( APPLAUSE )
EVERYBODY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME BACK TO "THE
LATE SHOW"" ALREADY IN PROGRESS.
FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN ACTOR AND DIRECTOR YOU KNOW FROM
"ZOOLANDER," "TROPIC THUNDER," AND "ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA."
HE NOW DIRECTS AND PRODUCES "SEVERANCE," WHICH IS NOMINATED
FOR 14 EMMY AWARDS.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," BEN STILLER.
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ THE THRILL HAS GONE THE THRILL HAS GONE AWAY
♪ OH, THE THRILL HAS GONE ♪ >> JOE WALSH!
>> Stephen: JOE WALSH, ISN'T THAT EXTRAORDINARY.
>> HI, GUY S.
>> Stephen: IT'S LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> YOU, TOO!
>> Stephen: COVID SEEMS TO HAVE TREATED YOU WELL.
YOU LOOK FANTASTIC.
>> THANKS.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: SO, LIKE, HOW HAS YOUR SUMMER BEEN?
>> IT'S BEEN GOOD.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST HANGING OUT WITH THE FAMILY AND
HAVING-- I WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK ON SOMETHING THIS SUMMER THAT
DIDN'T HAPPEN SO I HAD A LOT OF GREAT FAMILY TIME.
IT'S AMAZING.
>> HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE?
>> I HAVE TWO KIDS.
MY DAUGHTER IS 20 AND MY SON IS 17.
YEAH, THIS SUMMER MY DAUGHTER GOT HER DRIVER'S LICENSE, AND
THAT WAS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE I HELPED HER LEARN TO DRIVE.
>> Stephen: WOW.
I'VE BEEN THERE.
-- I-- TAUGHT THE KIDS TO DRIVE IN OUR FAMILY IT'S SO
NERVE-RACKING.
>> IT IS NERVE-RACKING.
BUT IT'S A NICE FAMILIA THING TO DO.
MY DAD TAUGHT ME TO DRIVE.
IT COULD GO BAD AT ANY TIME.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU GOOD ABOUT IT?
I WAS TERRIBLE ABOUT IT?
>> I TRY TO BE CALM.
THE THING IS WE WERE IN NEW YORK AND SHE WANTED TO GET A LOT OF
HOURS IN, SHE WAS SORT OF CRAM AGO.
>> Stephen: IN NEW YORK?
YOU TAUGHT HER TO DRIVE IN NEW YORK?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WOW, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TEACH HER TO DRIVE IN ROME?
>> IT'S NOT THAT FAR OFF.
WEST SIDE HIGHWAY IS LITERALLY LIKE "MAD MAX FURY ROAD."
TO TEACH A PERSON TO DRIVE -- >> Stephen: WITNESS ME!
>> NO, IT'S CRAZY, AND THERE ARE CABS JUMP OVER YOU TO GET TO THE
125th STREET EXIT.
AND SHE'S IN THAT AND SHE WAS DOING REALLY WELL WITH IT.
WHAT REALLY HELPED IS WE PLAYED HER FAVORITE ARTIST ON THE
IPHONE, AND WE JUST PLAYED TAYLOR SWIFT.
WE WOULD DRIVE AND PLAY TAYLOR SWIFT.
I WAS A FAN, BUT NOW I THINK I'M A TOTAL SWIFTIE.
>> Stephen: SURE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET DEEP INTO IT.
WE GOT INTO THE LATER STUFF, FOLKLORE, ABOUT CARDIGAN BETTY
AND AUGUST ALL BEING ABOUT THE SAME LOVE TRIANGLE BUT FROM
DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.
>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY.
>> AND THE CHARACTERS ARE NAMED AFTER RYAN REYNOLD'S AND BLAKE
LIVELY'S KIDS.
YOU KNOW THAT.
>> Stephen: I DROVE WITH MY DAUGHTER AND MY SOWN FROM NEW
YORK TO CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, WHERE I'M FROM FOR
CHRISTMASTIME AND WE L . TO "EVER MORE" THE ENTIRE 14-HOUR
DRIVE.
OBVIOUSLY, MUTTERING THOSE LYRICS ON MY DEATH BED.
