>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST JUST WON THE GOLDEN GLOBE AND IS NOMINATED
FOR AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR HER ROLE IN "ELLE."
PLEASE WELCOME ISABELLE HUPPERT.
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: HUPERT.
COLBERT.
>> OUI.
>> Stephen: FRAWN SWAY...
( SPEAKING FRENCH ) ( LAUGHTER )
>>> YOUR FILM IS A BIG CHALLENGE I'M TRANSLATING.
>> Stephen: I'M TOTALLY OUT OF FRENCH AT THIS POINT.
HOW IS MY ACCENT?
>> YOU CAN IMPROVE.
NOT BAD.
>> Stephen: IT'S NEVER GOOD ENOUGH.
IT'S NEVER GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE FRENCH.
I'M A LITTLE RUSTY.
I TOOK TWO YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND ALMOST FAILED.
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH IT.
NOW, FOR THE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DON'T KNOW YOUR CAREER,
YOU'VE DONE OVER 100 FILMS IN FRANCE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU'RE A GRAND DAME OF FRENCH
FILM.
PEOPLE CALL YOU SORT OF THE FRENCH MERYL STREEP.
OKAY?
YES?
>> SOMETIMES.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: OUR PRESIDENT HAS CALLED MERYL STREEP OVER-RATED.
>> YEAH, BAD OF HIM.
>> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW MERYL STREEP?
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH HER WORK?
>> OH, YES, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH HER WORK.
>> Stephen: HOW IS HER FRENCH ACCENT?
IS IT BETTER THAN YOURS.
>> SHE'S WONDERFUL WITH ACCENTS, POLISH ACCENTS RUSSIAN ACCENTS,
FRENCH ACCENT.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU DONE MANY FILMS IN AMERICA BEFORE?
>> YES, I'VE DONE SIX FILMS IN AMERICA-- FIVE FILMS IN AMERICA.
>> Stephen: DO YOU LIKE IT HERE?
>> THIS COUNTRY.
>> Stephen: YES >> AND DOING MOVIES HERE?
>> Stephen: AMERICA AT ALL?
>> s I LOVE AMERICA.
>> Stephen: THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.
AMERICA HAS THIS STRANGE-- PLAWZ THAT'S NICE.
FRANCE IS OUR FIRST ALLY, YOU KNOW.
FRANCE IS THE FIRST COUNTRY THAT SUPPORTED THE UNITED STATES
AFTER WE SPLIT FROM ENGLAND, AND WE HAVE A STRANGE LOVE-HATE
RELATIONSHIP WITH FRANCE.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
>> MORE LOVE THAN HATE.
>> Stephen: YOU GIVE UP THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, WHICH WE'RE
FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR, UNTIL WE'RE NOT.
( APPLAUSE ) I THINK WE ADMIRE YOUR
SOPHISTICATION, AND YOUR CULTURE.
BUT WE ARE SUSPICIOUS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE US.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> OH -- >> Stephen: I DON'T THINK
FRANCE WANTS TO BE AMERICA.
>> WELL, I THINK WE LIKE YOU VERY MUCH.
NO?
>> Stephen: YES?
>> YES DON'T YOU FEEL IT?
>> Stephen: WELL, I DO, BUT WE DO THINGS LIKE WE NAME THINGS
FREEDOM FRIES, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF FRENCH FRIES.
IF FRANCE DOESN'T DO EVERYTHING WE SAY--
>> WE DRINK, WE SMOKE, WE EAT TOO MUCH.
>> Stephen: BUT YET YOU'RE NOT FAT.
>> WELL, I'M NOT.
>> Stephen: NO, YOU'RE NOT.
>> YOU'RE NOT, EITHER.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT FAT, EITHER, BECAUSE I'VE GOT A VERY
GOOD TAILOR.
>> I CAN TELL.
YEAH, VERY NICE.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
NOW YOUR NEW MOVIE, WHICH YOU WON THE GOLDEN GLOBE FOR IS
"ELLE," AND AS I SAID, IT IS-- ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FILM.
BUT IT CAN BE A CHALLENGE FOR THE VIEWER BECAUSE YOU PLAY A
CHARACTER WHO HAS SUFFERED SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND RESPONDS TO
IT IN A WAY THAT'S THA SURPRISES ALL OF HER FRIENDS.
SHE ENDS UP HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH THE MAN WHO ORIGINALLY
ASSAULTED HER.
>> AN AFFAIR -- >> Stephen: A SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP.
>> A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX THAN THIS.
SHE HAS A PLAN, ACTUALLY.
SHE WANTS TO TAKE REVENGE.
>> Stephen: AND SHE DOES IN, AGAIN, WAYS THAT ARE ALSO VERY
CHALLENGING.
>> VERY UNPREDICTABLE.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE OTHER ROLES WHERE YOU PLAYED AN
INCESTUOUS MOTHER, A PIANO TEACHER INTO S.&M.AND
SELF-MUTILATION.
TRUE?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU DRAWN TO THOSE ROLES OR ARE THOSE JUST
THE MOVIES THAT ARE MADE IN FRANCE?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> YEAH, YEAH, NO, WE DO OTHER MOVIES, TOO.
BUT YOU DO MOVIES LIKE THIS, TOO, HERE.
>> Stephen: WE DO.
ABOUBUT DO YOU IT WITH SO MUCH M SOPHISTICATION THAN WE DO.
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO DO-- >> A NORMAL FILM.
>> Stephen: A PURE WHAT WE WOULD CALL A POPCORN FILM.
>> WHY NOT.
>> Stephen: A SPECIAL EFFECTS LIKE ONE OF THE "TRANSFORMERS"
FILMS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY A CAR THAT TRANSFORMS.
>> SURE.
>> Stephen: ANTHONY HOPKINS IS DOING THE NEW ONE.
JUST SAY, "BACK UP THE TRUCK WITH THE CASH AND I'M IN."
IN THE FILM, YOUR CHARACTER, NOT ONLY HAS HER OWN PLAN FOR
REVENGE, BUT SHE HAS A-- A TRAGIC CHILDHOOD, BECAUSE HER
FATHER WAS A MURDERER HIMSELF.
I HOPE I'M NOT GIVING TOO MUCH AWAY THERE.
>> NO.
IF YOU SEE THE FILM, YOU KNOW THE STORY ANYWAY.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AND THE SCENE WE HAVE HERE I BELIEVE IS YOU
EXPLAINING TO SOMEONE THE MOMENT IN THIS WHICHYOUR FATHER IS
CAUGHT BY THE POLICE.
>> ABSOLUTELY ( APPLAUSE ).
( CHEERS ) >> Stephen: MERCI.
"ELLE" IS IN THEATERS NOW.
ISABELLE HUPPERT, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY THE AVETT