-I'm always so flattered and honored
when people who are currently doing a Broadway show
come to this show because
you really only have the one day off a week,
and yet, you have chosen to spend your Monday here.
-Yeah, I think to be on Broadway,
you just have to give up having any days off.
-Yeah. -Just forget it.
-Has it been daunting?
Because obviously you've done film and television.
Not only is the work so different,
but the schedule is so different.
-I think that being, you know, the lead of a Broadway play
is hands down the hardest job in show business.
-I believe it. -But incredibly satisfying.
-You are -- the show, you play a socialite in D.C.,
this is a very topical show, who is trying to get her husband
a job as a judge in the Trump administration via blackmail.
-Yes. Via blackmail. -Yeah.
-Of course. -Of course. Why not?
-What else are you going to use? -Guys, there's maybe
some shady stuff happening in D.C.
-The egalitarian system, we're done with it.
We're just pure nepotism, pure blackmail.
-So -- but you and I have something similar,
which is, we obviously, are both
talking about the world in our jobs.
So it's not really escapism.
Are you finding -- is it cathartic to talk about
Trump or is it -- do you find it overwhelming?
-Well, huh, I would say overwhelming as an American.
-Yeah. -And as a patriot.
-Yeah. -But as an artist,
it's a lot of fun. But, no, it's --
I was involved with a play when it was written about
a Washington couple and sort of the bedroom mischief,
she's very naughty, liberated woman that I play,
but then Trump was elected while we were developing the play,
so naturally, the world changed and it became this --
it's kind of like one person described it as like
a rock concert almost, because the audience
is getting such a sort of, like, a relief of laughter
and sort of bitter irony and they kind of let loose.
-You do have something that's -- -Like they do here.
-Yeah, exactly. Something that's very risky,
though, because plays,
we can change based on the news every day what we write.
-Right. -You guys have a play that's
written, John Kelly is mentioned a lot in the show.
-14 times. -14 times.
-Oh, yeah. I just had a count done just a couple weeks ago.
[ Laughs ] -But 14 times a day,
I feel as though we hear rumors that he's about to be fired.
-It's true. -What would happen --
-Or possibly say enough is enough.
-Or leave. Exactly.
We should give him the power to make his own choices, yeah.
-I mean, definitely.
-Have you guys discussed what would happen if that changed?
-There was some e-mails went around the last few weeks
where I was kind of like, contingency plan, please,
because the play will have to pivot.
Yeah, absolutely. -I wrote a lengthy play
about Anthony Scaramucci. -And it just didn't work out.
[ Laughter ] Actually, Beau Willimon
said to me when we were in -- before rehearsal, he was like,
"I was really looking forward to making you say Scaramucci,
Scaramucci, Scaramucci."
-Yeah, Scaramucci is far more fun to say.
-Just turned into Kelly.
-So, I wanted to ask about this,
you grew up -- you had a very interesting upbringing.
And now I have a 2-year-old and we spend a lot of time,
my wife and I, talking about the things you talk about
in front of your child, intelligent conversations.
Your father was a Buddhist scholar.
So did you -- was the conversation around
your dinner table growing up, was it incredibly, like,
not just enlightened, but intellectually superior
to the point -- -It was usually, like,
eat your dinner! [ Laughs ]
-That does not seem in line with Buddhists.
-Have your vegetables! -Yeah.
-No, but well, you know,
growing up in an academic environment can be challenging.
It's good for you to be prepared for the hard-hitting brains
of Hollywood.
[ Laughter ] But, You Know --
-Yeah. -All that hard work.
[ Applause ]
But, no, it was good.
Good debate skills. -Uh-huh.
-I think my dad had been, like, captain of the debate team
when he went to school. -I think that's very helpful.
I think arguing is the one skill that's helpful --
-Follow the ball. -Yeah,
it's helpful in all fields. -Thinking in general, actually.
-Thinking in general is helpful, yeah.
Now, did you have, like, sort of escapism things
that you liked as a kid? -I went to Hollywood.
-There you go. You got to meet --
-I escaped all the way.
-You got to meet another scholar backstage.
And this is a really exciting -- -Yes, a woman whom I love.
-A woman you love. There's Dr. Ruth.
-Dr. Ruth. Best time ever. Not our first meeting, though.
-I got to be honest, I had thought you were taller
than her.
[ Laughter ]
-Yeah, you know, she grew. She grew.
-Yeah, she's a very -- how was that?
I mean, that must be one of the fun things to do
in your Broadway show, is the people who come backstage.
-Yes, really great seeing great people
including, like, distant family, relatives, like,
that you wouldn't have met that, like, come and see your play.
-Oh, they're just lying to get backstage.
-Hi, I'm your cousin. No, it's been on a family level
actually, it's been really fun.
-That's great. -Yeah, I've gotten to meet
some relatives from down South that I never grew up with.
But Dr. Ruth is a gem.
My character is so sexually promiscuous and naughty.
She really appreciated her. -Oh, that's good.
[ Laughter ]
Did she have any notes
or did it all ring true to Dr. Ruth?
-She thought it was -- I was doing well with it.
-That's great. Well, that's the highest praise you can get.
-That really was good.
-Hey, congratulations so much on the show.
-Thank you. -I also want to say you had
a wonderful piece in "The New York Times"
about your experiences with Harvey Weinstein
on the set of "Kill Bill."
I, you know, I think it's been so wonderful how people
are speaking out about their experiences in this moment
we're having right now. And I just wanted to thank you
for doing that, as well. -Well, you got to be a citizen.
You can't leave people alone holding a bag of truth
by themselves. -That's very -- I'm glad --
[ Cheers and applause ]
-But there's no one I wish
to get due process more than him.
-Yeah. Well, due process is a beautiful thing.
Thank you so much for being here. Such a pleasure.