FROM HIS NEW BOOK OF POETRY ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> WE HAVE SEEN YOU ON STAGE, ON
FILM, ON TELEVISION,
EXTRAORDINARY ACTING CAREER.
AND NOW YOU HAVE A BOOK OF YOUR
OWN.
OWN. WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO DO THIS?
>> IT IS THE LAST THING I EVER
THOUGHT I WOULD END UP DOING.
I HAD BEEN WRITING VERSE FOR
KIDS.
KIDS. I’VE GOT NINE CHILDREN’S BOOKS.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF MY
SPRINGBOARD.
SPRINGBOARD. I DID HAVE OCCASION TO PERFORM
FOR A HUGE AUDIENCE, PUBLIC
THEATER IN CENTRAL PARK.
I REWROTE THE LYRICS TO A SONG.
AND EVEN THEN IT DIDN’T OCCUR TO
ME TO WRITE THIS.
MY LITERARY AGENTS, HE CAUGHT
WIND OF THIS AND SAID, THERE IS
AN IDEA FOR YOU AND IT JUST -- I
DON’T KNOW.
DON’T KNOW. I AGREED WITH HIM.
I HAVE STRONG POLITICAL
FEELINGS, BUT I’M NOT REALLY A
POLITICAL ACTIVIST.
POLITICAL ACTIVIST. I DON’T SPEAK OUT A LOT.
I LEAVE THAT TO JOURNALISM AND
POLITICIANS.
POLITICIANS. THEY -- THEY ARE DELIGHTFUL.
SHALL I READ YOU ONE IN I’LL
READ YOU A SMART ONE.
YOU SEE IT IS FAIRLY LATE IN THE
BOOK.
BOOK. I’M GETTING A LITTLE ANGRY.
DUMPTY, DUMPTY WANTED MORE
POWER.
POWER. LEGAL CONSTRAINTS MADE HIM
CRANKY AND SOUR.
REVERED INSTITUTIONS AND CUSTOMS
COULD FALL AS LONG AS HE GOT HIS
PREPOSTEROUS WALL.
PREPOSTEROUS WALL. HE PEEVISHLY CALLED FOR A
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WITH WAGES
AND SERVICES DRASTICALLY CUT
DOWN.
DOWN. HIS FOLLY CAME OFF AS AN UNFUNNY
JOKE WHEN THOUSANDS OF FEDERAL
WORKERS WENT BROKE.
THE FACE-OFF IN CONGRESS WAS NOT
EVEN CLOSE, HE WAS HANDILY
SNOOKERED BY NANCY PELOSI.
HE ANGRILY MOUNTED A
COUNTERINSURGENCY MOUNTING A
SERIOUS NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
HE HAD BEGUN HIS MANIACAL
TRASHING OF ARTICLE ONE.
HE’S A RAMPANT GORILLA LET LOOSE
FROM THE ZOO.
YOUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WORKING
FOR YOU.
FOR YOU. >> I HAVE TO SAY, YOUR RHYMES
THROUGHOUT THE BOOK GET MORE AND
MORE CREATIVE.
MORE CREATIVE. >> YES.
>> YES. >> THE ANGRIER YOU GET, THE MORE
INTERESTING AND --
>> MAYBE THERE IS A CONNECTION.
>> YOU ALSO WROTE AN OP-ED FOR
THE NEW YORK TIMES.
AND YOU CRITICIZE THE PRESIDENT
FOR BEING A BAD ENTERTAINER.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> WELL, ENTERTAINMENT IS, OF
COURSE, IT IS DIFFERENT FOR
DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
DIFFERENT PEOPLE. TRUMP’S SUPPORTERS, HIS BASE,
THE PEOPLE GATHER AT HIS RALLIES
THINKS HE PUTS ON A FANTASTIC
SHOW.
SHOW. HE’LL GO ON FOR 90 MINUTES.
HE’S OUT TO ENTERTAIN THEM.
TO ME, IT IS VULGAR, GROTESQUE
AND POLITICALLY APPALLING.
