>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW, EVERYBODY.
FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE HOST OF "SUNDAY TODAY"
AND A CO-HOST OF "MORNING JOE."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW" WILLIE GEIST!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: WILLIE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WILLIAM GIEST--
>> PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON YOUR SHOW.
HAVE I INTERVIEWED YOU BEFORE?
>> NO, I'VE NEVER BEEN ON THIS SHOW.
THIS IS MY -- >> Stephen: BUT WE SEE EACH
OTHER FAIRLY FREQUENTLY.
>> WE SEE EACH OTHER IN THE WINGS OF NEW YORK CITY EVENTS --
GALAS, AWARD SHOWS.
>> Stephen: BENEFITS.
YOU AND I ARE GOING ON STAGE TO SAY, "AND THE WINNER IS," OR TO
RAISE MONEY OR AWARENESS.
>> I THINK THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU WAS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO
AT THE NATIONAL BOARD REVIEW, WHICH YOU WERE PRESENTING LADY
GAGA WITH THE BEST ACTRESS REWARD.
I WAS HOSTING.
AND THAT TELLS YOU ABOUT THE SHOW BUSINESS HIERARCHY.
I WAS HOSTING AND YOU WERE PRESENTING UBUT THAT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT HIERARCHY GOES.
>> THE HOST.
>> Stephen: OH, THE HOST, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
DID YOU HAVE YOUR PHOTO TAKEN WITH LADY GAGA BACKSTAGE, AND
DID SHE KISS YOU ON THE CHEEK?
>> SHE DIDN'T.
.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: AND YOU HAD TO BE
THERE-- YOU HAD TO BE THERE ALL NIGHT?
AND I GET TO COME IN AND LEAVE WITH A COCKTAIL.
>> THAT'S A VETERAN'S SHOW BIZ MOVE.
>> Stephen: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND THAT, IT'S
ALWAYS LIKE ( WHISPERING )
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
IS IT RUNNING LONG?
>> IT'S A WHIPTSER.
IT'S A ESPECIALLY WHENNER.
YOU WENT ON STAGE TO PRESENT THE LADY GAGA WITH THE AWARD AND YOU
KEPT CALLING HER STEPHANIE, WHICH IS HER REAL NAME.
AND I SAID THEY'RE OLD FRIENDS.
FAMOUS PEOPLE REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER.
YOU SAID, "STEF NEERK STEPHANIE, STEPHANIE."
AND YOU STOPPED YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND YOU SAID, "I DON'T KNOW LADY GAGA, I MET HER ONCE, BUT PEOPLE
WHO KNOW HER SEEM TO CALL HER STEPHANIE, BUT I WANT YOU TO
THINK I KNOW HER SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE CALLING HER STEPHANIE."
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
AND YOU KNOW WHO LIKED THAT?
STEPHANIE.
SHE LOVED IT.
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THAT.
>> STEPHEN WINS AGAIN.
>> Stephen: I'LL SAY SOMETHING I ADMIRE ABOUT YOU.
YOU DO SEVERAL TV SHOWS.
YOU INTERVIEW PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.
YOU NEVER USE CARDS.
YOU DO, LIKE, LONG INTERVIEWS, 45 MINUTES.
NO CARDS.
WHAT IS-- WHAT IS THE DEAL?
>> WELL, SO, FOR MY "SUNDAY TODAY" SHOW-- TWO HOURS AGO I
INTERVIEWED BRIE LARSON WHO HAS THE CAPTAIN MARVEL MOVIE OUT.
>> Stephen: I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT THAT MOVIE.
>> I TRY TO DO ALL THE RESEARCH I CAN DO.
AND SO I TRY TO TAKE THE ARTIFICE OUT OF IT AND MAKE IT
CONVERSATIONAL.
I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WHEN SOMEBODY IS SITTING ACROSS FROM
A PERSON THEY'VE GOT A BUNCH OF NOTES FRONT OF THEM TFEELS LIKE
AN INTERROGATION OR CROSS-EXAMINATION.
RATHER THAN A CONVERSATION.
