( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) FOLKS,
MY FIRST GUEST IS AN OSCAR NOMINATED ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM
"HIDDEN FIGURES" AND AS COOKIE LYON ON "EMPIRE."
HER NEW MOVIE IS "WHAT MEN WANT."
>> I WANT SOME SUSHI, BUT IT'S MONDAY.
>> ONE PIZZA A DAY IS TOO MANY.
I HAVE TO GET MY PROSTATE TOO --
>> GENDTINDER OR GRINDER?
HOW THE HELL DID SHE GET PREGNANT?
I PULLED OUT -- TWICE.
>> APPARENTLY, I ONLY HEAR MEN'S VOICES.
>> WALK ME THROUGH LAST NIGHT, THE BACHELORETTE PARTY.
DID YOU GET INTO ANY CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES, WEED, COKE, L.S.D.,
FENTANYL, BATH COLTS -- >> WAIT, THERE'S THE PSYCHIC!
YES!
AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND MEN BETTER, SHE
GAVE ME THIS TEA AND MADE ME DRINK IT.
IT WAS NASTY, TASTED LIKE DIRT.
>> YOU DRANK IT?
SHE SAID TO!
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TARAJI P. HENSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU!
FINALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU.
>> FINALLY.
FINALLY.
>> Stephen: HI.
HI.
THAT WAS A WARM WELCOME, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YES.
WE'RE USED TO SEEING YOU IN DRAMATIC PARTS.
THIS IS A PHYSICAL COMEDY AT MANY TIMES.
IS THIS A LEFT TURN FOR YOU OR ALWAYS SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO
DO?
>> IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I MOVED OUT TO L.A. TO DO.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BOOK A SITCOM BECAUSE I WAS A SINGLE
MOTHER AND THOSE HOURS, THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED AS A SINGLE MOM,
YOU KNOW, THEY WORK BANKERS HOURS, REALLY.
>> Stephen: SITCOM BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING EVERY
WEEK, KNOW WHEN YOU'RE ON AND OFF.
>> YOU ONLY WORK A LONG DAY WHEN YOU FILM THE SHOW.
SO THE REST OF THE WEEK, YOU'RE THERE FOR TWO HOURS AT A TIME.
>> Stephen: WOW, THAT SOUNDS NICE.
>> EXACTLY, OKAY?
WHAT A JOB.
>> Stephen: MUST BE NICE, "BIG BANG."
>> EXACTLY.
( PIANO RIFF ) >> Stephen: I'M SURE YOU WORK
VERY HARD.
NOW, WHAT ABOUT "EMPIRE"?
DO YOU WORK LONG DAYS THERE?
>> ABOUT 12 TO 14 HOURS.
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE LONG DAYS.
>> THOSE ARE VERY LONG DAYS, YEAH.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE COMEDIC HEROES?
I WANT TO BE LIKE THIS OR THAT PERSON?
>> LUCILLE BALL, OF COURSE.
>> Stephen: CLASSIC.
CAROL BURNETT.
>> Stephen: THE GREATEST!
THE GREATEST CAROL BURNETT, MRS. A-WIGGINS --
( LAUGHTER ) IN THE PENCIL SKIRTS AND HEELS.
>> Stephen: THERE'S A LOT OF PHYSICAL COMEDY.
AND THE INTIMATE ACT OF LOVEMAKING IS DEPICTED IN THIS
IN A VERY PHYSICAL AND AGGRESSIVE WAY ON YOUR
CHARACTER'S BEHALF.
>> WELL, YEAH, SHE KIND OF OPERATES LIKE A MAN.
>> Stephen: SORT OF HASTY AND SELFISH?
>> YEAH, THAT PART.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I GOT MINE, JACK.
THAT PART.
( LAUGHTER ) WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES MEN,
WHEN THEY GO THROUGH UPSETS IN LIFE, THEY HAVE A ROUTINE, THEY
GO OUT WITH THE FELLOWS, THEY GET A COUPLE OF BEERS, THEY GET
A DRINK AND THEN THEY TAKE SOMETHING HOME TO POKE ON.
AM I RIGHT?
>> Stephen: THAT IS DAMN CLOSE TO NOT BEING ALLOWED ON CBS WHAT
YOU JUST SAID.
