( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN: MY FIRST GUEST
TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "SIDEWAYS,"
"CINDERELLA MAN," AND "JOHN ADAMS."
HE NOW STARS IN SHOWTIME'S "BILLIONS."
PLEASE WELCOME, PAUL GIAMATTI!
♪ COME TOGETHER RIGHT NOW ♪ ♪ OVER ME ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> WOW!
WOW!
MAN!
WHOO!
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YA.
NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: I LIKE THE CASUAL GGIAMATTI.
>> I SPEND SEVEN MONTHS IN A SUIT AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO
WEAR A SUIT ANYMORE.
THEY MADE ME PUT A SWEATER ON BACKSTAGE TO LOOK BETTER.
I SHOWED UP JUST IN A T-SHIRT.
>> Stephen: YOU LOOK VERY NICE.
>> THANKS A LOT.
>> Stephen: I LIKE THIS.
IS THIS FOR A PART?
>> IT'S BECAUSE I GOT BORED ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH SHAVING
AND I WAS, LIKE, I'M JUST GOING TO STICK WITH THIS.
I'M PLAYING THE DEVILED HAM GUY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M PLAYING.
FLAP FLAP.
( LAUGHTER )>> Stephen: WE WERE EARLIER IN THE SHOW ABOUT THE
SUPER BOWL.
DID YOU HAVE A SUPER BOWL PARTY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NO, I MISSED IT.
I SKIPPED THE SUPER BOWL.
>> Stephen: JUST MISSED IT?
I WAS GOING TO GO TO A PARTY BUT DIDN'T.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE ACTUALLY INVITED TO A PARTY?
>> YEAH, I JUST FELT UNDER THE WEATHER AND DECIDED NOT TO GO.
>> Stephen: AND THEN NOT WATCHED THE GAME.
>> I WATCHED EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE ON THE INTERNET.
>> Stephen: WHO WERE YOU FOR?
THE FALCONS ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: YOU DIDN'T PULL THAT HARD.
REMIND ME NOT TO HAVE YOU PULL FOR ME.
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU NOT A SPORTS GUY?
>> NOT A BIG FOOTBALL GUY.
>> Stephen: NOT A BIG FOOTBALL GUY.
>> NO, I'M NOT.
I'M NOT A HUGE SPORTS GUY.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I LIKE WATCHING HOCKEY.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITHOUT A BALL IN HOCKEY.
YOU'RE ALWAYS PLAYING EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PUCK.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU PLAY HOCKEY.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: DID YOU PLAY ANYTHING?
>> I WAS A SWIMMER.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR STROKE.
>> BACKSTROKE.
>> Stephen: BACKSTROKE.
YES.
>> Stephen: WEREN'T YOU AFRAID OF SLAMMING INTO THE WALL?
>> NO, I GOT VERY GOOD AT BEING ABLE TO DOABLE TO COUNT OFF --
>> Stephen: THE TILES?
THAT'S WHAT FLAGS ARE FOR ATTEND OF THE POOL.
>> Stephen: I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST CELEBRATING.
( LAUGHTER ) WHEN YOU SEE THE FLAG, WHAT DO
YOU DO?
>> I'VE GOT FIVE STROKES LEFT SO I WON'T HIT THE WALL.
>> Stephen: DID YOU WIN ANYTHING, MEDDLES?
>> NO, NEVER GOT ANY MEDDLES.
NOPE.
I WAS NOT VERY GOOD.
I WAS PERFECTLY MEDIOCRE.
I WAS BAD BUT I ENJOYED IT.
>> Stephen: NOW, MANY PEOPLE KNOW YOU FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING
ROLE AS JOHN ADAMS ON HBO.
>> CORRECT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOW, I KNOW YOU'RE
NOT A TREMENDOUSLY POLITICAL GUY, BUT YOU PLAYED THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHO WAS VERY CONTINUE VERSEL IN
HIS DAY.
ANY CORRELATION BETWEEN JOHN ADAMS AND DONALD TRUMP?
>> SURE.
THEY'RE BOTH SORT OF FEISTY CHAPS.
THEY BOTH SORT OF DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING SITTING DOWN.
YOU KNOW, ADAMS DID THIS WHOLE ALIEN SEDITION ACT WHICH WAS TO
KEEP THE FRENCH OUT, AT THAT POINT.
SO WE HAVE HIM TO THANK THAT WE DIDN'T GET OVERRUN BY THE
FRENCH.
>> Stephen: OH.
O SE DICIOUS TALK, YOU COULD BE THROWN IN JAIL AND MADE IT
HARDER FOR IMMIGRANTS TO BECOME CITIZENS.
THE AIL JEN ACT WAS JOHN ADAMS AND IT'S STILL ON THE BOOKS.
>> Stephen: HE AND SCWEFERSEN, THEY THEY RESPECTED AND HATED
EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: THIS IS HOW DIRTY POLITICS WAS BACK IN THE DAY.
WHEN WE SAY IT'S DIRTY NOW.
WHAT DID JEFFERSON HAVE A NEWSPAPER GUY WRITE ABOUT ADAMS?
