( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN
OSCAR-NOMINATED ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "GONE GIRL," "PRIDE AND
PREJUDICE," AND "I CARE A LOT."
SHE NOW STARS IN THE SERIES "THE WHEEL OF TIME."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," ROSAMUND PIKE.
♪ ♪ ♪
>> GREAT BAND.
>> Stephen: THEY ARE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
>> IT'S LOVELY TO MEET YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU HAVE BEEN DONG SOMETHING FOR THE LAST TWO
YEARS.
YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING IN A BEAUTIFUL CITY, PRAGUE.
BUT OF COURSE THE ENTIRETY OF THAT, I IMAGINE, HAS BEEN UNDER
COVID RESTRICTIONS.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN NOT YOUR HOME CITY?
TO BE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY?
>> I MOVED MY FAMILY TO PRAGUE FOR "THE WHEEL OF TIME," WHICH
WE WERE JUST MENTIONING, THEN WENT INTO LOCKDOWN, AND I FOUND
MYSELF HAVING THE KIND OF HALF-RESTFUL, HALF-MYSTERIOUS
SITUATION OF BEING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ANYBODY IS SAYING.
SO ONE IS DEEPLY RELAXING, BECAUSE YOU CAN WALK AROUND AND
YOU DO THE WRONG THING AND SOMEONE SHOUTS AT YOU AND YOU
HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
AND IT'S QUITE CALMING.
I GO BACK TO LONDON AND I CAN PICK UP ON EVERYBODY'S AGRA ,
AND HERE, I SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE.
( LAUGHTER )
IT'S BEEN GREAT.
IT'S A MUCH SMALLER CITY, SO I COME TO NEW YORK AND IT FEELS
ENORMOUS.
>> Stephen: IT'S PRETTY BIG.
IT'S PRETTY BIG.
NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE PICKED UP THINGS LIKE BAKING BREAD, OR
WHATEVER, DURING COVID.
YOU PICKED UP THE CELLO.
>> I PICKED UP THE CELLO AGAIN.
>> Stephen: OH, YOU-- >> YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> I USED TO PLAY.
AND AFTER A 17-YEAR GAP I WAS INSPIRED TO TAKE LESSONS AGAIN.
I THINK BECAUSE PRAGUE IS SUCH A MUSHAL CITY, SO I FOUND MYSELF A
CELLO TEACHER, AND I RENTED A CELLO FROM THE PRAGUE MUSIC
SCHOOL.
AND IT KIND OF TOOK ME BACK TO BEING-- TO BEING A CHILD.
I MEAN, I USED TO-- I USED TO PLAY FROM WHEN I WAS FOUR UNTIL
I WAS IN MY EARLY 20s.
>> Stephen: DID YOU PLAY PROFESSIONALLY?
>> NO, NO, NO, THAT WAS NEVER MY DIRECTION.
I PLAYED QUITE WELL, AND I ACTUALLY-- I ACTUALLY BUFFED MY
WAY INTO THE NATIONAL YOUTH THEATER.
I NEEDED MONEY TO JOIN THE NATIONAL YOUTH THEATER.
THAT WAS ALWAYS MY PASSION.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO RAISE THE FEE FOR THE COURSE.
AND I TOOK MY CELLO TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE, AND I BUSSED FOR MONEY.
YOU PLAY ON THE STREET AND HOPE PEOPLE WILL THROW COINS IN.
>> Stephen: WHAT KIND OF GREENS WOULD YOU PULL DOWN
BUSKIN?
HOW MANY HOURS WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO GET 10 POUNDS.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE DONE IT, BUT IT'S AGONIZINGLY SLOW
GOING, GENERALLY.
>> Stephen: I BUSKED IN THE U.K., AND THERE'S A REALLY
SPECIAL SOUND THAT Y'ALL'S POUND COIN, WHICH IS BIGGER THAN A
NICKEL BUT SMALLER THAN A QUARTER AND IT MAKES A NICE
NOISE WHEN IT HITS THE PAVEMENT.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE POUND CONE CAME IN.
ISLE DEFINITELY OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE POUND NOTE.
>> Stephen: I'M OLDER THAN YOU ARE, I PROMISE YOU.
YOU WERE IN PRAGUE TO SHOOT THE SERIES "THE WHEEL OF TIME,"
WRITTEN BY ROBERT JORDAN.
AND ARE YOU A FANTALCY FAN?
>> I NEVER HAVE BEEN.
UNTIL NOW.
NOW I'M A BIG FANTASY FAN.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: IT'S LIKE 14 BOOKS OR SOMETHING.
IT'S A HUGE SERIES.
>> IT'S A HUGE SERIES.
>> Stephen: HAD YOU READ ANY OF THEM BEFORE?
>> I THINK I HAD ALWAYS BEEN QUITE GROUNDED IN REALITY AND
QUITE HAPPY STUDYING PEOPLE.
I STILL FIND PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.
I DIDN'T FEEL I NEEDED TO BRANCH OUT INTO CREATURES AND
MYTHOLOGICAL BEASTS, BUT NOW I'M ENJOYING IT.
I EVEN CALL SOME OF THEM MY FRIENDS.
