>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW."
NEXT GUEST IS AN ACTOR, PRODUCER, AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING
WRITER YOU KNOW FROM "MASTER OF NONE" AND "THE CHI."
HER NEW FILM IS "QUEEN AND SLIM."
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW"" LENA WAITHE.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER, I UNDERSTAND, THAT
YOU RECENTLY GOT MARRIED.
>> YEAH, I GOT SOME JEWELRY, YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S WONDERFUL.
>> TAKEN.
>> Stephen: THAT'S REALLY NICE.
WELL, YOU WROTE THE NEW FILM "QUEEN AND SLIM."
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT'S GETTING AN CONGRESSMAN RECEPTION.
>> YEAH.
PEOPLE ARE EXCITED.
>> Stephen: AND IT FEELS TIMELY.
WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM?
>> >> WELL, JAMES FREY, CAME UP TO
ME AT A PARTY.
HE-- HE WALKED UP TO ME.
HE SAID WHO HE WAS.
I SAID, I'M FAMILIAR."
HE SAID, "I HAVE AN IDEA FOR A MOVIE I CAN'T WRITE."
A BLACK MAN, BLACK WOMAN ON A FIRST DATE, NOT GOING GREAT, NOT
GOING HORRIBLY.
THEY GET PULLED OVER, THINGS ESCALATE.
THEY KILT POLICE OFFICER IN SELF-DEFENSE DECIDE TO GET IN
THE CAR AND GO.
AND I WAS LIKE, "YOU'RE RIGHT.
YOU CAN'T WRITE THAT."
BUT I CAN.
I WAS LIKE, "LOOK, MAN, GIVE ME THAT IDEA.
I WANT TO GO WRITE THAT MOVIE."
AND I DID AND IT BECAME "QUEEN AND SLIM."
>> Stephen: YOU DESCRIBE THE FILM AS "PROTEST ART."
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I'M A FAN OF PROTEST ART.
I GREW UP IN THE 1970s AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PROTEST ART,
AN ECHO OF THE MOVEMENT IN THE 1960s, AND I NAS.
WHAT TO YOU CONSTITUTES PROTEST ART?
>> ANY ART THAT REFLECTS THE TIME.
IT CAN BE FUNNY.
I THINK ATLANTA IS PROTEST ART, JUST LIKE "QUEEN AND SLIM" IS.
IT'S US SHOWING US IN A VERY AUTHENTIC WAY AND HUMANIZING US.
IT'S SO INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STUDY THAT SHOWS IF
YOU'VE EVER BEING HELD UP WITH A GUN TO YOUR HEAD, TELL THEM
PERSONAL THINGS.
TELL THEM YOU HAVE A CHILD, WHERE YOU WORK.
BECAUSE IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO KILL.
FOR ME AS AN ARTIST, I WANT TO HUMANIZE BLACK PEOPLE SO MUCH,
MAYBE THEY'LL STOP KILLING US.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, THAT'S A
WORTHY USE OF ART.
WE HAVE-- WE HAVE A CLIP HERE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLIP?
>> YEAH, THIS IS ACTUALLY RIGHT AFTER THEY KILL THE COP IN
SELF-DEFENSE, AND THEY HAVE GOT IN THE CAR, AND THIS IS WHEN
THEY PULL OVER AND REALIZE WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
>> Stephen: JIM.
>> WHERE ARE YOU GO?
>> I'M GOING TO FIND SOMEBODY WITH A PHONE SO I CAN CALL MY
FAMILY.
>> IF YOU DO THAT, THEN THEY'LL KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
>> GREAT!
>> WHAT IF THEY KILL US?
>> DON'T SAY THAT!
>> THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THEY WON'T!
YOU'RE A BLACK MAN THAT KILLED A COP AND THEN TOOK HIS GUN.
>> I'M NOT A CRIMINAL.
>> YOU ARE NOW.
>> I JUST WANT TO GO HOME, AND I WANT TO SEE MY FAMILY.
( APPLAUSE )
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M REAL PROUD OF IT.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE YOU SOMEBODY WHO WRITES
MOVIES BUT YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO IS STEEPED IN MOVIES.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
YOU WORKED AT A BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO, I UNDERSTAND.
>> I DID, YEAH.
WHICH FEELS LIKE SOMETHING OF, LIKE THE DINOSAUR TIMES.
LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A BLOCKBUSTER IS.
>> Stephen: DO YOU MISS IT?
>> I DO MISS BLOC BUSTERS, YOU KNOW.
IT'S SORT OF LIKE-- I USED TO LIKE GOING TO THEM SO MUCH, AND
THEN WORKING THERE I KIND OF BECAME A BIT OF A RAIN MAN OF
MOVIES.
YOU COOPERATE JUST GOOGLE WHAT YOU WANTED.
THEY CAME IN, "SHARON STONE, 1992, SHE WAS IN A WHITE DRESS."
I WAS LIKE, "DID SHE CROSS HER LEGS?"
"UH-HUH."
"BASIC INSTINCTS."
>> Stephen: I WANT TO TEST YOUR "RAIN MAN" CAPABILITIES
RIGHT NOW, OKAY.
>> LET'S DO IT.
>> Stephen: I'LL GIVE YOU THE BAREST.
I'VE JUST COME IN, JUST COME IN.
>> YOU'RE THAT GUY.
>> Stephen: MY KIDS ARE TEARING APART THE CHILDREN'S
SECTION.
>> MY FAVORITE.
I GET TO PICK UP AFTER THEM.
>> Stephen: DENISE RICHARDS AND SPACE BUGS AND...
>> STAR SHIP TROOPERS.
>> Stephen: OH, WILLIAM HOLDEN IS IN IT, AND LIKE, ERRR!
>> "NETWORK."
>> Stephen: YES, OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
>> NICE, BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSING.
>> Stephen: IT'S ANTARCTICA, AND IT'S COLD AND CURT RUSSELL'S
GOT A BIG BEARD.
>> "THE THING."
>> Stephen: IT'S A SERIES OF VERY LONG MOVIES WITH VERY SHORT
PEOPLE TRYING TO GET RID OF SOME JEWELRY.
>> WHAT!
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AND-- AND-- AND THERE'S, LIKE-- THERE'S LIKE A
VOLCANO AT THE END OF IT, AND THEY, THEY LIVE UNDERGROUND.
AND-- AND-- SOME OF THEM GOT POINTED EARS AND--
>> YOUR MOVIE I JUST SAW BACK THERE IN NEW ZEALAND?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IN IT?
>> OR "THE BLACK PANTHER."
"QUEEN AND SLIM"?
>> Stephen: YEAH YES!
"QUEEN AND SLIM" IS IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 27.
LENA WAITHE, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.