WELCOME BACK!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN EMMY
NOMINATED ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM "FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS."
AND FROM "NASHVILLE," WHERE SHE DIED IN LAST WEEK'S EPISODE --
SORRY, SPOILER ALERT!
PLEASE WELCOME THE VERY LOVELY CONNIE BRITTON.
( BAND PLAYING ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> IT'S SO COLD IN HERE MY FINGERS HAVE ALREADY SHRUNK TWO
SIZES.
>> Stephen: AND YOUR RINGS ARE FALLING OFF?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
LAST TIME WE SAW EACH OTHER, WE WERE AT THE PRESIDENT'S 55t
55th BIRTHDAY PARTY.
>> AND NOT TRUMP.
>> Stephen: NOT TRUMP.
DIFFERENT PRESIDENT, Y'ALL.
>> Stephen: MIGHT BE A FEW YEARS BEFORE I GET INVITED BACK
TO THAT PLACE.
>> I FEEL THE SAME.
>> Stephen: NICE HOUSE.
BEAUTIFUL HOUSE.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
I WONDER WHAT HE'S DONE WITH IT?
>> Stephen: JUST PHOTOS OF HIMSELF AND GOLD LEAF
EVERYWHERE.
>> SO MUCH GOLD LEAF.
>> Stephen: THIS IS A BIG INTERVIEW FOR ME BECAUSE THIS IS
YOUR FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE YOUR CHARACTER RENNA JAMES
DIED LAST WEEK.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) >> I KNOW.
IT'S MY FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE THEN, TOO, AND IT'S MY
FIRST TIME ON YOUR SHOW!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SO IT'S WEIRD FOR ME BECAUSE I'M
DEAD, BUT I'M HERE.
DEWS WHAT I'M SAYING?
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
HOW LONG DID YOU PLAY RENO?
>> FIVE YEARS.
>> Stephen: YOUR FANS ARE ARDENT, PASSIONATE FANS.
THEY KEPT THAT SHOW ON THE AIR.
>> THIS IS AN AMAZING CROWD, BY THE WAY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) "NASHVILLE" FANS ARE OF THIS
CALIBER.
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY COMFORTING NEWS FOR YOUR FANS?
LET'S TRY TO MAKE THE MORNING PAPER.
IS YOUR CHARACTER REALLY DEAD OR DOES SHE COME BACK AS AN EVIL
TWIN WITH A GOATEE, OR ARE ZOMBIES HOT RIGHT NOW?
>> THESE ARE GREAT IDEAS.
YOU'RE SO SMART.
>> Stephen: IS SHE REALLY DEAD?
>> SHE'S REALLY DEAD.
>> Stephen: OH, GOSH.
I'M SORRY!
>> Stephen: YEAH.
HE'S REALLY DEAD, BUT I THINK THE TWIN SISTER IDPA IS
NOT BAD.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, IT'S "NASHVILLE."
ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
WHAT IF THE LONG, LOST TWIN SISTER COMES BACK?
OH, AND SHE'S SUCH A DEVIL!
SHE'LL COME BACK AND BE HORRIBLE!
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS FOR YOUR FANS?
>> I WOULD SAY TO MY FANS, FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, THIS
SHOW LOVES YOU SO MUCH AND THAT, YOU KNOW, RENA WILL LIVE ON
FOREVER.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL SO FORTUNATE I WAS ABLE TO PLAY THAT CHARACTER,
TRULY, WITH ALL MY HEART, I LOVE THAT CHARACTER SO MUCH.
JUST LIKE WHEN WE LOSE SOMEBODY IN OUR LIVES, THE SPIRIT LIVES
ON.
>> Stephen: AND RERUNS.
AND RERUNS.
( APPLAUSE ) >> AND THERE'S RERUNS.
>> Stephen: I WAS PRETTY EXCITED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS.
CAN I SHOW THIS PHOTO HERE?
WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNGER WOMAN -- >> HOW DARE YOU.
>> Stephen: -- YOU WERE ROOMMATES WITH SENATOR KRISTIN
GILLIBRAND RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S THE TWO OF YOU.
LOOKS LIKE A COUPLE OF FUN GIRLS TO RUN INTO WHEN YOU'RE
BACKPACKING AROUND.
>> WE WEREN'T ONLY BACKPACKING AROUND, WE WERE IN BEIJING,
CHINA.
>> Stephen: WHAT YEAR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
>> HOW DARE YOU.
( LAUGHTER ) THAT IS RUDE!
>> Stephen: 2007.
2007, YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE AN ASIAN STUDIES MAJOR --
>> YES.
>> Stephen: WITH A FOCUS IN CHINESE?
>> YES.
( APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU, ONE PERSON.