IT'S NICE YOU WERE GOOD ABOUT IT.
YOU DIDN'T FREAK OUT.
>> NO, IT WOULD CALM HER AND IT WOULD CALM ME.
AND SHE PASSED HER TEST.
IT'S HARD, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO PARALLEL PARKING.
>> Stephen: EVERYONE HAS TO DO PARALLEL PARKING.
>> BUT NOW-- BUT NOW YOU HAVE HELP BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE
MONITOR IN THE CAR, MOST CARS.
>> Stephen: OH, SO IT'S EASY.
>> YEAH, BUT BACK IN THE OLD DAYS --
>> Stephen: WE HAD TO DO IT BLINDFOLDED.
IT WAS LIKE SPARTACUS-- THERE WERE SPINNING BLADES IN THE CAR.
>> IT'S AN INTENSE THING.
SO I WAS REALLY HAPPY THAT SHE PASS.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE SOME TRAVELING RECENTLY.
YOU WERE IN UKRAINE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THIS PAST SPRING?
>> YES, MAYBE SIX WEEKS AGO.
>> Stephen: SO IT WAS NOT THAT LONG AGO.
AND YOU GOT A CHANCE TO MEET THIS FELLOW.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU WERE OVER THERE.
( APPLAUSE )
WITH HIM?
>> WE SPENT ABOUT 45 MINUTES TOGETHER.
I WAS THERE WITH U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY, BECAUSE I'M A GOOD WILL
AMBASSADOR AND I GO AND VISIT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE
DISPLACED BY WAR.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE NOT JUST KNOCKING ON DOORS, "I'M BEN
TIRL."
>> AND I WASN'T OFFERING ADVICE.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE GENTLEMAN?
>> I WAS IMPRESSED.
HE HAS AN INTERESTING STORY, AND HE WAS IN A SHOW WHERE HE PLAYED
THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY, AND THEN HAS RISEN TO THIS
OCCASION.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY, OBVIOUSLY, SERIOUS SITUATION,
AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE REFUGEE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE IN
THE COUNTRY THERE.
BECAUSE THERE ARE-- YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST
DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE SINCE WORLD WAR II.
I THINK MAYBE ABOUT 12 MILLION PEOPLE IN THAT COUNTRY HAVE BEEN
DISPLACED.
SO IT'S A LOT THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: MUCH HAS BEEN MADE, AS YOU WERE MENTIONING
BEFORE, THAT HE STARTED OFF AS A COMEDIC ACTOR.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: DOES POLITICS INTEREST YOU AT ALL?
WOULD YOU BE AT ALL INTERESTED?
BECAUSE YOU SEEM LIKE A PERFECTLY INTELLIGENT, LIKABLE--
>> OH, MY GOD.
>> Stephen: ...PERSON.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD DO IN THE SAME SITUATION?
>> JOE WALSH IS POINTING AT ME.
>> Stephen: JOE WALSH IS ALL FOR YOU.
>> NO, MAN.
>> Stephen: VICE PRESIDENT?
STILLER-WALSH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> I'M ALL IN!
>> Stephen: HE'S GOT THE EXPERIENCE YOU'VE GOT DRIVE THE.
I WISH SOMEONE LIKE JON STEWART WOULD RUN.
( APPLAUSE )
RECENTLY HAS BEEN -- >> Stephen: YEAH, HE'S DOING
AN AMAZING JOB.
I WOULDN'T WANT IT FOR MY FRIEND BECAUSE AS PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISION LIKE, "GO DRONE THOSE
PEOPLE."
THAT'S A DIFFICULT THING.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD WANT TO HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION OR
WANT MY FRIEND TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
>> IT'S A WHOLE OTHER WORLD, AND FEELING LIKE-- IN TALKING WITH
ZELENSKYY, YOU NEAL THAT WEIGHT.
AND IT'S NOTHING REALLY FUNNY ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: NOPE.
( LAUGHTER )
INTO POLITICS.
( LAUGHTER )
QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN I COME BACK, I WILL ASK BEN STILLER
ABOUT FINDING NEW GEARS AS AN ARTIST.
STICK AROUND.
( APPLAUSE )