( APPLAUSE )
"THE GILDED AGE," CHRISTINE BARANSKI.
YOUR NEW PROJECT IS YOU ARE IN JULIAN FELLOWS, THE GUY WHO
CREATED "DOWNTON ABBEY" ON HBO. IT'S CALLED "THE GILDED AGE."
AND IT'S ABOUT LATE 1880s. >> 1882.
>> Stephen: IN NEW YORK. WHICH IS WHEN-- WE'RE KIND OF IN
ANOTHER GILDED AGE RIGHT NOW. >> I KNOW, I WAS WATCHING YOU
TELL-- SPEAK ABOUT ALL THAT, AND I THOUGHT WE'RE GOING THROUGH
ANOTHER GILDED AGE, UNBRIDLED WEALTH.
BUT THE GILDED AGE WAS JUST AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, AND IT
REALLY WAS THE BEGINNING OF AMERICAN CAPITALISM.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP HERE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE WITH YOUR CHARACTER?
>> WELL, MY CHARACTER IS, OF COURSE, OLD MONEY.
( LAUGHTER )
BEFORE YOU DID, SO WE'RE CLOSING THE DOOR ON YOU.
YOU CAN'T-- YOU CAN'T COME TO OUR CLUB."
BUT SHE'S RATHER HORRIFIED BY THE NEW MONEY BECAUSE THERE'S A
HUGE MANSION BEING BUILT DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET.
IT WOULD BE LIKE A TRUMP HOTEL BEING BUILT ACROSS FROM MY BROWN
STONE. I'M ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED.
BUT MY NIECE COMES TO LIVE WITH ME BECAUSE SHE GOT NO MONEY FROM
HER FATHER, AND SHE HAS TO COME TONEW YORK AND LIVE WITH HER
TWO AUNTS, ONE OF WHOM IS MYSELF, AND THE OTHER IS CYNTHIA
NIXON'S CHARACTER, ADA. ANYWAY, I TELL HER ABOUT OLD NEW
YORK, THAT SHE IS IN FACT FROM OLD NEW YORK, AND THAT WE DON'T
ASSOCIATE WITH THE NEW PEOPLE. >> Stephen: JIM.
>> NOW, YOU NEED TO KNOW, WE ONLY RECEIVE THE OLD PEOPLE IN
THIS HOUSE, NOT THE NEW, NEVER THE NEW.
>> WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? >> THE OLD HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE
SINCE BEFORE THE REVOLUTION. THEY RULED, JUSTLY, UNTIL THE
NEW PEOPLE INVADED. >> IT'S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS
THAT. >> YES, IT IS.
>> WELL, I'M NEW. I'VE ONLY JUST ARRIVED.
>> MARION, NEVER MIND THAT THE BROOKS HAVE BEEN IN PENNSYLVANIA
FOR A CENTURY AND A HALF. MY MOTHER, YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS
A LIVINGSTON, LIVINGSTON MANOR, AND THEY CAME TO THE CITY IN
1674. YOU BELONG TO OLD NEW YORK, MY
DEAR, AND DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT.
YOU ARE MY NIECE, AND YOU BELONG TO OLD NEW YORK.
( APPLAUSE ).
IT IS WORTH THE TICKET JUST FOR THE WARDROBE AND AND THE LOCATI.
>> INDEED. AND NOBODY WRITES A SNOB LIKE
JULIAN FELLOWS. I'VE GOT THE HUGE COSTUMES AND
THE WHITHERRINGLY SNOBBISH LINES.
>> Stephen: ARE THOSE ACCURATE THOSE COSTUMES.
>> OH, YES. >> Stephen: THE CORSETS AND
ALL THAT. >> IT'S COMPLETELY ACCURATE, AD
IT'S GOBS OF FABRIC. IT'S AS THOUGH YOU TOOK YOUR
GRANDMOTHERS FLOOR-TO- CEILING VELVET CURTAINS AND WRAPPED THEM
AROUND YOUR BODY AND YOU CARRIED THEM AROUND.
IT'S LIKE REALLY HUGE AMOUNTS OF FABRIC AND BEADING AND WIGS.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
WHAT IS IT A CORSET LIKE? OBVIOUSLY, I'M WEARING SPANX
RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU DRAWN INTO THESE CORSETS
AND EVERYTHING? >> YEAH.
THEY PUT IT ON YOU AND THEY KEEP PULLING AND PULLING AND PULLING,
AND THEY'LL SAY, "IS IT TOO TIGHT?"
AND YOU'LL SAY NO, I THINK IT'S OKAY.
BECAUSE OF COURSE YOU'RE A WOMAN AND YOU WANT YOUR WAIST TO
LOOK-- "NO, NO, KEEP GOING, IT'S FINE."
"REALLY, ARE YOU SURE?" "OH, YES, I'LL TELL YOU."
"ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN BREATHE?" "OH, YES, I CAN BREATHE."
YOU GET INTO THIS THING AND YOU SHOW UP ON THE SET AND TWO HOURS
LATER YOU GO, "I CAN'T BREATHE!" BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT'S-- THOSE WOMEN, THEY ACTUALLY, SOCIETY WAS VERY TIGHT
AND PULLED IN AND S SO WERE THER CLOTHES.
>> Stephen: WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO ANSWER NATURE'S CALL?
HOW LONG DOES THAT TAKE? >> THEY DIDN'T FACTOR THAT IN,
YOU KNOW. >> Stephen: BACK THEN THEY
DIDN'T DO IT. THEY WERE ABOVE IT.
>> WE HAD THESE HUGE COVER THEUMES BUT WE WERE ON A SOUND
STAGE THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY LADIES' OR MEN'S ROOMS.
WE HAD TO GO-- WE HAD TO LEAVE THE SOUND STAGE AND CROSS THE
STREET AND GO TO A PORTA POTTY. NOW, YOU'VE BEEN IN PORT A
POTTIES, RIGHT? THEY'RE ABOUT THIS BIG.
SO YOU'D GONE IN WITH YOUR -- >> Stephen: YOU HAVE A BUSTLE.
>> BUSTLES AND PET COATS. AND YOU HOIST IS UP, AND YOU'RE
IN THIS TINY STALL. AND THEN YOU'D JUST HOPE TO GOD
YOU COULD STRATEGICALLY AIM, AND, YOU KNOW...
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: GOOD LUCK. >> IT'S A CHAMPAGNE PROBLEM.
>> Stephen: YES. CHRISTINE, LOVELY TO YOU HAVE
AGAIN. >> OH, MY GOSH, IT'S A PLEASURE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
"THE GILDED AGE" PREMIERS JANUARY 24 ON HBO AND HBO MAX.
CHRISTINE BARANSKI, EVERYBODY