>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT HAS BEEN CHARMING
AUDIENCES ON STAGE AND SCREEN FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
YOU KNOW HIM FROM "GRACE AND FRANKIE," "THE NEWSROOM," AND
"LAW & ORDER."
PLEASE WELCOME, SAM WATERSTON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ GET IT, SAM!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
>> LOVELY TO BE HERE.
SO-- SO NOW I'VE HAD MY DOSE OF AUDIENCE.
THAT'S IT.
LET'S GO.
LET'S LEAVE.
>> Stephen: YOU GOT A NICE-- >> THAT'S ALL I NEEDED.
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SURPRISED, BECAUSE WHILE YOU'VE DONE COMEDY
BITS WITH US ON THIS SHOW AND THE PREVIOUS SHOW MANY TIMES
OVER THE YEARS.
I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH YOU.
>> I KNOW.
>> Stephen: AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU HAVEN'T
DONE THIS KIND OF STUFF IN FOREVER.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: FIRST OF ALL, WHAT GIVES?
AND, SECOND, WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW?
>> WELL, WHY NOT DO IT?
>> Stephen: YEAH, WHY NOT DO IT?
>> BECAUSE IT'S TERRIFYING.
>> Stephen: IS IT REALLY?
IT'S MORE TERRIFYING THAN ACTING?
>> OH, YEAH, MUCH.
>> Stephen: WHY?
>> BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR OWN WORDS.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
YOU HAVE TO IMPROVISE A LITTLE BIT.
>> YEAH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THINGS UP.
>> Stephen: WHY NOW, SAM WATERSTON?
>> WELL, I'M ONE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
FANTASTIC.
>> AND AFTER A WHILE, YOU KNOW, YOU START TO THINK MAYBE IF YOU
HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY, YOU BETTER SAY IT.
( LAUGHTER )
SAM.
KEEP IT LIGHT.
( LAUGHTER )
FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE AGAIN?
>> IT IS FABULOUS!
( APPLAUSE )
AND I'M NOT SURE-- I'M SURE YOU TELL THEM ALL THE TIME, AND, YOU
KNOW, DO YOU REALIZE HOW LUCKY YOU ARE?
>> Stephen: OH, TO BE IN THIS HERE?
>> AND TO HAVE AN AUDIENCE.
>> Stephen: WITHOUT A DOUBT.
>> NIGHT AFTER NIGHT AAFTER NIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND AN AUDIENCE LIKE THIS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
THESE PEOPLE-- >> BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE TV
AND MAKE MEMBERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, VERY COMMONLY DO IT
WITHOUT AN AUDIENCE.
>> Stephen: RIGHT, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL.
>> NO GLEPS WHEN YOU'RE DOING COMEDY, YOU KNOW IF IT'S WORKING
IF THE AUDIENCE MAKES THIS SOUND.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WITH THEIR MOUTH.
OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S JUST THEORY.
IT'S LIKE READING SHEET MUSIC.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE MUSIC OUT OF THERE.
>> THERE WAS A SILENT FILM STAR-- HAROLD LLOYD OR BUSTER
KEATON, ONE OF THOSE BOYS, AT LURCH HOUR HE USED TO LEAVE THE
STUDIO ON HOLLYWOOD AND GO OUT ON THE SIDEWALK AND PERFORM FOR
THE PASSERSBY JUST TO GET A DOSE OF YOU GUYS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
AND CAN I BORROW YOUR AUDIENCE FOR A MINUTE?
>> Stephen: OF COURSE YOU CAN.
IT'S NOT MY AUDIENCE.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE YOUR AUDIENCE, SAM.
( APPLAUSE )
60-ODD YEARS, YOU KNOW.
AND PEOPLE HAVE COME AND WATCHED, AND IT IS THE ONLY
REASON THAT I'VE BEEN ALLOWED TO DO IT FOR 60 YEARS.
IT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WILLING TO WATCH.
"AW & ORDER" IS COMING BACK BECAUSE--
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
MAKING THEM, PEOPLE WENT RIGHT ON WATCHING THEM.
THEM.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: ON TBS, OR WHATEVER.
>> AND FINALLY THE PENNY DROPPED, AND SOMEBODY THOUGHT
MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME NEW ONES
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE JACK McCOY AGAIN.
IT'S A 12-YEAR BREAK, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE JACK AGAIN?
>> REALLY WEIRD AND STRANGE.
>> Stephen: HOW SO?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN "WEIRD AND STRANGE."
THE ISN'T IT ALWAYS WEIRD TO INHABIT A CHARACTER.
>> YES, THE SETS USED TO BE IN A STAUDIO ON THE WEST SIDE OF
MANHATTAN, AND NOW THEY'RE IN A STUDIO IN BROOKLYN.
AND THEY WERE ALL TORN DOWN AND DESTROYED, AND PEOPLE USED THEM
FOR FIREWOOD-- OR WHATEVER THEY DO.
BUT WHEN WE WENT BACK TO WORK, THE PAINT WAS STILL DRYING ON
THE SETS, BUT THEY WERE THE EXACT SAME SETS.
IT WAS LIKE...
IT WAS LIKE TIME TRAVEL.
>> Stephen: WOW.
LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE PROPERTY MASTERS AND THE SET
MAKERS AND THE PAINTERS, AND THE SCENICS.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
AMAZING.
UNSUNG HEROES.
>> I READ AN INTERVIEW WITH ONE OF THOSE GUYS, AND HE SAID THAT
THEY HAD TO MAKE THEM SMALLER TO FIT THE NEW STUDIO BUT THEY
COULD HAVE FOOLED ME.
I MEAN, THE LINOLEUM WAS THE SAME.
>> Stephen: MAYBE YOU GOT SMALLER, TOO.
( LAUGHTER )
NOW, WE HAVE A CLIP HERE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS CLIP?
I KNOW YOU ARE ACTUALLY WATCHING TWO OTHER LAWYERS ACTUALLY TALK
ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIES OF A PARTICULAR CASE.
DO YOU NEED TO SET ANYTHING UP HERE?
>> UH...
YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M -- >> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
THERE'S NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR YOU TO SET ANYTHING UP HERE.
WE CAN JUST-- >> WHAT THE HELL, JUST SHOW IT.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> LIKE IT OR NOT, THEY WANT TO BELIEVE NICOLLE'S STORY.
>> BUT IT'S PREPOSTEROUS!
>> I AGREE WITH MISS MARONE.
A JURY WANTED TO ACQUIT, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE FACTS,
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE LAW.
TOO BAD WE DIDN'T HAVE A DAMN CONFESSION.
IT'S OKAY TO PLAY THE HERO, NOLAN.
AS LONG AS YOU WIN.
AND RIGHT NOW, THAT APPEARS HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT AGAIN.
>> I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE-- I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SET IT UP
BY SAYING THAT THERE WAS A-- AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TENSION
BEFOREHAND.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: I SENSED IT.
WE SENSED THE TENSION, DIDN'T WE?
WE ALL SENSED THE TENSION, SAM.
NOT THIS MUCH, BUT KIND OF A LOT OF TENSION.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
STICK AROUND, WHEN I COME BACK, I WILL ASK SAM IF HE EVER GETS
STAR STRUCK BY OTHER STARS.
♪ ♪ ♪