>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) MY NEXT GUEST IS A TONY AND
GRAMMY AWARD WINNER YOU KNOW AS AARON BURR FROM "HAMILTON."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW, LESLIE ODOM JR.!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
I'M WEARING THE AUTHOR'S TURTLENECK.
>> Stephen: YOU DO.
YOU'RE HERE FOR A BOOK YOU'VE GOT AND YOU'RE DRESSING THE PART
NOW.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE JACKED UP A BIT.
YOU LOOK A LITTLE BIGGER THAN THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: THEY PAINTED THAT SUIT ON YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHY ARE YOU SO MUCH BIGGER?
>> WELL, I PUT ON, LIKE, 30 POUNDS WHEN MY WIFE -- THAT
SYMPATHY WEIGHT THING.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU JUST HAD THE BABY.
WHAT'S YOUR BABY'S NAME?
>> LUCILLE.
>> Stephen: THERE IS LUCILLE RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WONDERFUL.
>> I'VE TRIED MY BEST TO TURN -- YOU KNOW, TO TURN THE FLAB INTO
MUSCLE.
>> Stephen: IT LOOKS GOOD.
THANK YOU, BROTHER.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
SORRY.
I DON'T MEAN TO BE TOO FAMILIAR.
>> OH, NO.
AND THE BOOK CAME OUT TODAY.
SO WHEN THE BOOK -- MY PUBLISHER TOLD ME WHEN THE BOOK WAS
RELEASED YOU GET THE AUTHOR'S TURTLENECKS.
>> Stephen: OH, OFFICIALLY.
WE ALSO GOT YOU A PIPE TO GO WITH IT.
>> OH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WE CAN GET YOU SOMETHING.
>> NO, GO ON.
GO ON.
>> Stephen: THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU SHOWED A LITTLE
VIDEO OF YOU AND YOUR WIFE SINGING.
SHE ALSO HAS A BEAUTIFUL SINGING VOICE.
>> YES, SHE DOES.
>> Stephen: DO YOU SING TO LITTLE LUCY EVERY NIGHT?
DO YOU SING LULLABIES OR IS IT JUST.
♪ NATIONWIDE IS ON YOUR SIDE ♪ ( LAUGHTER )
>> NO, I DON'T REALLY SING TO LUCY THAT MUCH.
I DON'T LOVE SINGING, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M NOT BEING MADE PAID.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT NICOLLETTE SINGS TO HER ALL
THE TIME.
>> Stephen: YEAH?
THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE.
MY WIFE HAS MY FAVORITE VOICE IN THE WORLD SO WHEN I CAN WALK BY
LUCY'S ROOM AND HEAR NICOLLETTE SINGING TO HER, THAT'S A SPECIAL
TREAT.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE IN "HAMILTON" AND "RENT."
DO YOU INSIST IN ONLY BEING IN SHOWS THAT CHANGE CULTURE ON
BROADWAY AS WE KNOW IT?
I'D LIKE TO KNOW SO I CAN GET TICKET WHILE THEY'RE STILL
AVAILABLE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YEAH, I ONLY DO CULTURAL
PHENOMENONS.
IT'S JUST THEY'RE 15 20R YEARS APART.
I'LL LET YOU KNOW IN 12 OR SO YEARS.
>> Stephen: HOW MUCH TIME WAS THERE FOR YOU BETWEEN "RENT" AND
"HAMILTON"?
>> IT WAS 17 WHEN I DID "RENT" AND A LITTLE OLDER THAN THAT
WHEN I DID "HAMILTON."
FIVE OR SIX YEARS OLDER THAN THAT.
THEY DON'T COME AROUND OFTEN, THOSE BIG SORT OF LANDMARK
SHOWS, THEY DON'T COME AROUND OFTEN.
I'VE HAD THE INCREDIBLE FORTUNE OF MY LIFE, IT'S JUST BEEN
REALLY THE GIFT OF MY LIFE TO BE A PART OF THE TWO OF THEM.
IF IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN, I WILL BE A HAPPY GUY.
I'M VERY LUCKY.
>> Stephen: WELL, I WON'T.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO SEE YOU AND MORE.
WHAT ABOUT -- YOU KNOW, THE BOOK YOU'VE GOT HERE, THE NEW BOOK IS
CALLED FAILING UP.
AND IT'S ABOUT HOW TO TAKE RISKS, AIM HIGHER AND NEVER STOP
LEARNING.
NOW, WAIT A SECOND.
DID YOU EVER STOP LEARNING?
WERE YOU EVER TEMPTED TO GIVE UP?
BECAUSE WH I WAS YOUNGER, I WAS SORT OF ATTEMPTING TO BE A
CLASSICAL ACTOR LIKE YOURSELF.
AT CERTAIN POINT I WENT, AH, I'M GOING TO DO COMEDY INSTEAD
BECAUSE I WASN'T GETTING HIRED FOR THE OTHER STUFF.
WAS THERE EVER A MOMENT THAT SAID, I'M JUST GOING TO STOP IS
THIS.
>> THE CENTRAL LESSON IN THE BOOK CAME FROM A MENTOR OF MINE
STEWART K. ROBINSON, AN ACTING COACH, A LIFE COACH REALLY IN
L.A.
I MET HIM BEFORE I TURNED 30.
I WAS REALLY TIRED OF THAT ROLLERCOASTER.
I WANTED TO GET A CHECK ON THURSDAYS.
I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE CHECK WAS GOING TO SAY.
I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PAY MY RENT AND BAN ADULT.
>> Stephen: GET MARRIED, HAVE KIDS.
>> ALL THAT STUFF.
AND I LAID IT ALL OUT FOR STEWART AT THE MARIE CALLAHAN
DEERS IN NEW YORK OVER CHICKEN POT PIE.
HE HEARD ME OUT AND SAID WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, WE TALK ABOUT
CAREER TRANSITIONING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO BUT I
WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU TRY BEFORE YOU QUIT.
>> Stephen: HADN'T YOU ALREADY BEEN A WORKING ACTOR?
>> FOR A DECADE.
BUT WHAT HE POINTED OUT TO ME, I ASKED HIM TO PLEASE GO ON, SIR.
AND HE SAID, WELL, ENG WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE SITTING
AT HOME AND WAITING FOR THE PHONE TO RING.
I THINK WHEN THE PHONE RINGS YOU SHOW UP AND YOU'RE PREPARED AND
AFFABLE AND SOMETIMES THAT CAN GET YOU A GIG.
BUT WHAT TID YOU DO TODAY IN THE ABSENCE OF A RINGING PHONE?
DID YOU CALL ANYBODY, WRITE ANYTHING, READ ANYTHING,
PRACTICE, TAKE A CLASS, DID YOU -- YOU KNOW, I WASN'T
SINGING AT ALL BACK THEN.
DO YOU KNOW YOU CAN CALL EVERY COFFEE SHOP IN L.A. WOULD LOVE
TO HAVE YOU SINGING THEIR LUNCHTIME -- YOU KNOW, AT THE
LUNCH HOUR.
BRING A BAND, GO SING AT A COFFEE SHOP.
IT MADE ME PROACTIVE.
IT PUT ME BACK IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF MY OWN LIFE.
>> Stephen: YOU DID THOSE THINGS?
>> I DID ALL THOSE THINGS AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE.
I WON'T BE SITTING ENACTIVE ON MY COUCH EVER AGAIN.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, THAT'S A HARD LESSON TO LEARN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) "FAILING UP" BY LESLIE ODOM, JR.
IS ON SALE NOW.