♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: WELCOME BACK TO "A
LATE SHOW."
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR AND RAPPER
YOU KNOW FROM "NIGHTCRAWLER," "ROGUE ONE," AND "THE NIGHT OF."
HE NOW STARS IN THE FILM "SOUND OF METAL."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," RIZ AHMED.
RIZ, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, MAN.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> Stephen: RIZ, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BAFTA
NOMINATION.
THAT WAS JUST THIS MORNING, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, YEAH, IT WAS.
THANK YOU, THANKS A LOT.
WE GOT A COUPLE OF NOMINATIONS FOR "SOUND OF METAL" AND "MOOGLE
MOGLI" THAT ISN'T OUT IN THE U.S. BUT CAME OUT IN THE U.K. SO
IT WAS COOL.
>> Stephen: I LIKE HEARING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE HEARD THEY GOT
THE NOMINATION?
WERE YOU EXPECTING IT?
WERE YOU WAITING TO FIND OUT, OR IT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE AND YOU
DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THIS WAS HAPPENING TODAY?
>> I MEAN, YOU CAN'T REALLY BE EXPECTING IT.
THERE ARE NO PROMISES IN LIFE ANYMORE, RIGHT.
EVERYTHING IS SO UNPREDICTABLE.
BUT IT'S-- YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE ON LONDON TIME, AND I'M OUT ON
THE WEST COAST, SO IT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
SO IT WAS KIND OF GOOD IN A WAY.
YOU CAN SLEEP THROUGH ANY OF THE ANXIETY, AND YOU WAKE UP AND SEE
IF THERE'S A BUNCH OF TEXT MESSAGES ON YOUR PHONE.
>> Stephen: SO YOU LOOK AT YOUR PHONE, AND IT'S JUST
STACKED WITH MESSAGES AND YOU KNOW SOMETHING GOOD MUST HAVE
HAPPENED?
>> SOMETHING GOOD OR SOMETHING REALLY BAD.
THAT'S THE ISSUE, RIGHT?
LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE YOU SEE ALL THESE NOTIFICATIONS AND
YOU'RE LIKE, "I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO LOOK AT THAT.
IT COULD GO EITHER WAY."
>> Stephen: THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH YEAR.
I WAS JUST SAYING EARLIER TODAY, THIS FRIDAY WILL BE A YEAR SINCE
WE HAD TO LEAVE OUR THEATER BECAUSE OF COVID INFECTIONS HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THIS YEAR HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY BROUGHT YOU AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF SUCCESS AND GOOD NEWS.
YOU RELEASED A NEW ALBUM, TWO FILMS, YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE
OBAMAS ON A FILM ADAPTATION.
YOU SIGNED AN AMAZON PRODUCTION DEAL, AND, BEST OF ALL, YOU GOT
MARRIED.
HOW DID YOU MAKE SENSE OF-- OF THE MANY UPS AND THE DOWNS OF
THIS YEAR FOR YOU?
>> IT'S CRAZY, ISN'T IT?
BECAUSE ON THE ONE HAND, YEAH, IT HAS BEEN A REALLY DIFFICULT
YEAR.
AS YOU CAN TELL, I'M A BIT OF A WORKAHOLIC.
I HAVE TROUBLE SITTING STILL.
I ALWAYS WANT TO BE DOING SOMETHING.
THE TOUGHEST THING FOR ME THIS YEAR WAS SITTING BY MYSELF AND
KIND OF BEING FORCED TO DO SOMETHING, WHICH IS IN SOME WAYS
A PRIVILEGE THAT I'M NOT OUT THERE LIKE THESE DOCTORS AND
NURSES SAVING LIVES, SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE QUIET BROUGHT ME IS THE CLARITY ON
WHERE WE SPEND OUR TIME AND ENERGY.
I THINK A LOT OF US HAD THE REALIZATION THAT WE SPEND A LOT
OF TIME CHASING STUFF WHICH IN THE END DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR WELL-BEING, YOUR HEALTH, AND YOUR CONNECTION
TORGS AND IT HAS GIVEN ME MORE CLARITY ON THE KIND OF WORK I
WANT TO BE DOING.
EVEN THOUGH IT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACTION, IT GAVE ME A LOT OF
CLARITY AND I FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THAT AND MAKE A BUNCH OF WORK
THAT REPRESENTS WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GREAT ABOUT MUSIC IS YOU
CAN DO IT ANYWHERE.
YOU CAN DO IT BY YOURSELF.
YOU CAN DO IT IN COLLABORATION, BY SENDING FILES TO EACH OTHER.
WERE YOU ABLE TO PUT SOME OF YOUR FOCUS INTO THAT BECAUSE
NORMAL TELEVISION OR FILM PRODUCTION WAS SO CURTAILED?
>> THAT WAS A PART OF IT, YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO DO WAS TOUR MY ALBUM, "THE LONG
GOOD-BYE."
OBVIOUSLY, COVID SHUT THAT DOWN.
WE DID A LIVE STREAM PERFORMANCE FROM AN ABANDONED THEATER IN SAN
FRANCISCO AND I FILMED IT MYSELF.
WE ENDED UP-- SOMETIMES THE LIMITATIONS MAKE YOU INNOVATIVE.
I MADE A ONE-MAN SHOW, KIND OF A GIG, KIND OF LIKE A SHORT FILM,
BECAUSE WE FILMED IT.
SO, YEAH, IT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
BUT FOR ME, THE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR KEPT BRINGING ME
BACK TO IS LIKE, REALLY, WHAT'S POINT?
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE BIG PICTURE THAT'S SO SCARY RIGHT
NOW.
LIKE, YOU BETTER BE MAKING WORK THAT YOU THINK MAKES SOME KIND
OF DIFFERENCE OR MEANS SOMETHING TO YOU.
AND FOR ME, YOU KNOW, BOTH "SOUND OF METAL" OR "LONG
GOOD-BYE" THEY'RE TRYING TO REMIND US THERE'S NO SUCH THING
AS "US" AND "THEM," WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO HOLD ON TO IN SUCH
A DIVIDED TIME.
IT'S JUST US.
THAT'S WHAT ALL STORIES REMIND YOU, YOU START OFF WATCHING A
CHARACTER THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN'T RELATE TO AND IS SO
DIFFERENT FROM YOU, AND AT THE END OF IT, YOU REALIZE THERE'S A
KIND OF CORE OF EMOTION AND HUMANITY THAT WE ALL SHARE.
AND SO, I GUESS I FEEL REALLY CLEAR THAT I WANT TO BE MAKING
WORK LIKE THAT THAT REMINDS US WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT "SOUND OF METAL."
YOUR PERFORMANCE, AS I SAID, THE BAFTA NOMINATION THIS MORNING,
IS GETTING GREAT PRAISE.
WHO DO YOU PLAY?
AND WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
>> YEAH, IT WAS A PROJECT SO CLOSE TO MY HEART, SO LUCKY TO
BE A PART OF.
IT'S BY A FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR CALLED DARIUS MARDER, WHO IS A
LEGIT GENIUS.
AND THE MOVIE IS THE STORY OF RUBEN WHO IS KIND OF A PUNK
METAL DRUMMER WHO SUDDENLY LOSES HIS HEARING.
AND WHEN HE LOSES HIS HEARING, HE LOSE HIS IDENTITY, HIS JOB,
AND HIS RELATIONSHIP, BECAUSE HIS BANDMATE IS HIS GIRLFRIEND.
THEY LIVE TOGETHER IN A MOBILE STUDIO RV.
HIS WORLD FALLS APART.
AND KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GOOG THROUGH WITH COVID, THE
HEALTH CRISIS FORCES HIM INTO A KIND OF LOCKDOWN AND GOES TO A
REHAB CENTER AND FORCES HIM TO REASSESS WHAT MATTER S.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP HERE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON GEE YEAH, SO THIS IS THE POINT
IN THE MOVIE WHERE RUBEN IS TRYING TO GET A COCHLEAR IMPLANT
SURGERY, WHICH STIMULATES YOUR BRAIN AND HE PUT A LOT ON THE
LINE TO TRY TO GET HIS HEARING BACK.
>> Stephen: JIM.
>> Stephen: YOU-- YOU SPENT SEVEN MONTHS PREPARING FOR THIS
FILM, LEARNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE.
WHAT WAS THAT PROCESS LIKE?
AND WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE DEAF
COMMUNITY?
>> IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST ENRICHING AND MIND-BLOWING
EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE.
I'M SO GRATEFUL TO MY SIGN INSTRUCTOR, JEREMY LEE STONE,
WHO WAS MY MENTOR AND INTRODUCING ME TO DEAF CULTURE.
THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR ME IS DEAFNESS ISN'T A DISABILITY.
IT'S A CULTURE.
IT'S A WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, DEAF PEOPLE AREN'T HEARING IMPAIRED.
WE'RE IMPAIRED BECAUSE WE DON'T SPEAK SIGN LANGUAGE.
SIGN LANGUAGE IS SUCH A-- SUCH A RICH FORM OF EXPRESSION.
I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE THE DEAF COMMUNITY TAUGHT ME THE TRUE
MEANING OF LISTENING.
LISTENING ISN'TI ISN'T SOMETHING WITH YOUR EARS YOU DO IT WITH
YOUR ENERGY AND HOLDING SPACE FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S ENERGY.
JEREMY TAUGHT ME THERE'S A SAYING IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY,
HEARING PEOPLE ARE EMOTIONALLY REPRESSED BECAUSE WE HIND BEHIND
WORDS.
WE USE WORDS TO HIDE OUR FEELINGS.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT UNTIL I BECAME MORE FLUENT
IN SIGN LANGUAGE, AND I TEARED UP WITH SIGN LANGUAGE.
WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING IN SIGN IT'S SO MUCH MORE CONNECTED AND
VISCERAL, AND YOU EMBODY WHAT YOU'RE COMMUNICATING.
I LEARNED SIGN LANGUAGE, BUT I ALSO LEARNED WHAT REAL
COMMUNICATION IS WHAT REAL LISTENING IS FROM THE DEAF
COMMUNITY, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FACILITY YOU HAVE FOR
LANGUAGES, BUT TAKING UP ANOTHER LANGUAGE, ESPECIALLY THAT HAS A
DIFFERENT FORM OF VOCABULARY THAN THOSE OF US NOT IN THE DEAF
COMMUNITY ARE USED TO.
DID YOU MAKE MISTAKES?
I MEAN, WERE THERE ANY EPIC MESS-UPS?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
MY SIGN NAME WAS SOMETHING GIVEN BY THE DEAF COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE WHO KNOW YOU AFTER A WHILE, MY SIGN NAME IS ( BLE
( BLEEP ).
>> Stephen: AND HOW WOULD YOU SIGN THAT?
HOW WOULD YOU SIGN THAT?
>> THE SIGN FOR ( BLEEP ) IS LIKE THIS.
SO YOU KIND OF GOT THESE, AND YOU'RE LIKE ( BLEEP ).
AND WHAT I KEPT DOING IS I DIDN'T KNOW THE SIGN FOR, LIKE,
"UHM, I'M THINKING," WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF WORDS.
YOU CAN GO LIKE THAT, OR MAYBE YOU'RE THINKING.
BUT I JUST EYE DIDN'T HAVE EVEN THE VOCABULARY FOR THAT.
EVERY TIME I RAN OUT OF WORDS I WOULD BE LIKE...
AND CHRISTINE SUN KIM, THE DEAF ARTIST, KIND OF CLOCKED THAT AND
WENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT?
