WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
FOLKS, YOU KNOW MY NEXT GUEST AS LENNY KOSNOWSKI FROM "LAVERNE &
SHIRLEY," DAVID ST. HUBBINS FROM "SPINAL TAP," AND NOW CHUCK
McGILL ON "BETTER CALL SAUL."
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
IT WAS 12-16.
I CHECKED!
I DOUBLE CHECKED.
>> IT HAPPENED, NOW WE TAKE OUR LICKS AND WE MOVE ON.
THIS DOESN'T JUST REFLECT ON YOU.
AN OFFICE LET IT GET BY.
I DID, TOO FOR THAT MATTER.
>> IT WAS 12-16, I PROMISE YOU.
>> EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES.
>> THIS WAS NO MISTAKE.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME MICHAEL McKEAN!
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
>> GOOD EVENING, SIR.
>> Stephen: GOOD EVENING TO YOU, SIR.
IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
WE JUST GOT TO SAY HI BRIEFLY BACKSTAGE BUT I WANTED TO MEET
YOU FOR YEARS.
>> IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO MEET ME.
>> Stephen: WHAT.
>> YOU'VE MET ME.
IT DIDN'T TAKE YEARS.
WE HAD A HANDSHAKE AND WENT ON OUR WAYS.
>> Stephen: I AM AN ENORMOUS FAN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE GREAT IN EVERYTHING YOU ARE IN.
>> YOU HAVEN'T SEEN EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN IN.
>> Stephen: I HAVEN'T, THAT'S TRUE.
YOU'RE IMMORTAL FOR "SPINAL TAP."
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU.
COMEDICALLY, YOU MUST KNOW THAT.
YOU MUST KNOW.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT MANY TIMES BUT YOU MUST KNOW
THAT YOU ARE COMEDICALLY IMMORTAL FOR "SPINAL TAP."
YOU ALMOST SINGLEHANDEDLY CREATED A GENRE.
>> IT WAS A FUN GIG.
THE IDEA OF NOT WRITING A SCREENPLAY AND SAYING, "LET'S
MAKE THIS UP AS WE GO ALONG."
>> Stephen: WAS IT ESSENTIAL LAZINESS?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE WERE ACTUALLY-- INITIALLY, WE WERE GIVEN A SMALL CHUNK OF
MONEY TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY, AND WE SAID NO.
AND WE MADE A DEMO VERSION OF WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
WE GOT A ROT OF OUR FRIENDS WHO IMPROVISED, TONY HENDRA--
>> Stephen: WAS THIS ROB REINER FROM THE BEGINNING?
>> YES, IT WAS.
WE MADE A 20-MINUTE VERSION WITH OUR OWN BUCKS, KIND OF HAWKED
THAT AROUND AND EVENTUALLY LANDED A SALE.
IT WAS FUN.
>> Stephen: DID PEOPLE THINK YOU WERE GOING TO TAKE THAT AND
MAKE A SCRIPT OUT OF IT?
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY THOUGHT.
I DIDN'T ASK.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU SURPRISED IT BECAME SUCH AN ICONIC PIECE
OF COMEDY?
>> WELL, IT HAD KIND OF A LIMPING START.
IT DIDN'T DO MUCH IN THE THEATERS.
THERE WAS ONE THEATER IN BOSTON THAT PLAYED IT FOR A YEAR, AND A
LOT OF OTHER THEATERS, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE LIKED THE SHOW AND
MOVED ON.
>> Stephen: IT CAME OUT IN '84.
>> '84 GLI HEARD ABOUT IT AND I HEARD IT WAS FANTASTIC AND WAS
BEING PLAYED AT MY COLLEGE AT THE TIME, IN NORTHWESTERN, AND I
WENT INTO THIS AUDITORIUM BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOLD ME, "YOU
HAVE TO SEE IT."
I WENT IN EARLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE
CRACKED.
>> CRICKET S.
>> Stephen: AND IT WAS.
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY JAMMED WITH PEOPLE BUT THEY WERE THERE TO
PROTEST A GUY NAMED ADOLFO COLEARO WHO WAS A REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE CONTRAS, WHEN THE SANDINIST EXPAZ CONTRAS WERE
FIGHTING.
SOMEONE RAN UP AND THREW BLOOD ON HIM.
>> ARE YOU SERIOUS.
>> Stephen: A BUCKET OF RED PAINT REPRESENTING BLOOD.
>> POLITICS RUINS EVERYTHING.
>> Stephen: AND THEN THEY RAN THE MOVIE AND IT WAS ME.
>> DID YOU HAVE A GOOD TIME?
>> Stephen: I LOVED IT.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO SAW IT.
ANYWAY, YOU WERE ALSO WERE IN THE GREAT "MIGHTY WIND."
YOU'RE GREAT AT PLAYING IN A BAND, A MUSICIAN.
( APPLAUSE ) DID YOU-- WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNG
BUCK COMING UP, DID YOU-- DID YOU WANT TO BE IN A REAL BAND?
>> WELL, YEAH, SORT OF.
I WANTED TO BE AN ACTOR, YOU KNOW.
MY DAD TOOK ME TO SOME PLAYS AND STUFF.
I SAID LOOKS LIKE A GOOD GIG.
ALL THESE SEATS ARE POINTING THIS WAY, AND IT'S ME UP HERE
AND HELLO.
IT JUST SEEMED -- >> Stephen: AT THE END THEY
APPLAUD.
>> AND THEY PAY YOU AND IT'S GREAT.
