-Welcome to the show. I am such a fan.
-Oh, thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
-I love this. -Can I just tell you something?
I just -- I very recently saw a really wonderful clip of you
and the late and absolutely great Olivia Newton-John.
-Whoo! -Right?
-Oh, my gosh.
-She's such an icon in Australia, and I just adore her.
And you were singing "The One that I Want"
from "Grease," which was basically my childhood fantasy
that you got to live.
-That was totally impromptu, by the way.
It was not planned. -Seriously?
-Yeah. Olivia Newton-John was on the show,
and we were going to commercial break or something.
And The Roots just started playing it,
and she grabbed the mic,
and just, as a pro would do, she just started singing it.
And I was like, "Oh, my gosh. I have to duet with her."
So like, "You're the one..."
Then she started doing the dance.
And I was like, "Oh, my gosh."
-You did great, though.
-I, like, started to cry. I couldn't believe it.
I go, "Oh, my gosh."
-Well, I was crying watching it. It was very moving.
-Did you ever meet her? -I did.
Yeah, years ago, I did a production of "The Boy From Oz,"
an Australian musical,
with another Australian icon, Peter Allen.
And I got to sing "I Honestly Love You,"
which is a song that Olivia made famous.
And she came to the show one night,
so I was, you know, terrified.
And she came back after the show
and was, you know, just gorgeous and gracious and kind.
-She's unbelievable.
Like, stunningly gorgeous, like, amazingly talented,
and, like, just everything.
I just -- Oh!
-She was just, you know, a real kind of good person.
So compassionate and kind and just radiated that
in everything she did.
I mean, she's iconic in Australia and beyond, I guess,
but for us, she has a very special place in our hearts.
-Thanks for bringing that up,
'cause I love that clip that we did that with her.
It was amazing. -Yeah, yeah.
-When you did that play with Hugh,
did you ever think of like, "Oh, yeah, I've done
enough plays where I go like, 'I deserve to be on this
giant Broadway production.
This is a big deal now.'"
Or do you go, like -- You go back to those days
where you were like, "I was playing a tree in a play,
and..."
-Did somebody tell you that?
I actually was playing not a tree, but a hedge.
-Wow! That's...
No, they did not -- I did not --
We all know you from your hedge work.
Yeah. I knew you were a tree.
-That's what you were clapping for, right?
-Yes. Oh, the hedge. When did you play a hedge?
-Many years ago, Jimmy, when I first moved to New York,
I was an extra at the Met Opera.
-Wow! That's a big deal.
-It was, actually. Yeah, it was fantastic.
I got to go out on that incredible stage,
but dressed as a hedge.
So, you know, no one was seeing me,
but I was seeing them through the leaves.
-At the Met Opera? -At the Met Opera.
-I was thinking, like, this was, like, a childhood --
if you were going back to that, but you actually made it to --
That's big-time.
-Yeah, I was a grown man when I was doing it.
I know it sounds childlike, but --
-Wow! So, the hedge -- Did the hedge move?
-Yes. I was one of six.
And we were -- I think it was "Cosi fan tutte"
or something like that,
something that had a garden scene, obviously.
And we were -- You know, we were choreographed
and we had to, like, sway to the music
and, you know --
-Congratulations. I didn't even know.
I did not know that.
I just assumed every actor plays a tree or...
-It's not on my résumé. -Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Here you go from there to Emmy nominee.
Man, you crushed it with "The White Lotus," crushed it.
[ Cheers and applause ] -Thank you.
-I mean, that was honestly -- I could not wait --
Every time you were onscreen, I go -- And what a cast.
Everyone was great. -Amazing. Yeah.
-Everyone was great and everyone knocked it out of the park.
-It's one of those shows that is a true ensemble, right?
Like, everybody gets their moment to shine.
And everybody just kind of rose to the occasion
in such a beautiful way.
-But, man, oh, man.
I mean, I was, like --
You were just knocking the cover off the ball.
Home run after home run.
Every episode, I'm like,
"I can't wait to see what trouble you get into."
Your character was so good, so rascally, so funny,
and just -- You just nailed it, all the way.
What an arc and the whole way -- If you haven't seen it,
please do yourself a favor and watch "The White Lotus"
and watch Murray.
But it was just brilliant.
And this was all done, like,
during the pandemic, right?
-Yeah. Yeah, early on.
So there was very little contact in the beginning.
We just, you know, sent in self tapes,
and then, you know, we found out we got the job.
And then we were whisked out of our COVID caves
and taken to Hawaii.
-But, I mean, Mike White kind of wrote it and filmed it
in like two months or three months.
-Yeah, he wrote those -- I mean, they were incredible scripts,
and they barely changed as we started working on the show,
'cause they were so tight.
And he wrote them in two months.
And, you know, then we started shooting,
shot it in four months, and it was all over.
-I also want to mention you're in
Season 2 of "Physical" on Apple TV+.
[ Cheers and applause ] -Yeah.
-Rose Byrne, we love.
-Oh, my gosh. She's such a legend.
-Oh, she is fantastic. -And a wonderful person.
-You play Vinnie Green. -I do.
-You are a -- Well, this is you in action.
-Look at those knees.
-Yeah, how would you describe those knees?
How would you describe your character?
Who -- Is it based on anyone? Is it --
-I mean, it's sort of loosely based on Richard Simmons
and those kind of fitness sort of gurus of the time.
-Yeah.
-Sort of leaning into the fitness guru that then
kind of took a real sort of personal touch
and really connects with his audience in a very personal way,
like Richard Simmons did.
-You know, it's so funny, 'cause you watch it,
and you're like "Wow, these people are really energetic."
-Yeah, over the top. Just say it.
-Yeah. I mean, really over the top.
And you're like, "Wow, this is such a great character."
But you realize, if you grew up --
this is actually how everyone acted.
Like, "You got a..."
And you go, "Wow! This is -- Oh, my gosh.
I'm exhausted just by you talking."
-Right. Yeah, yeah. Exactly.
I mean, when I got the scripts, you know, it reads on the page
as very over the top, some of the stuff we did,
like an infomercial and, you know,
my first aerobics class that I had to take was to "Proud Mary,"
this very kind of, you know, upbeat number.
And it's all sort of such high energy.
But then you go back and watch these videos
of people like Richard Simmons, and it is kind of crazy.
In a great way, I mean, but it's so over the top.
-But it's real. -Yeah, yeah, its real.
-You're very good in that.
And, once again, congratulations on "The White Lotus."
Man, oh, man, please come back. I am a giant fan.
I want to show everyone a clip. -Thanks for having me.
-Here is Murray Bartlett in "The White Lotus."
Take a look at this.
-I don't want a free massage.
I don't want cheap champagne.
What I want is to speak to your boss.
-Well, I am the resort manager.
-Yeah, but you have a boss.
Who is your boss?
-Our general manager, Mr. Zeoli, is at a conference this week.
-Yeah, I want to get in touch with him.
Can I have his number? -I'll have him call you.
-No! No. I'm calling him.
-I will have someone bring you his business card
with his cellphone number to your room,
and you can call him at your leisure.
-Good.
This morning, please.
♪♪
-Mother[bleep]
[ Cheers and applause ]
-That is how you do it right there.
Murray Bartlett. Home run.
-Thank you. -Fantastic.
"The White Lotus" is streaming now on HBO Max.
Check out Season 2 of "Physical" on Apple TV+.
Demi Lovato performs after the break.
Stick around! [ Cheers and applause ]