>> Stephen: NO PROBLEM THERE.
LOOK AT THAT.
BOOM!
DON'T NEED THEM.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
HERE WE GO.
OKAY.
SO... WHAT IS YOUR-- HERE'S THE THING IS THAT I REALLY ENJOY EYE
SAID TO THE AUDIENCE BEFORE THE SHOW BEGAN.
THEY SAID, "WHO DO YOU ENJOY INTERVIEWING."
I SAID I'M GRATEFUL FOR ANYONE WHO WILL COME TO TALK TO THIS
IDIOT.
I SOMETIMES SPACE OUT.
WHERE SHOULD I GO NEXT.
WHAT'S YOUR GO-TO.
>> WHEN YOU FALL OUT A LITTLE BIT.
>> Stephen: AND YOU REALIZE THE RHYTHM OF THEIR SPEECH MEANS
THEY'RE ABOUT TO STOP TALKING AND YOU SHOULD SAY SOMETHING
SOON.
>> I KNOW THE TERROR OF THAT HOLDY AND I HAVE A LONG-RUNNING
JOKE, WHERE IT'S A BLANKET QUESTION OF, "WHAT A JEER."
( LAUGHTER )
AT ALL, IS IT?
>> Stephen: THAT'S A TERRIBLE QUESTION.
>> BY VIRTUE OF YOU BEING HERE I'M GOING TO ASSUME IT'S A GREAT
YEAR BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY HAVE A BOOK OR MOVIE OR TV SHOW.
"WHAT A YEAR."
>> Stephen: I HAVE A SIMILAR ONE.
"HOW DO YOU LIVE WITH YOURSELF?" >> ARE YOU ASKING ME?
>> Stephen: NO, NO, I'M LISTENING TO YOU.
I'M LISTENING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
>> WHAT A YEAR, WHAT A YEAR YOU.
>> Stephen: SAW THIS MORNING, YOU SAW GAYLE SPEAK TO R. KELLY.
>> DID I?
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU THINK?
WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, ALL HAIL GAYLE.
GAYLE KING.
>> Stephen: NICELY DONE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) HOW WOULD YOU-- WOULD YOU--
WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED IT ANY DIFFERENTLY?
>> INTERVIEWS LIKE THAT ARE WHY I CARRY A SMALL TASE WER ME AT
ALL TIMES.
( LAUGHTER )
JUST GET UP AND NEUTRALIZE THE THREAT A LITTLE.
>> Stephen: SURE, I HAVE ONE RIGHT DOWN HERE.
>> Stephen: UNDER THE DESK?
>> Stephen: ALL READY.
>> WHEN HE STOOD UP AND STARTED SCREAM AGO AND THERE'S A
PHOTOGRAPH THAT I THINK WILL BECOME ICONIC, WHERE HE'S
SCREAMING LIKE THIS, AND GAYLE'S JUST GOING... SHE'S AMAZING.
>> Stephen: DOESN'T AFFECT HER AT ALL.
>> SHE'S INCREDIBLE.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO QUESTION A DECISION YOU MADE RECENTLY.
>> OH, BOY.
>> Stephen: AND THIS DECISION SIUNDERSTAND LAST YEAR YOU
ACCEPTED AN AWARD, "FAWFGHT YEAR," FROM THE NATIONAL
FATHER'S DAY COUNCIL.
WHY WOULD YOU TEMPT THE GOD BY SAYING YOU WERE FAWFGHT YEAR?
YOUR WIFE LET YOU TAKE FATHER OF THE YEAR?
>> LET'S BE CLEAR.
I DESERVED IT.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
THAT'S DANGEROUS.
THAT'S SO DANGEROUS.
"YEAH, FATHER OF THE YEAR OVER HERE."
>> IT'SAP OBJECTIVE-- THEY STUDY IT, LOOK AT ALL THE DATA.
>> Stephen: IT'S SCIENCE.
>> IT'S SCIENCE.
WHO AM UPON I TO ARGUE WITH SCIENCE.
>> DO YOU GET A MUG?
