>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) MY NEXT GUEST HAS TWO OSCARS AND
SERVED OVER 20 YEARS IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT.
SHE'S NOW NOMINATED FOR A TONY.
PLEASE WELCOME, GLENDA JACKSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
>> WELL, THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE DOME.
ISN'T IT AMAZING?
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
WE GET TO CHANGE IT EVERYDAY.
IT'S ALL DIGITAL PROJECTION.
>> OH, NO!
>> Stephen: YEAH, IT WAS COVERED OVER FOR MANY YEARS FROM
THE 1970s UNTIL RECENTLY.
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL 1927 THEATER.
>> SOMEONE WAS TELLING ME.
AMAZING.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
YOU HAVE TWO OSCARS AND A LONG, STORE IDEA ACTING IN CAREER.
NOT AS LONG AS SOME WOULD WANT IT BECAUSE IN 1992 YOU STOOD AS
A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND SERVED 20 YEARS.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO GO INTO POLITICS?
>> I'M A SUPPORT AROUND MEMBER OF THE LABOR PARTY AND MY
COUNTRY WAS BEING DESTROYED BY MARGARET THATCH SNORE NOT A FAN
OF MARGARET THATCHER?
>> WELL, ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE THAT WAS LEGAL TO GET HER
OUT OF OFFICE AND HER GOVERNMENT I WAS PREPARED TO HAVE A GO AT
IT.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING MORE PUBLICLY FOR THE LABOR PARTIES
SINCE THE MID 70s.
I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS A NAME YOU COULD PUT A FACE TO, BUT I
CAMPAIGNED IN THE ELECTIONS IN '79 IN MARGINAL SEATS NONE OF
WHICH WE WON.
BUT, ANYWAY, I THINK THE CLINCHER FOR ME WAS WHEN SHE
SAID THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS A SOCIETY.
YOU KNOW, I'D SEEN MY COUNTRY BEING DESTROYED.
EVERYTHING I HAD BEEN TOLD AS A CHILD TO REGARD AS VICES SHE
TOLD ME WAS VIRTUES.
AGREED WAS INDEPENDENCE.
SELFISHNESS WAS TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.
A FRIEND OF MINE, AN ARTIST CAME BACK FROM THE CENTER OF LONDON
ONE DAY AND SAID LONDON IS NOW A CITY THAT HOGARTH WOULD HAVE
RECOGNIZED, AND HE WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED IT BECAUSE EVERY
SINGLE SHOP DOOR NOT ONLY IN LONDON BUT THE WHOLE OF THE
COUNTRY AT NIGHT WAS THE BATHROOM, BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM
OF SOME HOMELESS PERSON, USUALLY SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS
BECAUSE SHE CLOSED ALL THE MENTAL HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE WAS MARKED LACK OF CARE.
ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE I EXPECTED TO DO.
I DIDN'T EXPECT TO WIN OR EVEN BE SELECTED IN THE FIRST
INSTANCE BECAUSE THAT'S A DECISION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
CONSTITUENCY PARTY.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT THE FINAL FOUR OF US AS RUNNERS
WERE WOMEN EVEN BEFORE THE LABOR PARTY INSISTED THE MARGINAL
SEATS WOULD BE SHORT LISTS.
I THOUGHT UNTIL MONDAY WHEN WE WENT TO THE POLLS WE WERE GOING
TO FORM A GOVERNMENT, BUT WE DIDN'T BUT WE DID IN '97.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU WERE THERE FOR
23 YEARS.
WE HAD THE AMERICAN ACTRESS CYNTHIA NIXON ON HERE --
>> OH, I WORKED WITH CYNTHIA!
>> Stephen: ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
I SAID, DO YOU THINK THAT -- WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO INTO
POLITICS, YOU'RE KNOWN AS AN ACTRESS.
DO YOU THINK RUNNING FOR THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK IS THE FIRST JOB YOU SHOULD GO FOR?
SHE POINTED TO YOU AS PEOPLE WHO HAD TO ANSWER THE CALL, PEOPLE
WHO MADE THEIR TRADE IN ACTING OR SAW A NEED FOR THEIR VOICE TO
REPRESENT CERTAIN PEOPLE IN POLITICS.
