>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU HAVE A LOVELY OFFICE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> YOU HAVE A VERY LOVELY OFFICE WITH A LOVELY VIEW IN THE
OFFICE.
>> Stephen: IT'S A LOVELY WORKPLACE.
>> IT IS A LOVELY WORKPLACE.
I FEEL I NEED TO DRESS FOR WALL STREET.
THERE IS SOMETHING VERY PROPER ABOUT YOU.
>> Stephen: I USUALLY WEAR A JUMP SUIT.
( LAUGHTER ) AS I SAID EARLIER IN THE DEEP
THOUGHTS OVER THERE IN THE BIG QUESTIONS, YOU'RE A COMMANDER OF
THE BRITISH EMPIRE?
>> I'M A COMMANDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES ONE NEED TO DO TO BECOME A COMMANDER OF
THE BRITISH EMPIRE?
>> IN MY CASE, A BIT OF ACTING.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND WHAT DO YOU GET?
DO YOU GET TO COMMAND A REGIMENT OR SOMETHING?
>> YOU GET A BEAUTIFUL MEDAL.
THE MEDAL OF HONOR, THAT IS THE CROSS, AND YOU ARE ABLE TO DO
CERTAIN THINGS, I BELIEVE, IN ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL.
LEGITIMATE CHRISTIAN THINGS, NOT PARTIES OR ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: I THINK I COULD DO THAT.
WHAT DO YOU GET TO DO?
BAPTIZE PEOPLE OR ANYTHING?
>> YOU CAN USE THE CRYPT CHAPEL.
YES, YOU COULD BAPTIZE YOUR CHILD THERE.
>> Stephen: YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A PRIEST.
YOU COULDN'T DO IT YOURSELF.
>> NO, I COULDN'T DO IT MYSELF.
I HAVE MARRIED PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: AS A COMMANDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE ARE YOU GOING
TO THE ROYAL WEDDING THIS WEEKEND?
>> I'M NOT.
>> Stephen: WHY NOT?
BECAUSE I'M IN NEW YORK DOING A THING.
>> Stephen: NICELY DONE.
WE KNOW YOU FROM SO MANY GREAT PERFORMANCES.
WAR HORSE, TINKER SOLDIERS, SPY, DR. STRANGE, "12 YEARS A SLAVE,"
INFINITY WAR.
>> YES, THAT LITTLE FLICK.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU SAY?
THAT LITTLE FLICK.
>> Stephen: AND, OF COURSE, I LOVED YOU IN DR. STRANGE.
BIG DR. STRANGE FAN.
YOU'RE A PERFECT STEPHEN STRANGE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THAT'S FULL OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES.
I FOUND OUT YOUR HAD YOUR OWN TIBETAN EXPERIENCE.
>> I DID INTO WHAT WAS THAT?
THAT WAS EXTRAORDINARY.
BASICALLY, I HAD A YEAR BETWEEN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY AND I
WORKED FOR HALF OF IT TO PAY TO GO OFF TO INDIA FOR SIX MONTH,
FIVE OF WHICH I WAS TEACHING IN A TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONASTERY IN
NORTHEAST INDIA.
>> Stephen: FIVE MONTHS LIVING WITH TIBETAN BUDDHIST MORNINGS.
>> LIVING IN THE BASEMENT WITH THEIR TEACHER ON SITE.
I SAY TEACH IN THE LOOSEST POSSIBLE TERMS.
I'M VERY -- I DON'T KNOW, I'M FULL OF INCREDIBLE KIND OF
RESPECT FOR REAL TEACHERS.
I GOT AWAY WITH MURDER.
I THINK IT WAS MORE CULTURAL EXCHANGE THAN ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
>> I LEARNED A LOT MORE I THINK THAN I DID.
THAT'S WHY THE EXCHANGE IS A BIT UNFAIR, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO THEY DO FOR FUN?
YOU'RE 19, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR ONE WITH TIBETAN MONKS?
>> THEY HAVE GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR.
ONE NIGHT IT WAS PASSING THROUGH THE LIVING QUARTERS.
THERE WAS A CHARGED ATMOSPHERE.
THEY WERE WATCHING "BRAVE HEART" ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: OL ON TELEVISION?
THEY SAID, SIR, SIR, THE ENGLISH ARE THE CHINESE AND WE
ARE THE SCOTS.
AND I SAID THE BARBARIC MURDEROUS VIOLENCE?
THEY SAID, IT'S OKAY.
THEY SAID, YOU MUST COME, BRING CAMERA!
I SAID, OKAY, A LOT OF THEM DID SPEAK IN VERY BROKEN ENGLISH
DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS.
THEY DRAGGED ME TO THE BALCONY, TWO DOGS IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY
GOT PRETTY HEATED WITH EACH OTHER AND HAD -- DONE THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: CAN'T DO THAT.
THAT DOESN'T HELP ON CBS.
>> GOT TO REDO IT?
>> Stephen: NO, IT WILL JUST BE BLURRED.
>> OKAY ( PIANO RIFF )
>> Stephen: I CAN TELL YOU THE EXACT MOMENT THAT WILL BE
BLURRED.
>> THERE.
>> Stephen: GONE.
( LAUGHTER ) GONE.
>> MY FINGERS JUST WENT OUT OF FOCUS.
REALLY WEIRD.
>> Stephen: DR. STRANGE, ARE YOU OKAY?
( LAUGHTER ) >> FAIR ENOUGH, CBS.
FAIR ENOUGH.
BUT THIS IS NATURE AND IT HAPPENS OUT THERE.
>> Stephen: SURE.
DOESN'T HAPPEN IN HERE.
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER ) THIS IS A DOG-FREE ZONE.
>> Stephen: DOGS WERE GOING AT IT.
>> THE PROBLEM IS THEY WERE STUCK.
