MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT CO-STAR AS J.R.R. AND HIS WIFE
EDITH IN THE NEW MOVIE "TOLKIEN."
>> TELL ME A STORY IN ANY LANGUAGE YOU WANT.
>> YOU'RE RIDICULOUS.
THE LEGEND OF SILADOR.
I'M NOT A PERFORMING MONKEY.
T BEGINS WITH THEA RIVAL OF A PROUD PRINCESS.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
SHE DEMANDS ENTERTAINMENT.
THE PRINCESS IS BORED.
BORED OF CAKES AND MUFFINS AND EXQUISITE CHINA.
SHE LONG FOR ANOTHER LIFE.
>> IT'S NOT A NAME.
WHAT?
SOMETHING ELSE.
SELADOR IS NOT A PRINCESS' NAME.
IT CAN'T BE.
SELADOR IS A PLACE.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME NICHOLAS HOULT AND LILY COLLINS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( BAND PLAYING ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> Stephen: I AM PARTICULARLY EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU BECAUSE
OF THE MOVIE THAT YOU'RE HERE TO PROMOTE, TOLKIEN.
I AM A FAN OF THE PROFESS PROFES I AM SO NERVOUS.
>> WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY EDITH AND TOLKIEN.
>> Stephen: I KNOW THIS.
BUT WE GET TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROFESSOR'S LIFE IN
THIS MOVIE.
DESCRIBE WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT TOLKIEN'S LIFE.
>> IT'S HIS FORMATIVE YEARS.
IT'S THE BUILDUP TO HIM RING THE HOBBIT.
ABOUT HIM FINDING FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE WITH EDITH AND HIS
EXPERIENCES IN WORLD WAR I AND HIS LOVE OF LANGUAGE.
>> Stephen: HE GOT THAT FROM HIS MOTHER, WHO SHE ALSO DIED
WHEN HE WAS QUITE YOUNG BUT SHE INTRODUCED HIM AND HIS BROTHER
INTO MYTHS AND LEGENDS AND THAT SORT OF THING AND TAUGHT HIM
LANGUAGES.
AND EDITH AND TOLKIEN SORT OF GREW UP TOGETHER, DIDN'T THEY?
>> THEY DID.
I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT TOLKIEN BEFORE I STARTED
THE PROJECT, UNFORTUNATELY, AND THERE'S NOT MUCH RESEARCH TO BE
DONE ON EDITH BUT EDITH WAS ALSO AN ORPHAN AND THEY LIVED IN THE
SAME HOUSE.
THEY WERE FIRST STEADFAST FRIENDS AND CONFIDANTS IN
ESCAPISM AND BECAME EACH OTHER'S ONE AND ONLY LOVES THROUGHOUT
THEIR LIVES UNTIL THEIR 80s.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT TOLKIEN'S WORK.
>> I WAS A HUGE FAN TO HAVE THE HOBBIT AND LORD OF THE RINGS.
I LOVED FANTASY.
I AUDITIONED FOR AVANGELINE'S ROLE IN THE HOBBIT.
I DON'T EVEN THINK IT EVER MADE IT TO PETER JACKSON.
IT WAS AWFUL.
YEARS LATER, IRONICALLY, I END UP PLAYING THE WOMAN WHO
INSPIRED THAT CHARACTER.
>> Stephen: DID YOU KNOW TOLKIEN'S WORK AT ALL?
>> I GOT GIVEN THE HOBBIT BY THE WRIGHTS BROTHERS, THE DIRECTOR
OF THAT.
SO I READ IT.
I STILL HAVE THE COPY TO HAVE BOOK AT HOME.
I READ IT.
IT FELT FORTUITOUS.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS ONE THING I HAD FORGOT TOLKIEN BEFORE
READING THE PRE-INTERVIEW WITH YOU GUYS, MY PRODUCER.
HE'S THE SAME GUY IN ABOUT A BOY.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT'S YOU.
LOOK AT YOU IN "ABOUT A BOY."
RIGHT THERE.
>> LITERALLY THE CUTEST!
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I THINK I SPEAK
FOR SEVERAL OF THE WOMEN ON MY STAFF WHEN I SAY YOU FILLED OUT
NICELY.
>> THERE YOU GO.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I HAVE A BIT OF
SUPER, AN EXCLUSIVE DEEP-CUT NERD PHOTOGRAPH HERE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN BEFORE I SHOW TO PEOPLE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
YOU ARE PREPARING TO PLAY THE PROFESSOR.
>> WE'RE FILMING THE BUILDUP TO TOLKIEN.
