LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS A BELOVED
THREE-TIME EMMY AWARD WINNER YOU KNOW FROM "EVERYBODY LOVES
RAYMOND" AND "THE MIDDLE."
SHE NOW STARS IN THE NEW CBS SITCOM, "CAROL'S SECOND ACT."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," PATRICIA HEATON!
( APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> OH!
WHAT A NICE AUDIENCE.
WOW.
>> Stephen: THEY ARE.
>> VERY NICE.
>> Stephen: WE SHIPPED IN A NICE ONE FOR YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
THEY'RE ALL FROM OHIO, I GUESS.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU FROM OHIO?
>> YES, CLEVELAND.
>> Stephen: WOW, I DID NOT KNOW THAT.
>> MY DAD WAS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE "CLIEFD PLAIN DEALER"
AND COVERED THE BROWNS.
>> Stephen: DID YOU GO TO A LOT OF GAMES?
>> YEAH, A LOT OF INDIANS.
A LOT OF BROWNS.
IT KIND OF BUILDS CHARACTER TO FOLLOW THE BROWNS.
>> Stephen: SEARCHING.
>> SUFFERING, IT GOES WITH THE CATHOLICISM.
>> Stephen: ANOTHER JEWEL IN YOUR CROWN, AS MY MOTHER USED TO
SAY, OFFER IT UP.
>> A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF OF PURGATORY FOR BEING A BROWN
SUPPORTER.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY SPENT YOUR LIFE IN HELL.
THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE WE HAD WHAT MANY WOULD CALL A
CATHOLIC THROW-DOWN.
>> I THINK WE TIED.
>> Stephen: I THINK YOU TOOK THE RULER TO MY KNUCKLES THERE,
SISTER PATTY.
I THINK YOU SPANKED ME ON THAT ONE.
I'M NOT SURPRISED.
YOU ACTUALLY-- YOU HAVE SAID IN INTERVIEWS THAT ACTING FOR SUA
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE, SPIRITUAL EXERCISE.
>> IT IS, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS FELT REALLY AT HOME
ON STAGE.
AND I FELT ALMOST LIKE I WAS IN CHURCH.
AND I FELT VERY CONNECTED TO WHAT I WAS DOING.
>> Stephen: I HAD THAT FEELING IN THEATERS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG
MAN.
>> WHEN YOU WERE WATCHING OR WHEN YOU WERE PERFORM?
>> Stephen: JUST IN AN EMPTY THEATER.
WALKING INTO AN EMPTY CHURCH AND A THEATER.
>> I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE CREATING.
GOD IS A CREATOR, WHEN YOU READ THE WHOLE FIRST CHAPTER OF
GENESIS, HE MADE THE EARTH AND THE STARS, AND HE MADE MAN, AND
BLEW LIFE INTO ADAM.
>> Stephen: AND STOLE A RIB.
>> AND STOLE A RIB.
LIKE, WHEN WE'RE DOING CHARACTERS, WE'RE BREATHING LIFE
INTO THESE CREATURES.
AND WE GET WHAT IT'S LIKE TO CREATE A LIFE.
AND, OF COURSE, AS A MOM, WE GET TO DO THAT, TOO, THE PRIVILEGE
OF HAVING BABIES.
THAT ONE.
BUT BACK TO MY ACTING
>> Stephen: YEAH, BECAUSE I CAN'T DO THAT ONE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: DID YOUR FAITH HAVE ANYTHING TO DO-- LIKE YOUR
EARLY CAREER?
I MEAN, I HAD SUCH ENORMOUS DOUBT AS TO WHETHER I WAS GOING
TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AS A LIVING WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND I
WOULD GO TO CHURCH TO TRY TO PRAY IT OUT AND FIGURE OUT, "IS
THIS THE RIGHT NIRNG ME TO DO?" >> ALL THE TIME.
I GOT REALLY FRUSTRATED.
I LITERALLY CAME OUT OF THE WOMB GOING, "LOOK AT ME!
LOOK AT ME!
LOOK AT ME."
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
IT WAS THE WAY I WAS MADE.
I WAS HERE FOR NINE YEARS IN NEW YORK, AND I COULDN'T GET
ARRESTED.
I MEAN, NOTHING.
I COULDN'T MAKE ANYTHING HAPPEN.
AND I WAS SO ANGRY AT GOD.
AND I WAS LIKE, "YOU PUT THIS IN ME, AND YOU SHUT EVERY DOOR, AND
WHAT IS GOING ON?" SO I HAD, LIKE, NINE YEARS, AND
I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO L.A.
AND THE FIRST MONTH I WAS THERE, I WENT TO AN ORPHANAGE IN MEXICO
WITH THE CHURCH, AND WE LAID DOWN A LAWN AND WE HELPED THE
KIDS.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK, I HAD THIS HUGE SENSE OF PEACE THAT I HAD
NEVER HAD BEFORE.
AND I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN MAKING THE ACTING CAREER THE
CENTER OF MY LIFE.
AND YOU KNOW AS A CATHOLIC, THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT CAN
BE THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE.
AND THAT'S YOUR FAITH.
AND I THINK I WASN'T DOING THAT, AND I THINK GOD WAS WITHHOLDING
EVERYTHING UNTIL I MADE-- SHE MADE SURE THAT HE WAS THE STORY
OF MY LIFE AND NOT CAREER.
LOOK, THE CAREER COMES AND GOES.
WELL, NOT FOR ME, APPARENTLY.
( LAUGHTER )
>> YES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND YOU-- YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN'T RELY THOSE
THINGS BECAUSE THEY DON'T LAST.
