>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WE'RE BACK HERE WITH ADRIEN BRODY.
YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE YOU WERE REALLY YOUNG.
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DID YOUR FIRST PROFESSIONAL ACTING
JOB?
>> I WAS...
I WAS-- I WAS GETTING JUMPED GOING TO DO OFFBROADWAY, TAKING
THE TRAIN FROM JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN THE EAST VILLAGE.
>> Stephen: WOW.
AND WHAT DID YOU SEE?
WHAT WAS THE FIRST SORT OF-- >> I DID A FILM.
>> Stephen: ...PERFORMANCE YOU SAW THAT YOU WENT, "I WANT TO DO
THAT?" WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT
INSPIRED YOU?
>> IT'S INTERESTING, MAGIC, I WAS OBSESSED WITH MAGIC, AND
MAGIC CAME IN MY LIFE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, AND THAT APPRECIATION
FOR MAGIC I THINK, ESPECIALLY AS A BOY, IT WAS EMPOWERING, YOU
KNOW.
I COULD CAPTIVATE ADULTS, AND WHAT I REALIZED IN THINKING BACK
AFTER MANY YEARS-- I WAS A PROFESSIONAL MAGICIAN BEFORE I
WAS-- BEFORE MY DAY JOB.
MY DAY JOB WAS I WAS THE "AMAZING ADRIEN" AND I WOULD DO
A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR 50 BUCK S.
>> Stephen: NO!
>> AND I HAD A WHOLE REPERTOIRE.
>> Stephen: ARE THERE PHOTOS!
( APPLAUSE )
YOU WERE STUCK, IF YOU WERE STUCK, COULD YOU STILL-- COULD
YOU STILL DO IT.
IF A KID WAS SAD, COULD YOU BE, "I'M A BIRTHDAY CLOWN."
>> IF I'M DRINKING AT A PARTY,s YOU COULD GET ME TO DO
A MAGIC CRICK.
IT'S FUN.
BUT I REALIZED MAGIC IS THE INTRODUCTION TO PERFORMANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU BUY A TRICK, IT'S, YOU KNOW, A BOX,
AND YOU GET YOUR LITTLE PRETTY CRAPPY GIZMO IN THAT, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> THE BASIC BREAKDOWN OF HOW THE TRICK WORKS AND SOME GENERAL
IDEA.
AND IT'S UP TO YOU TO BE THE INDIVIDUAL AND TO MAKE IT
UNIQUE.
AND THAT-- WHEN YOU CONVEY THAT-- AND IT EVOLVES.
IT'S LIKE A PERFORMANCE AT A PLAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU DO ONE PERFORMANCE, AND ONE BIT REALLY
WORKED FOR SOMEONE, AND YOU'RE LIKE, "THAT KIND OF WORKED."
AND YOU TRY IT ON SOMEBODY ELSE AND IT EVOLVES.
"THAT PART DIDN'T WORK."
AND THAT IS, I THINK, OPENED THE DOOR FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND MY
RELATIONSHIP WITH ACTING AND UNDERSTANDING IMPROVISATION AND
ALL OF THAT.
SO I THINK THAT FED ME A LOT.
AND -- >> Stephen: I HAVE A QUESTION
FOR YOU AS AN ACTOR.
WHEN YOU ARE PERFORMING LIVE, PARTICULARLY, AND AN AUDIENCE
IS-- YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, HOOK UP
YOUR JUMPER CABLES TO THE AUDIENCE, WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL
THAT CONNECTION, WHAT IS THE TEMPTITATION TO DO, AND WHAT DO
YOU HAVE TO DO TO ACTUALRY MAKE THAT CONNECTION?
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU-- SOME REACTION THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU
THINK IS THE BEST ONE TO AN AUDIENCE YOU DIDN'T FEEL IS
QUITE.
>> YOU MEAN IN LIVE PERFORMANCE?
>> IN LIVE PERFORMANCE, YEAH.
>> THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING I HAVE DONE TO A LIVE PERFORMANCE
IN YEARS.
YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TALK--
I HAVE THE JUMPER CABLES ON.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH, I DEAL WITH THAT ALL THE TIME.
>> YOU DO, RIGHT?
>> Stephen: NO, IT'S SUBTLE, BUT YOU WANT TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
CONNECTING WITH THE AUDIENCE, AND THERE'S A TENDENCY TO WANT
TO MUSCLE AN AUDIENCE.
>> I DON'T WANT TO MUSCLE ANYBODY.
YOU DON'T DO THAT.
>> Stephen: NO, THAT'S THE TEMPTATION.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY RELAX.
>> THE ODD THING IS WHEN THERE'S A DISCONNECT.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> THIS IS A VERY CONNECTED SPACE, AND THEY CAN HEAR CLEARLY
AND IT'S WHEN YOU DO AN INTRO AT AN AWARDS SHOW, FOR INSTANCE.
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE ALWAYS WONDERFUL!
>> AREN'T THEY WONDERFUL!
( LAUGHTER )
WASTED BY THE TIME YOU GET UP, AND YOU'VE GOTTEN TWO SECONDS.
THEY'VE WRITTEN SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SAY, AND THEN YOU MIGHT
THINK IT'S FUNNY, OR THE WRITER THINKS IT'S FUNNY, AND YOU HAVE
TO MAKE IT FUNNY.
AND NOBODY'S PAYING ANY ATTENTION.
AND YOU DON'T HEAR IT, AND THEY DON'T HEAR YOU, AND THEY DON'T
SEE-- AND IT'S THIS VOID.
AND THAT'S AWFUL.
AND THEN, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY INTERACTION.
SO...
>> Stephen: NEXT TIME, JUST DO A MAGIC TRICK WHEN YOU GO OUT
THERE.
JUST...
>> YOU GO "ANY THE WINNER IS..."
( LAUGHTER )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
BECAUSE THOSE ARE HIS NOTES, AND HE WON'T KNOW WHO TO INTRODUCE
NEXT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT STICK AROUND.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK ADRIEN ABOUT HIS RECENT ROLE AS
JOSH ARONSON IN "SUCCESSION."