>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW."
FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST IS THE TONY, EMMY, AND GRAMMY AWARD
WINNING ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM "THE COLOR PURPLE."
HER NEW FILM IS "HARRIET."
>> I AIN'T GIVING UP RESCUING SLAVES BECAUSE IT'S FAR.
MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW SLAVERY FIRSTHAND.
YOU WERE BORN FREE.
YOU'VE BEEN FREE SO LONG YOU FORGET WHAT IT'S LIKE.
YOU GOT COMFORTABLE.
AND IMPORTANT.
YOU GOT BEAUTIFUL HOMES, BEAUTIFUL WIVES.
BUT I REMEMBER.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME CYNTHIA ERIVO!
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: HI.
SO NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
YOU'VE BEEN ON HERE-- YOU'VE SUNG ON THE SHOW BEFORE.
>> I HAVE.
>> Stephen: BUT I'VE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO
YOU.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST FEATURE
FILM ABOUT HARRIET TUBMAN.
THAT JUST SEEMS RIDICULOUS.
>> YEAH, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW ATTEMPTS OVER THE YEARS.
AND THIS ONE ITSELF TOOK A LONG TIME.
MAYBE IT WAS JUST THAT HOLLYWOOD WASN'T READY FOR IT.
THERE WAS A WOMAN OF COLOR IN THE LEAD, IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE
CENTER, DOING ACTION.
IT'S A PERIOD PIECE.
IT'S JUST--
YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: NOW, HARRIET TUBMAN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE
$20 BILL I THINK STARTING NEXT YEAR.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: BUT... MNUCHIN DELAYED THAT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: INDEFINITELY, I THINK.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> Audience: BOO!
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?
THE RATIONALE OR ANYTHING?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY RATIONALE TO IT.
( APPLAUSE )
SHE'S DONE THE WORK.
SHE'S DONE THE WORK THAT IS DESERVING OF REPRESENTATION OF
HER ON THE CURRENCY.
AND I THINK THAT IT WILL HAPPEN.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO REASON TO NOT HAVE IT HAPPEN.
>> Stephen: NOW, UNTIL SUCH TIME, RIGHT NOW IT'S JACKSON.
( APPLAUSE )
20.
AND I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT ANYONE DO THIS, BUT YOU CAN
ACTUALLY BUY A STAMP ONLINE, BUY A STAMP ONLINE, AND IT-- IT
STAMPS HARRIET TUBMAN EXACTLY THE SAME SIZE AS JACKSON.
( APPLAUSE )
THAT THAT IS A FEDERAL CRIME TO DEFACE CURRENCY.
SO DON'T DO IT!
SO DON'T DO IT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT YOUR INCREDIBLE SINGING VOICE.
DO YOU SING IN THE FILM?
>> I DO.
IT HAPPENS TO BE A PART OF HARRIET'S STORY.
>> Stephen: SHE SANG?
>> SHE SANG AS A WAY OF COMMUNICATING.
SHE WOULD SING CERTAIN VERSES TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT SHE WAS
THERE, THAT SHE WAS LEAVING, THAT IT WASN'T TIME YET.
>> Stephen: LEAK A CODE LANGUAGE.
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF TALK ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE.
THERE'S ALREADY SOME OSCAR BUZZ, IF YOU WERE SO LUCKY TO WIN AN
OSCAR YOU WOULD BE THE YOUNGEST EGOT EVER, OSCAR, GRAMMY, TONY.
>> IT SOUNDS WEIRD, DOESN'T IT.
>> Stephen: EGOT?
IT DOES SOUND WEIRD.
IT SOUNDS FUN.
YOU'RE WELCOME FOR THE JINKS, BY THE WAY.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.
YOU'RE PLAYING ANOTHER ICON.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THIS IS AMAZING.
YOU'RE PLAYING ARETHA FRANKLIN.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IN-- IN THE NEW-- IN AN UPCOMING NATYEO SERIES.
DID YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO SEE HER PERFORM LIVE?
>> I DID.
THIS WAS REALLY COOL, ACTUALLY.
SHE CAME TO SEE "THE COLOR PURPLE" AND I MET HER AFTERWARDS
AND SHE SANG-- SHE SANG THE LINE OF "THE COLOR PURPLE" "I'M HERE"
THE BIG SONG I SING BACK AT ME.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THAT LIKE TO HEAR COMING FROM HER?
>> I ALMOST FELL OVER AND I HAD TO PULL MYSELF TOGETHER BECAUSE
THERE'S THE QUEEN OF SOUL SINGING A LINE FROM YOUR SONG
BACK AT YOU.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU EXPECT AT ALL.
AND LATER ON, I DIDN'T KNOW THIS, BUT SOMEONE HAD SENT ME A
CLIP WHEN I WAS PERFORMING AT THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, THAT
SHE WAS-- HER EYES WERE CLOSED AND SHE WAS SINGING ALONG TO
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM."
>> Stephen: I THINK WE ACTUALLY-- WE HAVE A CLIP.
IS THIS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT?
JIM?
♪ AND A WOMAN WOULD BE BETTER FOR THIS
♪ ONE MAN COVERED WITH STARS ♪
>> Stephen: HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU WATCH THAT?
>> OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
YEAH.
IT WAS-- THAT WAS SO AMAZING.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU ALREADY STARTED PREPARING TO PLAY
ARETHA?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU WORKED ON ANY OF HER SONGS?
>> A COUPLE.
>> Stephen: WOULD YOU-- WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GIVE US A
LITTLE TASTE OF YOUR ARETHA FRANKLIN?
>> SURE, YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> JON, JON, DO YOU KNOW "NEVER LOVED A MAN?"
>> Jon: OH, YEAH, YEAH.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ YOU'RE NO GOOD
HEARTBREAKER ♪ YOU'RE A LIAR AND YOU'RE A
CHEAT ♪ AND I DON'T KNOW WHY
I LET YOU DO THESE THINGS TO ME ♪ MY FRIENDS KEEP TELLING ME
THAT YOU AIN'T NO GOOD ♪ BUT I AIN'T NEVER, NO, NO
LOVED A MAN THE WAY THAT I, I LOVE YOU ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THAT'S LIKE SEARING AT THE SUN.
SO LOVELY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: "HARRIET" IS IN THEATERS ON FRIDAY.
CYNTHIA ERIVO, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY MIRANDA LAMBERT.