>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME TONY HALE!
( BAND PLAYING ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> HEY!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> Stephen: NICE TO MEET YOU.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> Stephen: I LOVE DOING THAT BIT WITH YOU AND TIM KAINE IN
THE COLD OPEN.
YOU LOOK SO NATURAL BEHIND TIM KAINE THERE.
>> DID I?
>> Stephen: YEAH.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU THINK HE OR HILLARY CLINTON
COULD LEARN FROM WATCHING "VEEP"?
>> DON'T WATCH IT.
>> Stephen: NO GOOD MODELS -- NOT OF POLITICS.
FUNNY, BUT NO GOOD MODELS.
>> Stephen: DO YOU THINK IT'S A POLITICAL SHOW, THOUGH.
>> IS THIS IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
>> Stephen: WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING --
(LAUGHTER) >> ACTUALLY, IT'S FUNNY.
I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT, ACTUALLY, OFFICE POLITICS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THESE PEOPLE ARE KIND OF POSITIONING
THEMSELVES.
THEY GET AHEAD, SPINNING STORIES TO GIVE THEM ATTENTION, HOW
CLOSE CAN YOU GET TO THE POPULAR KIDS TO GET POWER.
THAT KIND OF STUFF.
>> Stephen: THEY'RE TERRIBLE PEOPLE.
>> THEY'RE ATROCIOUS PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS WHY IT SEEMS ACCURATE TO ME.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN WASHINGTON, D.C.?
>> WE WOULD SHOOT SOME STUFF IN D.C., BUT BEFORE WE STARTED THE
SHOW, WE GOT A CHANCE TO MEET PEOPLE THAT KIND OF DID OUR
JOBS.
>> Stephen: YOU MET A BODY MAN?
>> I MET A BODY MAN.
>> Stephen: WHO DID YOU MEET?
I CAN'T SAY.
>> Stephen: WAS IT REGGIE LOVE?
>> IT WASN'T REGGIE LOVE.
>> Stephen: IS THAT THE NAME YOU CAN'T SAY?
>> I DID MEET HIM LATER.
I MET HIM PREVIOUSLY, ANOTHER GUY, A BODY MAN TO A POLITICIAN.
HE DID FIT HIS 20s.
HE HAD NO LIFE.
HE NEVER SAW HIS FAMILY OR FRIENDS AND MOVED ON TO OTHER
STUFF.
MY CHARACTER HAS DONE IT INTO HIS 40s BECAUSE HE HAS NO
IDENTITY OUT OF SELINA MEYER.
WORSHIPS HER.
SHE'S JESUS TO HIM.
>> Stephen: THAT'S PRETTY STRONG.
>> PRETTY STRONG (LAUGHTER)
>> Stephen: YEAH.
DID YOU HEAR THE SENATOR TALKING ABOUT BEING A JESUIT MISSIONARY
EARLIER.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
AND YOU GUYS DID, LIKE, A BIBLE GAME.
>> Stephen: A LITTLE BIT, YEAH.
WE FLIPPED SOME PHILIPPIANS ON EACH OTHER.
>> I CAN FLIP SOME PHILIPPIANS.
PHILIPPIANS 4:13, I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES
ME STRENGTH.
LIP WRNS 4:6, DO NO THE PEACE OF CHRIST WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS
AND MINDS IN CHRIST.
BAM!
>> Stephen: DIDN'T YOU START AS AN ACTOR IN NEW YORK FIRST?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: YOU STARTED AT THE HAVEN WHICH IS A PLACE, LIKE,
CHRISTIANS IN SHOW BUSINESS TO HANG OUT.
ISN'T THAT CALLED A CHURCH?
(LAUGHTER) WHY DID YOU THINK YOU HAD TO
MAKE A PLACE FOR CHRISTIANS IN SHOW BUSINESS?
>> NO, I MET ACTUALLY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHOSE FAITH WERE
IMPORTANT TO THEM AND THEY WERE ARTISTS AND NOT NECESSARILY
SUPPORTED BY THE CHURCH IN WHAT THEY DID.
SO WE JUST GET TOGETHER AND SEE EACH OTHER'S WORK AND ENCOURAGE
EACH OTHER AND HANG OUT.
IT WAS MAINLY A REASON TO GET FRIENDS.
I DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS.
LET'S BE HONEST.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
DID YOU GUYS DATE?
>> WE DID.
I HAD MY WIFE THERE.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
YEAH.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) SHE WAS A MAKEUP ARTIST ON
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" AT THE TIME.
>> Stephen: DID YOU ENJOY DOING THAT MELTDOWN AS GARY?
>> I DID.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
GOOD QUESTION, STEPHEN.
(LAUGHTER) >> Stephen: IS THAT A LONG
TIME COMING.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTER AND COUPLE YOU PLAYED SEEM LIKE ON
THE VERGE OF A BREAKDOWN ALL THE TIME.
>> AND EMASCULATED.
I DO THAT REALLY WELL.
(LAUGHTER) BUT, YEAH, BECAUSE MY CHARACTER
IS SO BEATEN DOWN, AND HE ALSO WORSHIPS THE GROUND SELENA MEYER
WALKS ON AND YOU WATCH THE PEOPLE AROUND HER MAKE MISTAKE
AFTER MISTAKE.
IN MY CHARACTER'S EYES, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE NOT HAND
HERRING THE PRESIDENCY, SHE'S THE OBVIOUS CHOICE.
HE SEES PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKE AFTER MISTAKE AND WHEN SHE
DIDN'T GET THE PRESIDENCY, HE LOST IT.
>> Stephen: SOME OF THE SHOW IS IMPROVISED, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
VERY RARE IN TELEVISION, THEY GIVE US, LIKE, TWO WEEKS BEFORE
WE SHOOT TO REHEARSE AND WE GET FIVE SCRIPTS AND WE PLAY AROUND
AND THE WRITERS WORK INCREDIBLY HARD ON THE SCRIPPS AND THEY
GIVE US TIME TO PLAY.
BUT ON THE SET WHEN IT'S LOCKED, IT'S PHYSICAL, IF YOU DROP YOUR
PURSE, I'LL CATCH IT HERE, SO WE CAN STILL PLAY WHAT WE HAVE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER CHECK THE INITIATIONS OR THE IMPULSES
YOU HAVE FOR SOMETHING THE CHARACTER SAYS WHEN YOU'RE IN
THE DEVELOPMENT PERIOD OF THE SCRIPT SO PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
WHICH PARTY SHE'S IN?
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TELL WHETHER SHE'S A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN
BY WATCHING THE SHOW.
>> YEAH, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO KEEP IT TO WHERE YOU WOULDN'T
KNOW, BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON SET, NOT A LOT, BUT
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF POLITICAL CONSULTANTS THAT HELP US, YEAH,
IF YOU GO THAT DIRECTION, IT WILL BE THAT WAY, WATCH THAT.
FRANK RICH IS ON THE SHOW, A POLITICAL JOURNALIST AND A GREAT
RESOURCE FOR THE SHOW.
>> Stephen: THE SHOW SIN CREDIBLE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> THANK YOU.
>> STEPHEN: YOU CAN WATCH "VEEP" ON HBO.
TONY HALE, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.