( APPLAUSE )
WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW."
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "RESERVOIR
DOGS," "NATIONAL TREASURE," AND "THE IRISHMAN."
HE NOW STARS IN THE NEW FILM "LANSKY."
>> THEY ACCUSED ME OF MAKING A PRESIDENT.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW MR. NIXON ANY MORE THAN WHAT I'VE READ IN THE
NEWSPAPERS.
THEY CLAIM I HAD 50% CASINOS, 50% OF MONT CALLERO.
NOW, HOW RIDICULOUS CAN WE GET.
>> MR. LANSKY, IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ORGANIZED CRIME?
>> I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO THE LATE SHOW, HARVEY
KEITEL!
♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING
HERE.
>> YOU'RE NOT ED SULLIVAN.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: HARVEY, YOU'VE HAD AN AMAZING CAREER.
THE MOVIES I NAMED, OF COURSE, ALSO "TAXI DRIVER" "THE PIANO,"
"SMOKES, "YOUR VARIETY OF YOUR "NATIONAL TREASURES."
NAMED, OF COURSE, BECAUSE IT CONTAINS NATIONAL TREASURE
HARVEY KEITEL.
NOW, HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTERESTED IN ACTING?
>> WELL,s, I WAS WORKING FOR THE CITY OF NEW YORK AT THE TIME.
IT WAS LIKE OUT OF A KAFKA NOVEL.
I WAS A CITY EMPLOYEE, AND THIS VERY HANDSOME GREEK GUY I WORKED
WITH, SAID DO YOU WANT TO SEE ABOUT ACTING LESSONS?
AND I SAID OKAY, YOU KNOW.
SO I WAS JUST OUT OF THE MANNER CORPS, LIKE JUST A COUPLE OF
YEARS AT THAT TIME YOU.
>> Stephen: HAD BEEN IN THE MARINES, AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING
FOR THE CITY?
>> I WAS A COURT STENOGRAPHER FOR THE CITY.
>> Stephen: A COURT STENOGRAPHER.
>> YEAH.
HE TAKES ME TO THIS PLACE AND WE WALK INTO A BUILDING ON 23rd
STREET AND FIFTH AVENUE.
AND WE WALKED IN AND THE BUILDING THE THE STAIRCASE WAS
SLANTED, IT WAS LIKE A SLUM.
WE WALKED UP FIVE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS AND WE OPENED A DOOR TO A
HUGE LOFT, AND THERE WAS A DESK THERE AND A GUY SITTING BEHIND
THE DESK.
HE LOOKED A LITTLE DIRTY AND DUSTY.
SOY WOO WALKED OVER TO HIM AND WE START TO TALK ABOUT ACTING.
AND I'M SITTING THERE.
I DIDN'T KNOW FROM ACTING.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
AND MY FRIEND STARTED TO LEAVE.
HE SAID, "HARVEY, I'M GOING TO GO."
>> Stephen: THIS IS TOO SKETCHY FOR HIM?
( LAUGHTER )
STAY."
SO I STAYED.
AND SO THE GUY SAYS TO ME, "YOU SEE THAT COAT RACK OVER THERE?"
I SAID, "YEAH."
HE SAYS, "GO OVER AND COUNT ALL THOSE HANGARS.
HOW MANY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE?"
I SAID, "WELL, OKAY."
I WALKED OVER, I STARTED COUNTING THEM.
I CAME BACK.
HE SAID, "DID YOU COUNT THEM?" I SAID, "YEAH."
HE SAID, "HOW MANY ARE THERE?" I SAID, LIKE, 60."
HE SAID, "DID YOU COUNT EVERY ONE OF THEM?"
I THOUGHT HE WAS PUTTING ME ON, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS-- YOU
KNOW, I I JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
I WANTED TO HIT HIM.
( LAUGHTER )
EVERY ONE OF THEM."
AND HE SAID, "WELL, ANY BACK AND COUNT EVERY ONE."
OF COURSE, ACTING IS DOING THINGS TRUTHFULLY WITH A
PURPOSE.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST ACTING LESSON I EVER HAD.
>> Stephen: WOW.
( APPLAUSE )
BEEN CURIOUS-- I TAUGHT IMPROVISATION WHEN I WAS
YOUNGER, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG IMPROV COMEDIAN.
I USED TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE I WAS TEACHING, "THE REAL THING IS
I'M NOT REALLY TEACHING YOU SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
I AM REVEALING TO YOU THROUGH THESE EXERCISES YOUR ABILITY TO
DO IT.
I'M NOT ACTUALLY GIVING IT TO YOU.
I'M REVEALING YOUR OWN TALENT."
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PURPOSE OF ACTING CLASSES ARE?
>> TO BRING YOU IN CLOSER CONTACT WITH YOU, WHO YOU ARE,
AND THE CHARACTER YOU'RE PLAYING.
AND THE IMPROVISATION IS REALLY BEST FOR THAT.
BECAUSE YOU'RE FORCED INTO YOURSELF WITHOUT HAVING LINES.
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY IS GOING TO COME PURELY FROM
YOURSELF.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A KNACK FOR SPOTTING EMERGING TALENT,
ESPECIALLY IN DIRECTORS.
YOU QUITE FAMOUSLY HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST MOVIES OF SOME
BRILLIANT DIRECTORS,s SCORSESE, RIDLEY SCOTT, PAUL
SCHROEDER, QUENTIN TARANTINO, AMONG OTHERS.
IS THERE SOMETHING COMMON IN YOUR MIND TO FIRST-TIME
DIRECTORS, AGREEMENT FIRST-TIME DIRECTORS?
IS THERE SOME COMMONALITY BETWEEN TARANTINO OR SCORSESE,
PAUL SCHROEDER?
>> SOMEBODY ASKED ME THAT QUESTION ONCE AND ALL I COULD
DESCRIBE IT AS, YOU KNOW THAT PARTY YOU WENT TO, YOU WALKED
IN, PACKED WITH PEOPLE.
AND YOU SAW THAT ONE GIRL, AND YOU SAID, "THAT'S THE ONE."
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE MEETING THESE DIRECTORS THAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT.
JANE CHAMPION AMONGST THEM, ALMOST A FIRST FILM.
JUST SOMETHING-- IT'S SORT OF-- YOU CAN'T PUT A HANDLE ON IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN YOU AND THAT GIRL.
>> Stephen: IS-- IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THAT
ALL THESE SAME DIRECTORS SEE IN YOU?
LIKE, WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF HARVEY KEITEL FROM A DIRECTOR'S
POINT OF VIEW?
>> THEY MAYBE SAW IN ME THE SAME GIRL.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE HARVEY KEITEL.
♪ ♪ ♪