FOLKS, LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO OUR MARQUEE GUEST.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF INTERVIEWING MY FIRST
GUEST MANY TIMES, BUT THIS IS HIS FIRST LATE SHOW INTERVIEW AS
A U.S. CITIZEN.
PLEASE WELCOME BRIT-TURNED-YANK, JOHN OLIVER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( YANK DOODLE DANDY PLAYING )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪
♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> St( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: DELIGHTFUL.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WELCOME FELLOW AMERICAN.
>> THANK YOU!
>> Stephen: NOW, WAS THIS A LONG TIME COMING?
HOW LONG -- HOW LONG -- >> THIS WAS A LONG TIME COMING.
>> Stephen: YEAH?
I CAME TO AMERICA, MUCH LIKE EDDY MURPHY --
( LAUGHTER ) I, TOO, AM A FICTIONAL AFRICAN
PRINCE.
I CAME HERE IN 2006 AND, SO, I HAVE BEEN KIND OF WANTING THIS
TO HAPPEN PRETTY SOON AFTER THAT.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
O IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S PAR FOR THE COURSE.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO BECOME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.
>> DEFINITELY RIGHT.
I HAD TO GO THROUGH A NUMBER OF VISAS, GREEN CARD, I STARTED
APPLYING FOR CITIZENSHIP AND IT TAKES LONGER BECAUSE THERE ARE
SAND IN THE GEARS, AND I HAD TO GET A SECOND GREEN CAMPLETD IT
WAS UNBELIEVABLY TENSE.
I'M INCREDIBLY RELIEVED.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A TEST YOU HAVE TO TAKE.
>> I'M SLIGHTLY OUT OF BREATH, AND THAT IS ALARMING CONSIDERING
I'VE LITERALLY JUST BEEN CARRIED OUT.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NOT A GOOD SIGN.
>> I MEAN -- >> Stephen: HAVE A DRINK.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT A MEDICAL WARNING SIGN IS.
I BET YOU ALL SAW THAT.
>> Stephen: YEAH, SURE.
I DON'T THINK THAT SOUNDS AS CARDIO.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) YEAH, RIGHT.
WELL, YOU'RE AN AMERICAN NOW.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXERCISE ANYMORE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SURE.
YEAH.
>> CHEERS.
>> Stephen: CHEERS TO YOU, TOO.
>> PINKY FINGER DOWN.
>> Stephen: SURE.
AS A PROSPECTIVE AMERICAN CITIZEN, DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE A
TEST?
>> OF COURSE.
>> Stephen: I DIDN'T HAVE TO.
I WAS BORN.
>> OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I NAVIGATED THE BIRTH CANAL AND THEY HANDED ME
THE LITTLE THING WHEN I CAME OUT.
>> THERE ARE 100 DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
THEY SELECT TEN TO FIRE THEM AT YOU.
>> Stephen: WHAT HAPPENED AT APPOMATTOX.
>> IT'S NOT EXACTLY THAT, BUT IT'S WHAT'S THE STATE CAPITOL,
WHAT'S THE PRESIDENT.
IT BECOMES REAL EVERY TIME YOU SAY IT.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS WHAT IS YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
I WAS SO SCARED, I BLANKED.
SHE SAID, LET ME JUST CHECK YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
I SAID I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER.
THIS ISN'T GOING WELL!
>> Stephen: DID THEY IMAGINE JOHN OLIVER WAS IMPERSONATING
SOMEONE ELSE?
>> I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY I WAS SO FRIGHTENED.
I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO MY WIFE, I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS ABOUT
THIS FOR A DECADE, SO IT'S BEEN EVER PRESENT HUNG IN THE BACK OF
MY MIND.
THERE WAS PART OF ME EVEN THE AT A OF THE CEREMONY, I THOUGHT
THERE WAS GOING TO BE A TRAP.
THERE WAS A PART OF ME THAT LITERALLY THOUGHT THEY WOULD
OPEN THE DOOR AND THERE WOULD BE PLASTIC SHEETING ON THE GROUND
AND JARED KUSHNER WOULD BE SITTING THERE STROKING A
HAIRLESS CAT, SAYING, OH -- THAT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE TO ME
THAN THE THING THAT WAS HAPPENING.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO RENOUNCE THE QUEEN AND HER
EMPIRE AND ALL THAT STUFF?
