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>> Stephen: HELLO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
WELCOME BACK.
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS A TWO-TIME EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU
KNOW FROM "ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT" AND "VEEP."
HIS NEW MOVIE IS "CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," TONY HALE!
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> HI.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK.
>> HI!
>> Stephen: LOVELY, LOVELY TO HAVE YOU BACK.
WE HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO EACH OTHER ON THE TELEVISION SHOW SINCE
BEFORE COVID.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND HOW DID-- HOW DID TONY HALE RIDE THAT OUT?
DID YOU JUST-- DO YOU LIVE IN L.A.?
DO YOU LIVE IN NEW YORK?
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
>> I WAS ACTUALLY SHOOTING THE SHOW I DO, CALLED "THE
MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY" AND I WAS SHOOTING THAT IN VANCOUVER
DURING COVID SO THAT WAS A LITTLE CRAZY.
VERY THANKFUL FOR THE GIG, BUT IT'S VERY GOOD TO BE BACK IN NEW
YORK CITY.
THAT'S VERY NICE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: DID YOU START HERE?
>> I DID.
I-- I GOT MY START AS AN ACTOR HERE.
I WAS -- >> Stephen: WHAT IS THIS
START?
>> I'M STILL GOING.
BUT IT'S-- I REMEMBER I GOT MY FIRST AGENT HERE, AND MY TYPE--
WHEN YOU'RE AN ACTOR, YOU KIND OF GET LABELED A TYPE.
AND MY TYPE WAS "NOT ALL THERE."
( LAUGHTER )
OVER TO MY CHARACTERS.
AND THEN I WAS DESCRIBED AS "DAVID SWHWIMMER, BUT NOT AS
GOOD LOOKING."
AND I THOUGHT WHAT IT SOMEBODY DOESN'T THINK DAVID SWHWIMMER
ISN'T GOOD LOOKING?
THEN I'M SKEWED.
AND THEN "ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT" IN 2003, AND IT'S NICE TO BE
BACK.
>> Stephen: JUST YESTERDAY, 18 YEARS AGO.
>> YEAH, 18 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, "ARRESTED" PREMIERED.
>> Stephen: WAS THAT THE SORT OF THING AT THAT POINT-- YOU
BOOK "ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT," AT THAT POINT YOU'RE LIKE, "I HAVE
TO GET SOMETHING SOONER.
I'M OUT OF THIS BUSINESS."
>> THAT'S THE CURSE, IS YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO THE NEXT
THING.
BEING IN THE PRESENT IS TOUGH.
I WAS DOING "ARRESTED" AND I WAS KIND OF GETTING RECOGNIZED.
I WAS FEELING ALL GOOD ABOUT THAT.
AND I REMEMBER I WAS IN THE GROCERY STORE ONCE, AND THIS
CASHIER GOES, "CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?"
AND I REMEMBER THINKING-- I TOLD HER, THAT'S FUNNY, PEOPLE
USUALLY ASK FOR PICTURES.
AND SHE SAID, "NO, IT'S FOR YOUR CREDIT CARD."
AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, DON'T GET TOO FULL OF YOURSELF HALE.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE "VEEP."
I'M ALMOST KECKICALLY DEPENDENT ON "VEEP."
>> YOU FIND IT MEDITATIVE YOU TOLD ME.
>> Stephen: I DO.
I DON'T LOOK AT IT.
I LISTEN TO IT.
NOT EVEN CONTEMPLATING YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT, I HAD IT ON
GETTING READY FOR THE SHOW TONIGHT.
I LIKE IT IN THE BACKGROUND.
>> YOU HAVE SEEN MY SHOW I WOULD PROBABLY SAY 15 TIMES MORE THAN
I SEE IT.
AND YOU MAKE ME LAUGH AT JOKES THAT I MISSED ABOUT MY OWN SHOW.
>> Stephen: JOKES THAT YOU TOLD ON THE SHOW.
>> THEY TOLD ON THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> AND YOU TELL ME ABOUT THEM AND I LAUGH AND I WAS ON THE
SHOW FOR SEVEN YEARS
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
>> IT'S REALLY AMAZING.
>> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTER, GARY WALSH, WHAT WOULD HE BE
DOING THESE DAYS?
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THAT CHARACTER GOING-- I ASSUME
YOU CAN SNAP INTO HIM PRETTY QUICKLY.
I'M NOT SCUG TO, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING, WHERE HAS HIS LIFE
GONE?
>> WELL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SAW THE SHOW, ME AND THIS
CHARACTER SELENA MYER, PLAYED BY JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS.
WE HAD A CODEPENDENT RELATIONSHIP, SHE TREATED ME
AWFUL ON THE SHOW-- AND IN REAL LIFE.
NO.
>> Stephen: TERRIBLE PERSON.
>> ATROCIOUS.
BUT ON THE SHOW-- SO THEN, SHE-- SPOIL ALERT-- SHE DIES AT THE
VERY END.
AND THEN--
IT'S LIKE "GAME OF THRONES."
SORRY!
SO SHEIDIZE AND I COME TO HER FUNERAL.
WELL, SHE SENT ME TO PRISON, AND I GO TO HER FUNERAL.
AND I THINK HE WOULD GO EITHER TWO WAYS.
HE EITHER WENT TO THAT FUNERAL TO KIND OF-- HE DID SOME WORK ON
HIMSELF AND FORGIVE HER.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> OR I THINK HE WOULD JUST CONTINUE ON AND JUST CREATE THE
CHURCH OF SELENA.
JUST BECOME LIKE A SELENA EVANGELIST.
EVERYBODY NEEDS A HOLY SELENA IN THEIR LIFE.
I THINK HE WOULD GO INTO A MORE CRAZY SPACE.
>> Stephen: I'M WITH THAT ONE.
>> THAT'S A BETTER -- >> Stephen: NEVER STOPPED
LOVING HER.
>> IT'S A BETTER TV SHOW, TOO.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN SHED A CHARACTER LIKE THAT--
>> A CULT DOCUMENTARY, TOO.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU ALWAYS SORT OF-- DO YOU EVER FIND
YOURSELF FALLING INTO HIS BEHAVIOR IN ANY WAY?
>> YEAH.
WELL, JUST RECENTLY I SUE JULIA AND SOME CAST MEMBERS.
WE WERE AT THIS PARTY, AND I FIND MYSELF, WHEN I'M AROUND
HER, LIKE, TAKING HER PURSE AND PUTTING IT ON HER CHAIR.
AND I'M TALKING TO HER, AND I SEE SOMEBODY APPROACHING, AND I
GET MYSELF IN BETWEEN THE PERSON AND HER.
AND SHE'S LIKE, "TONI, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
( LAUGHTER )
WAS HERE, WE WERE LEAVING THE HOTEL, AND SHE HAD SOMETHING ON
THE BOTTOM OF HER SHOE.
AND I GOT DOWN AND TWEAKED IT.
AND SHE WAS LIKE, "YOU'VE GOT TO STOP.
LIKE, THIS IS REALLY A PROBLEM."
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW CHARACTER TO THROW YOURSELF
INTO, BECAUSE YOU'RE IN AARON SORKIN'S NEW MOVIE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS BEING THE RICARDOS, WHICH IS ABOUT LUCY--
LUCILLE BALL AND DESI ARNEZ.
YOU PLAY THE HEAD WRITER OF "I LOVE LUCY."
WHO WAS THAT?
>> HIS NAME WAS JESS OPPENHEIMER, AND HE WAS THE SHOW
RUNNER, HEAD WRITER OF "I LOVE LUCY."
THEY DID THIS SHOW CALLED "MY FAVORITE HUSBAND" TOGETHER AND
THEY HAD A VERY LONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
AND HE WAS KIND OF A CONFIDANT TO HER.
I WAS A HUGE "I LOVE LUCY" FAN GROWING UP.
