( APPLAUSE )
AN ACTOR WHO SPENT EIGHT SEASONS PLAYING DEXTER ON SHOWTIME.
NOW, AFTER EIGHT YEARS, HE'S RETURNING TO THE ROLE IN
"DEXTER: NEW BLOOD."
>> SORRY, I'M NOT THE GUY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
IF YOU-- IF YOU WANT TO MAYBE TROWN THE TOWN SHELTER.
IT'S RIGHT ON MAIN STREET.
I KNOW THE OWNER, DESIREE.
JUST TELL HER JIM LINDSAY SENT YOU AND SHE'LL TAKE YOU IN.
WHATEVER YOU DECIDE I'M NOT GOING TO...
REPORT YOU OR ANYTHING.
YOU SEEM LIKE A GOOD KID.
UM, THE NEXT BUS OUT OF TOWN IS TOMORROW NIGHT, 7:45.
I HOPE YOU FIND WHOEVER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," MICHAEL C.
HALL.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: PLEASE, HYDRATE.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: I LIKE THE CHARCOAL GRAY FOR THE AUTUMN AND
THE VEST.
I DON'T SEE VESTS ENOUGH ANYMORE.
>> I'M TRYING TO DO MY PART, BRING IT BACK.
>> Stephen: IT'S VERY DISTINGUISHED.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A TV STAR.
YOU'RE A BROADWAY VET.
YOU HAVE RECENTLYALDED ROCK STAR TO YOUR RESUME WITH THE NEW--
YOU LAUGH, BUT I'VE GOT PHOTOS TO PROVE IT.
HERE WE ARE.
THERE IT IS.
THE BAND IS CALLED PRINCESS GOES TO THE BUTTERFLY MUSEUM.
>> YEAH, SUCCINCT.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
PRINCESS GOES TO THE BUTTERFLY MUSEUM.
WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
>> OUR KEYBOARDEST, SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD AT THE TIME-- HIS
DAUGHTER LET HIM KNOW AT THE TIME WE WERE THINKING OF A NAME,
AND HE ASKED HER PERMISSION TO TAKE IT, AND SHE SAID YES, AND
THAT'S HOW IT WAS BORN.
( LAUGHTER )
YOU HAVE THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL?
>> THANK YOU, I AM.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND ALSO HAVE BEEN WRETTING SONGS FOR PRINCESS GOES TO THE
BUTTERFLY MUSEUM.
HAD YOU DONE A LOT OF THAT BEFORE THIS?
>> NO, I HADN'T.
I HOOKED UP WITH THESE GUYS.
THEY WERE BOTH INVOLVED IN "HEAD WIG" THE MUSICAL.
I MET THEM THROUGH THAT.
THEY HAD STARTED COMPOSING SOME INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS, AND I JUST
FOR FUN OFFERED TO SING IN THE STUDIO WITHOUT ANY ASPIRATION
THAT WE WOULD BECOME A BAND.
BUT THEY-- I DON'T KNOW.
WE SORT OF-- SOMETHING STARTED HAPPENING.
WE WERE WRITING SONGS AND THEY GAVE ME PERMISSION --
>> Stephen: DOES IT COME EASILY?
>> I'VE ALWAYS WRITTEN FOR MYSELF.
>> Stephen: HIT ME WITH SOME BARS.
WHAT YOU HAVE GOT.
GIVE ME SOME LYRICS THAT I WOULD ENJOY.
>> ENJOY?
OKAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY BASED ON AN EXPERIENCE MY WIFE AND I HAD
DOING THERAPEUTIC KETAMINE IN A THERAPIST'S OFFICE-- TOTALLY
LEGIT, LEGAL.
BUT I HAD A REALLY FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE, AND HERS WERE A BIT
DARKER AND I WAS SOMEWHAT AWARE OF THAT.
"I WANT TO FEEL FOREVER CHANGING, BUT IT'S HARD WITH ALL
THIS REARRANGING MEANS I MIGHT BE LOSING YOU.
I WANT TO SOAR THROUGH CANDY CANYON, BUT IT'S HARD WHEN MY
COMPANION'S THRASHING, KEPT FROM VIEW.
WE'RE SIDE BY SIDE, JUST WITHIN REACH, BUT WORLD'S APART.
I'M BUILDING CASTLES ON THE BEACH.
YOU'RE TEARING OUT YOUR HEART, AND IF I COULD I'D CUT YOUR
STATIC, THEN YOU'D HEAR THE SONG.
YOU'D ROLL WITH IT.
YOU'D COME ALONG.
WE'D BREAK INTO THE SKY."
( APPLAUSE )
THROUGH MY-- MY TRIP, I ACTUALLY SAID, "I FEEL FOREVER CHANGING!"
AND I FELT HER SAY, "OH, PLEASE."
( LAUGHTER )
TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, YOU WERE ACTUALLY PERFORMING IN
"LAZARUS," WHICH WAS DAVID BOWIE'S MUSICAL.
I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO ASK YOU THEN.
WHAT WAS IT-- WHAT WAS IT LIKE THE FIRST TIME YOU MET BOWIE?
>> IT WAS-- IT WAS AMAZING.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SURE WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE WITH MYSELF.
>> I H HAD TO TURN PART OF MY BRAIN OFF, I THINK, TO DEAL WITH
THE FACT THAT I WAS EYE TO EYE WITH THIS ICON, ONE OF THE GREAT
ARTISTS OF THE LAST CENTURY.
HE-- I KNOW HE MUST HAVE COME THROUGH THE DOOR, BUT IN MY
MIND, HE MATERIALIZED IN THE ROOM.
( LAUGHTER )
APARTMENT OF OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR.
I SAID HELLO, WE HAD A BRIEF CHAT.
AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW, WE WERE RUNNING THROUGH ALL THE
SONGS THAT I WAS GOING TO SING IN THE SHOW.
AND I HAD -- >> Stephen: SO YOU CAN KEEP IT
PROFESSIONAL?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
I HAD THE JOB, BUT I DIDN'T REALLY FEEL LIKE I HAD IT UNTIL
I HAD HIS APPROVAL.
SO HE SAT ON THE COUCH, AND THE OPENING BARS TO THE SONG "WHERE
ARE WE NOW" STARTED AND ALL MY BUTTERFLIES TURNED TO BATS.
I JUST BECAME SO NERVOUS.
AND HE... AS HE WAS, SO GRACIOUSLY JUST NAMED THE
ABSURDITY OF THE MOMENT.
AND SAID, "YES, SING MY SONGS FOR ME."
AND IT PUT ME AT EASY.
AND HE WAS SO GENEROUS.
I MEAN, ALONG WITH BEING SORT OF A...
NEXT-LEVEL BEYOND, BEYOND SORT OF ICON, HE WAS SUCH A GENUINELY
KIND AND ENTHUSIASTIC MAN.
>> Stephen: SO WHEN DID IT ACTUALLY HIT YOU THAT HE WAS
THERE?
YOU KEPT IT TOGETHER, BUT WHEN WE LEFT, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> I FELL TO THE FLOOR.
>> Stephen: PHYSICALLY FELL DOWN?
>> YEAH, I JUST ALLOWED MYSELF TO RELEASE, AND JUST SORT OF--
YEAH, FELL TO THE FLOOR.
>> Stephen: WELL, SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU AND I SPOKE,
SADLY, DAVID BOWIE DIED.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: NOW IT WAS DURING THE RUN OF "LAZARUS."
HW DID THAT AFFECT Y'ALL AS A CAST AND THE PERFORMANCE?
>> AS FATE HAD IT, IT WAS ON A MONDAY MORNING THAT WE WOKE UP
TO THE NEWS THAT HE HAD DIED.
AND THAT DAY WAS THE SAME DAY THAT WE WERE GOING INTO RECORD
THE CAST ALBUM.
SO WE WENT IN THAT DAY TO SING AND RECORD ALL THE SONGS WITH
THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAD DIED.
AND IT WAS VERY EERIE.
I THINK WE WERE ALSO THANKFUL, THOUGH, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO
COME TOGETHER AND DO SOMETHING.
BUT DOING THE SHOW AFTER THAT, IT COMPLETELY REFRAMED THE
EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK MICHAEL ABOUT THE NEW "DEXTER:
NEW BLOOD" ON SHOWTIME.
STICK AROUND.
♪ ♪ ♪