"THE LATE SHOW," EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST WON A WELL-DESERVED TONY
FOR HER PERFORMANCE AS ANGELICA SKYLER IN "HAMILTON."
SHE NOW STARS IN "THE IMMORTAL.
LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS."
PLEASE WELCOME RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY!
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE ).
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: HEY.
>> A LITTLE BEETHOVEN FOR YOU THERE.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: THEY'RE VERY GOOD.
>> THEY ARE VERY GOOD.
>> Stephen: SPEAK OF VERY GOOD, I MEAN, AS I SAID,
WELL-DESERVED TONY FOR PLAYING ANGELICA SKYLER IN "HAMILTON."
>> THANK YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: I SAID LIN AND OTHER CAST MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN
ON HERE BEFORE, PEOPLE MUST HAVE SAID THIS TO YOU.
AT THE END OF THAT SHOW YOU WOULD JUST SAY TO YOURSELF, "WHY
AM I CRYING ALEXANDER HAMILTON AGAIN?"
BUT YOU WOULD.
THE SHOW WAS SUCH A TREMENDOUS GIFT AS WAS YOUR PERFORMANCE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NOW THAT YOU HAVE MOVED BEHIND IT, WHAT IS
POST-"HAMILTON" LIFE LIKE?
DO YOU WAIT FOR LIFE TO SLIELD INTO SWEEPING MELODIES OR RAP
LYRICS EVERYWHERE YOU GO?
>> EVERY CHANCE I GET I'M RAPPING AND RHYMING.
EVERY CHANCE, I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR.
>> Stephen: PEOPLE MUST COME UP TO YOU AND SING THE SONGS.
>> THEY DO, AND I LOVE THAT, MOST OF THE TIME.
I ACTUALLY-- THE BEST PART OF ABOUT IT IS SO MANY CHILDREN
KNOW EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THIS.
IT'S ALWAYS SHOW AND TELL WHEN YOU MEET DIFFERENT KIDS.
I'LL ACTUALLY PUT THEM ON MY INSTAGRAM WHEN I CAN.
IT'S ACTUALLY GOOD FOR YOU.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU MEMORIZE SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY IS
RELEVANT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO
HAVE MEMORIZED.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, SO THAT MAKES ME HAPPY.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE HENRIETTA LACKS IN THE "THE IMMORTAL LIFE
OF HENRIETTA LACKS."
AND IT WAS A BOOK I BELIEVE CAME OUT 2008 THE BOOK CAME OUT?
IT'S A-- IT'S A BRILLIANT STORY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN'S LIFE
AND HOW IT HAS CHANGED ALL OF OUR LIVES.
YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HENRIETTA LACKS
IS, OTHER THAN HER CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
IT'S LIKE "HAMILTON."
IT'S ANOTHER STORY THAT NO ONE KNOWS AND IT IMPACTS US ALL.
HENRIETTA LACKS WAS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WHO DIED IN 1951
OF CERVICAL CANCER.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, SHE WAS A WOMAN THAT LOVED TO PAINT HER
NAILS.
SHE WAS A WOMAN THAT LOVED TO DANCE.
SHE WAS A WOMAN THAT WAS A MOTHER WITH FIVE CHILDREN.
AND SOMEBODY-- THEY BIOPSIED HER-- THEY TOOK HER CELL, AND IT
WAS THE FIRST CELL THAT WAS ABLE TO LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE BODY, SO
IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLIO VACCINE, THE HIV COCKTAIL.
EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT CELLS-- WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT D.N.A.
IT'S-- MAYBE IT WILL SAVE US FROM THE ZIKA VIRUS AT SOME
POINT.
>> Stephen: SO MANY CELLS, NORMALLY WHEN THEY'RE HARVESTED
FROM SOMEONE AND THEY TRY TO PROPAGATE IT FOR NA SLIEWTION OR
PETRI DISH FIR LACK OF A BETTER WORD THEY DIE OUT.
BUT HENRIETTA LACKS' CELLS KEEP GOING UNTIL THIS DAY.
>> EXACTLY.
THAT'S WHY WE CALL THIM IMMORTAL.
HER FAMILY WAS NOT AWARE THAT HAPPENED UNTIL THEY CAME BACK TO
THEIR HOME TO DO MORE RESEARCH ON THEM.
