>> Stephen: FOLKS, YOU KNOW MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT AS DONNA FROM
"PARKS AND RECREATION."
SHE NOW STARS IN "GOOD GIRLS," WHICH JUST RETURNED FOR A SECOND
SEASON.
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," RETTA.
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS )
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING SPRINGTIME WITH YOU.
I REALLY ENJOY.
>> I WOR FEATHERS FOR YOU.
>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I REQUEST A QUICK QUESTION, THE NAME RETTA.
NOSEVERYBODY HAS JUST ONE NAME.
THAT'S LIKE CHER, BIAWNSA, THOR, ONLY THE BIGGEST.
>> STING.
>> Stephen: IS RETTA SHORT FOR LORATA.
>> NO, MARIETTA.
AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS IS FROM GEORGIA AND THEY PRONOUNCE
IT MAY-RETTA.
THERE WAS A GUY IN COLLEGE I HOOKED UP WITH ONCE --
>> Stephen: GO ON.
>> AND WHEN WE WERE HOOKING UP HE KEPT CALLING ME RATE.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME RETTA?"
I MEAN, I DIDN'T SAY IT, BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE-- DOING THE
STUFF.
BUT I WAS LIKE-- LIKE, I'M LITERALLY LIKE-- LIKE I WAS LIKE
I'M HAVING A GOOD TIME BUT I'M NOT.
>> Stephen: REMIND ME TO ASK YOU SOMETHING LATER.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> SO MY FRIENDS THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS.
I TELL THEM THE STORY, AND I SAID, "THEY KEPT CALLING ME
RETTA."
AND THEY SAID, "THAT'S YOUR NEW NAME.
AND THEY USED TO CALL ME THAT IN COLLEGE LIKE TO BE ANNOYING,
WHEN THEY WERE TRYING TO BE ANNOYING.
AND THEN-- SO THEN WHEN I STARTED DOING STAND-UP, THE
FIRST TIME I DID AN OPEN MIC, THE GUY WAS LIKE, WHO'S NEXT?
I'M LIKE, I.
AND HE SAID WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
AND I SAID MARIETTA SIRLEAF.
AND HE SAID WHAT?
AND I SAID JUST RETTA.
AND WHEN IT TRULY STUCK, WHEN I ACCEPTED IT AS MY NAME, I WAS--
I WAS LEAVING NORTH CAROLINA.
AND I TOLD MY PARENTS I'M GOING TO GO AND TRY AND DO THIS
HOLLYWOOD THING.
AND MY MOTHER WAS LIKE, "WELL, IF YOU DO IT, DO IT, DON'T
HALF-ASS IT BECAUSE YOU'RE CARRYING AROUND YOUR FATHER'S
LAST NAME."
AND I WAS LIKE, "NO, I'M NOT."
AND I STUCK WITH RETTA.
>> Stephen: THAT'S VERY FREEING.
THAT'S VERY FREEING.
YOU DIDN'T JUST LEAVE NORTH CAROLINA.
YOU WERE PREMED AT DUKE UNIVERSITY.
>> I WAS.
>> Stephen: THAT IS NOT--
"A," THAT'S A TOUGH SCHOOL TO GET INTO AND THAT IS A TOUGH,
TOUGH MAJOR.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: AND THAT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW-- THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A
TOUGH THING FOR YOUR PARENTS TO HEAR THAT YOU WERE LEAVING THE
TRACK TO BE A DOCTOR.
>> YES, YES.
AGAIN, MY MOTHER WAS LIKE, "DON'T HALF-ASS IT, BECAUSE WE
SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON COLLEGE."
>> Stephen: WERE THEY DISAPPOINTED?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE I'M KIND OF DISAPPOINTED.
I'M KIND OF DISAPPOINTED.
WE NEED MORE DOCTORS.
>> I APOLOGIZE.
BUT MY-- MY MOTHER-- YOU KNOW, SHE WAS LIKE ALL RIGHT.
BUT MY DAD WAS LIKE, "WHATEVER YOU DO, JUST GET HEALTH
INSURANCE."
HE WAS LIKE, "BECAUSE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE CAN'T TAKE
CARE OF YOU."
>> Stephen: AND YOU CAN'T CURE YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BE A DOCTOR ANYMORE.
>> NO, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND DID IT.
BUT THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE.
AIRFARE STARTED DOING-- I WOULD GET, LIKE, LITTLE STAND-UP
THINGS ON TV.
I DID-- MY FIRST THING WAS "JENNY JONES."
REMEMBER JENNY JONES HAD A TALK SHOW?
SHE WAS A COMEDIAN BUT SHE HAD A TALK SHOW.
SO SHE WAS SUPPORTING UP-AND-COMING COMICS AND SHE
COMICS ON THE SHOW.
AND MY DAD IT'S DAY IT WAS AIRING MY DAD HAD A BARBER'S
APPOINTMENT.
AND HE WENT IN, AND, APPARENTLY, HIS BARBERSHOP WATCHED "JENNY
JONES," SO WHEN HE CAME IN, THEY HAD HIS NAME, AND THEY WERE
LIKE, "DO YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT DOES STAND-UP?"
AND HE WAS HIKE-- BECAUSE IT WAS NEW-- HE WAS LIKE, "YEAH, KIND
OF."
"WE JUST SAW HER ON TV."
SO HE WAS THE COOL GUY FOR A MONTH IN THE BARBERSHOP.
AND HE STARTED TAPING MY STUFF.
AND HE WORKED AT CONAIR CORPORATIONS AND HE USED TO TAKE
MY VIDEOS TO WORK WITH A SIGN-OUT SHEET, AND IF PEOPLE
WANTED TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER THEY WOULD SIGN OUT OF TAPES.
IT WAS LIKE HIS OWN BLOCKBUSTER-- HIS RETTA BUSTER.
>> Stephen: "GOOD GIRLS" RETURNED IN MARCH FOR ITS SECOND
SEASON.
WHAT'S GOING ON THIS SEASON?
WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT?
>> THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF STRESS BECAUSE NOW RUBY, MY
CHARACTER, HAS TO PICK BETWEEN HER FAMILY HER FRIENDS, BECAUSE
SHE'S BEEN COMMITTING CRIMES WITH HER FRIENDS, AND NOW SHE'S
GOTTEN CAUGHT A LITTLE BIT BY THE F.B.I.
AND HE WANTS THEM TO TURN IN HER FRIENDS.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE SHOW IN WHICH TWO FRIENDS TURN TO A
LIFE OF CRIME TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES.
>> THREE.
>> Stephen: THREE FRIENDS.
IT'S A COMEDY-- >> IT'S A DRAMEDY.
>> Stephen: IT'S A CRIME DRAMADY.
DOES ANYBODY GO TO JAIL EDDIE?
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
"GOOD GIRLS" AIRS SUNDAY NIGHTS
Be
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.