>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST IS AN ACTOR
YOU KNOW FROM "AMADEUS," "THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL,"
AND "THE WHITE LOTUS." HIS NEW FILM
IS "THE MAGIC FLUTE." >> I HAD OCCASION TO HEAR YOUR
FATHER SING SEVERAL TIME IS RIGHT HERE IN THESE HALLOWED
HALLS WHERE WE BOTH GOT OUR START.
HE WAS A FEW YEARS BEHIND ME BUT I REMEMBER HIS POWERFUL YET
NUANCED FIGURE. YOUR FATHER WAS QUITE THE
SINGER. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS
ONE MUST HAVE DISCIPLINE. AND ONE MUST HAVE RULES.
IN ANY CASE, OUR CHRISTMAS RECITAL FAST APPROACHES.
>> THE MAGIC FLUTE. THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY DAD'S
FAVORITE. HE SAID HE ALWAYS FELT THIS
CONNECTION WITH THE PRINCE. >> OH.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW,"
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM.
♪ ♪ >> F. Murray: OH!
[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU!
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: IT'S SO NICE.
I'VE BEEN A FAN FOR SO LONG. WE'VE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO TALK
BEFORE. IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE FOR ME.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT "THE WHITE LOTUS" HE'S AN TWO.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE STARS, YOU CALLED IT THE BEST JOB THAT YOU
HAVE EVER HAD. YOU ARE 83, YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF
GOOD JOBS. WHY WAS THAT THE BEST ONE?
>> F. Murray: WAS A GREAT SCRIPT.
IT WAS, EVERYBODY LIKED EACH OTHER.
THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TOO OFTEN. >> Stephen: OH, YEAH?
>> F. Murray: NO, IT DOESN'T. >> Stephen: WASN'T DURING
COVID, WERE YOU STUCK TOGETHER? >> F. Murray: YEAH, WE HAVE
THE WHOLE HOTEL TO OURSELVES BECAUSE IT WAS OFF-SEASON BUT IT
WWAS A BEATABLE PLACE. THE CAST, THE CREW.
EVERYONE. WE ATE TOGETHER.
TO WORK TOGETHER. I THINK IT COMES THROUGH THE
CAMERA. WE ALL REALLY GOT ALONG.
>> Stphen: THE NEW FILM IS "THE MAGIC FLUTE."
YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT YOU'RE A FAN OF THE OPERA BY
MOZART. WHAT DID YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?
I HAVE MY OWN REASONS FOR LOVING IT AND I WILL TELL YOU WERE JUST
A SECOND. >> F. Murray: ONE OF THE EARLY
ONES THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH. LA BOHEME WAS THE FIRST ONE.
ONE OF THE REASONS I LOVE THIS MOVIE, IT'S A GREAT INTRODUCTION
TO A GENERATION THAT DOESN'T KNOW OPERA BECAUSE IT'S LIKE,
IT'S "THE MAGIC FLUTE." IT'S GOT REAL MAGIC IN IT BUT
IT'S ALSO LIKE A HARRY POTTER VERSION OF "THE MAGIC FLUTE" SO
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF KIDS DISCOVERING OPERA.
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC. BY THE WAY, WE SHOT IT IN
SALZBURG, ANOTHER REASON THAT I DID IT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER PICK A PROJECT BECAUSE THE LOCATION IS
GREAT? >> F. Murray: ACTUALLY, YES.
[LAUGHS] >> Stephen: AND THE SCRIPT IS
GREAT OBVIOUSLY. >> F. Murray: IF IT'S ONLY
MEDIOCRE. BUT IT'S IN A GREAT PLACE.
[LAUGHS] >> Stephen: YOU'VE STILL GOT
TO GO. I DON'T KNOW SALZBURG.
>> F. Murray: IT'S SO PRETTY. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
DO YOU KNOW THE "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" WAS SHOT THERE.
>> Stephen: I DID KNOW THAT. >> F. Murray: ONE OF THE
BIGGEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN EUROPE.
RIGHT NOW. IT'S HUGE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S
ANOTHER BIG TOURIST ATTRACTION, AND THAT WAS MOZART'S HOUSE WAS
THERE AND BECAUSE IT WAS THE COVID AT THAT TIME, THERE WAS NO
ONE THERE. THE TOURISTS WERE OUT, SO I HAVE
THE RUN OF THE TOWN. IT WAS GREAT.
I HAD GUIDED TOURS BY THE PEOPLE WHO RAN THE OPERATION.
I FELT LIKE A REALLY BIG MAN. >> Stephen: YOU PLAY A TEACHER
AND A HEADMASTER IN THIS FILM. IS THERE PARTICULAR TEACHER WHO
MADE A PARTICULAR DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE?
>> F. Murray: I WAS A HOODLUM. >> Stephen: YOU WERE A
HOODLUM? F. MURRAY ABRAHAM WAS A HOODLUM?
>> F. Murray: YES. EL PASO, TEXAS, THE MOVIE, YOU
KNOW "SCARFACE." I SOUNDED LIKE THAT IN CHARACTER
WHEN I GREW UP. ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE MEXICANS
AND I GREW UP WITH THE BORDER. I WAS A BOMB.
I WAS REALLY GOING NOWHERE. THIS TEACHER.
TURN MY LIFE AROUND, SHE SAID YOU SHOULD TRY THIS.
DON'T ASK ME WHY. >> Stephen: WAS IT AN ACTING
CLASS? >> F. Murray: SPEECH AND
DRAMA. I TOOK IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT
WAS EASY. >> Stephen: WAS IT EASY?
>> F. Murray: AS SOON AS I STEPPED ON THE STAGE, I KNEW
WHERE I BELONG TO. IT WAS UP A GIFT FROM HEAVEN.
TO CHANGE MY LIFE. I LEFT THE GANGS.
I ACTED IN A CONTEST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND MY WON AND I
GOT A SCHOLARSHIP. WENT TO COLLEGE.
[APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: DO YOU REMEMBER,
WHAT WAS THE THING THE ACTED TO WIN THE CONTEST?
>> F. Murray: IT WAS A ONE-MAN PLAY.
I PLANED A GUY WITH A SCOTTISH ACCENT.
THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS $100 TO GO TO COLLEGE.
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE THE DA DAYS.
>> F. Murray: WELL, I AM 125 YEARS OLD.
>> Stephen: IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE.
THEY WEREN'T SURE IF IT WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF YOUR
INTRODUCTORY PRICE. YOU ARE PERFORMING WITH THE
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. WHEN IS THAT?
>> F. Murray: THAT IS GOING TO BE IN THE WEEK AND A HALF.
17, 18, 19. I AM DOING MORE MOZART.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU SINGING? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
>> F. Murray: I'M GOING TO BE RECITING POETRY WITH THE GREAT
CONDUCTOR. GREAT, GREAT CONDUCTOR AND WE'RE
GOING TO BE DOING THE REQUIEM. YES.
YOU KNOW WHAT? A BUNCH OF SMARTIES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. I WAS BORN IN PITTSBURGH.
I LEFT WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, GREW UP IN EL PASO.
BUT I TRAVE AROUND A LOFT. IT'S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I
THINK ABOUT MY JOB. I GET TO SEE THE WORLD AND
SOMEONE PAYS ME. >> Stephen: WELL, SPEAKING OF
MOZART AND SPECIFICALLY THE REQUIEM, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
"AMADEUS" FOR JUST A MOMENT. E.U., THE REQUIEM IS WHAT IS
COMPOSING WHEN HE DIES, WHEN YOU'RE CHARACTER, SALIERI,
ESSENTIALLY KILLS THEM THROUGH EXHAUSTION.
YOU WON AN OSCAR FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE.
HERE YOU ARE. YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT.
ABSOLUTELY THE SAME. WHERE DO YOU KEEP THE OSCAR?
>> F. Murray: I REALLY MISS MY HAIR.
[LAUGHS] >> Stephen: WHERE DO YOU KEEP
THE OSCAR. >> F. Murray: I'VE GOT TO TELL
YOU, MAN. BECAUSE THE OSCAR BROUGHT ME SO
MANY GOODIES, HE HAS APPEARED IN EVERY PLAY I'VE EVER DONE.
>> Stephen: OSCAR HAS? >> F. Murray: HERE IN
NEW YORK, ON BROADWAY, OFF-BROADWAY, IN EUROPE, IN
CONCERTS. I GIVE HIM TO THE STAGE MANAGER
AND I SAY LISTEN, HIDE HIM ON THE STAGE.
NOT SO WHERE THE AUDIENCE CAN'T SEE HIM BUT WHERE THE CAST CAN
DISCOVER HIM. JUST FOR FUN.
>> Stephen: THAT IS A HELL OF A FLEX, I'VE GOT TO SAY.
OH, I'M SORRY. DID I PUT MY OSCAR IN YOUR
SCENE? I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS THERE.
I DIDN'TWANT THEM TO BE THERE. >> F. Murray: HE HAS BEEN IN
TRASH CANS, DRAWERS, SUITCASES. PEOPLE GET INTO BED AND THEY GO,
WHOA. >> Stephen: IS THAT AN OSCAR
ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE ME? BUT YOU'RE ON STAGE.
WELL, THIS IS A BROADWAY STAGE. WHERE IS OSCAR?
IS OSCAR HERE? >> F. Murray: ARE YOU
SAYING -- >> Stephen: I AM ASKING YOU IF
OSCAR IS HERE TONIGHT. >> F. Murray: I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: MARK, THAT IS MY STAGE MANAGER.
IS IT SOMEWHERE OUT HERE? >> F. Murray: HE SAYS IT IS.
>> Stephen: DO WE DO THIS -- THE YOUNGEST ONE GOES AND LOOKS
FOR IT? IS THERE A TRICK?
MAY I? I'M NOT JOKING.
HOLD ON. NO.
HOLD ON. WARMER?
[AUDIENCE SHOUTING] >> TURN LEFT, TURN LEFT.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
>> Stephen: WOW. I WILL DELIVER HIM RIGHT BACK TO
YOU. >> F. Murray: OH, IT'S ALL
YOURS. >> Stephen: F. MURRAY,
THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH, MY GOSH.
I'VE NEVER HELD ONE BEFORE. MAY I PICK HIM UP AGAIN?
OH, MY GOSH. OH, MY GOSH.
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE, "AMADEUS."
DAMN. THIS IS SUCH AN UNLIKELY MURDER
WEAPON. NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT IT.
YOU CAN PUT HIM IN THE DISHWASHER AND GET ALL THE
EVIDENCE OFF. WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM. I LIKE TO THANK "THE
MAGIC FLUTE" WHICH IS IN SELECT THEATERS ON FRIDAY.
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.