>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A TWO TIME TONE-AWARD WINNER STARRING
IN THE REVIVAL OF "ANGELS IN AMERICA" ON BROADWAY.
PLEASE WELCOME NATHAN LANE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> THANK YOU!
OH, BLESS YOU!
THANK YOU!
WOW!
OH, PLEASE.
>> Stephen: NO, PLEASE.
YOU KNOW, NATHAN, I JUST WISH YOU WERE MORE COMFORTABLE ON
STAGE.
YOU'RE LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER.
I AM A LONGTIME FAN.
I CAN'T BELIEVE -- >> SAME HERE.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE MET.
>> STEPHEN, YOU MEAN, YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT MAGICAL NIGHT WE
SPENT WITH STORM DANIELS?
I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD GET THAT MANY PEOPLE INTO A HOT TUB!
>> Stephen: I DON'T REMEMBER HER...
>> NOT RINGING A BELL?
>> Stephen: NO, I DON'T REMEMBER HER SPANKING YOU WITH A
"PLAYBILL" OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> OH, YEAH, I WAS A BAD BOY.
AND REMEMBER AFTERWARDS YOU TOLD HER ALL ABOUT YOUR TREMENDOUS
FEAR OF MANATEES SITTING ON YOUR FACE.
WHICH, AFTER PUBLIC SPEAKING, IS PEOPLE'S BIGGEST FEAR.
GOD, IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK AT THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I'LL TELL YOU.
>> Stephen: AND BACK IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> YES!
I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SINCE THEY FIRED LETTERMAN.
IT WAS SAD.
BUT I LOVE WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE PLACE.
IT'S LIKE SOMEONE TOOK THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM AND PUT IT ON
TOP OF A GAY CRUISE SHIP.
I FEEL RIGHT AT HOME.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YES.
>> NO -- >> Stephen: YOU'RE-- YOU'RE--
YOUR CABIN BOY WILL BE RIGHT OVER.
>> NO, SERIOUSLY, I AM ALSO A BIG FAN AND LONGTIME FAN OF
YOURS.
SO I AM SO HAPPY TO MEET AND YOU TELL YOU THAT AND FINALLY
THRILLED TO BE ON YOUR SHOW.
IT JUST TOOK FOREVER TO PASS THE PHYSICAL.
( LAUGHTER ) NOT TO MENTION THE SWIMSUIT
COMPETITION.
BUT I'M REHEARSING NOT FAR FROM HERE, SO I DECIDED TO BYPASS
YOUR VERY GENEROUS LIMO, AND I JUST GOT AN UBER DRIVER.
STEVE BANNON SAYS HI, BY THE WAY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) COMEDY PAUSE, DRINKING THE
WATER.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: NOW-- >> SORRY.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALL RIGHT.
>> FOR YOU KIDS OUT THERE, THAT'S THE DANNY THOMAS
SPIT-TAKE.
DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: NOW, YOU'VE JUST--
SPEAKING OF LEAVING HOME-- YOU'VE JUST COME BACK TO THE
UNITED STATES RECENTLY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE OVER IN LONDON FOR SEVEN MONTHS DOING
"ANGELS IN AMERICA" OVER THERE.
HOW WAS NATHAN LANE'S LONDON.
>> IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS FOR THE NATIONAL THEATER.
BUT IT WAS INTERESTING BEING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY WHILE TRUMP WAS
COMING INTO THE PRESIDENCY BECAUSE EVERY TIME I WOULD GET
IN A CAB, THE DRIVER WOULD HEAR MY ACCENT, AND THE FIRST
QUESTION WAS, "DONALD TRUMP, MATE?"
( LAUGHTER ) "WHAT HAPPENED OVER THERE?
HAVE YOU ALL GONE INSANE!"
APPARENTLY, MY DRIVER WAS DICK VAN DYKE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: LITTLE PENGUINS.
>> SO I WOULD FIND MYSELF TRYING TO EXPLAIN THIS VERY LONG
EPISODE OF "BLACK MIRROR" WE HAVE BEEN LIVING THROUGH.
AND THE MORE YOU TALK, THE MORE THE DETAILS SOUND LIKE THE PLOT
OF A CHEAP SPY NOVEL YOU BOUGHT AT THE AIRPORT.
AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN DUBLIN BECAUSE IT'S
TAKEN SO LONG TO EXPLAIN.