>> IT'S NICE.
LIKE THE NOBEL PRIZE.
>> Stephen: ARE THERE ANY RESPONSIBILITIES?
>> WELL, I THINK MY WIFE-- I'M A GOOD DAD BUT NOT THE BEST DAD
BECAUSE NOT ALL THAT LONG AGO-- WE HAD TWO CHILDREN.
AND SHE WAS GOING AWAY WITH A GIRLS' WEEKEND TO LAS VEGAS, AND
AS SHE LEFT, SHE HAD HER BAGS AT THE DOOR.
AND I IDEAL AT HER.
I SAID, "WAIT, BEFORE YOU GO, WHAT DO THEY EAT?"
( LAUGHTER )
HER GREAT CREDIT, "THEY'RE NOT EXOTIC BIRDS.
THEY'RE YOUR CHILDREN.
FIGURE IT OUT."
I SAID I'M GOING TO DO A BIG DAD'S DAY OUT IN NEW YORK CITY.
WE STARTED AT THE PETTING ZOO IN CENTRAL PARK.
>> Stephen: COME ON.
>> GREAT START, GREAT START THEN WE GO --
>> Stephen: HOW OLD ARE THE CHILDREN NOW?
>> NOW THEY'RE 11 AND NINE.
THEY WERE MUCH YOUNGER THEN.
WE GO TO LUCKY STRIKES LANE, 42nd AND THE WEST SIDE
HIGHWAY.
WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE LUCKY STRIKE LANE AFTER THE PETTING
ZOO IS PUTTING OUR HANDS IN SOME BOWLING BALLS AND GETTING INTO
THE CHICKEN FINGERS AND MOZZARELLA STICKS, SPREADING IT
AROUND.
>> Stephen: YOU RUB THE GOATS--
>> YES, RUB THE GOATS, BALL, AND THEN HERE.
AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S HIT THE TRIFECTA AND GO TO
THE DAVE AND BUSTERS IN TIMES SQUARE, WHERE TOURISTS FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD BRING THEIR GERMS TO THE BALL PIT AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.
WE TOOK THEM.
WE HAD A GREAT TIME.
I'M THE BIG HERO.
I'M AT WORK THE NEXT MORNING AND WHIE MYWIFE SENT A TEX, "WHAT
DID YOU DO WITH THE KIDS YESTERDAY?"
I SAID, "WE WENT OUT AND HAD A GOOD TIME, WHY?"
BECAUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IT WAS A CRIME SCENE, THE
KIDS PUKING EVERYWHERE.
AND I SAID, "WELL, NOT MUCH.
WE WENT TO A PETTING ZOO, A BOWLING ALLEY AND THE DAVE AND
BUSTERS IN TIMES SQUARE.
>> AND LEFT YOU TO DEAL WITH IT WHILE I'M AT WORK."
SO I THINK SHE VOTED NAY ON THE FATHER OF THE YEAR.
YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: OF COURSE, EVERYBODY ALSO KNOWS YOU FROM--
FROM THE COFFEE JOE MORNING.
>> EVERYBODY, MORNING JOE.
>> Stephen: MORNING JOE ZOO CREW.
OFTEN JOE IS NOT THERE.
SHE'S SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND IT WILL BE YOU AND MIKA AND WHY ISN'T IT MORNING WILLIE?
WHY ISN'T THAT THE NAME OF THE SHOW?
>> YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN RELATE TO.
>> YEAH WE FOCUS GROUPED IT.
IT DIDN'T TEST WELL.
>> Stephen: AT ANY TIME TEST WELL.
>> "MORNING WILLIE" HAS OTHER IMPLICATIONS.
>> Stephen: IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO GO IN A MINUTE BUT BEFORE WE GO I HAVE
TO ASK YOU ONE LAST QUESTION: WHAT A YEAR.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> IT COVERS A LOT OF GROUND.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WILLIE, SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "SUNDAY TODAY" AIRS SUNDAY MORNINGS ON NBC.
WILLIE GEIST, EVERYBODY!
"MORNING WILLIE."
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE.