MY NEXT GUEST IS A TONY NOMINEE YOU KNOW FROM "BRIDESMAIDS,"
"GIRLS," AND "THE I.T. CROWD."
HE NOW STARS IN THE SERIES "GET SHORTY."
PLEASE WELCOME CHRIS O'DOWD!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I GOTTA TELL YOU,
NOT EVERY GUEST GETS THAT KIND OF REACTION FOR JUST ONE OF THE
THINGS ON THEIR C.V.
>> IT'S A GOOD ONE, THOUGH.
THANK YOU, THAT WAS VERY KIND.
>> Stephen: NICE TO MEET YOU.
I NEVER MET YOU BEFORE.
>> YEAH, I KNOW, IT'S NICE.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) YOUR ACCENT BETRAYS THAT YOU'RE
A 'FERNER.
YOU'RE NOT FROM AROUND HERE, STRANGER.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE FROM ROSS COMMON.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: MY FAMILY, TOO.
>> STOP IT!
>> Stephen: NO, NOT AT ALL, MY BROTHER ED IS RIGHT OUT THERE,
ROSCOMMON, RIGHT.
>> THE COLBERT HELP CANS.
>> Stephen: THE TUCK SIDE OF THE FAMILY.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> IT'S NICE.
>> Stephen: OH, IT'S LOVELY!
>> A LOT OF BOG.
>> Stephen: A LOT OF PEAT.
>> IF YOU'RE INTO SOIL IT'S REALLY THE PLACE FOR YOU.
YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THIS, WE HAVE THE BEST FOOTBALL TEAM IN
IRELAND.
>> Stephen: OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
YOU MEAN SO, RIGHT?
>> NO, I MEAN GAELIC FOOTBALL.
>> Stephen: OH, GAELIC FOOTBALL, SURE.
>> WHICH IS A SPORT FOR STRONG MEN.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: DID YOU PLAY?
DID YOU PLAY?
>> I PLAYED A BIT.
I PLAYED A BIT BECAUSE I WAS TALL.
>> Stephen: DOES THAT HELP?
>> BIG ADVANTAGE.
>> Stephen: YOU ATTENDED DRAMA SCHOOL IN LONDON.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND WAS THAT FUN?
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU WENT THERE?
>> LIKE, 20.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A GOOD TIME.
>> YEAH, IT WAS NICE.
I WENT TO COLLEGE IN DUBLIN, FIRST, AND I WANTED TO BE A
POLITICAL SPEECHWRITER.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT DREW YOU TO THAT?
>> I'VE ALWAYS LIKED ORATORS AND WELL-USED WORDS.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WORN DOWN, ALL WORN-DOWN WORDS, WELL USED.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
OVERLY USED PHRASES AND LEXICON.
BUT ANYWAY, I STARTED DOING PLAYS WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE
DOING THAT.
GAVE UP ON THE POLITICS NONSENSE.
AND THEN WENT TO DRAMA SCHOOL, AND STRUGGLED FOR 10 YEARS.
>> Stephen: 10 YEARS.
THAT'S A LONG TIME TO STRUGGLE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT'S GOOD FOR YOU, THOUGH, DON'T YOU THINK?
SUFFERING IS GOOD.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: IT'S COMMON.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOOD, BUT IT'S A COMMON THING.
>> IT'S A HARD THING TO SAY AROUND IRISH PEOPLE, "HEY, THIS
STRUG CELL GREAT FOR YOU.
IT'S CHARACTER BUILDING.
YOU DON'T NEED THAT FOOD NONSENSE!"
>> Stephen: NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD-- YOU HAD A JOB WHEN YOU
WERE A YOUNG ACTOR TRYING TO MAKE IT FOR-- IS IT THE WORLD
WILDLIFE FUND?
>> OH, RIGHT, YES.
I WAS, LIKE-- I WAS, LIKE, A CALL CENTER OPERATIVE.
>> Stephen: YOU CALL AND SAY, "GIVE MONEY SO WE CAN SAVE THE
ANIMALS?" >> RIGHT.
AND I WAS ON, LIKE, THE ENDANGERED SPECIES BEAT.
>> Stephen: "OH, SAVE US-- GIVE US MONEY NOW BECAUSE THESE
THINGS COULD BE GONE"-- >> THESE GUYS ARE IN TROUBLE.
