HEY, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: I HAD FORGOTTEN WE ACTUALLY MET BEFORE BUT YOU
PROVIDED OUR PRODUCER WITH THIS SHOT.
THIS IS YOU AND ME AND VAN DER BEEK AT A STORY.
THE YOUNG HEART THROBS HANG OUT TOGETHER.
AM I OFFICIALLY IN THE DAWSON FAMILY?
>> YES, I'LL PHOTO SHOP YOU IN "THE LATE SHOW."
>> Stephen: YOU AND SRI SOMETHING IN COMMON.
YOU SAY YOU OWE YOUR CAREER -- EXCUSE ME.
>> I'M A LITTLE EMOTIONAL, TOO.
>> Stephen: I JUST SWALLOWED MY PRIDE.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU SAID YOU OWE YOUR CAREER TO
JON STEWART, TOO.
WHY?
>> BECAUSE HE'S THE REASON I GOT THROWN OUT OF MY SECOND HIGH
SCHOOL, AND IF I HAD ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE WITH
MY TIME INSTEAD OF WATCHING HIS TV SHOW, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T
HAVE HAD TO MAKE IT AS AN ACTOR BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER
OPTION.
>> Stephen: "THE DAILY SHOW"?
NO, THE ORIGINAL ONE.
>> Stephen: "THE JON STEWART SHOW," THE SYNDICATED SHOW.
>> I GREW UP IN SEATTLE -- ( CHEERING )
WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD CANADIANS.
I'M GOING TO KEEP ON THROWING OUT PLACES.
>> Stephen: WHY NOT.
MANITOBA!
( CHEERING ) WOW!
HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW?
IN HIGH SCHOOL?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT YEAR ARE WE TALKING?
NOT NOW, IN THE STORY.
>> IN THE STORY, 14,15.
>> Stephen: SO THIS IS '94, '95.
YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT SHOW.
>> HE'S GETTING REBROADCAST.
THEY PUT IT ON AT 1:30.
I STAYED UP TO WATCH THE SHOW WHICH KEPT ME UP TILL 2:30 WHICH
MADE ME MISS THE CLASS AND THEY SAID SINCE YOU DIDN'T COME P THE
MORNING, MIGHT AS WELL NOT COME IN THE AFTERNOON EITHER.
>> Stephen: WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL?
>> IT'S AN ARTS SCHOOL AND I GOT KICKED OUT FOR STARTING MY
PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
THE WOMAN WHO RAN -- OH, THIS IS TERRIBLE.
I'M ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING MEAN ABOUT THIS WOMAN I HAVEN'T SEEN
IN 25 YEARS AND IT TURNED OUT OKAY.
SHE DIDN'T LIKE I LEFT THE SCHOOL TO WORK ON A MOVIE.
I WENT TO GO DO THE MIGHTY DUCKS.
WHEN I CAME BACK SHE SAID YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SCHOOL SPIRIT
AND WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.
SO I HAD TO GO TO MY LOCAL SCHOOL.
>> Stephen: MAYBE YOU WEREN'T PART OF THE SCHOOL SPIRIT.
>> I CERTAINLY WASN'T, ONCE THEY KICKED ME OUT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: NOW YOU'RE MAKING
YOUR BROAD WAY DEBUT ON "CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD."
>> I'M HAVING ONE HELL OF A DAY TODAY.
>> Stephen: LAST NIGHT WAS THE DEBUT?
>> YES ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: FANTASTIC.
THE WHOLE PLAY TAKES PLACE IN THE MIND OF JAMES LEEDS, HIS
RELATIONSHIP IS WITH A WOMAN WHO IS DEAF.
DID YOU KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE BEFORE YOU STARTED THIS?
>> NO, I HAD TO LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE BEFORE I STARTED THIS
SHOW.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HOW LONG DID YOU
HAVE TO LEARN?
>> SO WE DID AN OUT OF TOWN RUN OF IT LAST SUMMER.
A LARGE PART WAS TO SEE IF I COULD LEARN THE LANGUAGE.
I HAD ABOUT FOUR MONTHS RUNNING UP TO THAT AND NOW IT'S BEEN
ABOUT A YEAR.
IT'S TAKEN ME A YEAR TO GET FLUENT ENOUGH.
I'M NOT FLUENT IN A.S.L. BUT FLUENT ENOUGH TO GET ME THROUGH
THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: SO YOU'VE ONLY DONE A YEAR OF THIS AND THIS
WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S SECOND NATURE FOR SOMEONE WHO'S GROWN
UP WITH IT.
DO YOU GET IT WRONG?
>> I HAVE MADE SOME SPECTACULAR MISTAKES.
>> Stephen: THAT THE AUDIENCE OR ONLY SHE CAN TELL?
>> DEPENDS.
>> Stephen: WHO IS YOUR CO-STAR?
>> LAUREN RIDLOFF.
THIS IS HER ACTING DEBUT.
SHE IS THIS COMPLETELY UNIQUE THING IN THE WORLD.
I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE EXISTS.
SHE WAS TEACHING OUR DIRECTOR SIGN LANGUAGE AND HE BROUGHT HER
IN TO DO THE READ THRU BECAUSE HE COULDN'T FIND A LEADING LADY
FOR PURPOSES OF THE READ THRU.
SHE CAME IN AND -- BLEW THE DOORS OFF DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.
WE WERE DOING A DRY READ THRU AND WE GET TO THE CLIMACTICKING
READ WHERE MHE CHARACTER USES HER VOICE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SHE SAYS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT AT ALL BECAUSE
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN IN 25 YEARS.
SHE GETS TO THIS THING AND SHE RIPS OPEN HER SOUL.
I GET EMOTIONAL JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.
I AND KENNY OUR DIRECTOR FELL OUT AND I LOOK UP AND ALL THESE
CRUSTY NEW YORKER TYPES ARE BAWLING THEIR EYES OUT, AND THIS
LEELECTRICITY HAPPENED IN THE ROOM.
THERE IS TEN PAGES LEFT IN THE SCRIPT AND I'M LIKE, YOU
HAVE-GOT-TO-GET-IT-TOGETHER.
AND I'M WOUL WALKING WITH KENNY SAYING IF SHE CAN DO THAT,
THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
SHE WENT FROM BEING A MOM AND WIFE AND TEACHER TO MAKING HER
BROADWAY DEBUT IN 18 MONTHS.
>> Stephen: WOW.
IT'S JUST ASTONISHING.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: AND SHE'S AMAZING.
AMAZING.
>> Stephen: SO WE'VE GOT TO GO, BUT YOU SAID SHE CATCHES YOU
WHEN YOU GET IT WRONG.
>> MY MOST SPECTACULAR (BLEEP) SO FAR -- OOPS -- SCREW UP SO
FAR.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TWO.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BLEEP THIS ANYWAY.
I'M IN A MIDDLE OF THE SCENE WITH LAUREN AND I'M SUPPOSED TO
SAY "YESTERDAY I HAD A LOUSY VISIT WITH YOUR MOTHER" BUT I
ACTUALLY SAID, "YESTERDAY I HAD A LOUSY (BLEEP) WITH YOUR
MOTHER."
SMALL DIFFERENCE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I'LL BE WATCHING
WHEN THAT LINE COMES UP.
"CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD" IS NOW ON BROADWAY AT STUDIO 54.
JOSHUA JACKSON, EVERYBODY!