MY FIRST GUEST IS AN OSCAR NOMINATED ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM
"AN EDUCATION," "THE GREAT GATSBY," AND "MUDBOUND."
PLEASE WELCOME, CAREY MULLIGAN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
HI, CAREY MULLIGAN!
>> HI.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU!
>> Stephen: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM RIGHT HERE -- CAN WE
GET A SHOT OF THIS?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR FOOT?
>> LOOK AT THIS.
>> Stephen: OH, YEAH -- WEAR A YELLOW SHOE AND THEY WON'T
NOTICE THE BOOT.
>> RIGHT, THAT WAS MY TACTIC.
>> Stephen: SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOOT?
>> SO THIS IS A BROKEN TOE.
>> Stephen: A BROKEN TOE?
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHICH ONE?
MY FOURTH TOE.
>> Stephen: WHICH WAY DO YOU COUNT THIS, WAY OR THAT WAY?
>> THIS IS YOUR BIG TOE, THEN IT'S THIS ONE.
>> Stephen: THAT ONE.
IT'S CRUCIAL.
>> WELL -- IF IT WAS THIS ONE OR THIS ONE OR THIS ONE WE WOULD
HAVE BEEN IN REAL TROUBLE, BUT THIS ONE IS MANAGEABLE.
>> Stephen: HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
I WALKED INTO A SOFA.
>> Stephen: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR SOMETHING?
>> I REALLY PURPOSEFULLY WALKED TOWARDS -- HOLDING MY DAUGHTER
AND I WAS LIKE, RIGHT, BED TESTIMONY, SMACK, INTO THE SOFA.
>> Stephen: WOW.
HOW OLD IS YOUR DAUGHTER?
>> SHE'S ALMOST THREE.
>> Stephen: AND DID SHE HELP IN THIS MOMENT OF CRISIS?
>> SHE'S, LIKE, MOMMY, YOU'RE FINE.
I'LL KISS IT.
IT'S BETTER.
RIGHT, STORY TIME.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S SO HARD TO GET HER TO GO TO
BED, I WENT WITH IT.
SO I WAS READING HERE THE STORY WITH A BROKEN TOE, HALF CRYING,
AND SHE WENT TO SLEEP.
THEN I WENT TO URGENT CARE, WHICH IS A GREAT THING YOU HAVE
HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE URGENT CARE?
>> WE HAVE -- >> Stephen: NOTHING IS URGENT,
WE'LL GET TO YOU.
>> IT WAS MY SECOND VISIT TO URGENT CARE IN NEW YORK IN THE
SPACE OF SIX WEEKS.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST URGENT CARE VISIT?
>> MY FIRST URGENT CARE VISIT WAS, SO I'M DOING A PLEA --
>> Stephen: YES, EXCELLENT SEGUE, CALLED "GIRLS & BOYS."
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE URGENT CARE?
>> SO, ON THE FIRST PREVIEW, WE HAD A BIT OF MISTIMING THING.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST PERFORMANCE IN FRONT OF A LIVE
AUDIENCE.
>> WE DID IT FIRST IN FRONT OF AMERICANS HERE, AND ABOUT
THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SHOW, THINGS ALL
WENT SLIGHTLY WRONG, AND THE CURTAIN, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A
NICE THING BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S MADE OF METAL AND WOOD, CAME
DOWN ON MY HEAD.
>> Stephen: WHY DID THE CURTAIN COME DOWN THREE-QUARTERS
INTO YOUR PLAY?
WAS IT NOT GOING WELL?
( LAUGHTER ) >> WE HAVE A VERY NIFTY THING IN
OUR PLAY.
IT'S A MONOLOGUE, I'M TALKING AND THE CURTAIN GOES UP AND I GO
BACK AND DO ALL THIS STUFF.
>> Stephen: SURE.
I GO BACK AND FORTH ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
IT HIT ME HERE.