THAT'S YOUR NAME.
YOU'RE PLAYING THE DRUMS.
YOU'RE ALWAYS ( BLEEP ), AND R-I-Z.
SO YOUR SIGN NAME IS...
AND IT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW AMAZING AND ELEGANT A LANGUAGE
IS.
YOU'VE GOT THE DRUMS.
YOU HAVE R-I-Z, AND YOU HAVE ( BLEEP ), AND THAT'S MY SIGN
NAME.
I'LL WEAR IT WITH PRIDE, THAT'S ME.
>> Stephen: WHICH WAS HARDER, LEARNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
OR THE DRUMS?
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD TO LEARN THE DRUMS FOR THE PART.
>> YEAH, I MEAN, SIGN LANGUAGE WAS INTENSE.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS SEVEN MONTHS, MANY HOURS EVERY DAY.
BUT THE DRUMS WAS THE SAME.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THE DRUMS WAS HARDER FOR ME, MUCH HARD
EBECAUSE I STUPIDLY THOUGHT I WOULD BE GOOD AT THE DRUMS
BECAUSE I'M A RAPPER AND I'VE GOT SOME IDEA OF RHYTHM.
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RHYTHM AND COORDINATION, AND MY
DRUM TEACHER HAS THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT.
AND REALLY, IT GOT PRETTY PSYCHOLOGICAL, MAN.
TWO DUDZ JUST IN A WEIRD BASEMENT STUDIO IN BROOKLYN IN
THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER JUST USUALLY STRIPPED DOWN TO
UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS, JUST, LIKE, STARING AT EACH OTHER SMASHING
DRUMS.
IT GOT PRETTY INTENSE.
IT GOT A LITTLE BIT "APOCALYPSE NOW" IN THERE.
I THINK THE THING WITH THE DRUMS.
YOU DON'T PLAY THE DRUMS.
YOU HAVE TO LET THEM PLAY YOU.
AND THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF LEARNED IN THE END.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A DRUMMER IN OUR FAMILY AND HE DOESN'T GO
ANYWHERE WITHOUT SOME SORT OF EAR PRODUCTION IN CASE HE SITS
IN.
HE HAS EITHER THE FULL HEADPHONE OR THE EAR PLUGS ON HIS CHE KEY
CHAIN.
DID YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS?
>> YOU HAVE TO.
IT'S PART OF WHAT THE FILM IS ABOUT.
IT BACKFIRED ON ME.
I GOT SO USED TO WEARING THESE EAR PLUGS, THAT I KIND OF
STOPPED BEING ABLE TO SLEEP.
YOU KNOW, I WAS PREPARING IN NEW YORK WITHOUT EAR PLUGS BUT I
KEPT SLEEPING THROUGH MY ALARM.
SO THEN I STARTED GETTING LATE FOR WORK, SO THEN I COULDN'T
SLEEP OUT OF ANXIETY FOR THAT.
SO THE WHOLE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SHOOTING, I KEPT BUYING
NEW MATTRESSES.
FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT MAYBE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE
MATTRESS I WAS SLEEPING ON.
A WHOLE WORMHOLE OF NEUROSES OPENED UP AROUND THOSE.
IT WAS AN INTENSE PROCESS, MAN.
YOU HAD TO BE THERE AT THE TIME.
>> Stephen: RIZ RIZ IT WAS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
I KNOW YOU'RE A NATIVE OF THE U.K., ARE YOU OKAY WITH WHAT
HAPPENED WITH PIERS MORGAN THAT HE HAD TO QUIT "GOOD MORNING
BRITAIN"?
ARE YOU OKAY HE'S GOI NOT GOING BE THERE ANYMORE?
>> HONESTLY, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM MY MIND THAN PIERS
MORGAN.
>> Stephen: THEN YOU'LL BE OKAY.
"SOUND OF METAL" IS ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO NOW.
RIZ AHMED, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY JANELLE MONAE.