>> I DID THAT YEARS AGO.
SO -- ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: WE'RE AMERICANS!
I'M A DUAL CITIZEN SO I HAVE TWO PASSPORTS LIKE JASON BOURNE.
>> Stephen: WOW!
YEAH, I CAN GO ANYWHERE, KILL ANYONE.
>> Stephen: I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT IT IS, DUAL CITIZENSHIP.
>> I THINK HIS CONFIDENCE IN GETTING STRONG AND HURTING
PEOPLE REALLY CAME FROM HIS ABILITY TO LIVE AND WORK
ANYWHERE ON EARTH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU GET TO VOTE AS
AN AMERICAN.
ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT THAT?
>> YES, THEY GAVE US THE OATH.
>> Stephen: IT MUST BE MOVING.
IT'S INCREDIBLY MOVING.
IT WAS 150 PEOPLE FROM 49 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, ALL OF US
HAD BEEN WAIT AGO LONG TIME FOR THIS.
I HAD BEEN WAITING OVER A DEC DECADE, THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
WAITING 30 YEARS.
SO IT WAS A BIG DEAL.
THERE'S SOMETHING VERY INSPIRING ABOUT THE IDEA OF THESE PEOPLE
CHOOSING AMERICA, NOT JUST CHOOSING AMERICA BUT CHOOSING
AMERICA NOW -- ( LAUGHTER )
-- WHEN THE COUNTRY IS NOT AT ITS BEST.
( APPLAUSE ) SO THAT'S THE POINT, LIKE
CHOOSING -- >> Stephen: THAT'S REALLY
HOPEFUL.
>> CHOOSING AMERICA NOW IS LIKE FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE
WHO'S VOMITING ALL OVER THEMSELVES.
I'M TAKING A FLIER THERE'S A GREAT HUMAN BEING UNDER HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) IT WAS VERY INSPIRING TO WATCH
PEOPLE BUY INTO THE IDEA OF AMERICA WHICH OBVIOUSLY OUTLASTS
ANY PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: AMERICA IS JUST AN IDEA.
THE LAND DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, REALLY.
>> WELL, DON'T SAY THAT TO SOMEONE WHO'S STILL HALF BRITISH
TOO HARD, THE LAND DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
WELL, WE'LL TAKE THAT, THEN.
JUST ASK INDIA.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I'VE SEEN A LOT OF
BREXIT RAH-RAH PATRIOTISM.
THERE'S NO UNCLE SAM TO CARRY YOU OUT IN ENGLAND.
>> I GUESS THAT'S TRUE.
IT COMES OUT NORMALLY AT SPORTING EVENTS.
THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THE LAND OF GLORY AND FLAGS WAVED AROUND.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S YOUR TEAM?
LIVERPOOL.
>> Stephen: LIVERPOOL.
MY FAMILY'S IN LIVERPOOL.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
I LOVE LIVERPOOL SO MUCH THAT THE FIRST GAME MY DAD EVER TOOK
ME TO I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD AND I MADE HIM LET ME WEAR MY FULL
LIVERPOOL KIT AND SOCKS AND SHIN PADS AND CLEATS UNDER MY REGULAR
CLOTHES BECAUSE MY RATIONALE AT THAT AGE IS SOMEONE GOT HURT AND
RAN OUT OF PLAYERS, THEY MIGHT HAVE TURN TO THE CROWD AND SAY
DOES ANYONE HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO PARTICIPATE?
AND I WOULD SAY, I DO!
I'VE COME PREPARED!
I CAN DO IT!
YES!
( APPLAUSE ) I HAVE A LITTLE ENOUGH SENSE OF
CONSEQUENCES TO THINK THIS MIGHT GO WELL FOR ME!
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIALS.
>> SURE.
>> Stephen: WE'LL BE BACK MORE WITH JOHN OLIVER, EVERYBODY.
PLEASE STICK AROUND.