>> Stephen: TRYIN STRAIGHT THERE I WENT LIKE THAT TO GET AWAY
FROM IT.
THEN I CARRIED ON BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WERE UP, AND I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT THE DO.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU SEEING STARS?
>> YEAH, I WAS LIKE, WIUUU, BUT I FELT FINE, THEN I GOT OFF AND
IT REALLY HURT.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU BLEEDING?
I WASN'T BLEEDING.
I KNOW.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: SO FAR, THE TOE IS
THE BETTER STORY.
SO YOU GOT HIT ON THE HEAD, PLAY IS OVER, TOTAL PROFESSIONAL.
>> TOTAL PRO.
THEN I GOT UP TO MY DRESSING ROOM AND I STARTED GOING, OH, IT
REALLY HURTS.
AND THE DIRECTOR WAS THERE, AND SAYS, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?
AND I SAID, NO, NO, IT REALLY HURTS.
SO SOMEONE SAID, BRADLEY COOPER IS HERE.
I SAID, WELL, THAT'S COOL, BUT MY HEAD REALLY HURT.
SO SOMEONE IN MY DRESSING ROOM WHO IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND HE
CAME TO THE FIRST PREVIEW BUT WAS LEAVING TOWN AND WANTE WANTE
SEE IT.
I WAS CRYING ON THE FLOOR.
HE WAS SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL AND HEARD ME CRYING
ON THE FLOOR.
AND I SAID, BRADLEY, YOU SHOULD JUST COME IN.
SO HE GOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR WITH ME AND TOOK ME TO URGENT CARE.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) SO SWEET.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION WHEN BRADLEY COOPER
CAME IN CARRYING YOU IN?
PLEASE LET IT BE HIM, PLEASE LET IT BE HIM.
>> YEAH, THEY COULD NOT HAVE CARED LESS ABOUT ME IN ANY WAY
BUT THEY WERE FLOORED ABOUT BRADLEY COOPER BEING THERE, AND
I FELT LIKE I WAS GIVING THEM A GIFT IN SOME WAY.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE FINE.
CONCUSSION?
>> CONCUSSION TWO WEEKS.
>> Stephen: WOW!
YEAH, A NICE EXTRA LITTLE CHALLENGE.
>> Stephen: SURE.
WELL, YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER CHALLENGE BECAUSE THE PLAY IS 90
MINUTES LONG WITH NO INTERMISSION AND IT'S YOU ON
STAGE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: TALKING FOR 90 MINUTES.
HAVE YOU EVER BITTEN OFF A ROLE THAT BIG BEFORE?
>> NO, NO, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ON STAGE ON MY OWN BEFORE.
>> Stephen: JUST YOU THE ENTIRE TIME?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
THAT MUST HAVE ITS CHALLENGES BUT IT'S ALSO JUST ME.
IT'S NICE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW,
STEALING A SCENE.
IT'S JUST YOU.
>> RIGHT, AND IT'S A NEW PLAY, SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING
ON.
I COULD FEASIBLY SAY ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: YOU COULD JUST GO OFF?
>> NO, BUT, LIKE, SO, IN LONDON WE HAD A SHOW, AND WE HAD
PREVIEWS AND I WAS OPEN AND I WAS NAKID.
>> WHAT IS THAT?
VERY TIRED.
>> Stephen: I THOUGHT NAKER WAS WHEN YOU BOIL DOWN A COW AND
USE ITS PARTS, THAT'S WHY YOU HAD MAD COW DISEASE WAS FROM
NAKERERES.
>> IT WAS NOT GOOD.
>> Stephen: MY APOLOGIES.
O I WAS REALLY NAKERED -- NOW IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE A
STRANGE WORD.
SO I GOT ON STAGE AND TALK TO THE IMAGINARY CHILDREN IN BITS,
AND I GOT BACK AND THOUGHT I TOTALLY MISSED OUT A WHOLE BIT.
>> Stephen: YOU JUMPED?
