WELCOME BOOK TO THE SHOW.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT RECEIVED THE
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR HIS WORK IN "PLATOON,"
"SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE," AND JUST THIS WEEK FOR "THE FLORIDA
PROJECT."
>> I GOT A VIDEOTAPE OF THE KIDS ILLEGALLY ENTERING THE UTILITY
ROOM.
>> HEY, CODY, DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID TO HER.
>> I'M GOING TO TALK TO HER.
>> IT HAPPENS AGAIN, YOU'RE OUT OF HERE.
IT'S ONLY THE SECOND WEEK OF THE SUMMER, AND THERE'S ALREADY BEEN
A DEAD FISH IN THE POOL.
>> WE WERE DOING AN EXPERIMENT.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET IT BACK ALIVE.
>> THAT WASN'T MY IDEA.
>> AND WATER BALLOONS THROWN AT TOURISTS.
YOU CAN'T (BLEEP) WITH TOURISTS.
>> THEY DIDN'T TIP UP.
>> ARE YOU SERIOUS?
OH, MY GOD, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
I FAILED AS A MOTHER, MOONEE.
YOU HAVE DISGRACED ME.
>> YEAH, MOM, YOU'RE A DISGRACE.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME, WILLEM DAFOE!
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT'S A LITTLE
CHILLY IN HERE.
SOMETIMES I WISH I HAD A BEARD, TOO.
WELL, THANKS FOR BEING ON.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET YOU.
I'M A REALLY BIG FAN OF YOURS.
>> THANKS.
>> Stephen: EVERY SINCE "PLATOON," "LAST TEMPTATION OF
CHRIST," AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR THIRD OSCAR NOMINATIONS.
>> THANKS A LOT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANKS.
>> Stephen: IT BEING YOUR THIRD, ARE YOU KIND OF BLASE AT
THIS POINT?
>> NOT AT ALL.
NOT AT ALL.
AND IT'S ALWAYS DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, THE FIRST TIME FELT DIFFERENT.
>> Stephen: WAS THAT FOR "PLATOON"?
>> THAT WAS FOR "PLATOON."
THE SECOND TIME FELT DIFFERENT.
THIS FEELS DIFFERENT.
>> Stephen: DO YOU GET UP AND WAIT FOR IT OR...
>> YOU KNOW, THIS TIME I WAS VERY AWARE OF IT.
AND -- >> Stephen: HAS IT CAUGHT YOU
BY SURPRISE BEFORE?
THE FIRST TIME.
THE FIRST TIME, YES, BECAUSE IT WASN'T AS DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW.
AND I WAS-- MY IDENTITY WAS-- I WAS THIS, YOU KNOW, DOPEY ACTOR
WORKING DOWN IN A LITTLE THEATER.
AND THE "PLATOON" NOMINATION WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE, AND MY
SON'S BABY-SITTER IS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME I WAS NOMINATED.
WHICH SAY HUGE DIFFERENCE FROM NOW.
>> Stephen: NOW, I HAVE A PERSONAL QUESTION HERE.
I ALLUDED TO IT BACKSTAGE.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED YOUR NAME, WILLEM DAFOE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
IT HAS A HINT OF EUROPE TO IT SOMEHOW.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT IT'S A LIE, I JUST FOUND OUT.
THAT YOUR NAME IS WILLIAM DAFOE, AND YOU'RE MAKING THE REST OF US
SOUND STUPID FOR YEARS.
>> NO, NO, NO.
>> Stephen: WHY IS IT WILLEM?
WHAT'S WRONG.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> IT'S NOT LIKE THAT.
WHAT HAPPENED IS FIG BIGFAMILY.
FATHER IS CALLED WILLIAM, LOVE THE GUY BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T
WANT TO BE BILLIE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE WILLIAM JR. YOU KNOW, YOU WANT YOUR OWN
IDENTITY.
AND WHEN I WAS A KID, I WAS ALWAYS SEEK A NICKNAME, AND THEN
I FINALLY FOUND ONE WHERE A FRIEND OF MINE JUST STARTED
CALLING ME WILLEM, LIKE A LAZY WAY OF SAYING WILLIAM.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SPELL IT.
LAUGH AND THEN THE IRONY WAS BY THE TIME I BECAME AN ACTOR, TO
GO BACK TO MY BIRTH NAME FELT LIKE A STAGE NAME.
SO THE TRUTH IS, I-- I JUST STUCK WITH THE NAME THAT I FELT
LIKE.
>> Audience: YEAH!
>> Stephen: SO WILLEM DAFOE IS THE REAL YOU.
THAT ISN'T A STAGE NAME.
THIS IS YOU.
>> LISTEN, WE'RE-- WE'RE CHANGING ALL THE TIME, RIGHT?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: YEAH, HEY THAT'S THE LOOK-- THAT'S THE LOOK YOU
GAVE AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES.
THAT LITTLE SIDE-EYE LOOK.
>> SURPRISED ME, SURPRISED ME.
BUT MY FAMILY WAS GOOD WITH IT.
THEY SAID OBVIOUSLY THEY DID THAT BECAUSE THEY KNEW YOU WERE
OKAY.
>> Stephen: WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SETH MYERS WAS MAKING
JOKES ABOUT THE NEXT PERSON TO BE REVEALED, LIKE IF YOU HEAR
ANYONE'S NAME, YOU'RE AFRAID THEY'RE GOING TO BE PART OF SOME
SORT OF TRAGIC #METOO, REVELATION, AND HE USED YOUR
NAME.
>> YEAH, THAT'S A JOKE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU'RE ONE OF-- I
FOUND OUT-- ONE OF EIGHT CHILDREN, BIG FAMILY.
>> AND I FOUND OUT YOU'RE ONE OF 13.
>> Stephen: I'M ONE OF 11, ACTUALLY.
13 WITH MOM AND DAD, BUT I'M ONE OF 11.
I'M THE BABY OF 11.
WHERE DO YOU FALL?
>> I'M SEVEN.
>> Stephen: SEVEN EIGHT.
OKAY, THAT'S RIGHT DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
YOU ALWAYS HAD AN AUDIENCE.
>> IT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> BUT MY HOUSE WAS CHAOS, SO NOBODY WAS PAYING ATTENTION.
>> Stephen: HOW COULD IT BE OTHERWISE?
>> YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS -- >> Stephen: WHAT WAS CHRISTMAS
LIKE?
>> CHAOS.
BUT ONE COOL THING ABOUT CHRISTMAS, AND I THINK THIS IS
TRUE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
MY FATHER, WHO WAS A WORKAHOLIC, AND HE WORKED WITH MY MOTHER.
HE WOULD ALWAYS LINE US UP-- WE HAD A TWO-FLOOR HOUSE.
AND HE'D LINE EVERYBODY UP, AND HE'D GET OUT THE BELL AND HOWL
TO TAKE THE SAME SHOT EVERY YEAR OF US RUNNING DOWN THE STAIRS TO
OPEN PRESENTS.
IT WAS THE SAME SHOT.
AND EVERY YEAR, HE WOULD BREAK OUT THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND START
TO READ IT AGAIN.
WE'D BE-- WHEN WE WERE LITTLE KIDS WE REALLY WANTED TO GO AND
GET THE PRESENTS.
IT WAS A FAMILY RITUAL.
>> Stephen: DID HE LINE YOU UP ON THE STAIRS OR THE SECOND
FLOOR?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WE DID THE SAME THING, MY PARENTS, ALL 11 OF US,
THEY MADE US LINE UP ON THE STAIRS, ELDEST AT THE TOP,
YOUNGEST AT THE BOTTOM, AND MY BROTHER TOME, THE MIDDLE CHILD,
SEVEN 11-- OR SIX OF 11-- HE WOULD JUMP OVER ALL THE US.
( LAUGHTER ) LIKE A SPIDER MONKEY AND LAND AT
THE BOTTOM.
>> WHAT'S-- WHAT'S TOMMY DOING NOW?
>> Stephen: TOMMY IS-- HE'S A PSYCHOLOGIST AND SOCIAL WORKER,
WORKS WITH ABUSED CHILDREN, ACTUALLY.
HE'S DEDICATED-- HE'S THE BEST MEMBER OF MY FAMILY, I THINK.
HE SPENT HIS WHOLE CAREER HELPING FAMILIES IN CRISIS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
OKAY, SO WERE THERE-- MY OLDER BROTHERS AND VERSUS, LIKE, THE
FUNNIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TO ME.
MY WIFE ALWAYS SAYS, "YOU GET SO QUIET WHEN YOU'RE AROUND THEM."
I SAY I CAN'T BE AS FUNNY AS THEY ARE.
DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS HOW TO BE COUL COOL
ANYTHING?
>> HOW TO BE COOL?
I DON'T KNOW.
WHEN THEY WERE OLDER THEY WENT TO UNIVERSITY AND THERE WAS A
BIG TRANSFORMATION.
I GREW UP IN A TOWN IN WISCONSIN, 50,000 PEOPLE.
AND WHEN THEY WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY, IT WAS THE 1960s,
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON, AND THEY CAME BACK
TRANSFORMED.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I INHERITED THEIR MUSIC, I
INHERITED THEIR STYLE, AND I INHERITED THEIR POLITICS, WHICH
WAS REALLY CRAZY.
>> Stephen: DO THEY STILL HAVE THOSE POLITICS?
>> SOME YES, SOME NO.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE MY SISTER MARY ASKED ME A FEW YEARS AGO,
"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A PINKO?" BECAUSE SHE'S VERY REPUBLICAN.
AND I SAID, "WELL, MARY, IT'S BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A CHILD I
HEARD YOU SAYING ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT PEACE AND LOVE AND
TOGETHERNESS, AND, YOU KNOW, MISTRUST OF AUTHORITY AND THAT
KIND OF STUFF."
AND I SAID, "BUT IT WAS JUST A FAD FOR YOU, LIKE BELL BOTTOM
JEANS.
BUT YOU MADE ME A TRUE BELIEVER."
>> OH, THERE WE GO.
>> Stephen: "IT'S YOUR FAULT."
( APPLAUSE ) YOU KNOW WHAT SHE SAID?
SHE SAID-- SHE SAID, "SNAP OUT OF IT."
( LAUGHTER ) OKAY, SO, I UNDERSTAND-- WELL,
YOU WERE A CREATIVE KID, WHICH IS NO SURPRISE.
>> WAS I?
>> Stephen: WELL.
>> WHO TOLD YOU THAT?
>> Stephen: WELL A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME THAT YOU GOT IN TROUBLE
IN HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU LET YOUR CREATIVITY RUN A LITTLE
RAMPANT.
>> OKAY, I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU MAYBE HEARD.
NO, I JUST STOPPED GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE--
( LAUGHTER ) NO.
>> Stephen: WAS IT YOUR IDEA?
>> NO, THEY KICKED ME OUT.
( LAUGHTER ) BECAUSE I HAD THIS LITTLE CLASS
THAT WAS A COMMUNICATIONS CLASS, AND I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A
MAGAZINE SHOW, JUST WHEN KIDS WERE STARTING TO LEARN HOW TO
USE HOME VIDEO EQUIPMENT.
AND I INTERVIEWED THREE DIFFERENT STUDENTS IN THE
STUDENT BODY.
ONE CONSIDERED HIMSELF A SATANIST.
ONE CONSIDERED HIMSELF A NUDIST.
AND ONE WAS INTERESTED IN LEGALIZING POT.
SO IT WAS BASICALLY A MAGAZINE SHOW ABOUT OUTSIDERS IN MY
SCHOOL.
AND I SHOT IT, AND IT WAS INTERESTING.
BUT I WENT PRETTY CRAZY AS I WAS SHOOTING IT.
AND WHEN I WENT OUT FOR LUNCH, I LEFT THE STUFF ON THE-- STUFF
THEY WOULD HAVE CUT OUT -- >> Stephen: LIKE WHAT?
>> WELL, I INTERVIEWED THE NUDIST ON THE TOILET.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WAS HE NUDE?
>> YEAH!
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> BUT, YOU KNOW, WE FRAMED IT THE PROPER WAY.
SO--
SO IT WASN'T OFFENSIVE.
>> Stephen: UH-HUH...
>> IT WAS ARTISTIC.
>> Stephen: SURE.
THAT'S A FINE LINE.
>> THE SAY THANTIST BROUGHT OUTS HIS PORNOGRAPHY COLLECTION, AND
THE-- THE GUY THAT WAS INTERESTED IN LEGALIZING POT,
YOU KNOW, STARTED TALKING ABOUT SOME OF HIS-- SOME OF THE PEOPLE
HE SOLD TO.
BUT I WASN'T GOING TO HAVE ANY OF THE STUFF IN.
( LAUGHTER ) I WAS GOING TO CUT THAT OUT.
>> Stephen: SO YOU LEFT IT OUT.
>> NO!
I WENT OUT FOR LUNCH, AND A TEACHER CAME IN AND SAW THE
STUFF ON THE EDITING BED AND STARTED TO LOOK AT IT.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK FROM LUNCH, THE DOOR WAS LOCKED, AND I SAID,
"WHAT'S UP?" AND SOMEONE SAID, "HEY, YOU
BETTER GET DOWN TO THE PRINCIPAL."
AND I WENT TO THE PRINCIPAL, AND MY PARENTS ARE THERE.
AND THEY SAID, "OH, WILLY, YOU'RE MAKING PORNOGRAPHY!"
( LAUGHTER ) IT WASN'T TRUE.
I SAID THIS IS FAR TOO COMPLICATED.
Y SOY-- I LEFT TOWN AND I SLEPT ON A FRIEND'S COUCH AND STARTED
TO GO TO UNIVERSITY.
>> Stephen: WOW, SO IT WORKED OUT.
>> YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU RECOMMEND IT?
( APPLAUSE ) >> DO I RECOMMEND IT?
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T KNOW?
>> YOU HEARD THE STORY.
IT'S UP TO YOU.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO MEET YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
"THE FLORIDA PROJECT" IS IN THEATERS NOW.
WILLEM DAFOE, EVERYBODY!