>> IN A WORLD WHERE SO MANY
THINGS ARE SO SERIOUS, WE’RE
DEALING WITH SYRIA AND THE
KURDS, WE’RE HEARING MEDIA
PORTRAYED AS FAKE NEWS, WE’RE
TACKLING A LOT OF DEEP, DEEP
SERIOUS ISSUES.
SERIOUS ISSUES. WHERE DOES THAT COME IN?
>> IT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY
ESSENTIAL RIGHT NOW.
I WALK, WATCH THEM RELIGIOUSLY,
I ALMOST CAN’T GO SLEEP AT NIGHT
WITHOUT WATCHING STEPHEN
COLBERT.
COLBERT. I HAVE TO SEE A BRILLIANT
COMEDIAN MAKE JOKES.
THAT ARE FUELED BY ANGER.
MAKE YOU LAUGH, BUT JUST
HEIGHTEN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS.
I THINK THE TRUMP PHENOMENON HAS
SHARPENED JOURNALISM AND
SHARPENED COMEDY.
SHARPENED COMEDY. >> YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THIS
WASN’T MEANT TO CONVINCE ANYONE
OF ANYTHING.
OF ANYTHING. WHY NOT?
WHY NOT? AND WHAT IS IT FOR THEN?
>> WELL, IT IS -- THE PERSON
WHO’S CONVINCING PEOPLE ABOUT
HOW WHAT A TERRIBLE PRESIDENCY
IS, THE ONE PERSON DOING THE
BEST JOB OF DEMONSTRATING THAT
FACT IS DONALD TRUMP.
AND I’M SIMPLY MAKING FUN OF
DONALD TRUMP TO REMIND PEOPLE OF
HOW EGREGIOUS HE IS.
AND MEANTIME, EVERY DAY HE’S
DOING SOMETHING ELSE, MORE AND
MORE EVIDENCE AND THE EVIDENCE
IS PILING UP.
I DO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, IT IS
KARMA, IT IS GOING TO COME BACK
AND PUNISH HIM.
HE’S NOT GOING TO SURVIVE THIS.
EVEN IF HE GETS -- EVEN IF HE’S
PRESENT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
ULTIMATELY HE’S NOT GOING TO
SURVIVE THIS.
SURVIVE THIS. HISTORY IS GOING TO CALL HIM THE
WORST PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER
HAD.
HAD. NO WAY HE’S GOING TO ESCAPE
THAT.
THAT. >> I HAVE TO ASK, YOU HAVE
ANOTHER UPCOMING PROJECT, THE
HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FILM
BOMBSHELL.
BOMBSHELL. WHERE YOU PORTRAYED A LOT OF
REAL WORLD PEOPLE, WINSTON
CHURCHILL, YOU DID BILL CLINTON
ON BROADWAY.
ON BROADWAY. >> YES.
>> YES. >> NOW YOU’RE STEPPING INTO
ROGER AILES.
ROGER AILES. WHAT IS THAT LIKE?
>> IT WAS BY FAR THE MOST
EXCITING JOB.
EXCITING JOB. THESE HAVE BEEN TWO AMAZING
PROJECTS, THE CROWN, PLAYING
WINSTON CHURCHILL, AND BOMBSHELL
PLAYING ROGER AILES.
THEY’RE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
BUT I DO WEAR A FAT SUIT IN BOTH
OF THEM.
OF THEM. AND I DON’T KNOW, ITS SUBJECT SO
IMMEDIATE AND EXCITING.
IT IS A REAL WOMAN’S PICTURE.
THE GREAT STARS OF THE FILM AND
STORIES, THE MOST COMPELLING
STORIES ARE MEGYN KELLY,
GRETCHEN CARLSON, THE WOMEN OF
FOX, WHO ARE BEHIND THE FALL OF
ROGER AILES.
ROGER AILES. I’M NOT ENTIRELY SYMPATHETIC OR
ALTHOUGH I TRIED MY DARNEDEST TO
GIVE YOU A FULLY ROUNDED
PORTRAIT OF THAT MAN.
I’M IN THE BUSINESS OF EMPATHY.
AND IN PLAYING THE PART, I TRIED
TO EXTEND MY EMPATHY EVEN TO
HIM.
HIM. AND EVEN IF WE WERE DOING IT, WE