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WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW." FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS AN OSCAR
AND TONY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "POLLOCK," "MYSTIC
RIVER," AND "ANGELS IN AMERICA." SHE NOW STARS IN THE CBS SHOW
"SO HELP ME TODD." >> DO YOU REMEMBER BRIAN
MACATEE? >> YOUR FRIEND FROM GRADE
SCHOOL? OF COURSE I REMEMBER HIM.
HE WAS A LITTLE HOODLUM. >> NOBODY SAYS HOODLUM ANYMORE.
>> PEOPLE SAY IT, I JUST SAID IT.
>> IT DOESN'T COUNT. >> SHE WAS A JUVENILE
DELINQUENT. >> THOSE ARE ALL THINGS OF THE
PAST. WHAT HE REALLY NEEDS RIGHT NOW
IS AN INCREDIBLE LAWYER TO GET HIM OUT OF SOME DUMB TRESPASSING
CHARGE. >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> OKAY, YOU'RE OPEN TO IT. I LIKE THAT.
YES, BRIAN HAS MADE SOME MISTAKES AND HAS A LITTLE BIT OF
A RAP SHEET. >> A LITTLE BIT OF RAP SHEET?
>> JAYWALKING, A FEW BAD CHECKS, WHATEVER.
BUT HE'S TRYING TO GET HIS LIFE BACK ON TRACK.
HE'S TRYING SO HARD. >> TODD, HE STOLE $30 FROM MY
PURSE WHEN HE WAS 10. >> WE ALL STOLE $30 FROM YOUR
PURSE WHEN WE WERE 10! >> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO
"THE LATE SHOW" MARCIA GAY HARDEN!
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>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO. IT IS-- IT IS LOVELY TO HAVE YOU
ON THE SHOW AT LONG LAST. >> I'M A FAN GIRL.
I AM LOVING BEING HERE. AND I AM SUCH A FAN OF YOURS.
THIS IS SO MUCH FUN FOR ME. >> Stephen: I'M AN Es NORMS
FAN OF YOURS. >> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I KNOW I GUSHED AT YOU BEFORE BUT I NEVER HAD YOU
ON? >> IT'S BECAUSE I WAS GUSHING
BACK AT YOU AND YOU COULDN'T SEE YOURSELF GUSHING AT ME.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHY I LIKE YOU.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ON YOUR SHOW BUT YOU'RE NO STRANGER TO
BROADWAY THEATERS. THIS YEAR MARKS THE 30th
ANNIVERSARY OF "ANGELS IN AMERICA."
AND THAT RIGHT HERE WAS YOUR BROADWAY DEBUT.
>> YES. >> Stephen: HERE YOU ARE.
( APPLAUSE )
THERE IS A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT ART, BUT VERY FEW THINGS THAT
HAVE THE CULTURAL IMPACT. >> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND THE MEANING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO GO SEE IT AS
THAT SHOW. DID YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WERE DOING
IT THAT YOU WERE PART OF SOMETHING...
WELL, THAT HAD REAL CULTURAL AND HUMAN WEIGHT TO IT?
>> I DIDN'T KNOW IT INTERNALLY, BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN IN THE
ORIGINAL SHOW, IN CALIFORNIA, AND I WAS CAST INTO THE BROADWAY
SHOW. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IT EXTERNALLY.
I KNEW IT INTERNALLY, BECAUSE IN MY OWN LIFE, I HAD MY FIRST
BOYFRIEND WHO DIE OF AIDS, AND ALL AROUND US IN NEW YORK PEOPLE
WERE DYING OF AIDS, AND THE COMMUNITY WAS SHOWING HOW TO
STAND TOGETHER AND HOW TO GET MEDICINES AT THE RIGHT PRICE AND
HOW TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND HOW TO LIVE WITH AIDS.
SO THE GAY COMMUNITY WAS JUST STUNNING.
AND I LIVED DOWN IN THE WEST VILLAGE AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE
WERE DOING THE SHOW, PEOPLE WOULD COME UP TO ME IN THE WEST
VILLAGE AND THEY WOW SAY, "ARE YOU MARCIA GAY HARDEN?"
AND I WOULD SAY, "YI AM." THEY SAID, "I WANT YOU TO KNOW I
TOOK MY PARENTS TO SEE THIS PLAY AND THEN I TOLD THEM I WAS
DYING." YOUR HEART WOULD FALL ON THE
GROUND. I THINK IN AN ACTOR'S-- MAYBE
EVERYBODY'S LIFE-- THERE ARE SO FEW TIMES WHEN YOUR WORK AND
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD MEET AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
BEING A MESSENGER OF A DIFFERENCE.
AND OF COURSE THE MESSENGER OF THE DIFFERENCE WAS THROUGH TONY
KUSH MER'S WORDS, A MODERN SHAKESPEARE.
THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS, THE BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PLAY.
HE WAS KIND OF ATTACKING EVERYTHING-- REAGANISM, GREED,
AND SOCIETY NOT LOOKING AT THE GAY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS, YOU
KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE STILL SCHOOLS TODAY WHERE YOU'RE
NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH THAT IT'S OKAY TO BE WHOEVER YOU ARE.
AND IT'S NOT OKAY TO BE GAY. AND THIS WAS 30 YEARS AGO.
WE WERE DOING THIS PLAY. SO IT KIND OF SADDENS ME THAT
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW.
BUT WE'LL DO MORE PLAYS. >> Stephen: YES.
>> AND MAKE MORE MESSAGE S. >> Stephen: YES.
( APPLAUSE )
STARRING IN THE NEW CBS COMEDY "SO HELP ME TODD."
WHERE THE PREMISE IS YOU'RE A LAWYER WHO HIRES YOUR SON TO BE
A PRIVATE DETECTIVE. TO DIG UP INFORMATION.
WOULD YOU BE A GOOD LAWYER YOURSELF?
>> OKAY. WHAT PARENT WOULDN'T?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE. >> ARE WE ARGUING WITH OUR KIDS
ABOUT WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG. I'M A RIGHT FIGHTER.
I'M A REAL ARGUURE. MORE THAN THAT, WE'RE ALSO GOOD
INVESTIGATORS. I DEFY ANY PARENT WHO TELLS ME
THEY DID NOT SNOOP AROUND IN THEIR KID'S-- I DIDN'T-- IN MY
KIDS' DIARIES. I WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING.
WE SNOOP, WE SMELL SMOKE, A-HA. ALL OF THAT.
SO I WOULD MAKE A GOOD BOTH, SIMPLY BY BEING A PARENT.
IF YOU HAD TO PUT ME OUT IN THE REAL WORLD TO DO IT I HAVE TO
TELL YOU I WOULD BE A BETTER LAWYER THAN AN INVESTIGATOR --
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH YOUR CHARACTER,
MARGARET? >> I DO-- DON'T JUDGE ME.
WE'RE BOTH PRUDES A LITTLE BIT? >> YOU'RE BOTH PRUDES?
>> A LITTLE BIT. JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> Stephen: IN WHAT RESPECT. YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE A PRUDE?
>> I'M A LITTLE OLD FASHIONED. WE'RE BOTH SIGNAL, WHICH IS
PROBABLY BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE BIT OF A PRUDE.
AND, BUT, I HAVE THESE GIRLFRIENDS, AND MARGARET
DOESN'T REALLY HAVE THIS. I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND WHO IS
CONSTANTLY TRYING TO GET ME BACK OUT IN THE WORLD THERE.
SO SHE WILL SEND THESE LITTLE SEX TOY THINGS TO ME, JUST
KNOW-- >> Stephen: LIKE YOU DO.
>> AS ONE DOES. >> Stephen: LIKE DO YOU.
>> JUST TO SHORT OF SHOCK ME. AND JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO
SHE SENT ME SOMETHING-- I WILL SAY IT-- AND I SAID I'M NOT
SHOCKED ABOUT THIS AT ALL. BECAUSE I HAVE ONE NAMED AFTER
ME. >> Stephen: THIS IS-- THIS
IS-- I KNOW THIS IS FOR THEN. >> NOW, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE LUBRICANT.
>> IT IS. >> Stephen: AND DID YOU NOT
NAME IT. IT IS NAMED AFTER YOU.
GET KIDS OUT OF THE ROOM. >> WOULD YOU LIKE --
>> Stephen: I WILL HOLD IT UP, AND YOU CAN READ THE NAME.
>> THIS IS CALLED "MARCIA GAY HARD ON."
( LAUGHTER )
COVID, I DISCOVERED IT. I HAD SEEN A PICTURE OF IT AND I
TRACKED THE GUY DOWN. HIS NAME IS ZADDY EARTH.
>> Stephen: ZADDY EARTH? >> YES, IT'S TRUE.
HIS LOGO ON THE SHOW OR SLOGAN OR WHATEVER IS HAVING AN F'ING
GOOD TIME. I SAID YOU'RE USING MY NAME.
HE SAID IF YOU'RE MAD I'LL TAKE IT OFF.
I SAID THIS IS GREAT. BUT IF YOU DO IT YOU HAVE TO
DONATE TO ALZHEIMER'S. BECAUSE MY MOTHER JUST PASSED
AND YOU KNOW WHEN THEY REMEMBERED HOW TO DO IT, HONEY,
THEY HAD AN F'ING GOOD TIME. >> Stephen: "SO HELP ME TODD"
AIRS THURSDAYS AT 9:00 P.M. ON CBS.
IT'S MARCIA GAY HARDEN, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.