IT BRINGS UP ISSUES OF CONSENT.
IT BRINGS UP ISSUES OF ETHICS, DONORS, ANYWAY, WITH ANY KIND OF
TISSUE.
IT'S REALLY NUMBERABLE THE STORY.
BUT MOST BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT IT IS HOW A CANCER CELL COULD
SAVE THE WORLD AND REALLY THE SEARCH OF THE CHILDREN TO FIND
OUT WHO THEIR MOTHER WAS.
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW CRAZY IT WOULD BE IF YOUR MOTHER DIED
WHEN YOU WERE SO YOUNG, AND YET YOU KNOW SOMEHOW THAT SHE'S
EVERYWHERE, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER.
>> Stephen: THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY THING IS THAT
SHE-- SHE'S NOT JUST, LIKE, REMEMBERED BY HER FAMILY AND THE
CONTRIBUTION THAT THE RESEARCH ON HER CELLS HAVE GIVEN TO
MEDICINE.
BUT SHE IS STILL BEING PROPAGATED.
THESE CELLS ARE STILL BEING PROPAGATED AROUND THE WORLD.
SO SHE IS ALL AROUND US.
>> SHE IS ALL AROUND US.
>> Stephen: DID YOU FEEL THAT WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THE MOVIE
GIABSOLUTELY DO.
ANYTHING EXWT ANYTHING WOULD HAPPEN.
OPRAH WINFREY WAS IN THE MOVIE AND SHE HERSELF WOULD SAY,
"THERE'S HENRIETTA."
IF IT WAS RAINING HARD OR CRAZY, WE FELT SHE WAS THERE.
IT FELT AS THOUGH THIS WAS THE TIME FOR THE STORY TO BE TOLD
AND I FELT HER PRESENCE ALL THE TILE.
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
IT GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO PLAY HER.
>> Stephen: WELL, WE HAVE A CLIP RIGHT HERE.
I THINK THIS IS WHEN YOU'RE TELLING YOUR FRIENDS, BACK IN
1951, THAT YOU HAVE CANCER, AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT YOU HOPE
FOR YOUR OWN CHILDREN.
JIM.
>> I GOT SOMETHING INSIDE OF ME.
>> HENNIE, PLEASE DON'T TELL ME YOU HAVE ANOTHER BABY WITH THAT
MAN.
>> OH, GLADYS.
WHAT KIND OF THING.
>> CANCER.
>> OH, NO.
>> YOU GOTTA PROMISE ME, MAKE SURE NOTHING BAD HAPPEN TO MY
CHILDREN.
ESPECIALLY MY BABY GIRL.
I WANT TO BRAID HER HAIR.
DRESS HER UP REAL PRETTY.
TEACH HER HOW TO PAINT HER NAILS AND HANDLE MEN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> THANK YOU.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU-- THANK YOU.
I DON'T THINK THEY HAD-- I THINK I SAW A CUT OF THE MOVIE FOR THE
FIRST TIME ON AN EDITOR'S BAY A LONG TIME AGO, SO THE FIRST TIME
I REALLY SAW THE MOVIE WAS AT THE PREMIERE LAST NIGHT.
AND I WAS SO EMBARRASSED BECAUSE I WAS WEEPING SO HARD-- NOT AT
MY OWN PERFORMANCE.
I WAS WEEPING WATCHING OPRAH'S PERFORMANCE.
I WAS WEEPING WATCHING ROSE BYRNE'S PERFORMANCE.
I WAS WEEPING WATCHING ALL-- I FELT LIKE ALL OF MY CHILDREN IN
THIS MOVIE.
AND I JUST HAD TO RUN OUT OF THE ROOM AND HIDE IN THE BATHROOM
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A LITTLE OBNOXIOUS IF SOMEONE'S PREMIERE
IS OVER AND THEY WALK OUT LIKE, "OH, MY GOD!
THAT WAS AMAZING!" SO IT WAS A BIT EMBARRASSING BUT
IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL FILM AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT IT'S IN THE
WORLD.
>> Stephen: WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: IT WAS LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
"THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS" PREMIERES TOMORROW ON
HBO.
RENEE ELISE GOLDSBERRY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MOSHE KASHER.