( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
EVERY NIGHT.
WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW
FROM, "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN," "SKYFALL," AND "DUNE."
HE NOW STARS AS DESI ARNAZ IN "BEING THE RICARDOS."
>> YOU'RE NOT TELLING THESE PEOPLE THAT I CHECKED THE WRONG
BOX.
>> THIS IS A CRITICAL MOMENT, LUCY.
>> IF I'M GOING TO DIE-- >> YOU'RE NOT.
>> I WOULD RATHER DIE STANDING UP.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA-- >> I'M NOT AN IDIOT.
I DIDN'T CHECK THE WRONG BOX.
>> YOU SAW THE HEADLINE.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE HEADLINE FROM OUTER SPACE.
HE RAISED ME SINCE I WAS AGE FOUR.
HE CARED ABOUT THE LITTLE GUY.
HE CARED ABOUT WORKERS' RIGHTS.
IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO HIM, AND TO SAY--
>> GRANDPA FRED WAS WRONG!
LUCY!
YES!
HE DIDN'T TELL YOU THE PART WHERE THEY THROW YOUR FATHER IN
PRISON FOR THE CRIME OF BEING THE MAYOR OF A CITY!
I WAS CHASED TO THIS COUNTRY, LUCY!
BELIEVE ME, YOU CHECKED THE WRONG BOX.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME, JAVIER BARDEM
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( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: YEAH.
THAT'S NICE.
SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
I INTERVIEWED YOU BRIEFLY LAST YEAR OVER THE INTERNET FOR
"DUNE," FOR WARNER BROTHERS, BUT WE'VE NEVER ACTUALLY MET BEFORE.
I'M A BIG FAN.
I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> I'M A BIG FAN OF YOU, AN AMAZING PROFESSIONAL AND VERY,
VERY COMEDIC TO TELL MANY OF THE TRUTHS THAT ARE NEEDED TO BE
TOLD OUT THERE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY NICE OF YOU TO SAY, VERY NICE.
VRY KIND.
SO NOW YOU'RE PLAYING DESI ARNAZ.
>> UH-HUH.
>> Stephen: IN THE NEW AARON SORKIN FILM, "BEING THE
RICARDOS."
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT TI JUST WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY HERE IS
THAT WE HAVE NO CONCEPT TODAY OF HOW BIG THIS SHOW WAS.
"I LOVE LUCY" HAD 60 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHING IT IN 1953.
I THINK THERE WERE, LIKE, 65 MILLION TVs IN AMERICA BACK
THEN.
IT WAS SO ENORMOUS.
DID YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT "I LOVE LUCY" GROWING UP IN SPAIN?
>> NOTHING.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> WE BARELY HAD TVs THERE BACK IN THE 50s.
ACTUALLY, IN THE 50s WE HAD FRANCO, WHICH IS A DICTATORSHIP.
HE WAS A DICTATOR, AND I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE HAD TV SETS IN
SPAIN.
>> Stephen: DID THE GOVERNMENT CONTROL WHAT WAS ON TV?
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, HE CONTROLLED EVERYTHING.
HE CONTROLLED THE LIVES OF EVERYONE.
AND EVERYONE WHO WAS AGAINST THE REGIME, WILL BE VERY HARSHLY
PUNISHED.
>> Stephen: AS YOU SAID, YOU'RE FROM SPAIN.
ARNAZ IS CUBAN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: NOW, I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH, AND I DON'T THINK I
WOULD HEAR THE DIFFERENCE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT TO YOU IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SPANISH
ACCENT AND THE CUBAN SPANISH ACCENT?
AND HOW DID YOU-- DID YOU ADJUST FOR THAT?
>> YES, IT IS A SOFTER-- I MEAN, THE CUBAN PEOPLE HAS THE MUSIC
IN THEIR D.N.A.
IT'S-- IT'S THEY ARE SOFTER.
THEY HAVE-- I DON'T THINK SPANIARD, EUROPEAN SPANIARDS
HAVE THAT HIGH OR THAT PRESENCE.
I THINK.
AND THE ACCENT IS SOFTER AND IT HAS MORE MUSIC.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A LINE IN THE MOVIE WHERE I SAY, "WALK ME
TO THE STAGE."
THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD SAY, "WALK ME TO THE STAGE."
IN CUBAN, HE WOULD SAY, "WALK ME TO THE STAGE!
THAT'S MUSIC GOING ON!
THAT'S MUSIC, WARWICK ME TO THE STAGE!"
AND THEIR MOUTHS ARE OPEN AND IT'S A WAY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES
WITH NO SHAME.
THEY REALLY OWN IT.
THEY ARE REALLY CONFIDENT IN THEIR OWN BODY, WHICH IS
SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE HAVE THAT --
>> Stephen: YOU SEEM CONFIDENT IN YOUR OWN BODY.
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU DANCED OUT HERE, YOU SEEMED FAIRLY
CONFIDENT.
( APPLAUSE )
AARON SORKIN'S DIALOGUE?
BECAUSE HE'S FAMOUS FOR HIS-- HIS PATTER IS SORT OF
DISMISSIVE.
THE BANTER, THE RHYTHM OF HIS DIALOGUE.
IS HE ACTING?
DOES HE SAY, NO, I SAID, BUT, BUT, BUT."
DOES EVERY WORD HAVE TO BE EXACTLY THE WAY HE WANTS IT?
>> YES, AND I WOULD DO THE SAME IF I HAD THAT TALENT.
FOR ACTORS TO HAVE THAT DIALOGUE AND THOSE WORDS AND THOSE
SITUATIONS AND THE IMAGES HE BEAUTIFULLY AND MASTERFULLY
CREATES IN THE DIALOGUE IS GOLD FOR ANY ACTOR.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE PRECISE.
I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD REALLY MAKE MY WAY THROUGH IT
BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY FOREIGNER PLAYING A FOREIGNER.
AND THERE WERE PARTS I WOULD SAY, "I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD
SAY THAT WORD.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD EVER KNOW WHAT THE WORD MEANS.
COULD WE CHANGE IT?" AND HE WOULD BE VERY OPEN.
>> Stephen: HE RESPECTED YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND I WAS THE ENVY OF THE REST OF THE CAST, BECAUSE I COULD
MORE OR LESS -- >> Stephen: AARON, I DON'T
THINK SO.
>> "I DON'T THINK SO.
WHAT'S THAT WORD?
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE THAT?" >> Stephen: YOU ACTUALLY GOT
THE BLESSING OF DESI AND LUCILLE'S DAUGHTER, LUCIE ARNAZ.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HER, FROM THIS REALLY MOST FAMOUS
ACTUAL TV COUPLE?
>> MEMBERSHIP THINGS.
SHE WAS SO GENEROUS AND SO HELPFUL GIVING NICOLE AND I, FOR
EXAMPLE, TAPES OF THEIR PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS AT HOME THAT LUCY
RECORDED WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE.
THTHEY WOULD RECORD THEIR KIDS TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS
IN LIFE.
AND IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL, SO INTIMATE.
SO TO HAVE THOSE RECORDINGS TO HEAR, IN MY CASE, DESI'S VOICE
IN PRIVACY, IT WAS LIKE A TREASURE.
BUT ALSO A VERY HUGE RESPONSIBLE TO-- WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN SUCH A
PRESSURE OF INTIMACY, YOU REALLY NEED TO PUT ALL YOUR COMMITMENT
IN TRYING TO MAKE IT-- TO OWN IT, TO EARN IT.
>> Stephen: IS THERE A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY OR A SPECIAL
PRESSURE FOR NOT JUST THAT LEVEL OF INTIMACY, BUT PLAYING ANY
ACTUAL LIVING PERSON?
>> I THINK SO.
AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU REALLY ADMIRE AND LOVE AND THAT PERSON
HAS CREATED... A PRECEDENT ON HISTORY, WHICH IS THE CASE OF
DESI ARNAZ.
AND I GUESS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT AS AN ACTOR IS TO BECOME A
VESSEL, TO EMPTY YOURSELF AND TRY TO MAKE THAT SPIRIT.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN ENERGIES.
I BELIEVE IN SPIRITS.
AND YOU ARE KIND OF EVOKING THAT SPIRIT T THROUGH YOUR WORK.
AND SOME DAY IT MIGHT HAPPEN THAT THAT SPIRIT COMES THROUGH
YOU AND STARTS TO COMMUNICATE.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS WEIRD, AND IT IS WEIRD.
>> Stephen: NO, NO, I LOVE IT.
>> BUT THAT'S WHAT WE, THE ACTORS TRY TO DO WHEN WE ARE
DOING REAL PEOPLE.
EXCEPT YOU PLAY, FOR EXAMPLE, PABLO ESCOBAR, WHICH I DID.
I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I DIDN'T INVOKE HIM AT ALL.
I SAID, "STAY WHERE YOU ARE.
I'M GOING TO DO THIS FROM THE OUTSIDE."
I DON'T WANT TO BE TOUCHED BY THAT.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
STICK AROUND, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE JAVIER BARDEM,
EVERYBODY.
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