>> Stephen: BUT WOULD YOU LET YOUR DAUGHTER MARRY ONE?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> YES, THAT IS-- I MEAN, MY SONS ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER
I'M ACTUALLY KILLING THEM FOR REAL.
AND I'M-- YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ASK YOU WHAT YOU'RE
DOING -- >> Stephen: HOW OLD ARE YOUR
SONS?
>> NINE AND SIX.
>> Stephen: THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
>> WHETHER WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS SO MAGICAL, THERE'S A PART OF
YOU WHEN THEY SAY, "BUT, MOMMY, IS IT REAL?"
YOU KIND OF DON'T WANT TO SAY NO.
YOU WANT THEM TO BELIEVE IT IS REAL, EXCEPT THE POINT WHEN IT
COMES TO YOU KILLING SOMEONE.
THEN YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW IT ISN'T REAL.
BUT WHEN YOU SHOOT FIREBALLS THAT IS REAL.
>> Stephen: YOU DO SHOOT FIREBALLS.
BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING?
WHO ARE YOU SHOOTING FIREBALLS AT?
>> SOME OF THE MONSTERS WHO I AM NOT KILLING BUT I AM SHOOTING
THE FIREBALLS.
>> Stephen: AND HERE IT GOES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION, IMPORTANT TO ME AT LEAST, WE
DIDN'T GET TO HEAR YOU SPEAK JUST THEN.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR NATURAL ACCENT AS THIS CHARACTER?
>> I DO, I DO.
I HAVE SORT-- SORT OF BASED ON ME.
BASED ON MY-- NOT BASED ON ME -- >> Stephen: I HAVE SEEN YOU
PLAY A LOT OF AMERICANS.
YOU DO AN AMERICAN ACCENT VERY WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE SURPRISE BRITS WHO FOOLS
THE REST OF US.
WHEN YOU THINK-- DAMN IT, THEY'RE BRITISH.
>> I MEAN, I NEARLY WAS NEVER ASKED TO DO AN AMERICAN ACCENT
AGAIN EVER AFTER MY FIRST ONE, WHEN I HAD THE LINE, "THERE'S A
PRESSURE DOOR AT THE END OF THE NORTH CORRIDOR."
THAT HAS NO "R"s IN IT FOR ENGLISH PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: THERE'S A PRESSURE DOOR--
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AT THE END OF THE NORTH CORRIDOR?
>> YES, CORRIDOR, VERY, VERY HARD.
>> Stephen: HOW WOULD YOU SAY IT?
>> THERE'S... A PRESSURE.
>> Stephen: THERE'S A PRESSURE...
>> KOOR.
>> Stephen: THERE'S A PRESSURE DOOR AT THE END OF THE NORTH
CORRIDOR.
>> BEAUTIFUL.
SO THE "R" IS, OBVIOUSLY, SOMETHING WE HAVE TO RETRAIN
OURSELVES TO -- >> Stephen: HEAR.
>> TO ADD IN.
I HAVE LISTS OF DRILLS.
I HAVE THINGS LIKE "HAPPIER, SOOTHSAYER."
AND "HERPES" IS A GREAT ONE.
I FIND MYSELF WALKING ALONG SAYING, "HERPES."
>> Stephen: THAT SOUNDS MUCH NICER.
I'D MUCH RATHER HAVE HERPES.
>> BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE HERPES.
>> Stephen: CORRIDOR IS HARD.
IS THERE AN ABSOLUTE KILLER.
>> THE ABSOLUTE KILLER IS MURDER.
THE WORD "MURDER."
IT'S LIKE CORRIDOR, ACTUALLY, BUT...
IT STILL GETS ME.
AND, UNFORTUNATELY, I DO ROLES WHERE THE WORD "MURDER" COMES UP
QUITE A LOT.
BUT I HAVE A TRICK.
I-- I PUT A PENCIL BETWEEN MY TEETH.
BECAUSE BASICALLY, IN ENGLAND, I THINK WE CLAMP-- AH!
JUST LIKE THAT ONE.
SO I SAY "MURDER," AND WHEN YOU TRY TO SAY IT IN AMERICAN IT
SOUNDS REALLY BAD.
AND I PUT THIS IN MY MOUTH AND I GO MURDER, MURDER.
>> Stephen: MURDER.
>> MURDER.
( APPLAUSE )
MURDER.
AND THEN YOU TAKE THE PENCIL OUT AND YOU GO MURDER, MURDER,
MURDER.
>> Stephen: MURDER.
THERE IS A PRESSURE DOOR AT THE NORTH END OF THE CORRIDOR.
>> THERE'S A PRESSURE TOOR AT THE END OF THE NORTH CORRIDOR.
IF I COULD DO THAT NOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE EMBARRASSED MYSELF
SO MUCH.
BUT BACK IN THE DAY, IN 2004, THAT WAS-- YEAH, NEARLY ENDED MY
CAREER.
>> Stephen: YOU GOT THE ROLE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
YOU'RE DEFINITELY GETTING A CALLBACK.
>> IS THIS COVID FRIENDLY, THIS PENCIL?
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO BURN THAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
IT WAS SO LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: "THE WHEEL OF TIME" IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME.
ROSAMUND PIKE, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE LANDMARK BEATLES
DOCUMENTARY, "GET BACK," SIR PETER JACKSON.