-My next guest is a talented actress.
And starting tonight you can see her as Monica Lewinsky
in "Impeachment: American Crime Story"
every Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. on FX.
Please welcome Beanie Feldstein!
♪ -It's Beanie Feldstein ♪
♪ As we're about to see ♪
♪♪
♪ Monica Lewinsky ♪
♪ When she ain't working ♪
♪ And she got time to kill ♪
♪♪
-It feel good having a crowd?
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Wow!
-There's nothing like a live audience.
-This is so crazy. -Yeah.
It's wild, right? -Oh, my God. We're back.
-We're back.
I want to talk to you about so many things.
But first off, I want to congratulate you.
It just was released that you are going to be the lead
of "Funny Girl" on Broadway. [ Cheers and applause ]
And I go, "Yes!" -Wow!
-That's perfect.
This is the first time it's been on Broadway
in 50 years or something. -Since 1964.
-Wow. -Isn't that insane?
-And, I mean, Barbra Streisand.
I mean, just -- I know.
And I was like they couldn't think of a better,
more perfect person than you to cast in it.
I'm so happy it's you.
And then when I said I want to talk about it on the show,
you sent over a photo of you as a child.
-Yeah. -Was it Halloween?
-This was my third birthday party.
[ Laughter ]
I asked for the theme to be "Funny Girl,"
as every 2 1/2-year-old does.
Not Elmo. Not "The Little Mermaid."
Please, "Funny Girl" to be my theme.
-So this is you as Fanny Brice.
[ Audience aws ] -Yeah.
-Can you believe that this is happening?
-No. -Can you believe life right now?
-I feel like I should teach a class in manifesting,
but I don't know what I did. [ Laughter ]
I wouldn't know what to teach. -Seriously.
I mean, I just think it's so full circle and so cool.
I saw you in "Hello, Dolly!"
By the way, you were phenomenal in that,
and I think you're going to rock this one.
-Thank you.
-Did you always do musicals as a kid?
-I always did musicals as a kid. I was obsessed.
-What kind of kid were you?
Were you a rule breaker?
Were you a good kid?
-No. I'm a strict rule follower now.
But when I was a kid, I don't want to say I was a bully
because that sounds really horrific,
and that's the last thing I would want to be.
But I'm the third kid, and I was, let's say,
like, over, the young kids.
Right? I was like, "Come on.
I want to be with the adults.
I want to be with the teenagers."
I didn't -- I couldn't find my crowd in preschool.
So I used to carpool -- -Preschool.
-I used to carpool with this girl, Katie,
who is lovely and wonderful.
But when we were kids, she used to cry every single morning
that her mom would leave.
And I couldn't take it after a while, Jimmy.
[ Laughter ] And I went up to her,
and I grabbed her like where your tie is.
And I pulled her to my face, and I said,
"Katie, the mommies leave and the mommies come back.
What part of that don't you understand?"
[ Laughter ] And I threw her to the ground.
And the teachers called my mom, and they were like,
"We shouldn't be laughing, but it was so funny."
-"Mommies drop you off, and the mommies pick you up.
Okay? Happens every day."
-"How is it not getting in that she will come back?
I promise you." -I love that.
-So I was such a little meanie, but then I grew into a Beanie,
and it was fine. It was all good.
-Beanie, I got to talk about you playing Monica Lewinsky.
"Impeachment: American Crime Story."
-Yes.
-Everyone is talking about it.
I don't know if you've --
You're on every commercial, on every channel.
And it's amazing.
I've only seen the first episode, but, man.
You got me right off the beginning.
I go -- I just feel for you and I go,
"I lived through that at the time not having these emotions."
And I'm watching this girl just kind of scared and in trouble
and like, "What's going on?"
And, now, Monica Lewinsky is actually
producing the show as well. -Yeah.
-So you got to meet her and talk to her?
-I did.
It's been an incredibly moving experience, Jimmy.
I mean, I was in London when Ryan Murphy called me.
And he -- I answered this American number I don't know.
And I'm like, "Hello?" and he's like,
"Beanie, it's Ryan Murphy."
And I was like -- My butt fell off, okay?
[ Laughter ]
And he was like, "Do you want to play Monica Lewinsky
in the third installment of 'American Crime Story,'
and do you want to be a producer?"
And it was the most empowering moment.
It was such a massive deal.
And it's her real life.
And so we felt that she should be a part of telling her story
because in the '90s, she was actively silenced by
the Office of Independent Counsel
because of her immunity deal.
She was not permitted to speak for herself,
and she was literally silenced.
So people think they understand her story
and the stories of Paula Jones and Linda Tripp, but they don't.
And we're hoping to really peel back the curtain and show you
what was really happening at that time.
-Well, you knocked it out of the park.
I want to show everyone a clip.
Here's Beanie Feldstein as Monica Lewinsky
in "Impeachment: American Crime Story."
Take a look at this.
-I have to say, you're such a knockout.
I just assumed you'd be dating some big D.C. player.
-[ Sighs ] -What?
-I'm not dating. -Why not?
-I'm kind of in something.
-And yet you feel lonely?
-Yes, affirmative.
-Well, that's no good.
Tell me about him.
-It's, uh...
It's just he's, um, unavailable.
-Someone long distance?
Someone from work?
Someone important?
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Beanie Feldstein!
"Impeachment: American Crime Story"
airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on FX.