>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WE'RE BACK HERE WITH OUR FRIEND JAMIE FOXX.
HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED TO PERFORM?
>> MAN... I MEAN-- LITERALLY, RIGHT-- AS SOON AS I CAME OUT I
WAS, LIKE, READY.
( LAUGHTER )
PARENTS THINK WHEN YOU DECIDED, ", I'M GOING TO DO THIS
PROFESSIONALLY?" DID YOUR PARENTS SUPPORT THAT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE FUNNY, PEOPLE WHO CAN SING, BUT TO MAKE
THAT YOUR LIFE, THAT'S A RISKY THING TO DO
>> I DID.
WHEN I STARTED THE THIRD GRADE, MRS. REED--" SEE SHE SAID,
"YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO TROUBLE."
SHE SAID, YDON'T I GIVE YOU TIME AT THE END OF CLASS ON FRIDAY
AND YOU CAN TELL JOKES TO THE KIDS."
I WOULD TELL JOKES.
AND I WOULD TELL JOKES FROM THE JOHNNY CARSON SHOW.
YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE THE ONLY TV IN MY HOUSE WAS IN MY ROOM, AND MY PARENTS
WOULD WATCH THE "JOHNNY CARSON" SHOW.
AND I WOULD TELL THOSE JOKES TO THE KIDS AND THEY THOUGHT I WAS
AMAZING I WAS DOING IMPERSONATIONS.
AND WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO-- TO, LIKE, L.A., I WOULD DO DIFFERENT
TYPES OF IMPERSONATING.
I WAS THE ONLY BLACK GUY DOING RONALD REAGAN.
>> Stephen: DO YOU STILL HAVE A REAGAN?
( LAUGHTER )
"WELL, WELL, WELL, AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE YOU GO AGAIN."
THAT'S ALL ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THE GIPPER.
THE GIPPER >> YEAH, YEAH.
AND SO-- SO WHEN I GOT TO L.A., I STARTED BURNING UP EVERYTHING.
I I WAS KILLING ITS CLUBS AND ALL MY IMPERSONATION WAS MY
GO-TO.
MIKE TYSON "HEAVYWEIGHT BOXER, MIKE TYSON."
ONE PARTICULAR NIGHT, I WENT TO MY MIKE TYSON JOKE, RIGHT, AND
NOBODY LAUGHED.
YOU KNOW WHY?
BECAUSE MIKE WAS IN THE AUDIENCE.
( LAUGHTER )
KNOCKING PEOPLE OUT FOR JUST SMILING.
ONE DUDE IN THE BACK SAID, "YO, MIKE IS IN HERE!"
AND I SAID, "OH, SNAP."
AND A GIRL IN THE FRONT SAID, "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO,
JAMIE?
YOU SCARED?
YOU SCARED?" AND THE DUDE YELLED OUT, "MIKE
SAID DO THE JOKE ( BLEEP ).
BUT IT BETTER BE FUNNY OF THE SO EVERYBODY LOOKING AT
MIKE, AND THEN THEY ALL LOOK AT ME.
AND I DID MY THING.
"MIKE TYSON, HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION"-- WHATEVER IT WAS.
I DID SOME TYPE OF JOKE OF HIM GOING THROUGH THE DRIVE-THROUGH
AT THE KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN-- NO, I WENT THROUGH THE
DRIVE-THROUGH AND HE WAS THE JOYCE VOICE."
"HELLO, WELCOME TO KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN.
MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?"
>> Stephen: AND?
>> SO-- SO AFTER IT WAS OVER, EVERYBODY WAS LAUGHING, A
STADGED OVATION, AND I WAS WORRIED.
AND MIKE RUNS UP TO ME.
AND HE GOES, "THERE HE IS!
COME ON, YOU ( BLEEP )."
AND I STARTED HANGING OUT WITH MIKE TYSON
>> Stephen: WOW >> WHICH WAS CRAZY BECAUSE HE
WAS SO RICH AND SO FAMOUS AT THE TIME.
WE WOULD BE IN CLUBS-- WE'D GO TO A CLUB, AND MIKE WOULD SEE A
GIRL AND SAY, "HEY, YOU HOW YOU DOING?
YOU LIKE B.M.W.s."
AND THE GIRL WOULD SAY, "YEAH.
" AND HE'D SAY, LET'S GO, AND GO
TO A B.M.W. DEALERSHIP AND BUY A B.M.W.
AND THE NEXT DAY KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND GET THE B.M.W. BACK
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE GOOD FRIENDS.
THOSE ARE GOOD FRIENDS >> THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD
FRIENDS.
BHI FINALLY GOT ON-- WHEN I FINALLY, LIKE, AUDITIONED FOR A
SHOW, IT WAS CALLED "THE ROCK SHOW."
AND I GET ON THE SHOW AND -- >> Stephen: WAS IT A SIT-COM?
>> IT WAS A SIT-COM.
IT WAS CALLED "ROCK."
AND I GET ON THE SHOW BECAUSE AT NIGHT ROBBIE REED DISCOVERED ME
THAT NIGHT, OF MIKE TYSON.
I GET ON THE SHOW, AND I'M ON THE PILOT
>> Stephen: SURE >> FOR SOME REASON EYE KNOW THE
REASON BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU-- FOR SOME REASON I GOT FIRED
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHY YOU GOT FIRED
>> I KNOW WHY I GOT FIRED >> Stephen: THAT'S FORTUNATE
KNOW THAT >> IT WILL BE IN THE BOOK.