I THOUGHT I JUMPED A BIG BIT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW, SO I JUST
STOPPED.
AND I SORT OF STARED OUT AT THE LIGHTS FOR ABOUT TEN SECONDS,
AND THEN I JUST STARTED TALKING AGAIN AND I THOUGHT, I HAVE TO
COMMIT TO WHATEVER, I THOUGHT, MAYBE I HAVE MISSED A WHOLE BIT,
I'M JUST GOING TO START TALKING.
THEN I GOT OFF STAGE, BUT I MANAGED TO GET IT IN O ORDER.
AND MY MATE SAID, THAT PAUSE YOU TOOK AT THE BEGINNING, THAT WAS
UNBELIEVABLE.
THE COMMITMENT!
I WAS, LIKE, YEAH, THAT IS ACTING!
( LAUGHTER ) THAT'S WHAT THEY MADE ME THE OFF
BROADWAY.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS BEFORE.
( APPLAUSE ) NOW THE PLAY OPENED IN LONDON
WHEN?
>> IN MARCH.
>> Stephen: AND HOW LONG WAS YOUR RUN HERE?
>> ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
>> Stephen: ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
OKAY.
AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE PERFORMER'S POINT OF VIEW
BETWEEN A LIVE AMERICAN AUDIENCE AND RATHER NEW YORK AND LONDON?
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO AUDIENCES?
>> NEW YORKERS ARE LOUDER.
>> Stephen: LIKE THEY ENJOY THE PLAY MORE?
>> AUDIBLY MORE.
OR DISAGREE WIT AUDIBLY MORE.
>> Stephen: GREAT ACTING!
ACT MORE!
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WHAT DO THEY SAY?
TAKE A LONGER PAUSE!
I LIKE IT WHEN YOU DON'T TALK!
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THEY LAUGH OR WHAT?
>> WELL, THEY DO, BUT THEY ALSO DO LIKE A HMM, HMM -- OR THIS
THING -- >> Stephen: NO, THEY DON'T.
THAT'S A 1950s BEAT POET LIKE, OH LITTLE BIRDIE IN THE WINDOW!
>> THEY DO.
>> Stephen: YOU SHOULD HAVE THOSE PEOPLE REMOVED.
>> WE DON'T COUNTY DO THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE, CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ANYTHING SHE'S SAYING CAUSE YOU
HAVE AN ACCENT IN THE SHOW.
THEN WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW PHONES.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A COMMON COMPLAINT.
>> OUR USHERS ARE BRUTAL.
THEY COME OUT AND MAKE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> Stephen: ALL THEY UNDERSTAND IS THE ROUGH STUFF.
YOU HAVE TO.
HAS THE PHONE EVER -- >> WE'VE HAD A PHONE PARTICIPATE
IN THE PLAY.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
WHERE I GOT TO THE END WHICH IS QUITE SERIOUS, SOMEBODY IN
THE FRONT ROW, I SAID SOME STATEMENT ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP
WITH MY HUSBAND IN THE PLAY, AND THE SIRI ON THIS PERSON'S PHONE
WENT, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT'S ABOUT ME.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT IN THIS, LIKE, PERFECT
PAUSE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT'S ABOUT ME.
AND I LITERALLY -- IT WAS EVERY INCH OF MY BODY TO NOT LOOK AT
THIS THING AND, LIKE, SOMEHOW -- IT WAS COMPLETELY BIZARRE, SO I
GAVE IT A SECOND AND I CARRIED ON TALKING.
AND AGAIN PEOPLE WERE, LIKE, THAT WAS COOL.
YOU COULD DO ANYTHING IN A MONOLOGUE.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: >> STEPHEN: "GIRLS & BOYS" IS AT
THE MINETTA LANE THEATER THROUGH JULY 22 AND IS AVAILABLE FOR
DOWNLOAD ON AUDIBLE.
CAREY MULLIGAN, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.