MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT HAS BEEN A STAR OF STAGE AND SCREEN SINCE
HE WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD.
HE NOW STARS IN A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED DRAMA THAT WILL MESS
WITH YOUR HEAD.
>> HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
>> OKAY, OKAY.
LET'S ALL TAKE A BEAT.
SETTLE DOWN HERE, RELAX-- ELLIOT?
ELLIOT, YOU ALL RIGHT?
>> Stephen: WHOA!
PLEASE WELCOME CHRISTIAN SLATER.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
♪ GIVE IT UP ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I WANT TO-- THANKS FOR COMING BACK.
>> ALL THE WAY FROM THE 80s.
>> Stephen: YEAH, EXACTLY.
>> HERE WE GO.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THE SHOW IN JUST A
MINUTE, BUT I'M NOT TOTALLY CAUGHT UP.
>> NO PROBLEM.
>> Stephen: SO, PLEASE, I BEG YOU.
>> TOTALLY FORGIVEN.
>> Stephen: HAPPYING ABOUT THE.
>> THANKS, AUGUST 18.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: DO YOU LIKE-- DO YOU LIKE CELEBRATING YOUR
BIRTHDAY?
DO YOU MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT?
>> I DON'T MIND IT.
I DIDN'T MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT BUT I HAD A NICE PARTY IN
CHICAGO WITH SOME FRIENDS THEY MET WHEN I WAS WORKING IN
CHICAGO, ACTUALLY, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
DICK WOLF HAS GOT ABOUT FOUR DIFFERENT SHOWS ABOUT CHICAGO.
"CHICAGO MED, ""CHICAGO P.D.," "CHICAGO FIRE, ""CHICAGO FED,"
"CHICAGO LAW."
>> Stephen: ALL THE SHOWS MAKE IT LOOK LIKE CHICAGO IS GOING TO
BURN DOWN TOMORROW.
>> CHICAGO IS INCREDIBLE, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF ACTORS THERE
AND A LOT OF FRIEND I MET WHEN I WAS THERE SO WE ALL GOT TOGETHER
AND HAD A NICE -- >> NOT YOUR FAVORITE BIRTHDAY
BUT A GOOD ONE.
>> NOT MY FAVORITE BIRTHDAY BUT A GOOD ONE.
PROBABLY IF I HAD TO CHOOSE MY PARTICULAR FAVORITE BIRTHDAY IT
WAS MY 12th BIRTHDAY.
THAT WAS THE BIG CELEBRATION.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT REALLY STANDS OUT IN MY BRAIN.
>> Stephen: WHY WAS IT SO MUCH BETTER?
>> I HIT PUBERTY LATER, A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT THIS BIRTHDAY WAS
PARTICULARLY GREAT BECAUSE, WELL, THE SURPRISE GUEST AT THE
PARTY-- MY MOTHER WAS ALWAYS DOING STUFF LIKE THIS BECAUSE
SHE KNEW PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY IN SHOW BUSINESS.
SHE WAS A CASTING DIRECTOR SO SHE KNEW A LOT OF ACTORS AND
PEOPLE LIKE THAT, SO THERE WERE ALWAYS DIFFERENT PEOPLE SHOWING
UP AT THESE WONDERFUL PARTIES I HAD AS A KID.
AND ONE THIS YEAR AT 12 WAS MARK HAMILL.
( APPLAUSE ) YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: I'D BE EXCITED IF HE SHOWED UP AT MY BIRTHDAY NOW.
>> YEAH, I KNOW.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A PERFECT AGE FOR MARK HAMILL TO SHOW UP
AT YOUR BIRTHDAY.
>> IT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME OF "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK."
YOU CAN IMAGINE, I WAS BEYOND BELIEF STAR STRUCK.
I COULDN'T SPEAK TO HIM.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM THERE.
>> WELL-- YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT IS.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
MAN.
YEAH, NO, SHE SET THE BAR VERY, VERY HIGH.
BUT, HONESTLY, THOSE PEOPLE IN CHICAGO WERE GREAT.
I LOVE THEM, TOO.
THEY WERE ALL GOOD.
THEY WERE GOOD.
THEY'RE NOT LUKE SKYWALKER, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY DID DO VERY WELL.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE ACTING AT THAT POINT.
>> I WAS.
I HAD DONE A FEW SHOWS.
>> Stephen: AT EIGHT YOU WERE ON BROADWAY.
>> I DID "THE MUSIC MAN, "WITH DICK VAN DYKE
♪ GARY INDIANA GARY INDIANA ♪
>> I HAD THE LISP AND I WOULD SING IT BUT MY WIFE WOULD KILL
ME.
SHE WOULD.
EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT OR THREATEN TO SING THAT SONG SHE'S LIKE,
"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN."
SHE'S BACKSTAGE, SO I'M NOT MEASING AROUND.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: DO YOU STILL DO LIVE THEATER?
I KNOW YOU PERFORMED IN THE WEST END IN LONDON, TOO.
>> YEAH, I DID "ONE FLEW OVER CUCKOO'S NEST" A COUPLE OF YEARS
AGO IN THE WEST END.
IT WAS PHENOMENAL.
LISTEN, IT WAS GREAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT SHOW IS AMAZING, AND IT WAS LIKE A ROCK
CONCERT EVERY NIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW.
THE AUDIENCES WERE NUTS, AND WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU SPENT MOST OF YOUR CAREER IN FRONT OF
CAMERAS, AS OPPOSED TO LIVE ON STAGE, RIGHT?