I CAN'T NAIL DOWN WHAT'S GOING TO GET A BLEEP THERE, IF
ANYTHING, ACTUALLY.
>> NOTHING IS BLEEPED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM THIS ABOUT WHAT
MEN REALLY THINK LIKE?
>> MEN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WANT THE SAME THINGS WE WANT.
IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE THAT WE GET IN EACH OTHER'S WAY BY
PROJECTING OUR FEARS AND INSECURITIES.
IF WE SHOW UP AS OUR TRUE SELVES IN THE BEGINNING AND NOT AS OUR
REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL EACH OTHER THE TRUTH!
>> Stephen: NICE.
WARTS AND ALL, GOOD STUFF AND BAD STUFF.
>> YEAH, IT DOES, ACTUALLY.
IT'S JUST COMMUNICATION.
THAT'S ALL.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU WENT TO HOWARD, RIGHT?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: THAT'S IN THE D.C.
AREA.
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER THINK, OH, I WANT TO WORK IN THE
GOVERNMENT OR DO PUBLIC SERVICE?
NOT THAT YOUR WORK ISN'T A PUBLIC SERVICE IN AND OF ITSELF.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, COME FRANK THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA, MOST
OF MY FAMILY WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
THAT'S HOW I GOT MY -- MY STEP-MOM GOT ME THE JOB IN THE
PENTAGON.
>> Stephen: OH.
BACK IN THE DAY, KIDS HAD JOBS, THAT'S WHY THEY WEREN'T,
LIKE, KILLING EACH OTHER.
WE ACTUALLY HAD JOBS AND OUR GOVERNMENT LOOKED OUT FOR US
BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY IN A STAY IN SCHOOL PROGRAM, SO AS LONG AS
I WAS IN SCHOOL FULL TIME I COULD WORK 20 HOURS A WEEK.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU DO AT THE PENTAGON?
>> I WAS A RECEPTIONIST, NOTHING IMPORTANT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SECURITY CLEARANCE?
>> THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT MY JOB, I HAD A
SECURITY CLEARANCE.
I DID.
I STILL HAVE IT.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I'M PRETTY SURE
JARED DIDN'T GET ONE OF THOSE.
YOU COULD BE STEEF OF STAFF IF YOU WANTED.
DID YOU HAVE A NAME?
>> I WAS JUST A SECRETARY.
>> Stephen: JUST SECRETARY, THAT'S GOOD.
>> I'M SORRY, I'VE GOT TO SAY THIS, I ACTUALLY WENT TO A VERY
POWERFUL WOMAN WHO RAN THE DIVISION I WORKED IN, AND I WAS
IN A SUMMER PROGRAM, AND I KNEW I NEEDED TO KEEP THE JOB, AND I
WENT TO HER AND I PLANNED MY CASE AND SHE SAW A YOUNG WOMAN
TRYING TO DO THE BEST WITH HER LIFE AND SHE OPENED UP THAT
POSITION AND KEPT ME THERE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I'LL NEVER FORGET HER.
>> Stephen: AFTER GRADUATING YOU PACKED UP AND CAME OUT TO
LOS ANGELES.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THAT'S SCARY.
DID YOU HAVE ANY, LIKE, SAFETY NET IN LOS ANGELES?
>> I HAD A COUSIN THAT WAS THERE AND, UM, HER SON, AT THE TIME,
WAS ON A SITCOM.
SEE, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING INTO SITCOMS.
BUT I ONLY HAD, LIKE, TWO WEEKS TO GET ON MY FEET, BECAUSE THEIR
SHOW WAS GOING ON HIATUS AND I WAS, LIKE, OH, GOD, I'VE GOT TO
COME UP WITH A PLAN BECAUSE I CAN'T GO BACK HOME.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
O I GOT A JOB AT A TEMP AGENCY AND, SOMEHOW, I CONVINCED
THIS ACCOUNTING FIRM THAT THEY NEEDED ME FULL-TIME, AND THEY
FELL FOR IT.
>> Stephen: AC TREPSZ.
I'M AN ACTRESS.
>> Stephen: WHAT MEN WANT OPENS IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY.
TARAJI P. HENSON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MATT WALSH!