I READ LI HIS LETTERS AND BOOKS BIOGRAPHIES AND THERE ARE
CERTAIN ELEMENTS YOU TRY THINGS OUT TO SEE IF IT HELPS
SUBCONSCIOUSLY INFLUENCE THE CHARACTER.
HE DID ALL HIS OWN ILLUSTRATIONS, SO I TRY TO DO
WATER COLORS IN DOWN TIME ON X-MEN, SO HERE'S ME DOING A
WATER COLOR AMIDST A BATTLE GOING ON.
>> Stephen: IN HIS STYLE, LOOKS LIKE.
>> TRYING TO.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'RE STILL IN COSTUME PREPARING TO BE
TOLKIEN.
>> THERE IT IS.
>> Stephen: THIS MOVIE HAS TAKEN A FIRM SUBSTANCE ON HOW TO
PRONOUNCE THE PROFESSOR'S NAME.
>> I WASN'T GOING TO CALL YOU OUT ON IT BUT YOU'VE SAID IT
WRONG A COUPLE OF TIMES.
>> Stephen: I GREW UP SAYING IT THAT WAY.
>> IT'S AROUND THE WORLD.
WE WERE JUST IN ENGLAND AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING TOLKIEN
STILL.
THEY REFUSED TO SAY IT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE IT WAS TOO
PROPER.
>> Stephen: TOLKIEN?
TOLKIEN IS THE CORRECT PRONUNCIATION.
I WOULD LISTEN TO JUDY DENCH DID THE VOICEOVER FOR ONE TO HAVE
THE DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT HIM AND SHE DEFINITELY SAYS TOL-KEEN
THROUGHOUT.
I SAID, OKAY, I'M STICKING WITH YOU.
>> Stephen: I THINK THE PROBLEM WHEN I WAS A KID IS I
READ TOLKIEN BUT THERE WAS NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT IT.
>> TOL-DIN.
>> Stephen: SORRY.
SORRY.
I ALSO READ PEOPLE READ TOLKIEN ALSO READ SCIENCE FICTION, SAME
GROUP.
AND ROBERT HEINLINE AND J.R.R.
TOLKIEN AND IT WAS SPELLED THE SAME SO THAT'S WHY WHICH DID IT.
THERE WAS A BIBLICAL REACTION TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP IN THAT
TOLKIEN WASN'T ALLOWED TO SEE EDITH BY THE PRIEST AND HER
BROTHER.
HE HAD TO MAKE SOMETHING OF HIMSELF FIRST?
>> HE HAD A LOT OF WEIGHT ON HIS SHOULDERS BECAUSE OF HIS
PARENTS' PASSING SO HE HAD TO GET A GOOD JOB, GET TO OXFORD
AND GRADUATE.
SO UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE KEPT APART.
SHE WAS ENGAGED TO SOMEONE ELSE.
>> Stephen: SHE DIDN'T WAIT.
HE'S A WOMAN OF LITTLE PROSPECTS AND, AT THAT TIME --
>> Stephen: ALSO AN ORPHAN.
ALSO AN ORPHAN.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE MANY JOB PROSPECTS AND IF YOU WERE A
WOMAN OF A CERTAIN AGE AND NOT PROMISED TO SOMEONE, IT DIDN'T
LOOK GOOD.
WHEN HE WENT OFF TO SCHOOL, SHE PROMISED HERSELF TO SOMEONE ELSE
AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK TO SEND TOLKIEN OFF TO WAR, SHE WAS
STILL PROMISED TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND IT WAS SO UNDENIABLE HOW
THEY LOVED ONE ANOTHER.
WHAT IS SAID TO BE TRUE IS HER FIANCEÉ, GEORGE, GATHERED ALL
THREE TOGETHER AND THEY SAT AND HAD TEA AND HE HANDED HER OFF TO
TOLKIEN.
VERY MODERN, RIGHT?
WHEN WOULD THAT EVER HAPPEN?
VERY CIVILIZED.
I THINK HE REALIZED THEY JUST WERE MEANT TO BE AND, I DON'T
KNOW, I CAN'T SAY I WOULD DO THE SAME THING, BUT THEY ENDED UP
TOGETHER AND IT WAS LOVELY.
>> Stephen: "TOLKIEN" OPENS IN THEORIES NEXT FRIDAY.
BUT ON MAY 7 I'M INTERVIEWING THESE PEOPLE AT THE FILM
FESTIVAL.
SIMULTANEOUS CAST AT 200 DIFFERENT THEATERS.
YOU CAN FIND OUT AT A THEATER NEAR YOU.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY JAMES TAYLOR.