>> SURE, WELL, I GREW UP IN NEW YORK.
I GREW UP GOING TO A LOT OF THEATER.
AND I HAD STARTED VERY YOUNG IN THE THEATER.
BUT DOING SOMETHING IN LONDON WAS UNIQUE AND FUN, AND THAT
PARTICULAR SHOW WAS GREAT BECAUSE-- WELL, I KEPT
THREATENING THE AUDIENCE EVERY NIGHT THAT I WOULD STAGE DIVE ON
THE LAST PERFORMANCE.
AND -- >> HOW DO YOU THREATEN THE
AUDIENCE WITH THAT?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
>> THE BUILD-UP EVERY NIGHT, AS WE WERE GETTING CLOSER AND
CLOSER TO THE END OF THE RUN OF SHOW, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, IN
ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO COME BACK, IT'S A FUN THING TO DO,
YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: "ONE OF THESE NIGHTS I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A
DIVE IN THE FRONT ROW?" >> THAT COULD HAPPEN TONIGHT.
I COULD DIVE OUT THERE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU SEE?
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> IT'S A PHENOMENAL-- I RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY.
>> Stephen: OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
YOU FIRST.
>> ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO.
LET'S DO IT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WE'LL GET THERE.
WE'LL GET THERE.
WE HAVE ALL NIGHT.
>> WE DO, WE HAVE ALL NIGHT.
>> Stephen: YOU, ME, CONGRESSMAN LEWIS, WE'LL ALL GO
OUT THERE.
>> SOUNDS GREAT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU END UP DOING IT?
>> I DID THE LAST NIGHT A BRITISH AUDIENCE?
I THOUGHT THEY WERE SO RESERVED.
>> I WAS SURPRISED.
DURING INTERMISSION, THEY WOULD ALL HIT THE PUBS AND CAME BACK
AND THEY WERE READY TO PARTY.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
I DID IT.
AND IT WAS RIGHT AT THE CURTAIN CALL.
>> AND STOOD THERE ON THE EDGE, AND I SAID, "I'M COMING!
I'M COMING!" AND I DOVE OUT THERE AND THEY
CAUGHT ME AND CARRIED ME AROUND AND BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE STAGE
AND I DID MY CURTAIN CALL AND SAID, "SAYONARA."
>> Stephen: THAT'S-- THAT'S HOW THEY SAY GONE OVER THERE.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: AS A YOUNG ACTOR
GROWING UP DID YOU MODEL YOURSELF ON ANYBODY?
WAS THERE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOU WHEN YOU WERE COMING UP.
DID YOU SAY, "I WANT TO BE LIKE THAT GUY?"
OR "THAT GUY GAVE ME ADVICE."
>> THERE WAS ONE GUY IN PARTICULAR I LOVED, SEAN
CONNERY.
>> Stephen: I HEARD OF HIM.
>> THE GREATEST GUY EVER.
I WONDER WITH HIM WHEN I WAS ABOUT 16-- 15, 16 YEARS OLD.
AND, YEAH, HE GAVE ME SOME GREAT ADVICE.
>> Stephen: WHAT WERE YOU WORKING ON?
>> WE WERE DOING A MOVIE CALLED "THE NAME OF THE ROSE."
>> Stephen: OH, SURE, YOU, F.
MURRAY ABRAHAM, SEAN CONNERY.
>> ALL SET IN THIS LABYRINTH, A 13th CENTURY MURDER MYSTERY.
WE WERE WEARING THESE MONK ROBES AND SHOOTING OUT IN GERMANY AND
ITALY.
AND I HAD A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT SCENE TO DO ON ONE
PARTICULAR DAY, AND I JUST REMEMBER WALKING THROUGH THESE
CLOISTERS OF THIS MONASTERY WITH SEAN CONNERY, AND HE WAS WEARING
A ROBE, AND I WAS WEARING A ROBE.
AND HE SAID, "SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND TODAY YOU HAVE A
PRETTY BIG SCENE."
AND I SAID, "YEAH, YEAH, I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT IT."
IT WAS A LOVE SCENE I HAD TO DO.
>> Stephen: SEXY?
>> YEAH, IT WAS A VERY INTENSE SCENE.
IT WAS ME AND THIS YOUNG PEASANT GIRL, AND WE WERE--
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AT 16, AT 16, THEY'RE ALL PRETTY INTENSE.
>> IT WAS INTENSE, YEAH.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> YEAH, MY TOES ARE CURLING RIGHT NOW THINKING ABOUT IT.
IT WAS CRAZY.
THESE ARE GREAT SHOES, BY THE WAY.
AREN'T THEY?
( APPLAUSE ) YEAH.
I JUST NOTICED THAT ON THE THING.
YEAH.
ALL RIGHT, ANYWAY, BACK TO THE STORY.
YEAH, SO SEAN JUST SAID TO ME, "YES, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE
NERVOUS, BUT JUST REMEMBER TO BREATHE, MY BOY."
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: REALLY?
>> YEAH, AND I WENT IN THERE -- >> THAT WAS HIS ADVICE?
>> >> THAT WAS HIS ADVICE.
>> Stephen: I'M GOING TO TRY THAT NEXT TIME.
>> ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BREATHE.
>> Stephen: SO GIVE THESE PEOPLE--
>> A LITTLE CROWD SURF?
ALL RIGHT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HOLD ON.
LOOK AT THIS.
>> Stephen: "MR. ROBOT" AIRS WEDNESDAYS ON THE USA NETWORK.
CHRISTIAN SLATER, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH CHRIS GEERE.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )