>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW.
MY NEXT GUEST STARS AS THE PATHOLOGICALLY HAPPY CHIEF O
>> YOU JUST GO INTO THE ROOM.
>> I SHOOK THE DEVIL
'S HAND.
YOU.
>> YOU MEAN MASTURBATE.
>> DOES IT HURT?
>> OH, NO, RICHARD.
>> HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
>> REALLY?
>> MY FAMILY AND I WERE ALSO PRETTY RELIGIOUS.
GRANDMA SAID SELF-PLEASURE WAS A SIN, LIKE MICROWAVES FOR
LAUGHTER.
>> I FEEL LIKE HE HAS A REALLY GOOD HEART.
>> I'M SORRY, I'M STILL NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THE CUP COMES
INTO PLAY.
>> PLEASE WELCOME SAM RICHARDSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> Stephen: NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> VERY NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> Stephen: I AM A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK, OF THIS SHOW, BUT
YOUR CHARACTER YOU PLAY ON THE SHOW, RICHARD T. SPLETT EYE
DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID T., YOUR MIDDLE NAME IS JOHN.
RICHARD T.SPLETT IS A GREAT, UNBELIEVABLY OPTIMISTIC,
CHEERFUL CHARACTER, WHO DOESN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT
EVERYTHING IS GOING WRONG AROUND HIM.
>> RIGHT, LIKE HE'S JUST GOT THIS BOUYANT LIKE ENERGY AROUND
HIM, LIKE EVERY NEGATIVE THING IS LIKE WATER ON A DUCK'S BACK
YOU KNOW.
HE'S JUST POSITIVE.
LIKE A CONSUMMATE OPTIMIST.
>> Stephen: IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LIKE IN REAL LIFE?
ARE YOU HALF-- GLASS HALF FULL?
>> PART OF ME IT IS.
THERE'S A LOT OF ME THAT I THINK-- I THINK SOME OF ME IS IN
RICHARD.
AND THEN, LIKE-- SO, LIKE, WITH RICHARD, IS LIKE A LITTLE NERDY
AND POSITIVE.
I THINK I'M PRETTY POSITIVE.
BUT WHEN RICHARD-- I DO GET OFFENDED WHEN SOMEBODY INSULTS
ME.
SO THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN HIM.
BUT, LIKE -- >> Stephen: HE DOESN'T
UNDERSTAND WHEN SOMEONE INSULTS HIM.
IT'S JUST NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY.
HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND EYE WORLD VIEW OR SOMEONE WHO WOULD INSULT
SOMEONE ELSE, WHICH IS ODD ON THAT SHOW BECAUSE IT'S FILLED
WITH THE GREATEST INSULTS OF ANY SHOW EVER ON TELEVISION.
>> THAT'S THE CURRENCY OF THAT SHOW.
RICHARD DOESN'T GET TO DO THOSE.
WHEN RICHARD WILL DO SOMETHING NERDY, LIKE WHEN RICHARD WILL
CORRECT SOMEBODY LIKE ON A COMIC BOOK REFERENCE OR A HARRY POTTER
REFERENCE, THAT'S SAM RICHARDSON, 100%.
LIKE, THE OTHER DAY SOMEBODY WAS LIKE, "YOU KNOW, ALL CHUBBY
PEOPLE ARE FROM HUFF PUHHEL PUFF.
AND I WAS LIKE NO.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THAT PART OF ME IS VERY MUCH LIKE RICHARD.
>> Stephen: YOU AND I HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON.
WE WERE BOTH MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CITY IN CHICAGO.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU IN CRD DRT AND THEN IN CHICAGO.
>> Stephen: IT'S A TREMENDOUS PLACE.
IT'S GRATE PLACE TO WORK AND SUCCEED AND FAIL BECAUSE THE
AUDIENCE THEIR ARE FORGIVING BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING IMPROV A
LOT OF THE TIMES.
>> IT'S LIVE AND YOU CAN'T RECREATE IMPROV.
EVEN IF YOU WATCH IT ON-- ON FILM OR, LIKE, TAPED, IT WILL
NEVER BE THE SAME AS IT IS LIVE BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS ON THIS
HIGH WIRE-- "WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO SAY NEXT?
THANK GOD THEY SAID SOMETHING."
>> Stephen: AND THE AUDIENCE IS DRUNK THERE.
>> AND THEY'RE DRUNK.
WHICH IS THE MAIN THING ABOUT COMEDY, BE DRUNK.
