SO NICE TO SEE YOU, I'M SO HAPPY
YOU ARE BOTH HERE. I LOVE THIS.
VERY INTERNATIONAL COUCH STRKS. MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES.
>> SO HAPPY ARE YOU HERE, MARIA, YOU WENT TO SOME OF THE FANCY
OSCAR PARTIES. >> I DID.
>> James: THIS PAST WEEKEND. LAST YEAR YOU WERE NOMINATED.
IS IT MORE FUN ATTENDING THOSE THINGS WHEN YOU ARE NOT
NOMINATED? >> WELL, HOW COULD I KNOW.
I WASN'T ABLE TO GO LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE NEVER HAD THEM, MAYBE
ST, TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRESSURE OF BEING
EXACTLY THE PLACE YOU HAVE TO BE, TALKING WITH PEOPLE YOU HAVE
TO TALK AND ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO SAY.
SO YOU JUST HAD FUN. >> James: DID YOU HAVE A GOOD
WEEKEND, WAS IT FUN. >> YES.
>> James: ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES YOU CAME OUT TO LOS
ANGELES AS WHEN YOU AND RICKY GERVAIS WERE NOMINATE FORD TWO
GOLDEN GLOBE FORCE THE U.K.'S OFFICE.
IF I REMEMBER THE SCENE, IT WAS THE BIGGEST STORY AT HOME THAT
THE SHOW WAS NOMINATED. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE
MOMENT. >> THAT WAS IN THE DAYS WHEN THE
GOLDEN GLOBES MEANT SOMETHING. >> James: YES, WHEN THEY
HAPPENED. >> WHEN THEY HAPPENED AND WERE
RESPECTED. WE HAD BEEN NOMINATED.
AND THEY PICKED US UP IN A LIMO FROM THE AIRPORT.
UNBELIEVABLE. WE WERE LIKE PEOPLE ON A BOTCH
LORETTE WEEKEND, JUST LIKE-- IS THE WATER FREE, OH MY GOD.
AND WE WENT TO THE CEREMONY. AND THE BBC BEFORE HAND HAD SAID
THERE IS NO WAY YOU ARE GOING TO WIN, NO CLANS SO JUST ENJOY THE
NIGHT. AND MIRACULOUSLY WE WON.
AND IF YOU WATCH-- . >> James: AND RIGHTLY SO.
>> BUT IF YOU WATCH THE TEL CAST FOOTAGE YOU CAN SEAT CAMERAMAN
SORT OF SEARCHING FOR US AS OUR NAMES ARE CALLED, HAD NO IDEA.
YOU SEE ME SLOWLY STAND UP. AND IT WAS LIKE, WE WENT TO THE
STAGE AND THE ANNOUNCER HAD NEVER HEARD OF US AND OBVIOUSLY
IS ACTUALLY A FRENCH CANADIAN NAME SO THE ANNOUNCER SAID
COMING TO THE STAGE RICKY GER-HAVE A AND STEPHEN MER-CHAN.
WE WENT UP THERE, AND I SWEAR TO GOD THERE WAS CLINT EASTWOOD, HE
TURNED TO THE PERSON NEXT TO HEM, WHO THE [BLEEP] IS THIS.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. I THOUGHT WELL, NO-- .
>> James: AN AMAZES NIGHT, INCREDIBLE THING.
I. MARIA, SINCE WERE YOU LAST YEAR,
HAVE I BUMPED INTO YOU BECAUSE YOU MOVED TO LOS ANGELES.
>> I DID. >> James: HOW IS IT GOING?
HOW IS LIFE. HAS IT BEEN A CULTURE SHOCK
MOVING HERE? >> THE MOST SHOCKING PART IS
THAT EVERYBODY IS TREEKS EL-- EXTREMELY HAPPY.
AND I THINK I'M BECOMING A HAPPY PERSON AS WELL.
>> James: DO YOU ENJOY IT WHEN YOU COME OUT HERE, WHEN YOU COME
TO L.A MUST HAVE BEEN A COUPLE YEARS
SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE. >> I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN TWO
YEARS, MY FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS.
