LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN
OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR, WHO EXECUTIVE PRODUCES, DIRECTS, AND
SOMETIMES STARS IN "MADAM SECRETARY."
>> AH, MADAM SECRETARY!
CHIEF JUSTICE.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN YOU IN HERE BEFORE.
>> NO, I'M NOT MUCH OF A POWER BREAKFAST TYPE.
NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
I'M MORE OF A MUFFIN ON THE FLY TYPE.
>> GOT IT.
THERE'S JUST SOMEBODY I NEED TO BUMP INTO.
>> YES, THERE IS, AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE THE SENATOR RIGHT
NOW.
( LAUGHTER ) >> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME
MORGAN FREEMAN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT THEM IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.
SQUEALS OF DELIGHT WHEN YOU CAME OUT HERE LIKE THEY WERE GOOSED
BY AN ICE PICK.
>> THEY WERE GOOSED BY THE GUY THAT COMES OUT HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO COACH ANYBODY TO LIKE MORGAN
FREEMAN!
EVERYBODY LOVES MORGAN FREEMAN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( LAUGHTER )
YEAH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE IF MORGAN FREEMAN WAS A
POWERFUL PERSON IN WASHINGTON, D.C.?
YOU'RE A MOUNTAIN OF DIGNITY WE NEED THAT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
RIGHT NOW, SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) DID YOU EVER CONSIDER POLITICS
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NO, STEPHEN, I NEVER DID CONSIDER POLITICS.
I'M AN ACTOR, THAT WILL DO IT.
>> Stephen: IT'S A FINE LINE.
IT'S A FINE LINE.
>> YOU THINK?
>> Stephen: YEAH, YOU BOTH MAKE THINGS UP BUT YOU GET PAID
BETTER.
>> SO TRUE.
>> Stephen: NOW, THE SHOW, "MADAM SECRETARY," WE ALL KNOW
WHAT WASHINGTON IS LIKE, AS I WAS SAYING, I THINK PEOPLE WATCH
THAT SHOW SOMETIMES -- >> JUST TO GET RELIEF.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: TO SEE A WASHINGTON THAT MAKES A LILT BIT
MORE SENSE TO THEM.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE SHOW COMPARES TO THE REAL WASHINGTON
IN YOUR MIND?
>> TODAY I DON'T THINK IT COMPARES AT ALL.
IT'S JUST -- WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONFUSION ON THE SHOW
BECAUSE -- >> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHO'S IN
CONTROL, THE DIRECTOR.
>> WE KNOW WHO'S IN CONTROL.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS YOU FOR SOME OF THE EPISODES.
>> ONE OF THE EPISODES.
I DO THE FIRST EPISODE EVERY SEASON.
>> Stephen: HOW MANY SEASONS HAVE YOU DIRECTED?
>> THREE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
DOES IT GET EASIER OR DO YOU FIND THE PROCESS EASIER IN DO
YOU CRACK THE WHIP OR DO YOU DRIVE THE PEOPLE REALLY HARD?
>> I DRIVE THE CREW.
ACTORS, I DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
DOING.
BUT CREWS TEND TO GET A BIT COMPLACENT, YOU KNOW, THE
SHOW -- I SAY, WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING, YOU ALL, AND I REMIND
THEM THAT A NASCAR PIT CREW CAN CHANGE FOUR TIRES AND GIVE YOU A
TANK OF GAS IN UNDER 14 SECONDS.
JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: I'M THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I WANT YOU TO
KNOW, MY CREW IS THE BEST CREW.
I NEVER HAVE TO REMIND THEM TO BE FAST AT ALL.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SO HOW DO YOU --
>> BEST WAY TO GET THEM TO SPEED UP.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU REMIND THEM, NASCAR DOES IT, YOU CAN,
TOO?
>> IF I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKING TOO LONG TO CHANGE A LIGHT OR
SOMETHING, I GO, ZING, ZING, ZING!
THAT'S THE GUY WITH THE -- >> Stephen: WOW, I LIKE THAT.
THAT'S KIND OF GENTLE AND YET HOSTILE AT THE SAME TIME.
>> YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S MERELY A REMINDER, NOT LIKE
A WHIP IS THAT THAT WE CAN DO IT BETTER.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NOW, I LOVED YOUR SHOW "THROUGH THE WORMHOLE."
( APPLAUSE ) BUT YOU HAVE A NEW SHOW CALLED
"THE STORY OF US."
IS THAT ANYTHING LIKE "THIS IS US?"
AM I GOING TO CRY THROUGH THE ENTIRE SHOW?