>> Stephen: WE TRIED TO GET A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THESE PEOPLE
AND CBS DIDN'T WANT IT.
>> I SEE A FEW BROWN PAPER BAG S.
>> Stephen: DID YOU UNDERSTUDY-- WHEN YOU WORK AT
SECOND CITY, IT'S LIKE A REP SYSTEM.
I UNDERSTUDIED PEOPLE BEFORE ME.
LIKE, SKETCHES FROM THE LATE 50s I WAS DOING.
ALAN ARKIN SKETCHES.
DID YOU DO ANYTHING I DID?
>> I DID.
I DID A SCENE OF YOURS CALLED "MIA."
>> Stephen: IN WHICH I'M AN OLD BLACK WOMAN.
>> AN OLD BLACK LADY.
>> Stephen: LOOKING JUST LIKE THIS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: AND TALKING JUST LIKE THIS BUT THE REALITY OF THE
SCENE WAS I HAPPENED TO BE AN OLD BLACK WOMAN.
>> YOU AND STEVE CARELL, AND THEY'RE GOING TO YOUR HOME
TOWN-- YOU JUST SAY RIGHT BEFORE, "OH, BY THE WAY, HERE
I'M AN OLD BLACK LADY SM.
AND IT'S LIKE, "WHAT!" ALL THESE PEOPLE COME UP AND
SAY, "SHIRLEY WENTWORTH, HOW ARE YOU?"
>> Stephen: THAT'S MY CHARACTER'S NAME, SHIRLEY
WENTWORTH.
WHO DO YOU PLAY?
>> I PLAY THE GENTLEMAN SUITOR WHO WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU
GO.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE HE AND I COULD NEVER BE TOGETHER BECAUSE
THE TOWN WOULDN'T ACCEPT OUR LOVE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND WE KISS IN IT.
THERE WAS A GENTLE SWEET KISS.
>> SWEET KISS.
>> Stephen: AND THE MORE ENSEAR IT WAS THE FUNNIER IT IS.
>> EXACTLY.
IT WAS A TEAR-DOWN GREAT SCENE.
AUDIENCES WOULD LOVE IT.
BUT WE WOULD TOUR THAT SCENE -- >> Stephen: AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
>> AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND SOMETIMES YOU'D BE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO THE COUNTRY AND
THAT PART OF THE SCENE WOULD BE LIKE, NO.
I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS AN IDEA OF TWO MEN KISSING OR A BLACK
MAN AND A WHITE MAN KISSING.
I DIDN'T ASK THEM WHAT THEIR PROBLEM WITH IT WAS.
>> Stephen: THERE WEREN'T COMMENT CARDS?
>> "EXCUSE ME!" AND EVERYBODY RAISES THEIR
HANDS.
NO, I DIDN'T OPEN THAT DOOR.
>> Stephen: YOU GREW UP IN DETROIT, RIGHT?
>> DI.
I GREW UP BETWEEN DETROIT AND GHANA, WEST AFRICA.
MY MOTHER IS FROM GHANA.
MY FATHER IS FROM DETROIT.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE CAPITOL.
>> AKRA.
>> Stephen: AKRA, GHANA.
HOW MUCH OF YOUR CHILDHOOD, HOW DID YOU SPLIT IT?
>> I USED TO GO BACK AND FORTH.
I WOULD SPEND GHANAS IN SUMMER.
AND SOMETIMES TWICE A YEAR, AND BE THERE FOUR MONTHS.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO, LIKE, TO BE SPLITTING YOUR
CHILDHOOD LIKE THAT IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES?
>> I WOULD KIND OF, LIKE, NEVER GET-- LIKE, I WAS KIND OF A MAN
OUT OF PLACE IN BOTH WORLDS.
LIKE, IN DETROIT, MY FAMILY WOULD MAKE FUN OF ME.
THEY'D BE LIKE, "OH, SAM YOU SAY MUM, MUM."
I WOULD SAY "MUM, AND WASTE BIN," A LITTLE BIT OF AN ACCENT.
IN GHANA THEY WOULD BE LIKE, "SAM, I'M THIRSTY.
I WANT A GLASS OF THAT CLEAR LIQUID.
WHAT'S IT CALLED?" AND I WOULD SAY, "WATER?"
AND SAID SAY, "WATER!
IT'S WATER, SAME, STUPID.
>> Stephen: SOUNDS LIKE A HAPPY CHILDHOOD, SAM.
>> YEAH.
ALL LAUGHS.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU.
"VEEP" AIRS SUNDAYS ON HBO.
SAM RICHARDSON, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.