( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WE'RE BACK HERE WITH MICHAEL B. JORDAN.
NOW, THE FILM, "A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN" IS BEING DIRECTED BY A
YOUNG UP AND COMER WHO I THINK IS VERY PROMISING.
>> HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE. >> Stephen: NAMED DENZEL
WASHINGTON. WHOM I AM AN ENORMOUS FAN OF.
TALK ABOUT SEXY. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?
>> SO MANY LESSONS. HE'S A REHEARSAL NUT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU NORMALLY NOT REHEARSE?
>> NO, WE DO, BUT HE'S VERY SPECIFIC, AND ONE OF THE QUOTES
I TAKE WITH ME TODAY IS THE UNIVERSAL STEMS FROM THE
SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, AND, SO JUST TRY TO GET AS GRANULAR AS YOU
CAN, AND FROM THAT YOU WILL RELATE TO EVERYONE, AND EVERYONE
SPECIFIC, EVERYONE CONNECTS. AND HE IS VERY SPECIFIC.
WHY ARE YOU PICKING THE CUP UP WITH THAT HAND.
BECAUSE I'M LEFT-HANDED. WELL, WHAT IF YOU'RE
RIGHT-HANDED. BUT I'M NOT, I'M LEFT -HANDED.
BUT HE'LL ASK YOU THE QUESTIONS SO YOU WILL KNOW THE MOTIVATION
FOR YOUR ACTIONS. HE'S A GENIUS.
>> Stephen: DOES HE YELL ACTION OR ON YOUR OWN TIME?
>> ON YOUR OWN TIME. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
HE VERY RARELY YELLS ACTION OR CUT, BUT HE LETS YOU LIVE IN
YOUR SPACE AND YOU TAKE IT WHEN YOU'RE READY.
>> Stephen: NOW, AS DIRECTOR, DENZEL WASHINGTON HAS MADE, I'M
SURE, MANY IMPORTANT CHOICES IN MAKING THIS FILM, BUT PERHAPS
THE MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT TODAY, HE WILL
BE INCLUDING IN THE FILMS SHOTS OF MICHAEL B. JORDAN BUT THERE'S
SOME BARE MICHAEL B. JORDAN. >> IT WAS A CAREER DECISION.
>> Stephen: OKAY, GOOD. SO THE QUESTION IS, OBVIOUSLY,
IS THIS A OPPORTUNITY BUTT OR IS THIS YOUR BUTT?
BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A THING AS STUNT BUTT.
>> I DO MY OWN STUNTS. I DO MY OWN STUNTS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: GOOD.
THAT'S AN EXCLUSIVE. WE JUST BROKE THAT NEWS RIGHT
HERE. NOW, YOU PLAY A SOLDIER IN THIS,
AND YOU SPENT SOME TIME AT BOOT CAMP.
>> YEP. >> Stephen: TO GET A SENSE OF
WHAT THAT EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU.
>> I WAS AT FORT IRWIN, ACTUALLY.
IT WAS INTENSE. YOU'RE WAKING UP AT THE CRACK OF
DAWN. I GOT A CHANCE TO WORK OUT WITH
THE DRILL SERGEANTS, GO THROUGH THE COMMAND OF PLATOON, AND WHEN
YOU HAVE 50, 60 SOLDIERS LOOKING AT YOU WAITING FOR YOUR COMMAND,
AND EVERY COMMAND, THEY'RE SNAPPING TO ATTENTION, THEY'RE
EXECUTING TO A T, IT'S A LITTLE INTIMIDATING SO YOU HAVE TO WORK
ON YOUR BIG BOY VOICE AND SAYING WHAT YOU MEAN BECAUSE YOU CAN'T
BE SHY, YOU SAY IT WITH LESS CONFIDENCE, THEY CAN SMELL FEAR.
THEY KNOW WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW. >> Stephen: YOU CAN'T SAY TO
THE PLATOON, AT YOUR OWN SPEED, IN YOUR OWN TIME, TAKE THAT HILL
BUT AS YOU GUYS FEEL IT. >> WHENEVER YOU FEEL GETTING
THERE, BUT IT WON'T WORK. ( LAUGHTER )
I THINK JUST GETTING THAT CONFIDENCE OF THE PLATOON WAS
SOMETHING THAT I DEFINITELY TOOK AWAY AND WORKED ON.
BUT IT WAS TOUGH. >> Stephen: ONE LAST PHOTO I
WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH THE AUDIENCE.
THIS IS YOU AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND LAURIE HARVEY RIGHT THERE.
>> YEAH. >> Stephen: JUST CELEBRATED --
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
>> Stephen: FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND MY PRODUCER
TELLS ME THAT YOU TOLD HER THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE
BEEN IN LOVE. YOU'RE 34.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN IN BEFORE? ( LAUGHTER )
>> LOVE-ISH. >> Stephen: WELL, HOW IS THAT
DIFFERENT? I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S A BIG
QUESTION, BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE IN LOVE.
>> I THINK YOU JUST KNOW. I THINK WHEN YOU START TO REALLY
SACRIFICE THE THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD, WHEN YOU
COMPROMISE OG THINGS YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD COMPROMISE
ABOUT, AND THEN JUST TIME, BEING CONSISTENT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT I HAVE AND I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY.
>> Stephen: HOW HAS IT CHANGED YOU AS A PERFORMER?
HAS IT CHANGED YOU AS AN ACTOR IN ANY WAY?
>> FOR ME, THERE'S A LOT OF ROLES I SAID NO TO BECAUSE I
DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE ENOUGH LIFE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I DIDN'T
FEEL I COULD RELATE TO. PART OF THE REASON I TOOK A
JOU --"A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN" IS BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT LOVE FELT
LIKE TO ME. IT GIVES ME ANOTHER LAYER TO
PULL FROM WHEN IT COMES TO ROLES LIKE FIRST SERGEANT CHARLES
KING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I'M HAPPY.
( APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN: THE FILM, "A JOURNAL
FOR JORDAN," IS IN THEATERS CHRISTMAS DAY. MICHAEL B.
JORDAN, EVERYBODY! THANK YOU, MICHAEL!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE BY JON
BATISTE AND NATHANIEL RATELIFF.
IT'S VERY SPECIAL, YOU'RE GONNA WANNA SEE IT
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )