>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME, AVA DUVERNAY!
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> THANK YOU.
HELLO.
>> Stephen: HELLO.
>> HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: GOOD, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
>> I LOOK WELL.
DO YOU LOOK FAMILIAR.
>> Stephen: YOU DO, ACTUALLY.
BECAUSE WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME EYE UNDERSTAND YOU REMEMBER
WHERE WE MET, AND IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.
>> IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.
WE MET-- AND I WAS JUST VERY KIND OF OVERCOME BECAUSE IT'S
STEPHEN COLBERT, AND I'M A BIG FAN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND HE LOOKED-- I WENT UP TO
HIM, I INTRODUCED MYSELF.
AND HE SAID, "YEAH, OKAY."
>> Stephen: NO WAY!
>> I SAID, "I'M GOING TO BE ON YOUR SHOW."
AND HE SAID, "I'LL KNOW WHO YOU ARE BY THAT TIME."
THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.
IT WAS NICE.
>> Stephen: PLEASE TELL ME I WAS NICER THAN THAT ABOUT IT.
>> YOU WERE FUNNY MEAN, BUT IT WAS GOOD.
BUT WE WERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> Stephen: IT WAS THE PRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
>> IT WAS THE PRESIDENT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY.
AND IT WAS A REALLY COOL TIME.
>> Stephen: WHEN WAS A VERY GOOD PARTY.
>> IT'S THE BEST PARTY.
WHAT OTHER KIND OF PARTY DO YOU WANT TO BE AT.
>> Stephen: PAUL McCARTNEY LEANED OVER TO ME AT ONE POINT
AND SAID, "IT DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS."
AND I THOUGHT YOU WOULD KNOW HOW GOOD THINGS CAN GET.
>> NO, YOU WERE SO FUNNY AND SO COOL AND I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO
MEET YOU.
BUT I HAVE A LITTLE STORY TO TELL ABOUT THE PARTY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SHOULD TELL IT BECAUSE IT WAS A TOP-SECRET
PARTY.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD TO TURN IN YOUR PHONE BEFORE YOU WALKED IN.
>> THEY TOOK YOUR PHONE.
THEY TOOK YOUR I.D.
YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH CLEARANCE TO GET INTO THE PARTY.
ANYWAY, WE WERE IN THIS STORY.
I'VE NEVER TOLD THIS STORY AND I'M TELLING IT ON NATIONAL TV.
EVERYONE WHO IS ANYONE IS AT THIS PARTY.
>> Stephen: IT'S A FUN GROUP OF PEOPLE.
>> EVERYONE'S THERE, SO AT ONE POINT --
>> AND IT'S SUPER CASUAL, TOO.
YOU'RE JUST HAVING A PARTLY AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> IT'S THE THE BEST PARTY, GOOD MUSIC, GOOD FOOD.
AT ONE POINT A LITTLE BREAK, A LITTLE DANCE BATTLE STARTS
BETWEEN USHER AND JANELLE MONAE.
AND YOU'RE WATCHING AND WONDER CATEGORY THIS BE?
AND YOU'RE DANCING AND YOU'RE LIKE IT CAN'T GET BETTER THAN
THIS.
AND YOU SEE POTUS, AND FLOTUS.
AND YOU'RE LIKE IT CAN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS.
AND THEN WHO STEPS INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE DANCE BATTLE?
THIS ONE.
EVERYBODY IS LIKE... HE GOES LIKE THIS AND...
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> IT WAS FUN.
>> EVERYONE FELL OUT, JUST FELL FLAT OUT.
THEN ELLEN JUMPED IN.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
>> THEN PAUL McCARTNEY JUMPED IN.
AND I WAS JUST LIKE, MY EYES, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.
>> Stephen: AND CHANCE THE RAPPER, TOO.
>> EPIC.
>> Stephen: IT WAS A PEAK FEELING, I'LL TELL YOU.
>> YOU STARTED IT.
>> Stephen: WHEN JANELLE MONAE PUT HER HAT ON MY HEAD--
>> IT WAS ON.
YOU WERE IN THE GROOVE.
>> Stephen: I HAD A FLIRTATION WITH COOL.
>> IT WAS VERY COOL.
IT WAS VERY COOL, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU'VE GOT A NEW SHOW ON THE OPRAH WINFREY
NETWORK CALLED "QUEEN SUGAR."
WHAT IS THE SHOW ABOUT?
