>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.
MY NEXT GUEST HAS STARRED IN "SIX FEET UNDER," "THE
NEWSROOM," AND "ARGO."
BUT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIM AS DR. DANNY CASTELLANO FROM "THE
MINDY PROJECT."
PLEASE WELCOME CHRIS MESSINA!
♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> WHAT A NICE GREETING.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE NOT SEEN EACH OTHER IN 18 MONTHS OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SINCE I WAS A GUEST ON "THE MINDY PROJECT."
>> THAT'S RIGHT, I MISS YOU.
>> Stephen: I MISS YOU, TOO.
>> YOU WERE AMAZING ON THAT SHOW.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLY FUN SHOW TO WORK ON
BECAUSE GUYS DRINK.
>> WE DO, WE DO.
>> Stephen: NOT A JOKE.
WE WERE, LIKE, IN THE MIDDLE OF SHOOTING ON A FRIDAY.
"YOU WANT A COCKTAIL?" I'M LIKE, "I'M 50.
I'LL GO TO SLEEP IF I HAVE A COCKTAIL."
NEW SEASON-- NEW EPISODES COME OUT NEXT MONTH.
NO SPOIRLZ.
AM I IN ANY OF IT?
>> I HOPE SO.
>> Stephen: I HOPE SO, TOO.
>> I LOVED ACTING WITH YOU AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE
I'M ON THE SHOW WITH YOU.
I LOVED ACTING WITH YOU.
THEY DO THIS THING ON THE SHOW-- THEY PROBABLY DO IT ON ALL
COMEDY SHOWS -- ALT-COMEDY LINES, ALTERNATIVE LINES THAT
AREN'T IN THE SCRIPT AND THEY THROW THEM OUT AND THEY THREW
THEM AT YOU LIKE MACHINE GUN RAPID FIRE AND YOU WERE
INCREDIBLE.
HOME RUNS EVERY TIME.
AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S HOW THE SHOW'S SUPPOSED TO GO.
( LAUGHTER ) THEY WOULD TRY THAT WITH ME AND
THEN THEY WOULD COME OVER AFTER MANY TRIES AND SAY, LIKE, "LET'S
STICK TO THE ORIGINAL LINE."
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: AS A YOUNG ACTOR, DID YOU, LIKE-- I TRIED TO BE A
SERIOUS ACTOR WHEN I WAS YOUNGER.
I DID SOME TERRIBLE PERFORMANCES.
DID YOU HAVE ANY SORT OF HUMBLING EARLY ACTING?
>> TONS, TONS OF THEM.
THE FIRST-- THE FIRST PLAY I EVER DID, I WAS AN UNDERSTUDY.
IT WAS A PLAY CALLED "SUGAR DOWN BILLY HOCKEY."
>> Stephen: I'M SORRY, SOFT-CORE PORN?
WHAT IS THAT?
"SUGAR DOWN"-- >> "BILLY HOCKEY."
>> Stephen: WERE YOU BILLY HOKE?
>> I WASN'T.
I UNDERSTUDIED POISE WHO WERE MY AGE, 18, 19.
IT WAS A THREE-CHARACTER PLAY, TWO BOYS AND AN OLDER GENTLEMAN
IN HIS 50s.
>> Stephen: WAS THIS IN NEW YORK?
>> IT WAS IN NEW YORK, NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE.
THE OLDER MAN DIDN'T LIKE ME THAT MUCH.
HE KEPT CALLING ME (BLEEP).
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: GO AHEAD, GO
AHEAD.
>> SO, ANYWAY...
( LAUGHTER ) HE-- THE REVIEWS COME OUT, AND
THE BOYS I WAS UNDERSTUDYING, THEY DID GREAT.
THEY WERE FANTASTIC IN THE SHOW.
AND HE DIDN'T DO QUITE SO WELL.
>> Stephen: THE OLDER FELLOW >> OLDER FELLOW.
AND LIKE ANY PROFESSIONAL ACTOR, SHE STOPPED SHOWING UP FOR WORK
SEVERAL TIMES.
THEY KEPT CANCELLING THE SHOW, AND EVERYBODY WAS PISSED OFF, AS
YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
>> Stephen: IS THIS A WELL-KNOWN ACTOR?
>> NO, NO, HE'S NOT.
( LAUGHTER ) SO, ANYWAY, ONE AFTERNOON, HE
DOESN'T COME TO THE SHOW.
AND I-- I SAY, "I'LL GO ON FOR HIM."
AND, AGAIN, I'M THE UNDERSTUDY OF THE TWO BOYS, SO I DON'T KNOW
-- >> SO YOU'RE GOING ON FOR THE
OLD GUY?
>> YES.
OKAY, THE PLAY, IT TAKES PLACE IN A SUBWAY BATHROOM.
THOSE DON'T EXIST, DO THEY, NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY BATHROOM?
>> Stephen: I WOULD NEVER GO IN ONE.
YEAH.
SOMEONE SAYS, "JOIN ME IN THE SUBWAY BATHROOM, DON'T GO DOWN
THERE."
>> DON'T GO THERE.
DON'T GO THERE.
THESE KIDS END UP IN THE BATHROOM SOMEHOW.
THERE'S A BAD DRUG DEAL.
>> Stephen: >> AND THIS CHARACTER,
50-SOME-YEAR-OLD GUY, HE'S A HOMELESS MAN, AND THE WHOLE
FIRST ACT OF THE PLAY HE'S IN A BOX --
>> LIKE A CARDBOARD BOX.
WHERE HE'S LIVING.
>> YOU DON'T SEE HIM.