AND YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE IS
GLORIFYING GOD WITH YOUR LIFE, NOT GLORIFYING YOURSELF WITH
YOUR CAREER.
>> Stephen: COW STILL HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD
NOW?
>> I HAD A BIG ONE REIN.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> YOU'RE THE FIRST PERSON I'M TELLING PUBLICLY, ACTUALLY.
ALL OF YOU.
SO DON'T TELL ANYBODY ELSE, OKAY?
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> YES.
I HAVEN'T HAD A DRINK IN 14 MONTHS.
AND -- >> Stephen: GOOD FOR YOU.
GOOD FOR YOU.
>> THANK YOU!
>> Stephen: AND WHY DID YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATION?
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THAT?
>> WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THAT WAS I WAS DRINKING TOO MUCH.
THERE'S THAT.
THERE'S A WEIRD THING WHEN YOU GET OLDER, ESPECIALLY FOR WOMEN,
AND YOU KIND OF SEE DEATH AT THE END OF THE ROAD.
IT'S COMING AT YOU FIGHT.
>> Stephen: KEEP IT LIGHT.
IT'S LATE NIGHT.
>> I THINK THIS IS A PERFECT TIME TO TALK ABOUT DEATH IS
RIGHT BEFORE PEOPLE GO TO BED.
SWEET DREAMS.
I JUST SAW I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THINGS BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO
HAVE A COCKTAIL AT THEM.
IN MY HEAD-- I HAD, THEY'RE PRAYER THOUGHTS MORE, LIKE
THOUGHTS, RIGHT?
AND I JUST SAID, "OKAY, GOD, I KNOW I WANT TO QUICK DRINKING.
I'M PRETTY SURE I WANT TO QUIT BUT I HAVE NO WILL POWER TO DO
IT, SO YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
LITERALLY, WITHIN 48 HOURS.
I HAD A COUPLE OF GLASSES OF WINE, AND I WAS AT A PARTY WITH
A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AND I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A JOKE, AND I WAS
TRYING TO SAY THE WORD "TRADITION."
"IN MY FAMILY IT'S A TRADITION."
I COULDN'T PRONOUNCE IT.
THREE TIMES I TRIED.
I CAN'T MISPRONOUNCE IT THE WAY I DID IT.
I THOUGHT WHAT'S GOING ON IN MY BRAIN?
THERE'S A SYNAPSE THING MISFIRING AND WHAT IS THE
ALCOHOL DOING TO MY BRAIN?
AND I REALIZED THAT WAS THE ANSWER.
YOU NEED TO STOP THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD A DRINK SINCE THEN.
AND IT WAS SO LOVELY THAT YOU ALL APPLAUDED, BECAUSE AS I'VE
TOLD FRIENDS I STOPPED DRINKING THE REACTION HAS BEEN, "WHY!"
>> Stephen: YOU'RE SO FUN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW SHOW.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A NEW SHOW.
DON'T KNOW IF YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT THIS ONE.
BUT YOU HAVE A NEW SHOW CALLED "CAROL'S SECOND ACT."
PREMIERED LAST NIGHT HERE ON THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK.
TWO PREVIOUS SIT COMES OF YOURS WENT FOR NINE YEARS.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I HAVE TO IMAGINE EVERYBODY ON THE CAST IS LIKE,
"GIVE ME THAT HEATON MAGIC.
PAPA'S GOT A MORTGAGE."
>> I DID SAY TO THEM YOU GUYS SHOULD GET BUSINESS MANAGERS AND
INVEST IN SOME REAL ESTATE.
BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SAID, "I COULD DIE TOMORROW, SO MAYBE PUT
A PIN IN THAT."
>> Stephen: KEEP IT LIGHT.
WHAT'S THE SHOW ABOUT?
AND WHY WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO DO?
>> "CAROL'S SECOND ACT" IS ABOUT A WOMAN OF A CERTAIN AGE WHO HER
HUSBAND DIVORCED HER, HER KIDS ARE OUT OF THE HOUSE, SHE'S A
HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER BUT ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR AND
SHE DECIDED TO TAKE-A CHANCE TO BECOME A DOCTOR AND WE PICK UP
THE FIRST YEAR THE HER RESIDENCY AND SHE'S THE OLDEST INTERN.
AND IT'S GRAPPLING WITH HER MAKING THIS MOVE AND EXPLORING
HER LIFE AND BEING BRAVE.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT IT WAS I WAS KIND OF-- I WAS AT THAT POINT
AFTER "THE MIDDLE" FINISHED, AND THE KIDS WERE OUT OF THE HOUSE
AND I WAS DRINKING A LOT, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING.
SO, YEAH, SO I CONNECTED TO THIS IDEA OF THIS PERSON.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THIS CLIP WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE?
>> JUST CAROL MEETING THE OTHER INTERNS, I BELIEVE.
>> Stephen: JIM.
>> WHAT AN EXCEPTIONAL GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I'M CAROL KENNY.
I'M VERY INTO SECONDARY INFECTIONS.
AND I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE!
>> WILL WE BE STARTING ROUNDS RIGHT AWAY?
>> I HOPE SO.
I'VE WAITED A LONG TIME FOR THIS DAY.
>> A LONG TIME TO BE CHIEF RESIDENT?
>> ME?
YOU THINK I'M CHIEF RESIDENT?
NO!
THIS IS MY FIRST DAY.
I'M AN INTERN, JUST LIKE YOU.
>> BUT YOU HAVE A CLIPBOARD.
>> YI LOVE CLIPBOARDS.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: PATRICIA, GREAT IT SEE YOU AGAIN.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: "CAROL'S SECOND ACT" AIRS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:30 ON
CBS.
PATRICIA HEATON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH TEGAN AND SARA