( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK WITH THE STAR OF
"CYRANO," PETER DINKLAGE.
NOW, YOUR WIFE, ERICA SCHMIDT, ACTUALLY WROTE THE SCREENPLAY
AND BROUGHT THIS FIRST VERSION OF A STAGE PLAY.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: TO YOU.
>> DID IT AS A THEATER PIECE BEFORE HERE IN NEW YORK.
>> Stephen: HERE'S THE THING.
WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, IN A WAY, EVERY ACTOR IS CHRISTIAN DE NOVE
LET.
THE FACE FOR CYRANO'S WORDS.
>> IT'S WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
BUT IS YOUR WIFE IN THIS CASE CYRANO?
BECAUSE SHE IS THE ONE PUTTING THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS IN YOUR
MOUTH.
IS THAT WHAT A WRITE IS TO AN ACTOR?
IS YOUR WIFE YOUR CYRANO?
>> YES, WHY DO YOU THINK I MARRIED HER?
NO--
NO, THAT'S A REALLY-- THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
YEAH.
I THINK SO.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT ACTORS DO.
WE SOUND A LOT SMARTER BECAUSE OF OUR WRITERS.
AND, YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT THERE'S-- THERE IS A TALENT TO BEING THE
VEHICLE.
IT'S NOT-- YOU'RE NOT JUST A FACE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: FOR CYRANO.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: YOUR INTERPRETATION MAKES YOU THE--
THE PROPER VEHICLE FOR THOSE WORDS WORRY.
HOW DO YOU AS AN ACTOR-- >> LIKE A POLITICIAN, KIND OF.
>> Stephen: RIGHT, EXACTLY, A POLITICIAN HAS TO BELIEVE THE
THINGS THAT ARE WRITTEN FOR HIM BECAUSE THEY ALSO ARE AN
EXPRESSION OF HIS BELIEFS.
HOW DO YOU AS AN ACTOR KNOW WHETHER THE PART IS SOMETHING
YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE THE PROPER VEHICLE FOR?
IS IT MERELY INTUITIVE?
>> SOMETIMES YOU-- YOU THINK, AND THEN HALFWAY THROUGH YOU
REALIZE, OH, NO.
THIS PERHAPS WAS THE WRONG DECISION I MADE.
THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES.
NO, WITH THIS, THOUGH, I ENJOY PLAYING INTELLIGENT PEOPLE.
IT'S MORE FUN, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE PEOPLE ON THAT INTELLIGENT RIDE,
LIKE TYRION ON "GAME OF THRONES" DID THAT AS WITH THE
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: THERE ARE CERTAIN SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO
CHARACTERS.
THEY'RE BOTH EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT.
THEY SURPRISE PEOPLE WITH CAPABILITIES THEY DON'T
NECESSARILY THINK THEY HAVE AT FIRST.
DO YOU MISS PLAYING TYRION, BY THE WAY?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, TIME TO MOVE ON, BUT SURE.
YOU HAVE TO GRADUATE.
BUT, YEAH, IT WAS A GREAT PART.
YEAH.
HE-- HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TRAGIC ENDING OF CYRANO.
HE DIDN'T FEAR OR HIDE BEHIND ANY OTHER MAN TO GET THE LADY.
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE THERE.
>> Stephen: YES, HE HAS THE LADIES ALL AVERAGED.
( LAUGHTER )
SOMETIMES THROUGH COMMERCE.
>> SURE, SURE.
>> Stephen: YES.
YOU FILMED THIS IN SICILY, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: DURING COVID.
>> DURING COVID, YEAH.
>> Stephen: NOT A BAD PLACE TO BE LOCKED DOWN.
>> NO, SICILY WAS INCREDIBLE.
AND THEY GOT HIT, SADLY, BY THE PANDEMIC, QUITE EARLY, MUCH
EARLIER THAN THE U.S. DID, SO THEY SORT OF HAD HAD EXPERIENCE
WITH IT.
AND THEY WERE-- THEY WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU THERE WITH YOUR WIFE AND KIDS?
>> YEAH, MY SON STILL WAKES UP IN THE NIGHT GOING GRENITA.
IT'S AN ITALIAN DESSERT.
>> Stephen: AND THEY MISS IT?
>> THEY DO.
WE BROUGHT HOME A REMINDER, THOUGH.
THESE ARE ALL THESE ABANDONED, STRAY, HOMELESS DOGS EVERYWHERE
THAT SORT OF-- IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL OVER THERE.
THEY JUST-- IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
THEY TAKE CARE OF THEM.
BUT THERE ARE PUPPIES EVERYWHERE, SO WE BROUGHT HOME A
PUPPY.
>> Audience: OOOH!
( APPLAUSE )
HOME A PUPPY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT, WHAT'S THE PUPPY'S NAME?
>> ROXY, AFTER ROXANNE.
I KNOW.
BUT SHE'S NOT ROXANNE, SHE'S ROXY BECAUSE SHE EATS ROCKS.
SHE DOES.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> YEAH, SHE EATS ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE GOING TO BE PERFORMING ONE OF THE SONGS
TONIGHT.
>> UH-HUM.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE HEARING A SONG "YOUR NAME."
THEY WROTE THE MUSIC FROM WANT MOVIE,.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
BECAUSE CYRANO, HE PONTIFICATES QUITE A LOT IN THE ORIGINAL
STAGE SHOW.
AND ERICA AND THE BAND HAD THE BRILLIANT IDEA OF SORT OF MAKING
ALL OF THE POETRY INTO SONGS.
AND WHO DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR A LOVE SONG?
SO?
>> Stephen: WELL, WE DO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
>> Stephen: "CYRANO" WILL BE IN THEATERS THIS JANUARY.
STICK AROUND FOR A PERFORMANCE FROM PETER DINKLAGE WITH BRYCE
AND AARON DESSNER OF THE NATIONAL.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "SQUID GAME" STAR, LEE JUNG-JAE.