DO YOU MISS IT NOW?
>> I QUESTION OUR VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD IN POLITICS AS PEOPLE
IN THE THEATER ARE SEPARATE ENTITIES ALMOST LIKE
EXTRATERRESTRIALS.
WE'RE NOT.
>> Stephen: I MEAN THE PEOPLE, SHE SAID THE PEOPLE THEY
REPRESENT.
>> THE PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT, CERTAINLY ON THAT LEVEL, YES,
BECAUSE ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLING THINGS OF BEING A MEMBER OF
PARLIAMENT, AND IT'S ALSO A PRIVILEGE, LET'S NOT GET AWAY
FROM IT, BUT ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLING THINGS FOR ME, WE HOLD
WHAT WE CALL ADVICE SURGERIES, AND ANY ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS
CAN COME WITH THEIR PROBLEM AND THEY COME TO YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE
THE PORT OF LAST RESORT.
EVERYTHING THEY HAD DONE HAD FAILED AND YOU DIDN'T ALWAYS GET
THE RESULT THAT THEY WANTED, BUT YOU ALWAYS GOT A REPLY TO YOUR
LETTER, YOU ALWAYS GOT YOUR TELEPHONE CALL RETURNED, AND
WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WHETHER YOU HAD ACHIEVED WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL
CON STIINDIVIDUAL -- CONSTITUENT OR NOT, THEY SAID THANK YOU, AND
THAT IS A TRULY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE IS THE REALIZATION
THAT THOSE PEOPLE PUT AN X NEXT TO YOUR PARTY.
THAT'S THE MOST PRECIOUS RIGHT, TO VOTE, AND FOR SOMEONE TO
ACTUALLY PUT THEIR TRUST IN YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: WELL, NOW YOU'VE RETURNED TO THE STAGE.
>> YEP.
>> Stephen: AND FIRST YOU PLAYED LEAR AT THE OLD VICK.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: DID YOU CARRY CORPCORDELEON.
>> WE ENVISIONED SHE'S HUNG AND CUT HER DOWN.
>> Stephen: SHE'S HANGED, TECHNICALLY.
>> HANGED.
YES.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
>> Stephen: DON'T MEAN TO TEACH THE BRITISH THEIR
LANGUAGE, BUT GO AHEAD.
>> WHY NOT?
TRY.
YOU CAN'T SPELL THEATRE PROPERLY.
( APPLAUSE ) ( PIANO RIFF )
>> Stephen: >> Stephen: BRAVA
I'M HOLDING CORDILIA AND WE'RE DRAGGED ON A RUG.
LEER CUT HER DOWN AND WOULDN'T LET HER GO
>> Stephen: AT THE GOLDEN THEATER IN NEW YORK, YOU'RE
DOING "THREE TALL WOMEN."
WHAT IS THE STORY OF "THREE TALL WOMEN"?
>> IT'S THE STORE OF A WOMAN, ACTUALLY, PRESENTED IN THREE
DIFFERENT TIME SCALES, AND IT'S BASED.
HE'S VERY OPEN ABOUT IT.
IT'S BASED IN THE MAIN ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS ADOPTIVE
MOTHER, AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PRETTY TORMENTED
RELATIONSHIP.
HE WAS VERY OPEN ABOUT THAT.
HE'S WRITTEN AT THE FRONTEST PIECE OF THE COPY OF THE PLAY
THAT WE'VE WORKED ON -- I'M PARAPHRASING THIS -- THE LAST
THREE SENTENCES, AND HE SAYS, I NEVER DURING HER LIFETIME MET
ANYONE WHO LIKED HER.
I NEVER MET ANYONE WHO SAW THE PLAY WHO DISLIKED HER.
WHAT HAVE I DONE?
>> Stephen: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EXACTLY
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GLAD TO MEET YOU.
YOU CAN SEE HER IN "THREE TALL WOMEN" ON BROADWAY AT THE GOLDEN
THEATER, AND AT THE TONY AWARDS, JUNE 10 ON CBS. GLENDA JACKSON,
EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MICHAEL POLLAN.