ARE YOU RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE POSITIVE THERE IS SO MUCH
CREATIVITY IN THIS TOWN SO MANY SMART, FUNNY, BRILLIANT PEOPLE
AND GREAT LOOKING PEOPLE. I TAWLS FIT IN.
>> James: THAT'S THE THING. >> WHEN RIERM'S HERE.
>> James: BUT YOU HAVE A VERY DISTINCTIVE LOOK.
>> IS THAT I A EUPHEMISM FOR WEIRD.
>> James: NO, JUST A LOT TO DO PUT A CAP ON, A MASK, BAH I
THINK WOULD SPOT YOU FROM A LONG WAY AWAY.
WHERE IS THE MOST UNUSUAL PLACE YOU'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED?
>> I WAS ONCE IN CROATIA AND DEBROVNIK WHERE THEY SHOOT A LOT
OF GAME OF THRONES AND I HAD TO EAT OYSTERS AND JUST BEFORE I
ATE THEM, SWUB SAID YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A BAD OYSTER, THE PAIN
IS SO INTENSE YOU WILL NEVER EAT ONE AGAIN.
AND I ATE THIS OYSTER AND FOUR HOURS LATER I WAS ON THE HOTEL
BED IN PAIN THE LIKES OF WISH, I WAS SCREAMING, I WILL NEVER EAT
OYSTER AGAINED. AND YOU KNOW HOW NORMALLY IF YOU
HAVE FOOD POISONING IT COMES OUT OF ONE END OR THE OTHER, THESE
OYSTER WAS NOT LEAVE. THEY WERE LIKE MY PARENTS AT
CHRISTMAS. THEY WERE-- DID IT WOULD NOT GO.
AND I AM IN TERRIBLE PAIN AND IN THE END I SAID YOU HAVE TO CALL
A DOCK TOKER THEY CALLED THIS DOCTOR.
HE COMES TO THE ROOM, ABOUT 2 A.M. AND HE SAYS I NEED TO GIVE
YOU A MUSCLE RELAXANT BECAUSE YOU HAVE STOMACH CRAMPS, HE SAID
LINA,-- SO I GET ON THE BED, DROP THE PAJAMAS.
AND HE GETS OUT THIS BLOODEE GREAT SYRINGE AND IS WALKING
TOWARDS ME. AND HE GOES, ARE YOU STEPHEN
MERCHANT. AND I'M-- AND I WAS THINKS, DID
HE JUST RECOGNIZE ME BY MY AS? IS THAT WHY HE KNOWS, AM I LIKE
THE KROASHIAN KIM KARDASHIAN. AND HE GAVE ME THIS INJECTION
AND THEN I SAID THANK YOU INVESTMENT ON THE WAY TO THE
DOOR HE GOES, I DON'T SUPPOSE I COULD GET A SELFIE.
>> James: WOW. >> THAT RISES TO THE HIPPOCRATIC
OATH NO SELFIES WITH PATIENTS, AND I WAS OKAY, THANKS, THE NEXT
MORNING HE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR, I THOUGHT HE WANTS ME TO SIGN A
DVD BUT NO, HE HAD COME BACK TO AOLOGIZE.
>> James: WHAT A LOVELY. >> VERY SWEET.
SO I HAD FORGIVEEN HIM BUT THAT WAS WEIRD.
>> James: MARIA, SINCE YOU MOVED HERE, VERY DIFFICULT TO
GET AROUND. BUT YOU HAVE STARTED DRIVING LESSONS.
HOW ARE YOU FEEL BEING THIS, DO YOU FEEL READY.
>> I HAVEN'T STARTED. HERE IN FRONT OF YOU N FRONT OF
SO MANY PEOPLE. MI GOING TO START, I PROMISE.
>> James: IT'S A BREEZE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT YOU
DON'T HAVE TO FEEL WORRIED ABOUT IT, DO YOU.
>> I HAVE A FRIEND THAT SAID SOMETHING, ARE YOU DRIVING IN
L.A. STRKS EVEN SCARIER THAN BEING IN THAT ROOM N THAT HOTEL,
WITH THAT PERSON. >> James: WHAT, IN THE FILM
WHEN WERE YOU IN THE ROOM WITH RUDY GIULIANI.
