♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODIUM MY NEXT GUEST IS AN ACTOR AND
STAR OF THE FX TV SHOW, "POSE."
>> LOOK, WHAT I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU ALL STAYS HERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
FEW YEARS AGO, ELECTRA HAD A CLIENT AT OVERDOSED AND DIED.
SHE KNEW IF SHE CALLED THE COPS SHE WOULD GO TO JAIL FOR LIFE
EVEN THOUGH SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.
>> WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
HAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH THE TRUNK ANYWAY.
( BLEEP ).
NO, NO, NO, HE AIN'T IN IT.
>> THIS IS SOME ( BLEEP ) UP.
WE NEED TO MOVE IN TRUNK IN CASE THE POLICE COME SNIFFING
AROUND.
WHAT ARE Y'ALL WAITING FOR?
LET'S GO!
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," M.J. RODRIGUEZ.
HEY, M.J., HEY, Y'ALL.
HOW YOU DOING?
>> Stephen: DOING WELL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
GLAD TO OFFICIALLY BE BACK.
>> Stephen: THERE IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE INTERVIEWED YOU BUT
YOU WERE HERE IN JULY OF 2018 WITH JANELLE MONET PERFORMING
HER SONG AMERICANS, WHICH WAS A GREAT PERFORMANCE THERE.
IT'S A GREAT STAGE.
IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO PERFORM.
WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE THE FIRST TIME HERE AT THE ED
SULLIVAN?
>> IT WAS SO GOOD AT THE THEATER.
I CAME IN.
IT WAS SO WELCOMING AND COMFY.
IT FELT COMFORTABLE BEING ON THE STAGE.
THE ENERGY UP THERE IS GREAT.
I AM A TRUE FAN OF YOUR SHOW.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT I WOULD BE ALLOWED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON
THE SHOW BECAUSE I'M SO EXCITED.
I'M GLAD TO BE BACK.
>> Stephen: SO ARE WE.
YOU'RE ON THE COVER OF MAGAZINES INCLUDING THE COVER TO HAVE THE
PRIDE ISSUE OF ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU ALSO STAR AS BLANCA IN "POSE" WHICH IS IN ITS
THIRD AND FINAL SEASON.
NOW, I'VE DONE TV SHOWS THAT HAVE RUN FOR YEARS, AND IT'S
GREAT TO GET THE GIG, AND IT'S GREAT TO MAKE ALL THESE FRIENDS
AND REALLY, LIKE, FALL IN LOVE, AND I KNOW IT CAN BE HARD TO
END.
HOW DOES IT FEEL KNOWING THAT THIS SHOW THAT HAS BEEN SO
SUCCESSFUL IS ENDING?
>> UM, IT'S JUST -- IT'S BITTERSWEET.
IT'S SENTIMENTAL.
I'M EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL.
I LITERALLY HAD A BREAKDOWN, LIKE, YESTERDAY.
NOT A BREAKDOWN JUST LIKE CUT MY HAIR OFF OR ANYTHING CLEARLY,
BUT I HAD THE CRY WITH MY NAPKIN IN MY BATHROOM AND I SHED WHAT
BLANCA HAD MEANT AND HAS MEANT TO ME.
I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO IMPACT ME THAT WAY.
IT'S KIND OF CRAZY HOW IT'S ENDING.
I'M HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE HAD ANY EXPERIENCE WITH BALLROOM CULTURE
BEFORE YOU DID THIS SHOW?
>> I DID.
I DID.
WHEN I WAS 14 YEARS OLD, I ACTUALLY WENT INTO THE BALLROOM
SCENE WHILE I WAS GOING TO ACTING CLASSES AND SCHOOL AT THE
SAME TIME.
I MADE SURE I TOOK MY BUTT TO NEW YORK CITY TO DELVE INTO THE
BALLROOM SCENE.
I WAS A LITTLE OF A BYSTANDERS.
I WENT IN VOGUEING AND THEN TOOK A BACK STAND BECAUSE I WAS
NERVOUS.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE GREAT AT THE BALLROOM
SCENE?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE GREAT IN VOGUEING?
>> A LOT OF PRECISION, A LOT OF PRACTICE AND A LOT OF
CONFIDENCE.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT ON THAT STAGE, ON THE FLOOR AS THE
BALLROOM KIDS WOULD SAY AND GO OUT THERE AND SERVE IT AND I HAD
MY MOMENT, YOU KNOW, I GOT CUT WHEN I WALKED THE RUNWAY.
AFTER THAT, I WAS, LIKE, I'M NOT WALKING RUNWAY ANYMORE BUT I'LL
VOGUE INSTEAD.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU BRING A LOT OF CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU GO
OUT THERE.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOUR NAME OR NICKNAME M.J.,IST YOUR
INITIALS BUT THERE'S A NERDY REASON FOR YOU GOING BEHIND
THOSE INITIALS.
>> YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE MY FULL NAME SMALLER.
I REMEMBER WATCHING SPIDER-MAN WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WITH KIRSTEN
DUNST AND TOBY McGUIRE AND I REMEMBER THEM CALLING HER M.J.
I THOUGHT, OH, MY GOD I WANT TO BE LIKE HER.
THAT'S THE INITIALS OF MY NAME, I THINK.
SO I WANTED TO BE LIKE HER. I WANTED TO BE LIKE MAR MARY JANE
>> Stephen: A QUICK BREAK. BACK WITH MORE M.J. RODRIGUEZ.