AND YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CANNOT EXPLAIN DONALD TRUMP.
EVEN NOST RADAMUS DOESN'T SEE THAT COMING PUP BUT I AM VERY
GLAD TO BE BACK.
BUT THAT'S A LONG TRIP FROM LONDON.
WHICH WAS REALLY ROUGH BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T LET ME BRING MY
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PEACOCK.
>> Stephen: ON THE PLANE.
THEY WOULDN'T LET YOU?
>> NO.
( APPLAUSE ) AND, ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY, IT WAS
LONDON, SO MOST PEOPLE JUST THOUGHT MY PEACOCK WAS ELTON
JOHN.
( CHEERS ) ♪ ♪ ♪
READY?
>> Stephen: READY?
AND... NOW, IN "ANGELS IN AMERICA" YOU PLAY ROY COHN.
>> I DO.
>> Stephen: FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, WHO IS ROY
COHN?
>> ROY COHN WAS AN AMERICAN LAWYER.
HE BECAME FAMOUS FIRST AS THE PROSECUTOR ON THE EPT NAJ TRIAL
OF JULIUS AND ETHEL ROSENBERG.
AND THEN HE BECAME CHIEF COUNSEL FOR SENATOR JOE McCARTHY
DURING THE RED SCARE, THE COMMUNIST WITCH HUNTS IN THE
50s.
HE WAS A FUN GUY.
AND THEN HE CAME BACK TO NEW YORK, WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL
LAWYER AND POWER BROKER.
AND THE REASON HEZ NAME HAS BEEN IN THE PAPERS AGAIN-- AND
SOMEWHERE IN HELL HE'S SMILING OVER THAT-- IS BECAUSE HE WAS
ALSO DONALD TRUMP'S LAWYER AND MENTOR UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED OF
AIDS IN 1986.
>> Stephen: NOW, RECENTLY, IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT IN MARCH
OF 2017, AFTER JEFF SESSIONS RECUSED HIM FROM THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION, DONALD TRUMP YELLED, "WHERE'S MY ROY COHN."
OKAY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WAS THE PRESIDENT JUST CALLING FOR NATHAN LANE TO
RETURN TO BROADWAY AT THAT POINT?
BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A BEAUTIFUL THING WITH THIS AD.
THIS IS "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AD FOR THE SHOW.
"WHERE'S MY ROY COHN?" "HERE."
( APPLAUSE ) >> WELL, YEAH, DONALD FINALLY
DID SOMETHING RIGHT.
NO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS-- HE WAS CALLING OUT IN FRUSTRATION, YOU
KNOW, THE NEED FOR -- >> Stephen: BECAUSE COHN WAS A
FIXER.
>> OH, YEAH, A PIT BULL WHO WOULD PROTECT HIM AND SAVE HIM.
HE WAS ACTING SORT OF LIKE A GUILTY MAN MIGHT ACT.
>> Stephen: FROM PLAYING ROY COHN, WHAT-- DOES IT HELP YOU
UNDERSTAND OUR PRESIDENT AT ALL FROM PLAYING THE BY WHO WAS HIS
MENTOR AND TAUGHT HIM ABOUT POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, 5 FIST CUFF
>> Stephen: >> AN AUDIENCE TODAY MIGHT HEAR
SOME OF THE DIALOGUE AND IT MIGHT RING A BELL.
BUT REALLY, WHAT YOU LEARN IS-- WHAT HE LEARNED FROM ROY COHN IS
THERE ARE CERTAIN TACTICS THAT ARE VERY FAMILIAR, THAT TRUMP
PICKED UP FROM HIM.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GO ON THE ATTACK, THE COUNTER-ATTACK.
HIT THE ACCUSER 10 TIMES HARDER AND DEFLECT, AND NEVER ADMIT
DEFEAT.
AND CERTAINLY -- AND THERE'S OUT-AND-OUT LYING WHEN ALL ELSE
FAILS.
IT'S CERTAINLY A MUCH CRIEWRD VERSION OF WHAT ROY COHN USED TO
DO.
HE WAS A BRILLIANT GUY, IF ONLY HE HAD USED IT FOR GOOD RATHER
THAN EVIL.
BUT HE CERTAINLY TAUGHT TRUMP VERY WELL.
IS AND THEY WERE VERY, VERY CLOSE.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG IS "ANGELS IN AMERICA?"
BOTH OF THEM.
>> BOTH OF THEM.
BECAUSE IT IS TWO PLAYS.
IT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT ON THE PART AUDIENCE.
THE FIRST PLAY, THE FIRST PART IS CALLED "MILLENNIUM
APPROACHES."
IT IS THREE AND A HALF HOURS.
AND THE SECOND PLAY, CALLED "PERESTROIKA" IS THREE AND 45.
>> Stephen: SO A LITTLE OVER SEVEN HOURS.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PLAY.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK THIS PLAY HAS SPOKEN SO DEEPLY?
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES IT SUCH A MOVING AND HEART-WRENCHING
PLAY?
>> WELL, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE STORY OF THESE CHARACTERS-- THE
CENTRAL CHARACTER PLAYED BY THE GREAT ANDREW GARFIELD, A MAN WHO
HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AIDS AND HE'S BEEN ABANDONEDS BY I HAD
LOVER, AND IT'S THESE INTERCONNECTING STORIES AND
RELATIONSHIPS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PLAY THAT ISATE IN '85 AND '86, DURING THE
REAGAN ERA, AND IT'S SORT OF FOUR YEARS INTO THE AIDS
EPIDEMIC.
AS RON LIEBMAN, WHO ORIDGE 98ED THE ROLE OF ROY COHN USED TO
SAY, "EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN LIFE HAPPENS IN THIS PLAY."
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, AND I CALLED THIS
WRITER, ISAAC BUTLER, WHO HAS WRITTEN-- HE'S THE COAUTHOR OF
THIS ORAL HISTORY OF "ANGELS IN AMERICA" BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE
ASK ME, "WHAT IS IT ABOUT?" AND SO HE TOLD ME.
( LAUGHTER ) AND HE SAID, "'ANGELANGELS IN
AMERICA' AT ITS HEART IS ABOUT BOTH THE NECESSITY AND
INEVITABILITY OF CHANGE.
IT PORTRAYS CHANGE AS BOTH INEVITABLE-- THE WORLD ONLY
SPINS FORWARD-- AND FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING ALIVE.
IT'S WHAT LIVING THINGS DO AND IT ENDS WITH A VERY SPECIFIC
DEMAND FOR THING CHNG.
BASICALLY WHAT I THINK IT IS SAYING ABOUT CHANGE, IN THE FACE
OF NECESSITY AND ABILITY, WE CAN TRY TO RESIST CHANGE WITH ALL
OUR MIGHT, THE WAY RAKE AN DID AND TRUMP IS DOING RIGHT NOW,
BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT WILL BE CATASTROPHIC OR WE CAN
ENGAGE IN THE DIFFICULT AND PAINFUL WORK OF TRYING TO CHANGE
FOR THE BETTER.
AND THE PLAY FINDS HOPE IN THE IDEA THAT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
IS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE."
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: LOVELY.
>> SO THAT'S-- THAT'S ONE REASON TO SIT FOR SEVEN AND A HALF
HOURS.
( LAUGHTER ) , OF COURSE, THEN THERE IS--
THERE IS AN ACTOR JAMES McCARTEL, A BRILLIANT ACTOR IN
THE SHOW, PLAYS LEWIS.
SHE'S SCOTTISH.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT FROM THE PLAY.
HE SOUNDS LIKE A NICE JEWISH BOY FROM MANHATTAN.
BUT HE'S VERY SCOTTISH, AND HIS PARENTS CAME TO SEE THE PLAY IN
LONDON.
AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY SCOTTISH.
AND HIS FATHER LOOKED AT HIM AND THEY, YOU KNOW, HAD ISSUES WITH
THE PLAY-- YOU KNOW, THE WAY PARENTS DO.
AND HE SAID-- THIS IS MY BAD SCOTTISH ACCENT-- "YOU DIDN'T
TELL ME PUMBA WAS IN THE PLAY."
YOU KNOW, SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS OF ANGST AND EMOTION.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME PUMBA WAS IN THE PLAY."
AND McCARTEL SAID YOU NEED ROY COHN, NATHAN LANE.
HE SAID HE PLAYED TAMONE.
AND ME LOOKED AT HIS WIFE, "I TOLD YOU HE WAS TAMONE."
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.