♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,
WELCOME BACK.
MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "CLOSER,"
"CHILDREN OF MEN," AND "THE KNICK."
HE NOW STARS IN THE LIMITED SERIES "LISEY'S STORY."
>> I CUT MYSELF, AND YOU ASKED ME IF I WAS CRAZY.
>> YEAH.
>> I HAVE VISIONS.
I WRITE THEM DOWN.
PEOPLE PAY TO READ THEM.
>> YOU'RE A WRITER.
THAT'S WHAT YOU DO.
>> YOU ASKED ABOUT MY FAMILY.
I NEVER TALK ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD.
>> HOW BAD WAS IT?
>> PRETTY DAMN BAD.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME, CLIVE OWEN!
HI, CLIVE OWEN.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> MY PLEASURE.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: WE HAVEN'T TALKED SINCE 2019, I THINK.
IT WAS-- IT WAS-- LAST TIME YOU WERE ABOUT TO START FILMING AS
BILL CLINTON.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST ONE MOMENT.
IN "LISEY'S STORY," I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY BASED ON
THE STEPHEN KING NOVEL THAT STEPHEN KING HIMSELF LIKES MOST
OF ALL OF HIS BOOKS.
AND HE, IN FACT, ADAPTED ALL OF THE EPISODES OF THIS LIMITED
SERIES.
THAT'S UNUSUAL FOR HIM, ISN'T IT?
>> IT'S VERY UNUSUAL, YEAH.
IT'S HIS FAVORITE BOOK.
IT'S A VERY PERSONAL BOOK.
HE SAID IT WAS INSPIRED BY-- AFTER HE HAD HIS BIG ACCIDENT,
HE WENT HOME AND HIS WIFE HAD REARRANGED HIS OFFICE
COMPLETELY, AND HE THOUGHT THIS MUST BE WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU
DIED, WHEN YOU PASSED AWAY.
AND IT PROVOKED AND INSPIRED THIS WILD STORY AND IT'S DEEMLY
PERSONAL.
IT'S A LOT TO DO WITH HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS WIFE.
I PLAY A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL WRITER.
WHO CAN THAT BE BASED ON?
AND IT'S ABOUT KNOW-- I HAD PASSED AWAY, AND MY-- MY WIFE IS
TRYING TO SORT OF FIND HERSELF AGAIN.
AND THROUGH THAT, IT'S A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY TALE THAT SORT OF
LIVES IN MEMORY OF PAST.
IT'S A LOVE STORY ABOUT THEIR MARRIAGE.
THERE'S A WHOLE, COMPLETE, OTHER-WORLD FANTASY ELEMENT TO
IT.
IT'S A HUGELY RICH THING.
AND HE WROTE EVERY SINGLE EPISODE.
>> Stephen: NOW JULIANNE MOORE PLAYSES YOUR WIDOW IN THIS.
YOU GUYS WORKED TOGETHER BEFORE IN "CHILDREN OF MEN."
WAS IT-- WAS IT NICE TO BE TOGETHER AGAIN ON SUCH A
CHEERFUL PROJECT?
>> IT WAS FANTASTIC.
WELL, I MEAN, LOOK, YOU KNOW, JULIEANNEIS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE
GREAT ACTRESSES.
SHE IS SUCH A GREAT PERSON AND JUST A PLEASURE TO BE AROUND.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE A GIFT BEING ABLE TO GET BACK TOGETHER
WITH HER.
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY-- WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY
WORKING WITH ANOTHER ACTOR ON A PROJECT THAT IS SO INTIMATE--
AND IT CAN GO ON FOR MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE
PROJECT IS-- WHAT'S IT LIKE WHEN THAT'S OVER?
IS IT LIKE BREAKING UP WITH SOMEONE?
>> YEAH, BUT I THINK WHEN YOU SORT OF HAVE BEEN COULD GO IT
FOR A WHILE YOU KIND OF KNOW THAT'S WHAT THE DEAL IS GOING
IN.
YOU DO GET VERY, VERY CLOSE.
YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE THING OF MAKING A FILM OR MAKING A TV
SHOW, IT'S A VERY INTIMATE THING.
EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER.
THEY WORK VERY, VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL COME TO AN END, AND YOU
WILL MOVE ON AND DO OTHER THINGS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAY, IT'S LOVELY TO GET REUNITED WITH
SOMEBODY THAT YOU THINK A LOT OF.
>> Stephen: YOU STARTED SHOOTING THIS BEFORE THE COVID
SHUTDOWN, I UNDERSTAND.
HOW FAR HAD YOU GOTTEN INTO IT?
WHEN DID THE SHUTDOWN ACTUALLY HIT FOR YOU GUYS?
>> WELL, WE-- I THINK I HAD ABOUT-- IT WAS SORT OF IN MARCH
TIME.
IT WAS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS LEFT.
AND I HAD GONE BACK TO LONDON.
I HAD A BREAK, AND I WAS GOING BACK TO LONDON.
AND THE PANDEMIC WAS REALLY BEGINNING TO SORT OF TAKE A
GRIP.
AND I CALLED THEM AND SAID, "ARE YOU SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL
BE SHOOTING?
SHOULD I COME BACK?" THEY SAID, "DEFINITELY COME
BACK.
WE'LL DEFINITELY SHOOPT."
I FLEW BACK TO NEW YORK.
I CALLED THEM WHEN I GOT IN.
I SAID-- THE NIGHT BEFORE-- I SAID, "ARE WE DEFINITELY
SHOOTING?