>> Stephen: DID THAT COME IN HANDY WHILE PLAYING RENA.
>> ESPECIALLY THEN.
I LIKED STUDYING CHINA BECAUSE IT LET ME LEARN ABOUT THE PEOPLE
AND THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: DO YOU STILL HAVE ANY MANDARIN?
( SPEAKING MANDARIN ) THAT'S IT.
THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
>> I COULD SAY ONE THING, AND YOU JUST SAID THE THING I COULD
SAY, AND I STUDIED IT FOUR YEARS.
( LAUGHTER ) AND I WENT THERE WITH THE
SENATOR FROM NEW YORK, AND YOU JUST SAID THE THING I CAN SAY.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER?
ROOMMATES?
>> YES, WE WERE ROOMMATES IN COLLEGE, STUDYING CHINESE
TOGETHER AND ROOMMATES IN BEIJING.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
WERE YOU BY YOURSELF TRAIPSING AROUND?
>> NO, WE WERE THERE IN A COLLEGE PROGRAM.
WE WERE GETTING INTO TROUBLE.
WE WERE THERE IN A SUMMER TERM.
WE WENT TO DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.
IT WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY.
>> Stephen: DID THEY CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY THERE?
>> NO, BUT THERE IS AN AMERICAN EMBASSY THERE, AND THEY, OF
COURSE, HAD A BIG FOURTH OF JULY PARTY, LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE
IN BEIJING.
>> Stephen: ALL THE FIREWORKS YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> THAT WAS ACTUALLY TRUE.
BUT WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS THAT THEY WERE HAVING, AT THEIR
FOURTH OF JULY PARTY, A LIP SYNC CONTEST.
SO KRISTIN GILLIBRAND AND TWO OTHERS GIRLS AND I WERE ALL
HANGING OUT TOGETHER IN BEIJING, WE PERFORMED OUR LIP SYNC
PERFORMANCE WHICH WAS SINGING TO MADONNA'S "HOLIDAY."
>> Stephen: AND WAS THIS A HIT AT THE TIME?
( LAUGHTER ) 20 QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
>> I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, ANT I DON'T LIKE IT.
OKAY?
( LAUGHTER ) I'M MAD AT YOU, BUT, REALLY, I
DID IT TO MYSELF.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
THE END OF MY STORY IS WE WON THE LIP SYNC CONTEST AT THE
AMERICAN EMBASSY ON THE FOURTH OF JULY IN BEIJING WITH KRISTIN
GILLIBRAND.
>> Stephen: I BELIEVE YOU DESERVE TO BE SALUTED.
WHAT DID YOU WIN?
>> MAYBE LIKE LITTLE AMERICAN FLAGS ON A STICK.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG WERE YOU OVER THERE?
>> LIKE, THREE MONTHS.
>> Stephen: DID YOUR FAMILY WORRY ABOUT YOU AT ALL?
>> PROBABLY.
>> Stephen: WHAT IF YOU GOT SICK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> WE GOT SO SICK WE WENT TO THIS BEACH TOWN, ATE WHO KNOWS
WHAT, WE GOT SO SICK WE HAD TO GO TO THIS CHINESE DOCTOR AND HE
GAVE US TOAD VENOM.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE THERE, TOO.
>> I HAD TO TAKE IT.
WE WERE ALL VIOLENTLY ILL.
>> Stephen: THE GUY SAID IT'S TOAD VENOM?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THAT'S PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ANSWER FOR
ObamaCare.
( APPLAUSE ) >> IT WORKED!
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU'RE ALSO A U.N. AMBASSADOR, RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: A GOOD WILL AMBASSADOR.
HOW DO YOU SPREAD GOOD WILL?
>> I JUST, YOU KNOW, SMILE A LOT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: IS YOUR JOB --
I SAY, WHAT'S UP?
>> Stephen: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THIS PHOTO HERE?
THAT'S YOU AT THE AIRPORT IN NASHVILLE.
>> THAT WAS IN NASHVILLE.
WE RECENTLY GREETED A NEW KURDISH FAMILY WHO CAME IN, WE
WERE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE OF TRUMP'S BAN, BUT THEY ENDED UP
BEING ABLE TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY AND SO WE WENT TO THE
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND GREETED THEM.
>> Stephen: LOVELY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WAS LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: I HOPE YOU DO COME BACK AS YOUR OWN EVIL TWIN,
WHETHER ON "NASHVILLE" OR THIS SHOW.
>> EITHER WAY, YES.
>> Stephen: "NASHVILLE" AIRS THURSDAY ON CMT.
CONNIE BRITTON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE BACK WITH ZOEY DEUTCH.
STICK AROUND!