKPACK ON ME AND I OBEY ORDERS.
>> James: CAN WE GET A FREEZE FRAME OF THE CAT'S FACE.
IT LOOKS LIKE ME ON THE WAY TO THE GYM.
LOOK AT THAT.
THIS IS-- I DON'T WANT TO BLEEP BREEP DO THIS.
I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE.
DID HE LIKE BEING IN THERE?
>> I DON'T KNOW, I SUPPOSE.
LOOK AT HIM, HE SEEMS A LITTLE GRUMPY ABOUT IT BUT MY WIFE GOT
A BIG KICK OUT OF IT AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING.
>> James: HANK, YOU HAVE HAD SUCH A PHENOMENALLY VARIED
CAREER.
SO MUCH OF YOUR WORK, I'M A HUGE FAN OF FROM "THE BIRDCAGE," TO
MAD ABOUT YOU, TO BROCKMIRE WHICH I THINK IS ARGUABLY ONE OF
THE MOST UNDERRATED COMEDIES OF THE LAST TEN YEARS.
I LOVE IT SO MUCH.
AND OBVIOUSLY ALL YOUR VOICE WORK ON THE SIMPSONS.
THERE ARE SO MANY PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE KNOW YOU FROM.
WHAT IS IT LIKE WALKING AROUND NEW YORK.
LIKE YOU WERE THEN, WHAT DO PEOPLE TALK TO YOU ABOUT MOST ON
THE STREET.
>> I GET STOPPED A LOT BUT MAINLY BECAUSE I'M A CHARACTER
ACTOR, PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY KNOW ME BUT THEY DON'T KNOW FROM
WHERE.
AND ST NOT ALWAYS SHOW BUSINESS OR MOVIES OR TV.
LIKE I HAVE BEEN ASKED IF, IF I HAVE GONE TO EVERY COLLEGE IN
THE COUNTRY, MY FAVORITE ONE, I WAS IN AN ELEVATOR, I TBIE GETS
IN AND GIVES ME ONE OF THESE, WHICH I'M SURE YOU HAVE GOTTEN.
THE JOYOUS POINT LIKE-- HEY, LIKE THAT.
AND I WAS LIKE HEY, HI, HOW ARE YOU DOING.
AND HE IS LIKE YOU ARE IN THE UPHOLSTERY CLEANING BUSINESS.
SO I MEAN THE GUY THOUGHT I CLEANED HIS COUCH, I SUPPOSE.
BUT HE SEEMED SO DELIGHTED, I GUESS WHOEVER CLEANED THE GUY'S
CURTAINS DID A FANTASTIC JOB BECAUSE HE WAS SO HAPPY.
>> James: THAT IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
IF ANYONE SAYS TO ME AS THEY OFTEN DO, THEY GO-- I KNOW
YOU-- YOU'RE-- AND I IMMEDIATELY NOW JUST GO BRAD PITT, NICE TO
MEET YOU.
>> I USE GEORGE CLOONEY.
>> James: THAT'S THE ONE.
>> I'M GEORGE CLOONEY, I LOOK TERRIBLE IN PERSON.
>> James: AND THEN THEY HAVE A MOMENT WHERE THEY THINK YOU
MIGHT BE-- NO, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE JIMMY KIM.
AND I GO YEAH.
NOW HANK, THE FRIENDS REUNION IS COMING UP NEXT WEEK.
AND YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY A BIG GUEST STAR ON FRIENDS.
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THIS YOU AUDITIONED ORIGINALLY TO PLAY
JOEY ON THE SHOW.
>> YEAH, TWICE.
>> James: TWICE.
>> I EVER, YOU KNOW, I READ THAT SCRIPT AND MANY OF US, MATTHEW
PERRY IS ACTUALLY A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE.
SO WE ALL READ THE SCRIPT AND KNEW-- WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD
BE THE HUGE PHENOMENON IT TURNED INTO BUT WE KNEW IT WAS GREAT.
SO WE WERE ALL DESPERATE TO BE IN IT.
AND I AUDITIONED FOR JOEY AND DIDN'T GET IT AND I WAS LIKE YOU
KNOW, I HAVE TO GO BACK, I HAVE TO TRY AGAIN.
SO I BOWLED MY WAY BACK IN FOR A SECOND TIME AND THEY WERE VERY
KIND AND WATCHED MY AUDITION.
AND THEN THREW ME OUT.
AND A SPOILER ALERT, I DIDN'T GET THE ROLE OF JOEY.
BUT THEN THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HAVE ME BACK AS DAVID, THE
SCIENTIST GUY.
>> James: YES, A BRILLIANT CHARACTER.
I MEAN THAT IS THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THE CAST OF THAT SHOW,
ONCE YOU HAVE SEEN THAT SHOW, YOU REALLY JUST CAN'T IMAGINE
NIBBLES IN THOSE ROLLS AT ALL.