>> NOT THE ENTIRE SHOW.
SOME EPISODES WILL BE QUITE UPLIFTING.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE MISSION?
>> TO SHOW US WHO WE ARE.
>> Stephen: HUMANITY TO HUMANITY?
>> HUMANITY TO HUMANITY.
WHAT IT IS THAT REALLY KEEPS US TOGETHER, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS
MIGHT NOT BE A BAD TIME TO BE AIRING SUCH A SHOW BECAUSE WE
THINK WE'RE SPLITTING APART.
WE'RE NOT.
>> Stephen: HOW SO?
THE DIVISIVENESS IS AN ILLUSION NOW?
>> WE TALK ABOUT THE DIVISIVENESS, YOU KNOW, AND THE
US AND THEM QUALITY OF LIFE RIGHT NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIFE
MOVES IN WAVES.
IT'S ALMOST PREDICTABLE WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING A THOUSAND
YEARS FROM NOW WITH US.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'VE PLAYED GOD SO MANY TIMES.
( LAUGHTER ) I CAN'T SEE A THOUSAND YEARS IN
THE FUTURE.
IS THERE SOMEPLACE YOU WENT?
HOW MANY COUNTRIES DID YOU GO TO?
>> WE WENT TO TEN COUNTRIES ON THIS TRIP.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ONE PLACE WHERE YOU LEARNED MORE ABOUT US
THAN OTHER COUNTRIES?
>> CAN I SAY THAT -- I WOULDN'T SAY THAT, BUT I WENT TO SOUTHERN
ETHIOPIA, AND I VISITED A TRIBE OF PEOPLE CALLED THE HAMMER.
>> Stephen: HAMMER.
LIKE THE HAMMER.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
AND THEY LIVE THERE IN THE VALLEY JUST AS THEY DID HUNDREDS
OF YEARS AGO.
WE WERE THERE FOR THE BOW JUMPING CEREMONY WHICH IS WHAT A
YOUNG MAN DOES -- THAT'S HIS RIGHT OF PASSAGE.
>> Stephen: HE JUMPS OVER A BULL?
>> HE JUMPS OVER A BUNCH OF BULLS.
HE DOESN'T REALLY JUMP OVER THEM, HE UH RUNS ALONG THEM.
>> Stephen: STILL SOUNDS DANGEROUS.
>> IT IS DANGEROUS.
BUT ALL OF THE FEMALES IN HIS FAMILY, AND THEY MAY NUMBER IN
THE TEENS, COME OUT TO SUPPORT HIM AND TO SHOW HIM THEIR LOVE,
HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HIM.
THEY HAVE NINE MEN SELECTED -- I FORGET WHAT THEY CALL THEM --
>> Stephen: A BASEBALL TEAM.
( LAUGHTER ) >> -- AND THEY WHIP THESE WOMEN.
>> Stephen: THE BOY VONNING ON THE BACKS OF THESE BULLS?
>> THIS IS ALL BUILT UP TO THE MOMENT HE'LL DO THAT.
>> Stephen: AND THE NINE MEN ARE WHIPPING THE WOMEN?
>> DOESN'T JUST GO QUITE LIKE THIS.
>> Stephen: YOU JUST SAID THEY'RE WHIPPING THE WOMEN.
>> THERE ARE NINE MEN AND THEY'RE OVER THERE AND THESE
LADIES ARE WEARING BELLS ON THEIR LEGS AND THEY'RE JUMPING
UP AND DOWN AND HAVING FUN.
THEY COLLECT THE WHIPS THEMSELVES AND THEY WILL GO OVER
AND CAJOLE OR INSULT A MAN TO TAKE THIS WHIP AND GIVE ME A
GOOD LICK.
SO THE MAN WILL TAKE THE WHIP AND GO OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF
THIS CIRCLE AND GO, POW!
RIGHT ACROSS THERE.
AND THE WOMEN DON'T EVEN FLINCH.
>> Stephen: THEY GO STRAIGHT TO H.R.
( LAUGHTER ) THEY SHOULD.
DON'T DO THAT.
( APPLAUSE ) DON'T LISTEN TO THIS PLAN.
>> IT GOES ON.
I MEAN, I WAS -- I WANT TO SAY ENTHRALLED BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND
RIGHT.
>> Stephen: SOUNDS CLOSE TO RIGHT.
>> WELL -- >> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU LEARN
FROM IT, I GUESS?
>> DON'T DO THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.
THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.
WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK.
HOPE YOU CAN STICK AROUND, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE MORGAN
FREEMAN.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE, AND DON'T WHIP ANYBODY!