(bright music)
- Today we're going Inside the Actor
with a guest that truly needs no introduction.
His charisma is as vast as his range.
He is Keegan Michael Kean.
- Hello, Josh.
- [Josh] It's a pleasure, sir.
- It's a pleasure to see you.
- Look, let's be real.
You have your pick of roles.
You could go any which way.
The Super Mario Brothers movie.
- Yes. - Why?
- When I was approached to play the role of Toad
I thought to myself, where is the fun Gus?
- Ah, yes.
- I'm looking for the fun. - Fun.
- I was looking for not only the depth,
but the fun in fungus.
If that makes any sense.
- A little bit, not much.
- A little bit. - But a little bit.
- Okay. - Yes.
- I've taken the liberty
of speaking to some of your co-stars.
And I just wanna read you some of the adjectives they use
to describe your approach.
- Okay.
- Thrilling, disturbing, super fricking weird.
- Three things that I was going for.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, especially the last one.
- There's a lot of conjecture about
did you lose yourself in the role?
Did you go crazy?
Did you lose your mind? - Yeah, yeah, right.
What do you say to those folks out there?
- Absolutely, yeah. - Yeah.
- I was gone.
I didn't know where I left off and where Toad began.
I'm a tall, slender African American man.
- Sure. - He's a short fungus.
- Someone that can cause somebody anywhere from, you know,
a mild stomach ache to death.
- Serious stuff, yeah.
- I've been told I can do the same.
- Well, you know, sure.
How does this change you going forward?
- Well, I now know that I can play vegetables.
- Yep.
- I didn't know that my range could go there
and now I realize it can.
- As I understand it, this role didn't end with the film.
You weren't necessarily ready to let go.
- No, no, no, no, Josh,
Toad is in there.
He's left a lasting impression on me.
- Yeah.
- In so much that I had to chronicle this process.
I've written not so much a tome.
- But it's a book.
- It's a book, yes, it's a book.
It's called, "Me Toad Me Story."
The book has many a secret in it
that I'm willing to share
with absolutely anyone for $29.95.
- I mean, you have the book.
I know it hasn't been released yet.
Could you share a passage with us?
- An excerpt, sure.
- Thank you.
- "In August, as Ray was finishing working on Rebel
which was set for an October release
he had dinner with Dean.
Late that night, Dean stopped by Chateau Marmont
to borrow a book about how to raise a kitten.
Elizabeth Taylor, his giant co-star
had given him a baby Siamese as a gift.
It was the last time Ray and Dean would see each other."
- [Audience] Yeah.
- Well, that's an unexpected passage.
- It occurs to me now that "Me Toad Me Story"
is half about my process
and half a biography of James Dean.
I should probably mention that when I go on the book tour.
- It's a surprise to say the least.
But I mean, surprises are nice.
- You're right, surprises are nice.
- Yes. - I like to have a surprise
every now and again.
- This might seem like a touchy subject
but mushrooms are a part of our day-to-day life.
They're eaten.
How do you take that in?
You're at a restaurant.
- I have to tell you the truth, I'm disturbed.
I haven't been to a restaurant or a pizzeria
which is also a restaurant.
- Yeah, so to speak. - They have seating in there.
- If they have seating. - Right.
- In a good six months, no more risotto for me.
- There are risottos that don't have mushrooms.
- That's true, you're right.
- That shrimp like a... - That's a very good point.
- I'm gonna continue to eat a seafood risotto.
Well, of course, until I portray a fish.
(audience coughs)
- We end our conversations with a little questionnaire.
Keegan, what's your favorite word?
- Spectacular.
- Keegan, what is your least favorite word?
- Pudgy.
- What sound or noise do you love?
- Mm, crashing waves.
- What sound or noise do you hate?
- A child crying.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say
as you enter the pearl gates?
- Mm, "Welcome young man.
How much for the pizza?"
No, these are jokes, Josh.
- No. - No, no.
- Welcome young man.
- I was excited to talk to you today as I always am.
This is the role of a lifetime and I thank you
for changing me and dare I say, the world with Toad.
And I would like to thank you Joshua
for you have changed me in this very interview.
And also everyone here is getting a copy
of "Me Toad Me Story" for half off.
(audience grumbles)
- Discount.
♪ Yeah ♪
(bright music)