LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM
"CLOSER," "CHILDREN OF MEN," AND "THE KNICK."
HE NOW STARS IN THE NEW FILM "THE SONG OF NAMES."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," CLIVE OWEN!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Jon: OH, CLIVE!
OH, CLIVE!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> NICE TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO GET TO YOUR FILM IN JUST A MOMENT HERE,
BUT I JUST FOUND OUT MOMENTS AGO THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PORTRAY IN
THE NEW SEASON OF "AMERICAN CRIME STORY," YOU'RE GOING TO BE
PLAYING WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
BECAUSE THE SEASON IS THE CLINTON IMPEACHMENT, LIKE THE
WHOLE MONICA LEWINSKY SCANDAL, RIGHT?
>> I NEED TO GO AND DO SOME WORK.
>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY, MY FIRST QUESTION IS DID YOU HAVE
SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THAT WOMAN, MISS LEWINSKY.
WOW, ARE YOU INTIMIDATED AT ALL PLAYING SUCH A RECOGNIZABLE--
>> TOTALLY, KIND OF TERRIFIED.
IT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE.
I MEAN, THEY CAME TO ME.
THEY ASKED ME TO DO IT.
I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED AT THE BEGINNING "WHY ARE THEY COMING
TO ME?" AND THEN I STARTED TO WATCH ALL
THE STUFF AND I GOT TOTALLY INTRIGUED AND FASCINATED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I LIKE AN EASY GIG.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE THE-- DO YOU HAVE THE THUMB?
DO YOU HAVE THE LIP BITE.
>> I HAVE NOTHING YET.
I'M RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
>> Stephen: WHEN THAT SCANDAL HIT OVER HERE, BACK IN '98,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
WERE YOU GUYS OBSESSED IT OVER THERE.
>> YEAH, OF COURSE, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE IMPEACHMENT GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
IS THE U.K. PAYING ATTENTION.
>> THE U.K. IS PAYING ATTENTION.
THE U.K. HAS THEIR OWN DRAMA GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
>> Stephen: IS THE ELECTION TOMORROW?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
GOOD LUCK BOTH OF US, ACTUALLY.
YOU HAVE SUCH A VARIED CAREER.
LIKE, "CLOSER" "BOURNE IDENTITY," "GOSSFORD PARK" "THE
KNICK."
WHAT'S A CLIVE OWEN ROLE?
I DON'T EVEN KNOW MYSELF.
>> I TRAINED IN THE THEATER, AND I LOOK BACK ON MY CAREER AND I
THINK IT'S SUCHED A MIXED BAG.
I KIND OF GO WITH THINGS, YOU KNOW, THEY GET INSPIRED BY.
AND I TRY TO KEEP IT AS VARIED AS I CAN.
I THINK I DECIDED AT A YOUNG AGE I DIDN'T WANT TO DEVELOP, YOU
KNOW, SOMETHING I HONE AND PROTECT.
I WANTED TO KEEP DOING AS DIFFERENT THINGS AS I POSSIBLY
COULD, AND TO KEEP FREE AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, FREE TO EXPLORE
EVERYTHING.
IF YOU LOOK FILM TO FILM, MY CAREER IS PRETTY VARY GLD MY
UNDERSTANDING IS WHEN YOU PLAYED ROMEO IN A PRODUCTION-- WHEN WAS
THIS?
>> AH, ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO.
>> Stephen: ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO.
YOU WERE QUITE TAKEN WITH YOUR JULIETTE?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND WHAT BECAME OF THAT RELATIONSHIP?
>> WE'RE MARRIED 25 YEARS NEXT WEEK.
( APPLAUSE )
DID YOU-- VERY HAPPY FOR YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: VERY HAPPY.
I LOVE HEARING ABOUT A LONG-TERM MARRIAGE LIKE THAT.
DID-- IS-- I DON'T KNOW WHY, IT SEEMS LEAK A DANGEROUS THING TO
MARRY A JULIETTE FOR SOME REASON.
>> IT WAS.
>> Stephen: THAT STORY DOES NOT END WELL.
>> I FELL FOR HER THE MINUTE SHE WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR.
SHE WAS LATE FOR THE READ-THROUGH AND I HADN'T MET
HER AND SHE HAD BEEN IN A SECONDHAND BOOKSTORE, AND THE
BOOKS WERE FALLING.
AND I FELT LIKE THERE WAS AN ATTRACTION THERE AND I FELT IT
WOULD BE A DANGEROUS THING TO GET INVOLVED WITH JULIETTE AND
IT WOULD GO WRONG AND WE HAD A SEVEN-MONTH TOUR OF THE PLAY TO
DO, AND TWO LOVERS MAYBE NOT GETTING ALONG.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY, MIGHT STAB EACH OTHER.
>> BUT EVENTUALLY, ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGHOUT TOUR, IN BELFAST, WE
BEGAN A RELATIONSHIP.
>> Stephen: OH, WOW.
I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
I'LL LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE IT'S A FAMILY SHOW.
WHEN YOU WERE COMING UP AS AN ACTOR-- IS THIS IN LONDON WHEN
YOU WERE STARTING OFF YOUR CAREER?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WERE THERE PERFORMERS THAT INSPIRED YOU
THAT PEOPLE WHO YOU WERE SORT OF IN AWE OF?
>> I WAS CRAZY ABOUT DAVID BOWIE WHEN I WAS --
>> Stephen: SURE, SURE, SURE, AS A MUSICIAN AND AN ACTOR, YES.
>> NO, JUST AS-- LIKE, HE WAS THE FIRST-- I OFTEN SAY HE MIGHT
HAVE MORE TO DO WITH ME BEING AN ACTOR THAN ANYTHING.
BECAUSE HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SPARK MY IMAGINATION.
I COME FROM THIS SMALL TOWN IN ENGLAND, AND THERE WAS THIS
TOTAL, UNBELIEVABLY IMAGINATIVE GUY THAT WAS SO CREATIVE.
AND IT SPARKED THINGS IN ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ENDED UP ACTING, BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST
TIME MY IMAGINATION WAS FUELED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO MEET HIM?
>> I DID A COUPLE OF TIMES BRIEFLY, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WOW.
COULD YOU TALK-- >> NO.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU TONGUE TIED?
>> I LITERALLY COULDN'T TALK.
MY HEART WAS POUNDING.
I JUST SORT OF FELL APART.
BOTH TIMES, ACTUALLY.
>> Stephen: WELL, THE NEW MORE IS CALLED "SONG OF NAMES."
WHAT'S THE STORY, AND WHO ARE YOU IN IT?
IT'S A STORY SET OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND BEGINS SORT OF
DURING THE WAR WHERE A YOUNG, BRILLIANT VIOLINIST IS RESCUED
OUT OF POLAND AND ADOPTED BY A FAMILY IN LONDON-- IT'S BASED ON
A NOVEL.
AND HE-- THERE'S A HUGE CONCERT THAT'S GOING TO GO ON AND HE
DISAPPEARS.
AND THE FILM REALLY IS A JOURNEY OF THE SON OF THE FAMILY WHO IS
SORT OF HIS ADOPTED BROTHER TRYING TO TRACK HIM DOWN AND
FIND HIM.
AND THEY HAVE A SORT OF, YOU KNOW, PAST THAT THEY HAVE TO
RECONCILE.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'RE THE VIOLINIST?
>> I AM.
>> Stephen: AND DO YOU PLAY THE VIOLIN?
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER )
AGAIN.
NO, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE FINGERING AND ALL THAT
KIND OF THING?
>> YEAH.
I HAD AN AMAZING COACH.
YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK BECAUSE THERE'S A
BIG CONCERT IN IT, AND I HAVE TO BE CONVINCING AND OF COURSE, YOU
KNOW, YOU'RE WORKING WITH THESE MUSICIANS WHO HAVE BEEN PLAYING
THEIR WHOLE LIVES.
AND I'M LIKE EYE FELT I WAS REALLY UP AGAINST IT.
BUT WHEN I TALKED TO THE DIRECTOR AND TOOK THE FILM ON, I
SAID, "HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT THIS?"
HE SAID DO AS MUCH WORK AS YOU CAN AND I PROMISE YOU GIVE YOU
MY WORD I WILL MAKE YOU LOOK BRILLIANT ON THE VIOLIN.
DEAL WITH WHAT WE CAN.
THAT'S WHAT HE DID.
AND HE DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB, I THINK.
>> Stephen: LET'S TEST THAT THEORY NOW.
JIM.
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE TELLING ME-- SO YOU'RE TELLING ME NONE
OF THAT VIOLIN PLAYING WAS REAL?
>> SOME OF IT WAS, ACTUALLY.
>> Stephen: ARE THOSE YOUR HANDS.
>> I DID WHAT I COULD.
SOMETIMES THEY ARE.
THE BOEING IS YEAH.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU MAKING THOSE SOUNDS?
>> NO, ONE THING I DID DO WAS-- MY FIRST DAY FILMING WAS IN THIS
BEAUTIFUL ACADEMY IN BUDAPEST, FULL ORCHESTRA, FULL AUDIENCE,
AND I COME OUT TO PLAY.
THIS IS MY FIRST DAY FILMING.
AND I SUDDENLY REALIZE JUST BEFORE, LIKE, WHEN YOU ACTUALLY
HEAR WHAT I'M DOING, IT'S GOING TO NOT ONLY THROW THEM BUT
COMPLETELY THROW ME.
HOW CAN I PLAY CONVINCING WHEN-- SO --
>> Stephen: IT SOUNDS LIKE-- IT'S GOING TO SOUND LIKE YOU'RE
GIFS A CAT A HYSTERECTOMY WAY PAIR OF PLIERS.
>> AND THAT ACTING IS BEYOND ME TO ACT LIKE I'M BRILLIANT, SO --
>> Stephen: IS-- IS THE BEARD REAL?
IS THE BEARD REAL?
>> THE FIRST CALL I MADE IN THE MOVIE WASN'T TO A VIOLIN COACH.
IT WAS TO A WOMAN WHO IS BRILLIANT AT HAIR AND I SAID,
"TELL ME, CAN WE DO THIS TOTALLY CONVINCINGLY?"
BECAUSE I CAN'T PLAY THIS PART UNLESS WE CAN.
>> Stephen: IT'S A FAKE BEARD TOO?
>> I'M SORRY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT!
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE, CLIVE OWEN.
WELL, IT WAS LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> AND YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "THE SONG OF NAMES" IS IN THEATERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
CLIVE OWEN, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH U.N.
AMBASSADOR SAMANTHA POWER.