>> Stephen: OH, THAT'LL HAPPEN.
>> THEY FINISHED BUT BUN WANTED TO GO THAT WAY, AND ONE WANTED
TO GO THAT WAY.
BUT THEY WERE STUCK.
I WAS SLIGHTLY HORRIFIED GOING WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THESE
ANIMALS?
THEY'RE GOING, KODAK MOMENT!
KODAK MOMENT!
, THEN THEY TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH.
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS HYSTERICAL.
>> Stephen: SIMPLE PLEASURES.
YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: DID YOU DO ANY
PAINFUL PROADMINISTRATIONS OR DEEP MEDITATION?
>> NO, THEY HAVE RIGOROUS ROUTINES, AND BREAKFAST, MORE
STUDY, AND I FIT IN WITH AN ENGLISH LESSON IN THE MORNING
AND GO TO THE SCHOOL FULL OF REFUGEE CHILDREN, I TEACH THEM,
COME BACK, HAVE LUNCH.
HAVE AN AFTERNOON OF PLAYIN PLAY EXERCISE AND FUN AND GET
TOGETHER FOR AN EVENING MEAL.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN BACK?
>> I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK.
IT HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON ME.
I LEARNED BY WATCHING THEM.
THE RITUALS WERE VERY DETAILED AND ANCIENT.
AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING LAMA INTRODUCED ME TO A FRIEND AND I
WENT TO A WEEK'S RETREAT WITH THE OTHER TEACHE TEACHERS TO
ORTHOMONESTARIES IN THE AREA.
>> Stephen: IS TIBETAN A LANGUAGE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING INTY BEAN?
( SPEAKING IN TIBETAN ) >> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU JUST
SAY?
>> YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW -- CBS.
( PIANO RIFF ) ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: THE NEW SHOW "PATRICK MELROSE" ON THOUGH
TIME.
HE IS ADDICTED TO DRUGS.
THIS IS THE SECOND CHARACTER I KNOW OF YOU PLAYED ADDICTED TO
DRUGS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: SHERLOCK WAS AS WELL.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT DRAWS YOU TO CHARACTERS WITH ADDICTIVE AND
EXTREME PERSONALITIES?
>> I -- DON'T KNOW.
( LAUGHTER ) NO.
I LIKE -- THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY I LIKE ACTING BUT
ONE OF THEM IS TO DO THINGS OUTSIDE OF MY COMFORT ZONE OR
MY -- MY LIFE EXPERIENCE, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE.
I'M THANKFUL TO SAY.
SO IT'S ALSO A PROFOUND JOURNEY OF SALVATION.
IN THIS CASE, THIS CHARACTER SUFFERS MASSIVE TRAUMA IN HIS
CHILDHOOD AT THE HANDS OF HIS FATHER AND HE THEN, IN HIS
20s, WE VISIT HIM FIRST, ACTUALLY, IN THE ORDER OF THE
SERIES IS SLIGHTLY REVERSED FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND BOOK.
>> BASED ON A SERIES OF BOOKS?
THE AUTHOR WHOSE OWN LIFE VERY MUCH MIRRORS PATRICK'S IS
AN ALTER EGO AND HE IS BOTH AN EXTRAORDINARY HUMAN BEING FOR
HAVING SURVIVED THAT AND WRITING ABOUT IT IN SOME OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL, HEARTBREAKING PROSE, FUNNY AND HELL DESPITE THE
GRAVITY OF SOME OF THE SITUATIONS IN THE STORY.
PROSE YOU WILL READ IN THE 21st CENTURY.
IT'S NOT GOOD.
I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BOOKS.
PEOPLE I KNOW, RACHEL AND MICHAEL JACKSON, WE MET AND
TALKED ABOUT IT AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PROJECTS AND
GOT ON AND HELPED THEM DEVELOP IT AND HERE WE ARE.
ANTES INCREDIBLE STORY OF HIM AS AN ADDICT IN HIS 20s IN
NEW YORK, BACK TO HIS CHILDHOOD IN THE COURSE OF THE DRAMA, INTO
THE EPISODE YOU SAW A CLIP FROM WHERE HE'S SOBER BUT PURPOSELESS
AND GRADUALLY COMING INTO THE WORLD AS A HUSBAND AND FATHER IN
HIS OWN RIGHT AND ESCAPING THE GRAVITY OF HIS PARENTS AND
BECOMING LITERALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY AN ORPHAN.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THANKFUL NOT YOUR EXPERIENCE, THAT YOU'RE
OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU HAD -- THIS IS COFFEE AND THIS
IS WATER.
>> TEQUILA.
( LAUGHTER ) I DO THE DONALD TRUMP WAY OF
DRINKING.
( PIANO RIFF ) I THINK MARTIN FREEMAN.
MARTIN OFTEN DRIES HIS CUP OF TEA LIKE THIS.
>> Stephen: REALLY.
YES.
>> Stephen: HE DOESN'T SEEM FEEBLE.
>> YEAH.
HE'S TERRIBLE AT THUMBABLE.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU GOOD AT THUMB WAR?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: THIS ISN'T THUMB WAR, THIS IS INFINITY THUMB WAR.
>> ONE, TWO THREE, FOUR, I DECLARE A THUMB WAR.
NOT ONE, TWO, THREE, I'M A CHEAT TEE HEE.
MY THUMB IS SHAKE, I'M SO NERVOUS.
>> Stephen: READY, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, I DECLARE A THUMB
WAR.
( LAUGHTER ) >> COLBERT -- COLBERT -- WHAT'S
GOING ON!
HE WINS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I THINK I'VE GOT TO GIVE YOU MY
C.D. NOW.
I THINK THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.
>> Stephen: "PATRICK MELROSE" AIRS SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME!