>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A GOLDEN GLOBE
WINNER WHO'S BEEN THE BAD GUY IN XMEN, THE GOOD GUY IN "STAR
WARS" AND THE TALENTED GUY IN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.
PLEASE WELCOME OSCAR ISAAC!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WELL, NICE TO HAVE YOU ON, ESPECIALLY TONIGHT,
BECAUSE TODAY IS THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE
RELEASE OF THE ORIGINAL "STAR WARS" MOVIE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND I'M ENOUGH OF A "STAR WARS"
FAN NOBODY HAS TO TELL ME THAT YOU'RE PODAMERON.
>> YOU REALLY ARE A FAN.
>> Stephen: I AM.
I SAW THE ORIGINAL "STAR WARS" THREE WEEKS BEFORE IT CAME OUT
IN A TEST MARKET IN MY HOMETOWN.
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST?
OF ALL THE MOVIES, WHICH WAS THE FIRST YOU SAW?
>> RETURN OF THE JEDI.
MY DAD TOOK ME.
I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THE TIME?
>> THAT CAME OUT '81, '82?
I WAS, LIKE, FOUR.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) >> Stephen: WAS THAT SCARY FOR
A 4-YEAR-OLD TO SEE BECAUSE THOSE EWOKS ARE PRETTY VIOLENT.
>> PRETTY FRIGHTENING.
I REMEMBER WHEN DARTH VADER'S HELMET COMES OFF FOR THE FIRST
TIME AND YOU SEE HE'S JUST LIKE A FAT OLD BALD GUY UNDERNEATH.
>> Stephen: HE'S A SITH LORD, NOT A FAT OLD BALD GUY.
>> HE'S PRETTY SCARRED UP.
>> Stephen: THAT MUST HAVE SCARED YOU.
>> THAT SHOCKED ME.
YEAH.
YOU SEE A LOT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF BAD DUDES ARE FAT, OLD,
BALD GUYS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE, WHO JUST WANT TO BE LOVED.
HE JUST WANTS TO BE LOVED.
>> THEY JUST WANT TO BE HELD.
>> Stephen: THEY JUST WANT TO BE HELD.
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT'S THE SECURITY LIKE ON THE
IF FILM?
>> IT'S CRAZY.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND WE GOT ACTUAL HARD SCRIPTS WE COULD
READ AND FLIP THROUGH.
AT THE END OF SHOOTING, THEY'RE, LIKE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE
SCRIPT BACK.
I WAS, LIKE, SURE.
I WENT HOME WITH MY SCRIPT.
A WEEK LATER THEY SAID CALLED AND SAID THEY'D LOVE TO GET THE
SCRIPT BACK.
I SAID, YEAH, I'LL SEND IT.
A WEEK GOES BY, AND THEY'RE, LIKE, THE LAWYERS WOULD LIKE THE
SCRIPT BACK.
YES, RIGHT AWAY.
( LAUGHTER ) THEY SAID AFTER THE MOVIE, YOU
CAN HAVE THE SCRIPT.
AND AFTER IT CAME OUT I GOT A LEATHER-BOUND THING WITH MY NAME
ON IT.
>> Stephen: WE WERE LURKY RIGHT BEFORE SHE PASSED TO HAVE
CARRIE FISHER TO TALK TO HER ABOUT HER NEW BOOK AND HER
EXPERIENCE DURING THE FIRST "STAR WARS" SERIES.
DO YOU DO SCENES WITH HER CHARACTER?
>> YEAH, ACTUALLY, A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE STUFF THAT I GOT
TO DO WAS WITH CARRIE WHICH WAS AMAZING.
IT'S ACTUALLY -- I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY OF SHOOTING WAS A
SCENE WITH CARRIE AND IT WAS STILL -- YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES
THE FIRST DAY, THE FILMMAKERS, EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO GET THE
TONE AND FIGURE IT OUT, AND I REMEMBER IT WAS A SCENE WHERE I
COME TO TALK TO HER AND SHE WAS VERY UPSET WITH ME AND SLAPS ME.
AND RYAN KEPT DOING IT OVER AND OVER --
>> Stephen: THE DIRECTOR?
RYAN JOHNSON, THE DIRECTOR, YEAH.
IT ENDED UP BEING 27 TAKES OF CARRIE JUST LEANING IN.
AND EVERY TIME SHE WOULD HIT A DIFFERENT SPOT IN MY FACE.
>> Stephen: TO KEEP THE SCENE FRESH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> SHE WAS BY FAR THE QUICKEST
WITTED, FUNNIEST, MOST DOWN-TO-EARTH, REAL HUMAN BEINGS
I EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH.
SHE DOES AMAZING WORK IF THIS.
YEAH, IT WAS DEFINITELY A HEARTBREAKER.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, I UNDERSTAND
THAT YOU STARTED MAKING FILMS AT A PRETTY EARLY AGE AND YOU WERE
INTERESTED IN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY PRETTY EARLY ON.
WE HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP OF THE FIRST FILM YOU DID HERE.
CAN YOU SET UP THE CLIP, WHAT IT'S ABOUT?
>> I HAD AN AFFINITY PORE THE CLASSICS AS WELL, SO, I BELIEVE
THIS CLIP WILL BE OF MY FIRST LEAD ROLE, AND IT'S A MONSTER
THAT ENDS UP MUCH LIKE DARTH VADER BEING KILLED BY LOVE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
JIM?
