♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE ACADEMY-AWARD WINNING ACTRESS
YOU KNOW BEST FROM "12 YEARS A SLAVE," "US," AND "BLACK
PANTHER."
SHE CURRENTLY STARS AS JULIETA IN THE PUBLIC THEATER'S
BILINGUAL RADIO PLAY, "ROMEO Y JULIETA."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," LUPITA NYONG'O!
LUPITA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME IN STRANGE TIMES.
>> Stephen: IT IS STRANGE TIMES.
SO HAPPY TO FIND OUT WE'RE TALKING TO YOU FROM KENYA RIGHT
NOW, TRUE?
>> YES, YES, I AM HOME.
>> Stephen: WOW, THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR STAYING UP LATE.
I KNOW IT MUST BE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR YOU WHERE YOU ARE.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE ONLY DOING THIS AT 5:30, OR SOMETHING,
WHERE WE ARE.
AND THIS IS OUR FIRST ZOOM HAD OF IN FROM AFRICA, SO THANK YOU
FOR CHRISTENING A WHOLE NEW CONTINENT FOR US.
>> I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: IN KENYA, THERE'S NO CHANCE ANYBODY THERE KNOWS MY
SHOW, IS THERE?
>> OH, THEY DO.
>> Stephen: NO, REALLY?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST SAY THAT ( LAUGHS )
>> YOU'RE A GLOBAL ICON.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
YOU'RE MY FAVORITE GUEST OF THE NIGHT.
MARTIN FREEMAN'S GOT TO GO OVER A HIGH BAR NOW.
WE LOVE YOUR FILMS, BUT YOU ACTUALLY STARTED ON THE LIVE ON
THE STAGE, AS A LOT OF ACTORS DO.
I UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU WERE 14 YOU HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY
JULIETTE.
WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?
HOW DID YOU GET THAT PART ON YOUR FIRST PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTION?
>> YEAH, SO I MEAN, AT THAT POINT, I HAD DONE PASSES BY AND
SCHOOL PLAYS AND MY AUNT CONVINCED ME TO AUDITION FOR THE
ONLY PROFESSIONAL THEATER AT THE TIME, PHOENIX PLAYERS.
AND I AUDITIONED FOR THE MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF "CINDERELLA."
I DID NOT GET THE PART.
I DID NOT GET ANY PART IN THAT, BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR FELT I WAS
TOO YOUNG.
A FEW MONTHS LATER I GOT A LETTER SAYING HE WANTED TO SEE
ME, AND I WENT IN WITH MY MOM, AND HE OFFERED ME JULIETTE IN
"ROMEO AND JULIETTE."
AND I BROKE DOWN AND CRIED BECAUSE I GREW UP LISTENING TO
MY DAD RECITE SHAKESPEARE TO ME.
SO IT WAS LIKE A LANGUAGE OF LOVE.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT VERY CONNECTED TO SHAKESPEARE, AND HERE I WAS
GOING TO BE PLAYING THE LEAD IN THE MOST FAMOUS LOVE STORY.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
>> Stephen: YOU KINDLY SENT US THIS PHOTO RIGHT HERE.
CAN YOU TELL-- IF YOU CAN SEE THIS RIGHT HERE-- TELL US WHAT
THE PEOPLE AT HOME ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW.
WHO IS THAT?
IS THAT PLAYING LADY CAPOUELLETTE OR IS THAT LADY
PLAYING THE NURSE?
>> THAT LADY IS PLAYING THE NURSE, AND THAT'S THE SCENE
WHERE I AM ASKING HER TO TELL ME WHAT SHE'S FOUND OUT FROM ROMEO.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID 14-YEAR-OLD YOU THINK OF THIS
TRAGIC ROMANCE?
>> WELL, I MEAN, IT WAS-- LEONARDO DICAPRIO HAD JUST COME
OUT IN THE FILM "ROMEO AND JULIETTE."
>> Stephen: WITH CLAIRE DANS.
>> YES, AND I WAS MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM.
FOR ME, THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE THAT MUCH CLOSER TO
LEONARDO DICAPRIO.
AT THAT TIME, LOVE WAS-- THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT LOVE WAS, THIS
THING WHERE A MAN COMES AND CLAIMS YOU AND TAKES YOU AWAY,
KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR.
YOU DIE FOR EACH OTHER.
YEAH.
NOW I SEE A VERY DIFFERENT THING.
>> Stephen: NOW, THIS IS-- THIS IS A FASCINATING PROJECT.
YOU'RE TAKING ON JULIETTE AGAIN AS PART OF THIS BILINGUAL RADIO
PLAY BEING PRODUCED BY THE PUBLIC.
AND DIRECTED BY YOUR FRIEND SAHEEM ALI.
WHAT DO YOU AS AN ADULT THINK OF JULIETTE NOW?
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS HE WILL SAY ABOUT JULIETTE, WHEN
YOU'RE HER AGE, YOU'RE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND JULIETTE.
WHEN YOU'RE OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE TOO OLD TO
PLAY JULIETTE.
>> EXACTLY.
THAT'S WHY RADIO PLAY-- RADIO PLAY IS GREAT.
IT'S A GREAT CHANCE TO DO IT AGAIN.
AND I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE IT AGAIN IF IT WASN'T THIS
NEW, BEING IN THE MEDIUM OF RADIO, AND ALSO BEING BILINGUAL.
I REALLY WANTED TO TRY MY HAND AT WORKING IN SPANISH.
BUT, I MEAN, FROM THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, BEFORE I SAW WHAT
OPPORTUNITIES OF LOVE THESE TWO HAD, AND NOW I JUST-- I REMEMBER
WHEN I WAS GETTING READY FOR IT, I FELT LIKE OH, MY GOD, THESE
KIDS ARE SO IRRESPONSIBLE, YOU KNOW.
THEY MEET EACH OTHER AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THEY'RE MARRIED THE
NEXT DAY AND THEY DIE THE NEXT.
LIKE, THAT'S A LOT TO GIVE UP FOR A DUDE YOU JUST MET.
SO, ANYWAY, I HAD TO PUT ASIDE MY PRAGMATISM AT MY AGE AND MY
FEAR OF HEARTBREAK TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR DEDICATION TO
EACH OTHER.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU DO A RADIO PLAY WITH THIS MUCH, YOU
KNOW, CLIMBING AND KISSING AND FIGHTING AND POISONING?
HOW DO YOU DO THE PHYSICALITY OF "ROMEO AND JULIETTE," BECAUSE
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
>> TELL ME ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, DOING A PLAY OVER ZOOM WITH ALL THE TECHNICAL ISSUES ON
YOUR SHOULDERS AND TRYING TO CONNECT WITH ACTORS WITH
GLITCHES AND-- IT WAS A MAJOR HEADACHE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD THE HARDEST-- ONE OF THE
THINGS WE GRAPPLED WITH WAS, LIKE THE KISSING, ESPECIALLY.
I REMEMBER ME AND JUAN CASTANO, WHO PLAYS ROMEO, HAVING REALLY
EXPLICIT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OKAY, OKAY, WHO STARTED THIS
KISS?
HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT IT?
IS IT A PECK?
IS IT A MOUTH-OPEN KISS?
IS IT A FRENCH KISS?
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU JUST WOULD NOT HAVE TO TALK
ABOUT IF YOU JUST HAD THE CHANCE TO PRACTICE AN ACTUAL KISS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO GET CREATIVE IN THAT WAY SO THAT WE
COULD BE TELLING THE SAME STORY.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU DO THE KISS?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE THE SOUND?
>> YOU HAVE THESE TWO FINGERS HERE.
I PERFECTED THIS.
IF YOU WANT A CLOSED KISS, YOU CLOSE YOUR FINGERS, AND THEN...
AND KISS IT LIKE THAT.
AND IF YOU WANT, LIKE, A SOGGY, WET KISS, YOU KEEP IT OPEN.
( LAUGHTER )
CLASS.
>> Stephen: JST LIKE 14-YEAR-OLDS PRACTICE.
>> BASICALLY.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE BEEN BUSY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
BESIDE ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS, YOU'VE ALSO BEEN AN EXECUTIVE
PRODUCER OF THIS CARTOON CALLED "SUPER SEMA."
WHO IS "SUPER SEMA," AND WHAT'S HER SUPER POWER?
>> SUPER SEMA IS A YOUNG KENYAN GIRL WHO IS REALLY INTO STEM,
AND SHE USES STEM-- STEM TECHNOLOGY-- STEM THOUGHTS,
IDEAS, TO SAVE THE DAY FROM AN EVIL MAN CALLED TABOR.
AND IT'S-- I'M SO PROUD OF IT.
IT'S-- WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, I JUST WEPT BECAUSE I JUST NEVER
HAD THAT KIND OF REPRESENTATION WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
AND I'M SO HAPPY THAT SHE EXISTS TO EXCITE PEOPLE, YOUNG KIDS
ABOUT STEM.
>> Stephen: DID YOU-- DID YOU HAVE ANY SUPER POWERS WHEN YOU
WERE YOUNG?
>> OH, I THINK MY SUPER POWER IS MY IMAGINATION.
I USED TO COMMIT TO MY IMAGINATION.
I REMEMBER -- >> Stephen: LIKE IMAGINARY
FRIENDS OR SOMETHING?
OR...
>> WELL, YES, I DID HAVE IMAGINARY FRIENDS, TO BE VERY
HONEST.
( LAUGHS ) I HAD FULL-BLOWN CONVERSATIONS
WITH PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T THERE.
I THINK MY MOM WAS QUITE-- QUITE CONCERNED FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH.
BUT I REMEMBER ONCE I WAS PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK WITH MY
SISTER, AND I REALLY COMMITTED TO IT.
IT WAS IN THE NIGHT.
AND I HID IN BETWEEN THE DINING TABLE AND THE CHAIRS.
AND I HAPPEN TO FALL ASLEEP THERE, AND THEY LOOKED FOR ME
ALL NIGHT AND DIDN'T FIND ME ( LAUGHS ).
>> Stephen: OH, MY GOD.
>> YEAH, SO I-- I MEANT BUSINESS.
>> Stephen: WOW.
THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT YOU'D RUN OFF WITH YOUR ROMEO
( LAUGHS ) >> Stephen: WELL, THE RADIO
PLAY OF T "ROMEO Y JULIETA"
IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD THIS THURSDAY FROM THE PUBLIC THEATER
AND WNYC STUDIOS.
LUPITA NYONG'O, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MARTIN FREEMAN.