IT WAS LIKE MAYBE THE MOST PERFECT CASTING IN TELEVISION.
>> I DON'T KNOW, I USED TO IMAGINE MYSELF AS JOEY QUITE A
LOT.
>> James: NOW HANK, YOU ARE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE MIMIC.
AND OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WHICH YOU KNOW, HAVE FELT LIKE
YEARS, WE HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT ACCENTS IN THE STUDIO.
I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW, WHAT IS HANK AZ ARIAN ENGLISH ACCENT
LIKE.
>> WELL, IT'S EASIER TO DO A BIT OF A COCKNEY ACCENT, I DON'T
KNOW WHY, SORT OF EASIER, YOURS IS A BIT, I'M LISTENING NOW, I
KNOW YOU ARE PROJECTING.
AND SO IT'S A BIT, IT'S A BIT LOUD, ISN'T IT, JAMES.
>> James: IT'S TOO LOUD, IT'S TOO LOUD AND I REMIND MYSELF
BEFORE EVERY SHOW AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO STOP HIM.
>> ARE YOU LIKE AT AT TH AT HOME, DO YOU COME HOME AND SAY
HONEY, I'M HOME AND I'M QUITE LOUD, JAMES, WHAT IS FOR DINNER.
>> James: I DO.
SHE SAYS WHERE ARE YOU GOING, AND I GO TO THE BATHROOM AND
LOOK STRAIGHT IN HER EYES AND GO WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
>> YES, WELL, DIAL IT DOWN A BIT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOUR
SHOW, DO WHAT YOU LIKE.
>> James: ALL RIGHT, I WILL BE REALLY LOW ENERGY ON THIS NEXT
BIT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PODCAST.
>> NO, PICK IT BACK UP, IT'S DE PRESSING.
>> James: THE PODCAST IS BASED ON THE CHARACTER FROM YOUR
SITCOM BROCKMIRE.
>> JUICE IT BACK UP.
>> James: JUICE IT BACK UP.
>> I WAS WRONG.
>> James: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PODCAST, THE JIM BROCKMIRE
PODCAST BASED ON YOUR CHARACTER FROM THE SITCOM BROCKMIRE.
EXPLAIN THE PREMISE.
>> WELL, SIMILARLY, THIS IS THE JIM BROCKMIRE VOICE, THIS IS THE
GENERIC BASEBALL ANNOUNCER VOICE OF THE 1970S THAT I GREW UP
LISTENING TO.
AND I GOT A LITTLE MORBIDLY FASCINATED.
WHY DO ALL THESE GUYS TALK THIS WAY.
AND DO THEY TALK THIS WAY ALL THE TIME MUCH LIKE I ASKED YOU
IF YOU GO HOME AND SPEAK THIS WAY.
I WONDERED IF THESE GUYS DID.
DO THEY SOUND LIKE THIS WHEN THEY ARE DIRTY TALKING DURING
SEX AS WELL.
IF THEY ARE COMPLETELY WASTED OUT OF THEIR MINDS DO THEY STILL
SOUND LIKE THIS.
AND I NOTICED THAT THESE GUYS COULD SAY WHATEVER THEY LIKED AS
LONG AS THEY GAVE THE-- I SPEND MOST OF LAST NIGHT WITH A COUPLE
OF HOOKERS, ABOUT AN EIGHT BALL OF COCAINE,-- -- INVOLVED SO
THAT IS SORT OF BECAME THE GENESIS OF A, WE DID A FUNNIER
GUY AND TURNED IT THAT A TELEVISION SHOW, WHICH YOU CAN
BINGE ALL FOUR SEASONS ON HULU IF YOU LIKE RIGHT NOW.
SO AS WE WERE JUST GOT VOTED, MAY I SAY, ONE OF THE TOP 50
SITCOMS OF ALL TIME BY "ROLLING STONE" MAGAZINE.
NUMBER 42.
>> James: SEE, I THINK, YOU ARE SELLING YOURSELF SHORT
THERE, HANK.
YOU HAVE GONE TOP 50, I WOULD GO STRAIGHT IN TO THE TOP 42679 I
WOULD SAY IN THE TOP 42 SHOWS.
FORGET THE EIGHT.
DON'T WARY THAT DEAD WEIGHT.
>> EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> James: I HAVE TO TILL, THE PODCAST IS SO BRILLIANT IT IS SO
ENTERTAINING.
AS ARE YOU.
THE JIM BROCKMIRE PODCAST AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW WHEREVER YOU
GET YOUR PODCAST.
ALL FOUR SEASONS OF BROCKMIRE, THE 42nd BEST SHOW IN THE
WORLD ACCORDING TO ROLLING STONE, STREAMING RIGHT NOW ON
HULU.
STICK AROUND.
HANK AZARIA WILL BE HERE WHEN WE