( SOFT MUSIC ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: BEAUTIFUL.
CHILLING.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: A CHILLING MOMENT OF REALIZATION.
IS IT A VAMPIRE?
>> YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WHO WERE THE OTHER
ACTORS IN THAT FILM?
>> MY SISTER AND MY COUSIN IN MY DAD'S BATHROBE AS A NINJA.
>> Stephen: SO A NINJA FIGHT AGO MONSTER.
>> UNDEAD.
>> Stephen: UNDEAD MONSTER.
WITH STRAWBERRY QUICK.
>> Stephen: AND HOW DOES LOVE KILL HIM?
>> AS THE FILM GOES ON, HE GOES TO GET THE GIRL -- YOU KNOW,
HE'S ANGRY AND SHE FEELS SAD FOR HIM AND HOLDS OUT HER HAND AND
WHEN HE GOES TO HOLD HER HAND, IT BREAKS HIS HEART AND HE DIES.
>> Stephen: THE LOVE AND TENDERNESS KILLS THE MONSTER.
>> MM-HMM.
THE MONSTER ALSO FALLS ON MY COUSIN'S HAND, YOU SEE HIS HAND
GO LIKE THAT.
MY FATHER DIRECTED IT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU GREW UP ALL
OVER AMERICA, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE A NOMADIC CHILDHOOD.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHERE DID YOU THINK OF YOURSELF AS BEING FROM?
>> WELL, FOR A WHILE, I THOUGHT I WAS FROM RUSSIA.
>> Stephen: WHY?
YOU HAVE FAMILY IN RUSSIA?
>> NO, I WAS BORN IN GUATEMALA, MY DAD IS CUBAN.
I REMEMBER SHOWING UP IN KINDERGARTEN BEING, LIKE, GUYS,
I'M RUSSIAN.
THEY'RE, LIKE, GREAT.
IT WOULD BE ALL THE KIDS AGAINST ME IN THE WAR GAMES.
I WENT HOME ONE DAY AND SAID, DAD, SO WE'RE RUSSIAN?
HE SAID, WHAT?
HE'S, LIKE, WE'RE RUSSIAN IN THE MORNING.
>> Stephen: DAD JOKES.
DAD JOKES.
( LAUGHTER ) WELL, NOW YOU'RE PLAYING THE
GREATEST MOST CHALLENGING ROLE FOR A YOUNG ACTOR WHICH IS
"HAMLET."
>> YES.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF PLAYING
THAT ROLE?
FOR AN OLDER ACTOR, IT'S LEAR.
FOR YOUNGER ACTORS, "HAMLET," THAT'S THE MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB.
WHAT'S THE MOUNTAIN LOOK LIKE TO YOU NOW?
>> LOT OF WORDS.
>> Stephen: SHAKESPEARE GOT PAID BY THE POUND.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: COULD YOU TRY TO EXPLAIN ONE OF THE LINES TO ME.
I LOVE "HAMLET" AND I'M INTERESTED IN THIS LINE.
HE SAYS TO HIS FRIEND, HORATIO, PLAYED BY KEEGA KEEGAN-MICHAEL K
HE SAYS, THERE ARE MORE THINGS THAN ARE DREAMT OF IN YOUR
PHILOSOPHY.
WHAT READING WOULD YOU SAY.
>> ARE WE GOING TO NERD IT OUT?
>> Stephen: YES.
HAMLET AND HORATIO ARE THEOLOGY STUDENT AND THEY ARE
STUDYING PHILOSOPHY WHICH IS STOICISM.
WE ARE READING THE FOLIO WHICH ARE THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN
HEAVEN AND EARTH, HORATIO, THAN ARE DREAMT OF IN OUR PHILOSOPHY.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THAT WILL BLOW MY
MIND, BECAUSE THE STOWICS ARE WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.
>> YES, AND AT THE TIME IT WAS THE LUTHERAN REFORMATION.
THEY BELIEVE WHEN YOU DIE YOU GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL, THERE'S NO
PURGATORY.
THE PLAY FOR US IS HOW DO YOU GRIEVE, THEN?
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IN PURGATORY?
THAT'S WHEN WE PLAY FOR PEOPLE'S SHOWS.
>> Stephen: IT'S LIKE A WAITING ROOM, YOU TAKE THE HOLY
SHOWER AND GO TO HEAVEN.
YOU DO AN ION IN PURGATORY AND YOU'RE DONE.
>> AND WE'RE ALL PRAYING FOR THE PROCESS TO GO WELL.
IN THE REFORMATION, THEY'RE, LIKE, THAT DOESN'T EXIST AND
PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED HOW TO MOURN.
>> Stephen: HAMLET IS SAYING H HE'S PRO PURGATORY BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE THE GHOST IS?
>> A GHOST THAT LOOKS LIKE HIS FATHER COMES BACK AND SAYS
AVENGE ME.
EITHER PURGATORY EXISTS OR IT'S A DEMON OR AN ANGEL.
>> Stephen: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAY.
I WANT TO SEE IT.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: OSCAR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD LUCK.
"HAMLET" IS AT THE PUBLIC THEATER JUNE 20 THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 3!
OSCAR ISAAC, EVERYBODY!