I GOT FIRED BUT LEAST I DID THE PILOT.
I TELL EVERYBODY BACK IN TEXAS THAT, YOU KNOW, I MADE IT.
BUT THEY CUT ME OUT OF THE PILOT PILOT.
SO WHEN THE PILOT AIRED I WASN'T IN IT, AND MY GRANDMOTHER AND
EVERYBODY THOUGHT, THAT BOY IS OUT THERE LYING, ON DRUGS, OR
SOMETHING."
BUT THAT WAS-- THAT WAS THAT.
AND THEN, A SHOW BY THE NAME OF "IN LIVING COLOR."
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IN LIVING COLOR ♪ THAT SHOW HAD 100 PEOPLE COME
AUDITION, DOWN TO 50, DOWN TO 25, DOWN TO 10, TO DOWN TO FIVE.
I WAS PART OF THAT FIVE.
I WENT ON STAGE TO DO MY FINAL AUDITION, AND IN THE AUDIENCE
IS-- IS THE JUGGERNAUTS, JIM CARREY, ALL OF THE WINS-- IT WAS
30,000 OF THOSE.
AND I GET A STANDING OVATION, AND THE REST WAS HISTORY.
>> Stephen: WOW, WOW
WELL, YOU HAVE-- YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL NEW MOVIE-- ARE YOU
DRINKING WITH BOTH HANDS LIKE DONALD TRUMP?
( LAUGHTER )
YOU ALL RIGHT?
>> IT JUST MAKES YOU FEEL WARM WHEN I DO THAT.
>> Stephen: YES, YES.
YOU HAVE-- YOU HAVE A NEW MOVIE CALLED "JUST MERCY."
>> YES >> Stephen: AND IT TOO-- IT
FOLLOWS A MAN NAMED BRYAN STEVENSON, WHO I WAS LUCKY
ENOUGH TO INTERVIEW AT THE OLD SHOW IN 2013.
AND HE IS A MAN WHO BELIEVES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND
GETTING JUSTICE FOR THE INNOCENT.
TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT THE STORY OF THE MOVIE IS AND WHO YOUR
CHARACTER IS, WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS BETWEEN THE TWO
OF YOU >> FIRST OF ALL, I GET A CALL
FROM MICHAEL B. JORDAN, WHO I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MICHAEL B.
JORDAN IS THAT HE KEEPS THIS NARRATIVE ALIVE, EVEN THOUGH
HE'S THE BIGGEST STAR ON THE PLANET.
HE DID "FRUITVILLE STATION" THAT PLAY-THROUGH FOR OUR CULTURE.
AND DID "KILL MONGER" AND "BLACK PANTHERMENT
NOW HERE IS "JUST MERCY" ABOUT BRYAN STEVENSON, WHO SAY YOUNG
LAWYER WHO GOES DOWN TO ALABAMA AND FINDS OUT THERE ARE PEOPLE
ON DEATH ROW WHO HAVE BEEN UNJUST.
THEY'VE BEEN FRAMED OR JUST COMPLETELY LIED ON.
AND ONE PARTICULAR PERSON IS WALTER McMILLIAN, WHICH IS IN
HIS BOOK "JUST MERCY."
I PLAY WALTER McMILLIAN, WHO IS JUST, YOU KNOW, A REGULAR
MAN.
HAS A TREE CHOPPING BUSINESS, PULPING BUSINESS, DRIVING HOME
ONE DAY ON A COUNTRY ROAD THE POLICE PULL HIM OVER AND
SAID, "YOU KILLED SOMEONE" IN A CITY HE HAD NEVER BEEN IN, A
PERSON HE NEVER HEARD OF.
THEY TAKE AND PUT HIM IN JAIL.
HE WAS IN JAIL FOR SIX YEARS WITHOUT A TRIAL.
IT'S A VERY POWERFUL, POWERFUL FILM.
AND SO, IT TELLS THE JOURNEY OF BRYAN STEVENSON MEETING WALTER
McMILLIAN, AND WALTER TELLING HIM, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.
DOWN HERE, IN THE SOUTH"-- BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE WAS FROM
THE CITY PARTS.
HE SAYS, "IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH.
WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN GET THIS DONE?"
AND HE TAKES ON THE CASE, AND IT IS THE FIRST CASE IN ALABAMA
THAT WAS OVERTURNED, AND IT'S-- LIKE I SAID, IT'S AN
INSPIRATIONAL STORY.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL STORY.
AND I HOPE EVERYONE GOES -- >> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP
RIGHT HERE.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE YOUR CHARACTER IS SAYING TO BRYAN
STEVENSON, "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THIS?"
JIM >> YOU RICH BOYS FROM HARVARD,
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS DOWN HERE.
YOU'RE GUILTY FROM THE MOMENT YOU'RE BORN.
YOU GROW UP WITH THESE WHITE FOLKS AND YOU TRY TO MAKE THEM
LAUGH AND MAKE THEM LIKE YOU, AND "YES, SIR, "YES, MA'AM."
THEY HAVE NO FINGERPRINT.
AND NONE OF THAT MATTERS WHEN ALL YOU THINK IS I LOOK LIKE A
MAN... WHO COULD KILL SOMEBODY.
>> THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
MOVIE.
WE HAVE TO TAKE ONE MORE BREAK.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE MR. JAMIE FOXX, EVERYBODY.
STICK AROUND.