IT'S FEELING PRECARIOUSLY OUT THERE?"
THEY SAID, "NO, THERE'S YOUR CALL TIME.
WE'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW."
AND I WOKE UP TO A MESSAGE SAYING, "DON'T COME IN.
WE'LL TALK TO YOU AGAIN IN THREE HOURS."
AND I WAS LIKE, THREE HOURS LATER, "WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN, YOU
KNOW.
WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE IN A FEW WEEKS."
THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE DAY WHEN TRUMP DID PUT THE U.K. ON THE
BANNED LIST, AND I THINK FROM THAT MONDAY, YOU KNOW, I
COULDN'T TRAVEL FREELY BACKWARD.
AND I WAS RENTING AN APARTMENT IN NEW YORK.
I AND THOUGHT I THINK I HAVE TO PACK THIS UP AND GET OUT.
THEY WERE TALKING THREE WEEKS BUT IT WAS FEELING MORE
SERIOUSLY THAN THAT.
SO I VERY QUICKLY PACKED THE PLACE UP AND WENT BACK TO LONDON
AND STAYED THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
>> Stephen: NEW YORK SHUT DOWN ESSENTIALLY ON MARCH 12.
THAT'S WHEN WE HAD TO LEAVE THE THEATER.
WHEN DID YOU COME BACK?
>> MARCH THE 12th, AND IT WAS WELL INTO THE SUMMER,
PROBABLY-- AUGUST TIME WE ACTUALLY CAME BACK TO FINISH IT,
YEAH.
WE WERE THE FIRST BIG ONE BACK IN NEW YORK TO GET GOING AGAIN.
>> Stephen: NOW, THE CENTER OF THE STORY IS ABOUT A MARRIAGE.
YOU-- THIS IS A LOVELY PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR WIFE, SARAH
JANE.
GOT THAT RIGHT THERE?
THERE YOU GO.
YOU'VE BEEN MARRIED FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
YOU GUYS-- WERE YOU GUYS SHUT DOWN TOGETHER DURING QUARANTINE?
WERE YOU QUARANTINED-- >> SHUT DOWN WITH THE KIDS AS
WELL.
>> Stephen: ARE THE KIDS YOUNG?
ARE THE KIDS OLDER?
>> HANNAH IS 24, AND 21, SO THE WHOLE OF THE SHUTDOWN PERIOD WE
WERE ALL TOGETHER.
>> Stephen: MY KIDS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AGE AND WE
GOT TO TRAP THEM IN THE HOUSE WITH US FOR FIVE MONTHS.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
"IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD" WE KEPT SAYING.
IT'S NOT FOR OUR COMPANY.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN BEING TOGETHER THAT INTIMATELY FOR SO
LONG-- NOT THAT A MARRIAGE ISN'T AN INTIMATE EVENT TO BEGIN WITH,
BUT LITERALLY TO BE STUCK IN THE HOUSE, WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
WHAT ABOUT YOU LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER?
>> TO BE HONEST IT WAS SUCH AN INCREDIBLY TOUGH TIME FOR MOST
PEOPLE.
WHAT YOU LEARN, YOU LEARN TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE REALLY,
AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ALL TOGETHER AND WE WERE HEALTHY,
AND IT WAS FORCED TIME TOGETHER, BUT IT MADE ME REALLY, REALLY
APPRECIATE.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE AN
ACTOR YOU'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, RUNNING AROUND SORT OF LIVING UP
TO SCHEDULES AND TRAVELING A LOT.
AND THEN SUDDENLY TO HAVE AN ENFORCED TIME WHERE YOU'RE JUST
AROUND THE PEOPLE YOU CARE MOST ABOUT, THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED, TO
VALUE THAT.
>> Stephen: LAST TIME WE TALKED IN 2019, YOU HAD JUST
ANNOUNCED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO DO THE ROLE OF BILL CLINTON IN
"AMERICAN CRIME STORY."
IT'S FINALLY SHOOTING NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS.
HERE YOU ARE, THIS IS THE FIRST PHOTO ANYONE HAS SEEN OF YOU AS
BILL CLINTON, SUCH AS THIS PHOTO IS, WITH THE MASK ON.
I CAN IMAGINE UNDERNEATH THERE YOU LOOK LIKE BILL CLINTON.
WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR YOU TO SEE BILL CLINTON STARE AT YOU OUT OF
THE MIRROR EVERY DAY?
>> IT'S TWO OTHERS IN PROSTHETICS.
BUT LIKE I SAID, THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE SHOW IT WAS
ANNOUNCED, BUT IT WAS A YEAR LATER WE STARTED FROM THAT.
IN TERMS OF PREP, I'VE GOT NO EXCUSED.
I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO GET READY FOR IT.
IT'S TWO HOURS OF PROSTHETICS.
THEY GOT IT DOWN-- THAT'S PRETTY FAST AS WELL, AND I'M HAVING A
GREAT TIME.
IT'S EXCITING.
IT'S A GREAT CAST AND, YEAH, IT WILL BE OUT PRETTY SOON, I
THINK.
>> Stephen: HOW MUCH-- HOW MUCH-- HOW MUCH LIP BITING AND
THUMB POINTING DO WE HAVE?
>> I'VE WATCHED A LOT OF IT, AND THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY.
I'VE WATCHED A LOT.
>> Stephen: "LISEY'S STORY" IS AVAILABLE ON APPLE TV+.
THANKS SO MUCH CLIVE.
>> THANK YOU >> Stephen: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH COMEDIAN ZIWE.
♪ ♪ ♪