MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTRESS AND SINGER, BEST KNOWN
AS THE UN-KILLABLE CHEERLEADER ON "HEROES," AND CURRENTLY THE
HONKY-TONK DIVA ON "NASHVILLE."
PLEASE WELCOME HAYDEN PANETTIERE.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
>> WOOO!
WOW!
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU.
>> THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!
>> Stephen: NOW, LISTEN.
>> WOW!
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HERE'S ONE OF THE
REASONS I'M EXCITED ABOUT HAVING YOU ON.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE A GUEST ON A TALK SHOW, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE
NERVOUS ON TALK SHOWS, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ON MANY BEFORE, BUT
YOU'RE A TOTAL TALK SHOW PRO BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW BUT
YOU'VE BEEN GOING ON TALK SHOWS SINCE YOU WERE SEVEN.
HERE YOU ARE ON "THE TONIGHT SHOW" WITH LENO AT SEVEN YEARS
OLD.
>> '96.
>> Stephen: '96.
I WAS SEVEN IN '96, TOO.
WE'RE VERY SIMILAR AGE.
>> HOW OLD WERE YOU.
>> Stephen: WHAT?
>> NEVER MIND.
>> Stephen: I THINK I HAD A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD IN 1996.
>> I THINK THAT WAS FOR A WENDY'S COMMERCIAL.
>> Stephen: HOW GOOD OF THE WENDY'S COMMERCIAL.
>> IT MUST HAVE BEEN GOOD.
LISTEN, DAVE THOMAS WAS STILL AROUND, GOD BLESS HIM.
>> Stephen: GOD BLESS DAVE THOMAS.
>> AND I GOT TO DO A COUPLE WINDY'S COMMERCIALS WITH HIM.
>> Stephen: WITH DAVE.
>> WITH DAVE.
DAVE THOMAS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S AN ICON.
THAT'S LIKE LEE IKE COACHA.
HE'S THE LEE IACOCCA OF HAMBURGERS.
IT'S SQUARE WITH THE WHEELS ON IT.
>> LET'S DO IT.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE AS A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD TO BE ON A
NATIONAL TALK SHOW LIKE THAT, WERE YOU SELF-CONFIDENT.
>> WHEN YOU'RE SEVEN YOU CAN-- EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING IS GREAT.
EVERYTHING'S AMAZING.
YOU ARE THE BEST -- >> WHAT WAS THIS?
WERE YOU TAKING YOUR TOP OFF AS A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD.
REALLY, THAT'S WHAT IT LOO LOOKE LIKE AND IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE.
>> YOU COULD BE IN YOUR BIRTHDAY SUIT AND YOU COULD BE THE MOST
CONFIDENT PERSON IN THE ROOM AT SEVEN YEARS OLD.
>> Stephen: WOW.
>> RIGHT?
( APPLAUSE ) THAT'S GONE FLYING OUT THE
WINDOW.
>> Stephen: SO DO YOU WORK CONTINUALLY FROM SEVEN?
LIKE YOU SEEM LIKE A PERFECTLY WELL-ADJUSTED PERSON AND CHILD
STARS OFTEN ART.
>> UM, HOW DO YOU KNOW?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: I GUESS I DON'T.
I GUESS I DON'T.
YOU COULD FREAK OUT ON ME AT ANY MOMENT.
>> I COULD.
>> Stephen: IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR RATINGS IF YOU WANTED TO DO
THAT.
IT WOULD BE NICE.
"HAYDEN PANETTIERE FREAKS OUT ON 'STEPHEN COLBERT'."
I LIKE-- I'D LIKE TO GET A SCREEN GRAB OF THAT, PLEASE.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> I ACTUALLY WAS ON SOAPS FROM-- I DID ABOUT, LIKE, 50
COMMERCIALS, I THINK, AND I DID SOAPS FOR EIGHT YEARS.
I WAS ON "GUIDING LIGHT."
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE SOAPS.
OBVIOUSLY "NASHVILLE."
>> "NASHVILLE."
>> Stephen: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CRAZIEST STORYLINES YOU EVER
HAD TO BE PART OF?
>> I THINK-- YOU KNOW, "NASHVILLE," THE STORIES LINES
HAVE BEEN PRETTY CRAZY.
BUT I THINK REQUESTED GIETING LIGHT" TAKES THE CAKE.
I MEAN THEY THREW ME DOWN A WELL.
>> Stephen: WHY DID THEY THROW YOU DOWN A WELL?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I MUST HAVE PISSED THEM OFF.
I GOT LEUKEMIA, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE.
I WAS KIDNAPPED -- >> WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A SOAP
ROOPERA AND YOU GET LEUKEMIA, YO CHARACTER GETS LEUKEMIA, DO YOU
THINK, "I HAVE TO BE NICER TO THE WRITERS?"
BECAUSE THEY COULD JUST WRITE YOU OUT OF THE SHOW AT ANY
MINUTE?
>> A SELF-CONSCIOUS PERSON WOULD, BUT HOW OLD WAS I?
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW.
>> I WAS, LIKE EIGHT.
I WAS STILL IN THAT BRACKET WHERE I DIDN'T CARE.
I WAS GOOD.
MY CONFIDENCE WAS SOARING.
LUCKILY, THEY DIDN'T KILL ME.
I SHOT MY MOM'S BOYFRIEND.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: AGAIN, ON THE SOAP
OPERA.
>> ON THE SOAP OPERA.
>> Stephen: CHILD STARS ARE KNOWN FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
>> ON THE SOAP OPERA.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE YOUR OWN CHILD RIGHT HERE.
>> I DO.
>> Stephen: THIS IS KIA.
>> THAT'S KIA!
>> Stephen: TWO YEARS OLD.
>> TWO YEARS OLD DECEMBER 9.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS, DO YOU THINK SHE MIGHT
HAVE INTEREST?
DOES SHE HAVE THE SELF-CONFIDENCE TO BE AN
ACTRESS?
DO YOU THINK SHE MIGHT WANT TO DO THAT.
>THAT.
>> PLEASE, GOD, NO.
I HOPE NOT.
I MEAN-- I WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO DO.
SHE'S A SPITFIRE.
SHE'S-- WE'VE GOT THREE FIRE SIGNS IN THE FAMILY.
WE'VE GOT MYSELF, I'M A LEO.
SHE'S A SAG-- ASTROLOGY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW-- AND HER FATHER IS
AN AIRIES.
SO WE'RE ALL THREE FIRE SIGNS, WHICH MAKES FOR QUITE A
HOUSEHOLD.
>> Stephen: I WILL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.
>> YOU SHOULD.
SHE'S THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
>> Stephen: HER FATHER IS A CHAMPION BOXER.
WOULD YOU BE OKAY IF SHE BECAME A BOXER?
WOMEN DO THAT NOW, TOO?
>> I KNOW.
LET'S GO DOCTOR.
( LAUGHTER ) VETERINARIAN!
I COULD LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUG HER.
A LOT OF MOMS DO THAT.
>> Stephen: NOW, WHEN YOUR HUSBAND--
>> A LOT OF STAGE MOMS DO THAT.
>> Stephen: WHEN YOUR HUSBAND BOXES, HE'S GOT A MATCH COMING
UP?
>> APRIL 29, YES.
>> Stephen: DO YOU WATCH?
IT MUST BE NERVE WRACKING TO WATCH YOUR HUSBAND GO INTO A
RING?
>> I HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY, BUT I-- YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS,
I'VE-- LEARNED TO SETTLE MYSELF AND KNOW THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH
ANXIETY I HAVE, NO MATTER HOW WORRIED I AM, THERE'S NOTHING
THAT WILL CHANGE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE RING.
I TRUST HIM.
HE'S A BIG BOY.
HE CAN HANDLE HIMSELF.
>> Stephen: HE'S A VERY BIG BOY.
>> HE'S A VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY BIG BOY.
>> Stephen: HE'S 6'6".
>> HE IS.
>> Stephen: AND YOU ARE SLIGHTLY SHORTER THAN THAT.
>> JUST A LITTLE BIT BUT INSIDE I'M NOT.
INSIDE I'M HUGE.
THAT SOUNDED TERRIBLE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE SEVEN-YEAR-OLD COMING BACK OUT.
WELL, IT WAS LOVELY TO MEET YOU, HAYDEN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
"NASHVILLE" AIRS THURSDAYS ON CMT.
HAYDEN PANETTIERE, EVERYONE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE HOST OF "BOOZE TRAVELER," JACK