DO IT TODAY.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, WHEN YOU'RE-- ENDANGERED SPECIES,
THERE'S THE KIND OF REALLY COOL ONES, LIKE THE ELEPHANTS OR
WHATEVER.
BUT ANOTHER GUY HAD THOSE.
AND MOST OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ARE LIKE A NEWT FROM
ALASKA.
AND A BAD BATFROM NEW ZEALAND.
YEAH, NEW ZEALAND BATS!
SADLY, THEY ARE NO LONGER.
BUT WHEN YOU CALL SOMEONE AND YOU'RE LIKE, "I NEED MONEY
BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE THESE BATS IN NEW ZEALAND."
THEY SAY, "THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE BATS?"
NOBODY LIKES BATS!
>> Stephen: JUST LIE AND SAY IT'S FOR THE PANDAS.
>> OR MAKE UP ANIMALS.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU JUST MADE UP
ANIMALS?
>> WELL, BECAUSE I WAS GETTING SO LITTLE MONEY, AND TIFS, LIKE,
COMMISSION.
AND WE WERE GENUINELY TRYING TO SAVE ANIMALS.
SO I WOULD-- I WOULD-- I CREATED A COUPLE OF CREATURE S.
>> Stephen: LIKE WHAT?
LIKE WHAT?
>> LIKE, FOR A WHOLE YEAR, I WAS SAVING THE SPECIES THE TIGER
SWAN.
( LAUGHTER ) WHICH --
>> Stephen: THE TIGER SWAN?
>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY A SWAN WITH THE PLUMAGE OF A BENGAL.
>> Stephen: AND THEY'RE ENDANGERED?
>> THEY'RE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, STEPHEN!
>> Stephen: HAS ANYONE SEEN-- EVER SEEN ONE OF THEM.
>> THIS IS THE THING AND PEOPLE WOULD SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, "I
HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT."
AND, OF COURSE, THE RESPONSE S, THEY'RE REALLY RARE.
OTHERWISE, I WOULDN'T BE CALLING.
WE WOULD JUST LET THEM GET ON WITH THEIR BUSINESS."
>> Stephen: DID IT WORK?
>> NOT SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> BUT IT WAS A GOOD YEAR.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: NOW YOU'VE GOT THE
SERIES ON EPIX, "GET SHORTY."
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THIS IS A BOOK.
IT'S BEEN A MOVIE.
WHAT DO WE SEE IN THE SERIES THAT-- THAT IS DIFFERENT?
WHAT'S THE VALUE ADDED HERE?
>> WELL, I FEEL LIKE-- IT'S -- >> Stephen: FEEL FREE TO LIE
BECAUSE I'LL BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY TO ME.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I MEAN, IT'S-- OBVIOUSLY, WE WORK FROM THE SAME KIND OF-- THE
POOL OF THE BOOK, BUT TOTALLY IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
IT'S LIKE YOU'RE VISITING A BAR AT A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE WEEK.
SO IT'S, LIKE, WITH THE MOVIE, IT'S KIND OF SLIM SLIK AND COOL
AND IT'S LIKE VISITING A BAR, LIKE, 9:00 P.M. ON A SATURDAY
WHERE EVERYBODY'S DRESSED REALLY WELL, AND THEY'RE USING THEIR
PICKUP LINES.
IN OUR SHOW IT'S, LIKE, 3:00 A.M. ON A TUESDAY.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU'RE KIND OF FIGHTING WITH
YOUR GIRLFRIEND.
THE FLOOR IS STICKY.
THE BAR BILL IS ABOUT TO ARRIVE, AND YOU CAN'T PAY IT.
AND IT'S, LIKE ENTER SCENE.
IT'S GREAT.
IT'S KIND OF GRITTY AND UGLY, LIKE THE BOOK SI THINK.
>> Stephen: AND I THINK-- WE HAVE A CLIP HERE?
WE DO NOT HAVE A CLIP.
>> OH, GOOD.
I'LL DO IT -- >> Stephen: IMAGINE THIS.
IMAGINE THIS!
( LAUGHTER ) BUT ON-- ON SOMEWHERE ELSE, ON A
DIFFERENT SHOW.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANKS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: "GET SHORTY" PREMIERES SUNDAY ON EPIX.
CHRIS O'DOWD, EVERYBODY.