AND THE TWO BOYS ARE ARGUING ABOUT THE DRUG DEAL THAT WENT
BAD-- ""WHAT HAPPENED?" AND AT THE END OF THE FIRST ACT
HE POPS OUT OF THE CARDBOARD BOX LIKE THIS AND THAT'S END OF THE
FIRST ACT.
THE WHOLE FIRST ACT I'M IN THE BOX, MEM RIEGZ THE LINES.
I DON'T KNOW WH ONE LINE.
THE SECOND ARCT AT THE CLIMAX, I SAY TO THESE TWO BOYS, "I'M YOUR
FATHER!
I'M YOUR FATHER!" AND THAT WAS THE CLIMAX OF THE
PLAY.
IT WAS-- IT WAS A TERRIBLE MOMENT AS IT WAS JUST NOW WHEN I
SAID IT IN HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I'M HOOKED.
I'M TOTALLY HOOKED.
I BELIEVE-- I BELIEVE-- I BELIEVE IT.
YOU'VE GOT ME.
>> THE NEXT PLAY DI, WHICH I ACTUALLY HAD A PART --
>> THAT STORY IS OVER?
>> THAT STORY IS KIND OF OVER.
I HAD A PART IN THIS NEXT PLAY, AND NO ONE CALLED ME (BLEEP),
WHICH WAS A GREAT THING.
AND THE STAGE MANAGER SAID TO ME, "HEY, THERE'S SOMEBODY
WAITING FOR YOU."
I THOUGHT I HAD A FAN.
I CAME OUT, THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS GOING TO SIGN A "PLAYBILL" OR
SOMETHING.
AND HE SAID, "HEY, DID YOU GO ON ONE AFTERNOON FOR "SUGAR DOWN
BILLY HOKE."
I SAID, "YES, I DID."
HE SAID, "THAT WAS THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY
ENTIRE LIFE."
>> Stephen: HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THIS POINT?
>> 18, 19 YEARS OLD.
>> Stephen: AND YOU KEPT GOING.
GOOD FOR YOU.
>> AND HERE WE ARE.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE ON BROADWAY.
THIS IS BROADWAY, TECHNICALLY.
AND NOW YOU'RE IN THE NEW "LIVE BY NIGHT," WITH BEN AFFLECK.
YOUR SECOND BEN AFFLECK MOVIE, "ARGO."
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: SEES SORT OF BECOMING THE MATT DAMON TO YOUR
BEN AFFLECK.
>> HE IS, YEAH.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU GAINED A LOT OF WEIGHT FOR THIS
MOVIE.
HOW MANY OF THE L.B.s DID YOU PUT ON?
>> I PUT ON 40 POUNDS.
>> Stephen: WHAT!
40?
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
LIKE FUN?
>> IT WAS FUN.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
>> Stephen: WAS IT LIKE WORKOUT OR JUST STUFF YOUR FACE.
>> JUST STUFF MY FACE, BEER-- LOTS OF BEER.
BAGEL, PASTA.
I WOULD HAVE A BEER BY THE BEDSIDE TABLE AND I'D WAKE UP IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO PEE, AND I JUST CHUGGED THE BEER.
IT WAS FUN.
WAS LIKE A HERO ON SET.
AFFLECK AND THE REST OF THE CREW WOULD BE LIKE, "HOW MUCH DO YOU
WEIGH?" AND THEY'D FEEL MY BELLY.
>> Stephen: DID THEY KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO DO THIS OR WAS IT,
"SURPRISE, I'M FAT."
>> IN THE BOOK THE CHARACTER IS DESCRIBED AS ROUND AND I'M
AFFLECK'S SIDEKICK AND KIND OF, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HIS
BODYGUARD, AND I THOUGHT MAYBE THE ONLY WAY TO DO WAS THAT GET
FAT.
>> Stephen: HAVE SOME BULK.
>> YES, HAVE SOME BULK.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE A CLIN OF YOU MEETING AT THE TRAIN STATION
AND STARTING AS THE BODYGUARD.
JIM.
>> HOW YOU DOING!
>> LOOK AT YOU!
>> HEY!
SORRY ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
>> THANK YOU.
LISTEN, WHEN THEY FOUND ME IN MONTREAL AND TOLD ME THEY WANTED
ME TO COME WORK FOR THEM, I THOUGHT IT WAS A STRAIGHT
BAMBOOZLE.
AND THEN I THOUGHT, IF ANYONE CAN CHARM THE DEVIL, IT'S MY OLD
PARTNER.
LOOK AT THIS.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS?
HERE, AFTER YOU.
>> GET OUT OF HERE!
>> I WORK FUR NOW.
BOSS JOE COUGHLIN.
REACH UNDER THE SEAT AND YOU'LL FIND A FRIEND.
>> BY THE WAY, I COULD NEVER GET THAT CAR INTO THE RIGHT GEAR.
( LAUGHTER ) NEVER.
>> Stephen: WAS IT A REAL OLD CAR?
>> IT'S A REAL OLD CAR.
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO BE A COOL GANGSTER, AND I HAVE A CIGAR IN
MY MOUTH AND I KEPT GRINDING.
>> Stephen: THE OWNERS OF THOSE ANTIQUE CARS LOVE WHEN YOU
GRIND THE GEARS.
>> THEY LOVE IS. >> Stephen: CHRIS, NICE TO SIGH YOU.
"LIVE BY NIGHT" OPENS NATIONWIDE NEXT FRIDAY.
CHEERS!
CHRIS MESSINA, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH COMEDIAN JEN KIRKMAN.