>> IT'S ABOUT FAMILY.
IT'S ABOUT THESE THREE SIBLINGS WHO HAVE TO COME BACK TO THEIR
FAMILY'S LAND WHEN THEIR FATHER PASSES AWAY.
IT'S ABOUT THEM ALL RECONCILING THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES
WHEN THEY HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND STAND AS A FAMILY.
>> Stephen: AND IT'S A SUGAR PLANTATION.
>> PLANTATION IS A LITTLE MUCH.
WE DON'T LIKE THAT WORD "PLANTATION."
FARM, FARM, WE'RE GENTLE.
PLANTATION GIVES ME IDEAS THAT I'D RATHER NOT HAVE.
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT A HAPPY WORD IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD.
>> NO, NO.
YEAH, SO A SUGAR CANE FARM.
THE FATHER WAS A BLACK FARMER, KIND OF THE LAST OF A CERTAIN
BREED IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT'S A LOT ABOUT THE LAND.
BUT IT'S REALLY.
THIS FAMILY AND THE MESSINESS AND BEAUTY OF OUR FAMILY.
EVERYONE SEES A BIT OF THEMSELVES IN IT.
>> Stephen: OPRAH IS ONE OF THE COCREATORS OF THE SHOW,
RIGHT?
>> COPRODUCER OF SHOW.
SHE BASICALLY GAVE ME THE ROOM TO MAKE THE SHOW I WANTED TO
MAKE.
IT'S NICE WHEN YOUR FRIEND OPENS THE NETWORK.
>> Stephen: DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH HER?
>> I DO.
SHE'S PRETTY COOL TO WORK WITH.
>> Stephen: SHE'S ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHEN YOU MEET HER YOU DP,
THIS ISN'T HYPE.
>> SHE HAS A SWEETHEART.
>> Stephen: SHE GAVE ME A BASKET OF AVOCADO.
>> YOU MUST HAVE SAID YOU LIKED THEM OR SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: NO, SHE JUST SHOWED UP WITH A BASKET OF
AVOCADO AND A BASKET OF LEMONS.
>> FROM HER OWN GARDEN.
>> Stephen: FROM HER OWN GARDEN.
>> AND THE BEST TASTING YOU EVER HAD.
>> Stephen: AND I GOT TO KEEP THE BASKET.
>> SO GENEROUS.
>> Stephen: THIS IS AN EXCITING THING.
YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN TAPPED TO DO A HUGE PRODUCTION FOR DISNEY.
YOU'RE GOING TO DO ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS FROM MY
CHILDHOOD, "A WRINKLE IN TIME."
AND YOU'RE GOING TO DIRECT A BIG-BUDGET.
>> WHAT AN HONOR.
A CLASSIC BOOK LOVED THROUGHOUT THE GENERATIONS.
IT WAS WRITTEN IN 1963.
IT'S ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL WHO TRAVELS THE WORLD IN SEARCH OF
HER FATHER AND IN THE PROCESS FINDS HERSELF.
REALLY, REALLY GORGEOUS.
SO WE START SHOOTING THAT THIS FALL.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID IN MAKING "QUEEN SUGAR" THAT YOU WANT TO
MAKE THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN
DIRECTORS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> AFRICAN AMERICAN DIRECTORS, WOMEN DIRECTORS.
OUR WHOLE DIRECTORIAL TEAM IS WOMEN WHICH IS A BIG DEAL IN
HOLLYWOOD BECAUSE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU.
IT'S A BIG DEAL IN HOLLYWOOD BECAUSE THEY KIND OF TRY TO KEEP
US OUT, YOU KNOW.
AND SO THESE ARE WOMEN WHO ARE SO TALENTED, SO VIBRANT, HAD SO
MUCH TO SHARE, AND HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET JOB AFTER JOB IN
TELEVISION AND HAVE HAD THE DOOR CLOSED.
SO WE OPENED THE DOOR AND INVITED THEM AND MADE BEAUTIFUL
EPISODES AND THEY'RE BAD ASS.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE SHOW.
>> I APPRECIATE IT.
>> Stephen: NEXT TIME YOU JUMP OUT AND DANCE WITH US IT TOO.
>> Stephen: THE TWO-NIGHT PREMIERE OF "QUEEN SUGAR" IS
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT ON THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK.
WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY GROUPLOVE.
♪ ♪ ♪