>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY. WE'RE BACK WITH THE STAR OF
"A SPY AMONG FRIENDS." DAMIAN LEWIS.
DAMIAN LEWIS. OH, DAMIAN LEWIS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DO AND ACTING EXERCISE TO GET YOURSELF
AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHARACTER WHERE YOU CHOOSE AN
ANIMAL THAT IS LIKE THE CHARACTER YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY
OR TO INSPIRE YOU TO PLAY THE CHARACTER.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? >> Damian: WELL, GOOD QUES
QUESTION. WHEN I WAS AT CONSERVATORY IN
DRAMA SCHOOL, THEY SENT US SOME LONDON ZOO EVERY WEEKEND FOR
FIRST SEMESTER. THEY WANTED US TO STUDY ANIMALS,
ANIMAL MOVEMENT AND ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY.
AS A TOOL FOR ACTING. I SAID OH, GREAT.
I'M GOING TO GO TO THE APE CAGE AND STUDIED THE APES AND THEY
SAID NO, YOU'RE NOT PURE YOU'RE ALREADY TOO MUCH LIKE AN APE.
WE NEED YOU TO STUDY SOMETHING WHERE THERE IS STILLNESS.
THEY SAID YOU ARE GOING TO BE A LIZARD.
AND I WENT TO THE REPTILE HOUSE AT LONDON ZOO FOR 12 STRAIGHT
WEEKS AND I CAME OUT OF THERE THE END OF THE 12 WEEKS
THINKING, THIS IS GREAT. I AM GOING TO SCORE THE TOP
GRADES OF THE CLASS BECAUSE I SAW THAT LIZARD MOVE THREE TIMES
IN 12 WEEKS. >> Stephen: DO YOU STILL HAVE
THE LIZARD? >> Damian: THE LIZARD DOES TWO
THINGS. THE LIZARD LIES TOTALLY STILL
UNDER THE HEAT LAMP FOR 12 WEEKS.
AND THEN MAYBE ONCE IN WEEK SIX AND AGAIN IN WEEK NINE, IT WILL
DO THIS. [APPLAUSE]
HONESTLY MY FRIEND OSCAR, HE SAID YOU ARE AN APE.
YOU CAN'T BE AN APE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE A LIZARD WITH
DAMIAN. WE GOT ON OUR BLACK LEOTARDS, WE
LAY ON THE FLOOR AND RELAY ON TOP OF EACH OTHER FOR AN HOUR.
THAT WAS IT. TOTALLY STILL.
TOP MARKS. >> Stephen: WHAT ANIMAL, WAS
HIS NAME, NICHOLAS? >> Damian: NICHOLAS ELLIOTT.
>> Stephen: WHAT ANIMAL WAS HE?
>> Damian: BECAUSE OF THE DOUBLE LIFE, HE FELT TO ME HE
WAS BIRDLIKE. THERE WAS A BIT OF A PEACOCK
ABOUT NICHOLAS ELLIOTT, SOMEONE WHO LIKED TELLING DIRTY
LIMERICKS. THAT WAS A BIG THING OF HIS IN
REAL LIFE. HE LOVED BEING AT THE BAR AND
ENTERTAINING WITH DIRTY LIMERICKS.
SORT OF THE PEACOCK, THE FEATHERS FANNED, COUPLE OF
WHISKEYS IN. THEN THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY
HAWK LIKE, EAGLE LIKE ABOUT HIM, VERY WATCHFUL AND ATTENTIVE.
HE WAS TWO BIRDS FOR ME. I TRY TO NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE
WITH EACH CHARACTER. AND THEN THE INTERESTING THING,
THE INTERESTING ANTHROPOMORPHIC THING ABOUT STARTING AN ANIMAL
IS HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY INTEGRATE THAT INTO YOU PHYSICALLY WITHOUT
PEOPLE -- >> Stephen: SAY THAT YOU'RE
DOING A BIRD. >> Damian: WHY IS THAT SPY
WALKING AROUND LIKE A PEACOCK? THAT'S WEIRD.
IT'S ABOUT HOW YOU INTEGRATE IT. >> Stephen: HOW ABOUT BOBBY
AXELROD? DID HE HAVE AN ANIMAL?
>> Damian: BOBBY AXELROD IS A PREDATOR, ONE OF THE BIG CATS.
HE IS A CHEETAH. THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY ON
WORDS BECAUSE HE IS CLEARLY, YOU KNOW...
WELL, LET'S CALL IT, HE'S A CRIMINAL.
AND SO THE CHEETAH WAS A GOOD SORT OF -- ENTERTAIN ME, THAT'S
THE CAT HE WAS. IN BOBBY AXELROD, I DON'T KNOW
IF ANY OF YOUR WATCH HIT TV SHOW "BILLIONS," BUT WITH BOBBY,
BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF A LARGER THEN.
HE'S A BIT OF A ROCK STAR, SWAGGERING COWBOY.
HE SHOULD ROLL LIKE A BIG CAT A BIT.
SO I KEPT THAT FOR HIM. >> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND.
WE'VE GOT TO GO IN A MINUTE BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE AN
ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE TO THE PEOPLE.
A LITTLE BIT OF NEWS THAT NOBODY KNOWS YET.
REGARDING MR. AXELROD. ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL
THE FOLKS? >> Damian: WELL, BOBBY.
BOBBY IS BACK. HE'S COMING BACK.
>> Stephen: TO "BILLIONS." >> Damian: YES.
IT'S BACK IN ITS EXCITING. HE'S NOT BEEN AROUND FOR A
COUPLE SEASONS BUT HE IS BACK. >> Stephen: WHEN?
>> Damian: I CAN'T TELL YOU THIS.
>> Stephen: I WILL TELL YOU THIS.
IT'S BEEN LOVELY TO HAVE YOU. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
"A SPY AMONG FRIENDS" PREMIERES MARCH 12 ON MGM+.
DAMIAN LEWIS EVERYBODY. WE WILL BE BACK WITH A
LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD.