( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOU KNOW MY NEXT GUEST FROM "THE HELP,"
"SPIDER-MAN," AND HER OSCAR-WINNING PERFORMANCE IN "LA
LA LAND."
SHE NOW STARS AS TENNIS STAR BILLIE JEAN KING IN "BATTLE OF
THE SEXES."
>> HOW ABOUT THIS?
MAN VERSUS WOMAN.
MALE CHAUVINIST PIG VERSUS HAIRY LEGGED FEMINIST-- NO OFFENSE.
YOU'RE STILL A FEMINIST, RIGHT?
>> NO, I'M A TENNIS PLAYER WHO HAPPENS TO BE A WOMAN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE.
AND I AM A TENNIS PLAYER WHO HAPPENS TO BE A MAN WHO SAYS
THAT HE CAN BEAT ANY WOMAN ON THE PLANET.
THINK OF THE PUBLICITY WE GET.
THINK OF THE MONEY.
>> NO.
>> 35 GRAND.
>> WHERE DID YOU GET THAT KIND OF MONEY?
>> YOU SEE, YOU SEE.
YOU'RE TEMPTED.
>> I'M REALLY NOT.
I'M NOT INTERESTED, BOAB, GOOD NIGHT.
>> DON'T HANG UP.
DON'T HANG UP.
>> BY THE WAY, I SHAVE MY LEGS.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME EMMA STONE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: HI.
>> HI!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WHO WAS THAT?
>> Stephen: WHO WAS THAT?
>> WHO WAS THAT BEFORE?
>> Stephen: THAT WAS A WOMAN WHO FILLED ME WITH A LOT OF
HOPE.
>> YEAH.
ME, TOO.
THAT WAS-- THIS IS A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW.
THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
>> Stephen: IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
>> OH, MY GOD.
>> Stephen: IT ABSOLUTELY IS.
DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO HER BACKSTAGE?
>> I DID, YEAH.
>> Stephen: HOVEL TO MEET YOU.
NICE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW >> AND REALLY NICE TO MEET YOU,
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, THE SAME NIGHT AS HILLARY CLINTON.
>> Stephen: I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES
BETWEEN BILLIE JEAN KING AND BOBBY RIGGS.
IT'S HARD TO CONVEY TO EVERYBODY NOW WHAT A GIANT MEDIA EVENT
THIS WAS.
IT WAS A CIRCUS.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.
>> SO IT TOOK PLACE TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 20, 1973, 44 YEARS
AGO.
AND BOBBY RIGGS WAS 55 YEARS OLD.
BILLIE JEAN KING WAS 29.
SHE WAS PRETTY MUCH THE NUMBER ONE FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER IN THE
WORLD.
AND HE CHALLENGED HER TO A TRUE BATTLE OF THE SEXES AND 90
MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED.
AND IT WAS-- IT WAS AN ENORMOUS TENNIS MATCH.
IT WAS, LIKE, A HUGE ENTERTAINMENT SPECTACLE.
BUT IT WAS ALSO A HUGE CATALYST FOR A LOT OF SOCIAL CHANGE.
AND BILLIE JEAN HAS, OBVIOUSLY, BECOME ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE FIGURES, I THINK, IN THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY THAT
WE HAVE TODAY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT SOUNDS LEAK A
SILLY THING ON A CERTAIN LEVEL.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: ON A CERTAIN LEVEL TSOUNDS LIKE A SILLY THING, KIND
OF AN OLDER, SORT OF WASHED-OUT TENNIS PLAYER CHALLENGING A
29-YEAR-OLD WOMAN TO PROVE-- WHAT DID HE SAY?
WOMEN SHOULD BE-- BELONG IN THE BEDROOM AND THE KITCHEN.
>> BEDROOM AND THE KITCHEN, YEAH.
>> Stephen?
THAT ORDER.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND PEOPLE WERE LITERALLY TAKING SIDES ON A REAL
CULTURAL BATTLEGROUND HERE.
HELIREADY'S ♪ I AM WOMAN
HEAR ME ROAR ♪ WAS KIND OF THE ANTHEM OF THE
TIME AND OF THAT MATCH.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND SHE SMOKED HIM.
>> SHE SMOKED HIM.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) IN THREE STRAIGHT SETS, YUP.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: SHE KILLED HIM.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I SEE BACKSTAGE YOU ACTUALLY-- THERE
ARE T-SHIRTS THAT HAVE BILLIE JEAN KING ON IT WITH THE SCORE
6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
>> CAN I ALSO POINT SOMETHING OUT BEYOND THIS VERY COOL PHOTO.
I GET A CHANCE TO MEET HILLARY CLINTON, WHICH IS UNFATHOMABLE
AND INCREDIBLE.
AND I LOOK LIKE I'M NUDE.
>> Stephen: THIS IS-- THIS IS THE TWO OF THEM BACKSTAGE
HOLDING UP THESE COMMEMORATIVE T-SHIRTS IN FRONT OF THEM.
AND IT DOES-- ( LAUGHTER )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) IT DOES LOOK LIKE YOU'RE
TOPLESS.
>> REALLY?
LIKE...
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> YOU HAD ONE SHOT!
LOUVRE LAUGH WHATEVER.
>> Stephen: BOBBY RIGGS IN THIS MOVIE IS PLAYED BY OUR
FRIEND STEVE CARELL.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT A JERK, HUH?
>> OH, MY GOD.
>> Stephen: UNBELIEVABLE.
>> YOU COULD NOT MEET A CRUELER MAN THAN STEVE CARELL.
>> Stephen: IS THIS THE FIRST TIME YOU PLAYED A LIVING PERSON?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: SO HERE ARE YOU, YOU ACTUALLY WENT-- WAS THIS THE
U.S. OPEN?
>> YES, THIS WAS THE U.S. OPEN, THIS WAS LAST WEEKEND.
>> Stephen: YOU WITH BILLIE JEAN KING.
>> YEAH, UNREAL.
>> Stephen: A LOVELY, REALLY FUNNY PERSON, TOO.
>> SHE'S FANTASTIC.
SHE'S THE BIGGEST SPITFIRE.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS IT LIKE GOING TO SEE A TENNIS MATCH WITH
HER, LIKE EATING DINNER WITH JULIA CHILD OR GOING TO A
CONCERT WITH PAUL McCARTNEY.
>> ESSENTIALLY.
IN THE PHOTO-- THERE ARE OF TWO OF US SITTING THERE.
THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE THERE, SO SHE DID LIVE
COMNITARY WITHOUT ANY PAUSES IN MY EAR FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE
MATCH.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS A THUMBS-UP ON THAT?
>> IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
BUT THE THING IS THAT BEFORE I PLAYED BILLIE JEAN, I WAS NOT--
I WAS NOT AN ATHLETE BY ANY MEANS AT ALL.
AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER WAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL QUARTERBACK.
>> Stephen: YOU FOLLOW SPORTS OR ANYTHING?
>> NO, NO.
( LAUGHTER ) AND SO I WOULD GO-- I WENT TO A
GAME-- SOMEONE GOT ATTACKED AND I WAS LIKE, "FUMBLE!"
SO TO HAVE SOMEONE-- ONE OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES OF ALL TIME
TALKING TO YOU ABOUT A SPORT-- WHICH, THANKFULLY, I KNOW A LOT
MORE ABOUT TENNIS, NOW, OF COURSE, THANE EVER HAVE
FOOTBALL.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> BUT I WAS LIKE, THIS IS SLIGHTLY LOST ON ME IN SOME
WAYS.
>> Stephen: BUT I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE FOOTAGE --
>> I'M A (BLEEP).
IT WAS GREAT-- SORRY.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: BUT I'VE SEEN THE FOOTAGE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE REALLY SERVING.
LIKE-- >> IT WAS BOOT CAMP.
IT WAS TRUE BOOT CAMP IN LTO PLAY TENNIS.
I ALSO HAD THE MOST INCREDIBLE DOUBLE AND COACH AND TRAINER AND
IT WAS, LIKE, A WHOLE TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT WERE SO HELPFUL.
BUT IT WAS SOME SERIOUS TENNIS.
>> Stephen: YOUR BROTHER'S ON THE TEAM, BUT YOU'RE NOT INTO
SPORTS AT ALL.
THEATER CLUB?
>> I WAS-- I DID IMPROV.
>> Stephen: YOU DID IMPROV.
>> I DID IMPROV.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> AND, LIKE, A LITTLE BIT OF SKETCH STUFF WHEN I WAS A KID.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
>> AND I MOVED TO L.A. PRETTY YOUNG.
>> Stephen: PRETTY YOUNG.
HOW OLD WERE YOU?
>> I WAS 15 WHEN I MOVED.
>> Stephen: THAT'S REALLY YOUNG.
>> YEAH, REALLY YOUNG.
>> Stephen: WOW, SO, LIKE, SIX YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING.
>> IT WAS SIX YEARS AGO!
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YES.
IT'S ABOUT TO BE SIX YEARS.
>> Stephen: ABOUT TO BE SIX YEARS.
>> ABOUT TO BE SIX YEARS.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN EXPLAIN-- CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO ME?
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
THIS IS-- HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DREW THIS
( LAUGHTER ).
>> SO I WAS NINE.
I WAS IN-- I WAS IN THERAPY AT THAT TIME.
( LAUGHTER ) THIS WAS-- I DREW THIS AT
THERAPY.
THIS IS ME, I GUESS, WITH REALLY-- IT'S GREAT ARTISTRY,
WITH MY SHOES.
AND THEN THIS IS ANXIETY HERE.
>> Stephen: RIGHT DOWN HERE.
>> IT'S A LITTLE GREEN MONSTER THAT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT LIKE
SOMEONE BACKSTAGE SAID A UTERUS, WITH SOME OVARIES.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: UH-HUH.
>> BUT I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO BE HORMONALLY RELATED IN ANY
WAY.
LIKE I SAID, I WAS NINE.
>> Stephen: LET'S FOLLOW THAT FEELING.
LET'S FOLLOW THAT FEELING.
WHERE DOES THAT TAKE YOU?
>> I WAS A VERY, VERY, VERY ANXIOUS CHILD, AND I HAD A LOT
OF PANIC ATTACKS AND I BENEFITED IN A BIG WAY FROM THERAPY.
>> Stephen: THIS WAS NINE YEARS OLD?
>> YES, I START AT SEVEN.
>> Stephen: DOES THE ACTING HELP WITH YOU THE ANXIETY?
>> IT HELPED ME SO MUCH.
IMPROV HELPED ME SO MUCH.
I STILL HAVE ANXIETY TO THIS DAY.
NOT ( KNOCKS ON DESK" PANIC ATTACK
S.
>> Stephen: I HAD ONE ON NOVEMBER 8--
>> SO DID I.
>> Stephen: I FIND PERFORMING HELPS ME A LOT EVERY NIGHT.
>> DO YOU EVER GET ANXIOUS?
>> OH, REALLY-- I HAD, WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, NOT NINE, BUT
YOUNGER, I HAD ANXIETY ATTACKS AND CURL UP ON THE COUCH
BACKSTAGE AT SECOND CITY, DON'T TALK TO ME, AND I WOULD HEAR MY
CUE AND WALK ON STAGE BUT YOU GET ON STAGE AND YOU FEEL FINE.
>> TO BRING IT BACK AROUND, BILLIE JEAN WAS TELL ME SHE WAS
GOING THROUGH SO MUCH IN HER LIFE, WHICH IS WHAT THE MOVIE
WAS ABOUT, SO MUCH ANGST, AND SHE WOULD WALK OUT ON THE COURT.
>> Stephen: SHOW TIME, FOLKS.
>> SHOW TIME, FOLK S.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE "BATTLE OF THE
SEXES" IS IN THEATERS THIS FRIDAY.
EMMA STONE, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH SOME VERY, VERY, VERY SOFT PORN.