BUT MY PARENTS LOVED THE IDEA BUT THEY WERE ALSO VERY
SENSITIVE TO THE REALITIES OF LIFE AND THEY SAID YOU HAVE TO
HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON.
AND I SAID, HEY, PLAY THE GUITAR."
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: THAT'S WHERE THE BIG MONEY IS.
>> YES, INDEED.
NO, I FOUND A WAY TO USE MUSIC AND THE OTHER STUFF AND IT ALL
WORKS.
IT'S FUN.
>> Stephen: IT CERTAINLY DID.
YOU GUYS DID A THE LOVE INTERVIEWS AS THE LADS FROM
"TAP."
DID PEOPLE EVER GET CONFUSED AND THINK YOU WERE REAL?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DO INTERVIEWS ARE ALREADY CONFUSED
BEFORE THEY COME INTO WORK.
I GUESS SO.
ONE OF THE FIRST APPEARANCES WE EVER MADE-- BEFORE THE FILM WAS
EVEN RELEASED-- WE APPEARED ON THE "JOE FRANKLIN SHOW."
DO YOU REMEMBER THE "JOE FRANKLIN SHOW?"
>> Stephen: YES.
>> ANYBODY?
THIS GUY OFFICE TV SINCE I WAS BORN.
HE WAS ALWAYS ON TV.
AND HE HAD THIS VERY KIND OF LOW-BUDGET SHOW.
AND WE WENT ON, AND HE THOUGHT WE WERE A REAL BAND, BLESS HIS
HEART.
AND WE JUST KIND OF SAT THERE AND HE WAS GREAT.
AND WE THOUGHT, IS THIS OUR FUTURE?
DO WE HAVE TO KEEP KIDDING PEOPLE?
MOST PEOPLE PLAY ALONG.
MOST PEOPLE ARE GREAT.
>> Stephen: DID HE THINK YOU OPEN FORWARD THE STONES OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> NO.
I WAS WITH A GROUP CALLED THE CREDIBILITY GAP, HARRY SHEARER,
AND MY PARTNER ON "LAVERNE & SHIRLEY" AND ME.
WE OPEN FORWARD JOHN DENVER.
IT WAS A LOT OF HEAD SCRATCHERS THERE.
LIKE, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING UP THERE?"
WE DID POLITICAL SATIRE AND STUFF.
WE OPENED FOR RICHIE HAVENS ONE TIME WHO HAD A BIG FOLLOWING.
( APPLAUSE ) GR SURE, SURE, PLAYED AT
WOODSTOCK.
>> YEAH, PLAYED AT WOODSTOCK.
AND IT WAS THE LONG BEACH FOX AND SOMEONE DECIDED IT WAS A
GOOD IDEA TO GIVE EVERYONE AN ORANGE ON THE WAY INTO THE GIG.
( LAUGHTER ) AND THERE WERE A LOT OF SAILORS,
YOU KNOW,.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
>> THEY DIDN'T LIKE OUR EXACT THEY LET US KNOW BY GIVING US
CITRUS FRUIT.
>> Stephen: TRYING TO PREVENT SCURVY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HEADLINE OR NOTHING.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE ON "BETTER CALL SAUL," NOW.
AND YOU PLAY CHUCK McGILL.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WHO IS JIMMY'S BROTHER.
AND HE IS-- >> WORST MAN IN THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: WORST MAN IN THE WORLD.
YOUR CHARACTER IS A BIT OF A SHUT-IN BECAUSE HE IS VERY
SUSCEPTIBLE TO E.M.F., ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCY
ISSUES.
>> YES, HE HAS ELECTROMAGNETIC HYPERSENSITIVITY.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE IS THAT DO YOU
HAVE-- >> I HAVE ARTHRITIS IN MY THUMBS
WHICH I'VE HAD FOR 20 YEARS.
I HAVE ARTHRITIS IN MY THUMBS AND I CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN IT'S
GOING TO GET COLD OR IT'S GOING TO GET HOT OR WHEN IT'S GOING TO
STAY THE TAME SAIM.
BECAUSE MY THUMBS HURT, YOU SEE.
( LAUGHTER ) SO THAT'S REALLY HANDY.
>> Stephen: VERY HANDY.
EXACTLY, SURE.
YOU'RE A ONE-MAN WEATHER CHANNEL.
>> I AM, I AM.
BUT THERE'S A LAUNDRY LIST OF CHUCK'S ILLNESS AND-- A LOT OF
SYMPTOMS.
IT'S A GENUINE THING.
PEOPLE ACTUALLY FEEL TERRIBLE WHEN THEY'RE AROUND CERTAIN
ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
AND SO I JUST HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE, YOU KNOW.
I HAVE FELT VERTIGO.
I HAVE FELT MUSCLE ACHES AND PAINS.
YOU JUST HAVE TO PILE UP AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, WHETHER OR
NOT IT'S A PSYCHOSOMATIC THING, FOR THIS CHARACTER, HE'S REALLY
FEELING IT ON SOME LEVEL.
>> Stephen: THERE ARE REAL PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY SUFFER FROM
THIS?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT'S PSYCHOSOMATIC OR REAL?
>> I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: OR IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PSYCHOSOMATIC
AND REAL?
>> ALL ACTING IS PSYCHOSOMATIC.
>> Stephen: AND AT THE END OF IT, PEOPLE APPLAUD.
APPLAUD.
>> AND YOU GO HOME.
>> Stephen: MICHAEL NICE TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
SEASON THREE OF "BETTER CALL SAUL" PREMIERES APRIL 10 ON AMC.