AND AARON, THE WHOLE PRODUCTION, THEY RECREATED THE SET OF "I
LOVE LUCY" FOR THE MOVIE.
SO I'M ON THE SET EVERY DAY, AND IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLY SURREAL.
AND THE REALLY COOL THING ABOUT AARON IS I THINK WHEN YOU KIND
OF ARE ENTERING INTO KIND OF A...
AN ERA PIECE, SOMETHING THAT TOOK PLACE THIS THAT ERA, YOU
HAVE AN IDEA HOW THE PEOPLE ACTED.
YOU KNOW WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OLD-TIME MOVIES-- "HEY, KID."
THAT KIND OF CARICATURE OF IT.
NOT THAT WE WOULD DO THAT.
BUT AARON SORKIN WAS ALWAYS LIKE, "HEY, LET'S FOCUS ON THE
HUMANITY, BECAUSE THIS IS A DRAMA ABOUT THE MAKING OF 'I
LOVE LUCY'."
SO REALLY GOT INTO THEM AS HUMANS AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH
DESI.
I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY
BEAUTIFUL MOVIE.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S IT LIKE, INSTEAD OF BEING A LACKEY, TO BE
THE GUY IN CHARGE IN THE CHARACTER?
>> IT'S GREAT, IT'S GREAT.
JUST REALLY FUN TO EXERCISE-- I MEAN, MY CHARACTER IS BUSTER AND
GARY, THEY JUST GOT SO BEATEN DOWN.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> SO BEATEN DOWN.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> AND SO, I MEAN, MY ARM WAS EATEN OFF BY A SEAL AND ALL THIS
KIND OF STUFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE JUST-- OH, THERE'S ONE-- THERE'S ONE SCENE,
I WAS WATCHING WITH MY-- MY DAUGHTER AND I DON'T WATCH
"ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT" MUCH, BUT WE WERE WATCHING IT ONCE.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD IS SHE?
>> SHE'S 15 NOW.
SHE'S PRECIOUS.
SO WE WERE WATCHING THE SHOW, AND IT'S THE SCENE WHERE-- OKAY,
MY MOTHER, LUCILLE, IS-- SHE'S ON HOUSE ARREST AND SHE CAN'T
SMOKE.
AND SO, LIKE, SHE NEEDS ME, HER SON, TO INHALE THE SMOKE OUT OF
HER MOUTH #-R, AND THEN BLOW IT OUT ON THE BALCONY.
AND THEN COME OUT LIKE A BABY BIRD, AND BLOW THE SMOKE AGAIN
FROM HER MOUTH AND BLOW TOUT ON THE BALCONY.
AND I'M SITTING THERE WATCHING THIS WITH MY DAUGHTER.
AND I'M LIKE, "IT'S TIME TO CHANGE THE CHANNEL.
WE DON'T NEED-- WE DON'T NEED TO WATCH THIS PICTURE."
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK, BUT DON'T
GO ANYWHERE-- ARE YOU OKAY?
ARE YOU SHOCKED?
DID THAT UPSET YOU?
I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T WANT TO FRIGHTEN YOU.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A COMMERCIAL BREAK!
>> I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO TALK TO ME, TOO.
>> Stephen: I'M DEFINITELY-- WE'RE DEFINITELY USING THIS.
THE PEOPLE AT HOME DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE
ENTIRE CONVERSATION, AND I'M PUTTING IN A FAKE COMMERCIAL
BREAK RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT WENT LONGER THAN ONE SEGMENT OF THE
SHOW, AND I STARTLED TONY BY ADDRESSING HIM DURING THE FAKE
COMMERCIAL BREAK.
IT ISN'T A FAKE COMMERCIAL BREAK.
IT'S A FAKE PART OF THE COMMERCIAL BREAK SO WE CAN GO TO
AN ACTUAL COMMERCIAL.
>> WE GOT IT, STEPHEN!
WE GOT IT!
>> Stephen: MORE TONY HALE TO COME.
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