>> I THINK IF YOU CAN BE IN A ROOM WITH RUDY GIULIANI, YOU CAN
LEARN TO DRIVE IN L.A., I'M CERTAIN ABOUT THAT.
>> OKAY. THEN I'M STARTING IT.
>> James: I BELIEVE YOU'VE GOT IT YOU SHOULD START YOUR FIRST
LESSON NEXT WEEK. >> OKAY.
>> James: HERE IS THE DRILL, WE WON'T LET YOU BACK ON THE
SHOW UNTIL YOU CAN DRIVE, HOW IS THAT, DEAL.
>> DEAL. >> James: DONE, THAT WILL MAKE
YOU DO IT. THERE YOU GO.
NOW STEPHEN, WE HAVE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR
BRILLIANT NEW SHOW, "THE OUTLAWS" SO FANTASTICKED.
NOMINATED FOR A BAFTA YESTERDAY, ARE YOU THE CREATOR, THE STAR OF
THE SHOW, YOU DIRECTED A LOT OF SHOWS.
SET IN YOUR HOMETOWN OF BRISTOL. FOR ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T TOLL US
WHAT IT IS ABOUT AND WHO YOU PLAY.
>> THE SHOW IS ABOUT SEVEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BROKEN THE LAW
IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND DOING COMMUNITY SERVICE.
IF YOU GET DUMPED THEY SEND TO YOU PRISON, SOMETIMES THEY MAKE
YOU PICK UP GARBAGE OR PAINT A BUILDING, INSTEAD OF PRISON.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING IDEA FOR A TV SHOW
BECAUSE MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS GROWING UP WERE INVOLVED WITH
THAT. THEY SUPERVISED THE CRIMINALS.
THEY WEREN'T CRIMINALS THEMSELVES.
THEY DID A COUPLE OF BANK HEISTS.
>> James: SHEUR, THAT IS IT, NOTHING.
>> THAT IS AN INTERESTING AREA FOR A SHOW, AND SO ONE OF THE
AWKWARD GANGLY NERVOUS BRITISH GUY T SAY REAL STRETCH AND THERE
ARE A BUNCH OF OTHER BRILLIANT ACTORS INCLUDING CHRISTOPHER
WALKEN. >> James: HOW DID YOU CONVINCE
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN TO BE PART OF THE SHOW.
>> SO YEAH HE LIVED IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN CONNECTICUT
AND DOES NOT HAVE A PHONE OR CELL PHONE OR A COMPUTER OR
ANYTHING. SO WE FAXED HIM THE SCRIPT AND
HE CALLED ME UP AND SAID I NEED TO MEET.
I WAS QUITE INTIMIDATED HIM TO MEET HIM.
IS HE A FORE BODING CHARACTER. AND OPENED DOOR AND I WISH I
COULD DO A WALKEN IMPRESSION BECAUSE THE FIRST THING HE SAID
TO ME WAS, WOULD YOU, LIKE, AN OMELET.
>> I JUST A GIETD HOTEL BREAKFAST, SO WE SAT DOWN AND
SOMEONE TOLD ME BEFORE HAND CHRIS IS VERY COMFORTABLE
WITH-- VERY THOUGHTFUL, VERY CONSIDERATE, ASKING A LOT OF
QUESTIONS, I WAS SITTING THERE, AND I JUST-- HE ASKED ANOTHER
QUESTION AND I DON'T HEAR-- IT WAS LIKE HAVING A ZOOM
CONVERSATION IN PERSON. >> RIGHT.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, WERE YOU NEVER SURE IF HE WAS
THINKING OR BUFFERING. AND I WAS THERE ABOUT THREE AND
A HALF HOURS, BY HOUR THREE I WAS WEAK FROM HUNGER, I SAID I
NEED AN OMELET. SO I ENDED UP IN THE HOME EATING
A VERY FLUFFY OMLET AND IN THE END HE SAID YES, AND CAME ALL
THE WAY TO ENGLAND TO DO THE SHOW.
>> James: IT IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
AND THE SHOW IS FANTASTIC.