I LOVE THIS.
>> A TOOTHLESS, HAIRLESS OLD HERMAPHRODITE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WHILE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES?
>> YES.
WHY GOT BRUTAL WITH EACH OTHER.
>> Stephen: THEY DUELED BACK THEN.
>> HAMILTON KILLED BURR AS WE KNOW.
>> Stephen: WHAT?!
ORRY, DID I JUST SCREW UP THE MUSICAL FOR EVERYBODY?
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: DO PEOPLE
RECOGNIZE YOU MORE AS JOHN ADAMS OR ARE YOU THE I WON'T DRINK
MERLOT GUY FROM "SIDEWAYS"?
WHICH ONE DO YOU GET NAILED FOR?
>> SORT OF BOTH.
I GET THE PER LOW GUY A LOT.
MERLOT GUY, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL HIM FROM NOW ON.
THAT WAS THE PART I PLAYED, MERLOT GUY.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS IN THE SCRIPT.
>> EXACTLY, MERLOT GUY.
I WENT TO THE STEAKHOUSE THE OTHER NIGHT AND THE WINE EXPERT
COMES UP AND HE'S, LIKE, I'VE WAITED TEN YEARS TO BE ABLE TO
GIVE YOU THE WINE LIST.
AND I WAS, LIKE, DUDE, I DON'T KNOW (BLEEP) ABOUT WINE.
I WAS, LIKE, I'M SO SORRY, MAN.
I DON'T KNOW (BLEEP) ABOUT WINE.
( APPLAUSE ) I FELT LIKELY BAD.
THE GUY WAS SO PSYCHED.
WHAT A JERK.
I SHOULD HAVE LIED TO HIM.
>> Stephen: HE WOULDN'T KNOW?
THEY MAKE IT ALL UP.
JUST SAY, I'M GETTING HINTS OF LEATHER AND DRIED CHERRIES.
( LAUGHTER ) SO MUCH GREAT STUFF ON THE TV.
>> YES, SIR.
>> Stephen: OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE IN BILLIONS ON TH "THE LA ON THE
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WHAT DO YOU BINGE WATCH?
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT'S SO FUNNY?
>> I DON'T WATCH A WHOLE HE CAN OF A LOT.
I DIDN'T WATCH THE SFNLT HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO WATCH MUCH
ELSE?
>> Stephen: YOU WATCH THIS SHOW.
>> I DO WATCH THIS SHOW.
>> Stephen: YOU JUST IMPROVED YOUR EDIT.
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME?
>> I READ A LOT.
>> Stephen: LIKE WHAT?
I READ ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
I READ SCIENCE FICTION.
>> Stephen: I DO.
YOU'RE A TOLKEN GUY.
>> Stephen: ANY HARLAN ELLISON?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: LARRY NIGHEN.
LOOK AT THIS!
>> Stephen: HEIMLINE.
DIDN'T LIKE HIM.
>> Stephen: HENRY CUTNER.
YES.
>> Stephen: JACK VANS.
WOW, JACKS VANCE!
>> Stephen: CAMPBELL -- TOP, STOP!
>> Stephen: I NEVER GET TO TALK SCI-FI WITH ANYBODY.
I READ A SCI-FI A DAY, ANYTHING OTHER THAN SCHOOL WORK.
>> SMITH.
>> Stephen: CORD WAINER BIRD WAS A NONDEPLUM ELLISON USED.
I'VE GOT HARLAN ELLISON BACK THERE.
>> REALLY?
THAT'S -- I'VE NEVER HEARD -- WOW, MAN.
SECRET HANDSHAKE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> Stephen: YOU WATCH YOUR OWN SHOW, "BILLIONS," RIGHT?
>> I HAVE TO.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE IT'S SO GOOD!
IN THIS SEASON, ANY MORE OF THE B.D.S.M.?
>> YOU CAN WATCH H THIS YEAR.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIP AND I THINK YOU'RE TALKING WITH A
TEAM -- >> MY LIEUTENANTS AND TELLING
THEM THEY NEED TO CHANGE THEIR GAME UP IF THEY NEED TO ADVANCE
TO ANOTHER POSITION.
>> WELL, WELL, WELL, THREE YOUNG APPRENTICES CELEBRATI CELEBRATIN
DEPARTURE OF A COLLEAGUE.
>> SURE.
BUT DON'T THEY ALSO WANT TO PUT A FOOT IN HIS A ASS AND TAKE HIS
SPOT?
OH, COME ON, THIS PROPELS YOU INTO WHATEVER JOB YOU WANT NEXT.
HOW TO GET IT.
HEM TELL YA, OUR PRACTICE IS LEAVE GROOVES OVER TIME AND
EVENTUALLY THOSE GROOVES BECOME WALLS THAT BOX US IN.
SO WHAT I FIGURED OUT RECENTLY IS, FIND ANOTHER WAY.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THERE IT IS.
THERE IT IS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: PAUL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> STEPHEN: SEASON TWO OF "BILLIONS" PREMIERES FEBRUARY 19TH ON SHOWTIME.
PAUL GIAMATTI, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH WENDY WILLIAMS. ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )