>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MY NEXT GUEST IS AN AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST WHOSE
NEW SERIES ON PBS IS CALLED "WE'LL MEET AGAIN."
PLEASE WELCOME, ANN CURRY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> HEY.
>> Stephen: HI.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> NICE TO MEET YOU AS WELL.
IN FACT, I PROBABLY SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING.
MAYBE YOU WON'T HEAR THIS, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE A BABY CRUSH ON
YOU.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THAT MEAN, A BABY CRUSH?
>> THAT MEANS I'M MARRIED SO I CAN'T REALLY HAVE A CRUSH ON
YOU, BUT I DO HAVE A BABY CRUSH ON YOU.
MY HUSBAND'S IN THE AUDIENCE AND I THINK IT'S OKAY BECAUSE I
THINK HE HAS A CRUSH ON YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
HE WATCHES YOU ALL THE TIME.
AND YOU'RE JUST SO DEVASTATINGLY WITTY AND FUNNY AND YOU'RE JUST
AS ADORABLE AS A PUPPY DOG.
WE JUST LOVE YOU.
US THE SO HARD NOT TO LOVE YOU.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) RIGHT?
WHO DOESN'T HAVE A CRUSH ON STEPHEN COLBERT?!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( PIANO RIFF )
>> Stephen: I AM NOT SURE WHY BUT THIS IS MY FAVORITE
INTERVIEW OF ALL TIME!
( LAUGHTER ) NOW, YOU'VE DONE -- YOU HAVE A
40-YEAR CAREER.
>> REALLY LONG, YES, 40 YEARS, ALMOST, YES.
>> Stephen: SINCE YOU WERE AN INTERN IN OREGON.
>> YES, THAT'S TRUE.
>> Stephen: I HAVE A PHOTO HERE WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN OF YOU
AT YOUR FIRST NEWS JOB.
SEE IF YOU CAN PICK HER OUT AMONG ALL THE WOMEN IN THIS
PHOTOGRAPH.
( LAUGHTER ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WOW.
I WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST WOMAN REPORTER THEY'D EVER HAD.
>> Stephen: WHAT CHANNEL IS THIS?
>> THAT'S CHANNEL 10 IN MEDFORD, OREGON.
IT WAS REALLY TOUGH BECAUSE AT FIRST THERE WAS A MAN WHO WAS A
BIG DEAL AT THE STATION AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS JOB BECAUSE WOMEN HAVE NO NEWS
JUDGMENT AND WOMEN CAN'T CARRY THE CAM -- AND YOU CAN'T CARRY
THE CAMERA.
THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
I FELT BAD FOR THESE GUYS BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE
NEWSROOM, IT WAS A CIGAR, SMOKE-FILLED ROOM.
I THINK THEY WERE NERVOUS.
THAT WERE, LIKE, THIS WOMAN IS GOING TO COME UP AND SWITCH US
OFF AND MAKE US MIND OUR Ps AND Qs.
MY FATHER RAISED ME TO NEVER CUSS, BUT I REALIZED WHEN I WAS
IN THIS ROOM I HAD TO CALM THEM DOWN AND I SAID NO F-ING WORRY
HERE AND I STARTED CUSSING WITH THEM AND LEARNED TO BE COOL.
>> Stephen: IN THE NEWS ROOM.
AND I NEVER STOPPED.
>> Stephen: THIS LOOKS LIKE AN OUTTAKE FROM ANCHOR MAN.
( LAUGHTER ) THIS COULD BE RON BERG AND HIS
NEWS TEAM THERE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> I EVEN GOT A PERM.
MY MOTHER FROM JAPAN SAID, ANN, HOW COME YOU CUT THE HAIR?
YOU LOOK LIKE A BOY.
NO SEXY OR NOTHING.
>> Stephen: NOUR MOM WANTED YOU TO BE A SEXY NEWS LADY?
>> SHE WANTED ME TO MARRY A RICH GUY, BUT SHE -- HOW COME YOU
DON'T MARRY RICH GUY?
ANYWAY, BUT WHEN I WAS ON TELEVISION, SHE SENT ME A JACKET
COVERED IN RHINESTONES BECAUSE SHE WANTED ME TO LOOK PRETTY.
I WOULD DO THE NEWS.
HI, MOM!
I WOULD CALL HER UP, MOM, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WENT?
YOU WEAR TOO MUCH EYELINER!
YOU LOOK LIKE A RACCOON!
YOU NEVER GOING TO HAVE A HUSBAND!
I LOVE YOU!
THAT WAS MY MOM.
>> Stephen: THAT'S FANTASTIC.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) NOW, LAST WEEK, YOU WERE ON WITH
OUR FRIENDS AT CBS THIS MORNING.
>> I WAS.
>> Stephen: AND THEY ASKED YOU ABOUT MATT LAUER AND THE FACT
THAT IT'S NO SECRET THAT I THINK MATT LAUER FORCED YOU OUT OF THE
"TODAY SHOW."
DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT?
>> MMM...
>> Stephen: OH, WAIT, DO YOU HAVE A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT?
>> I DO, BUT I CAN TALK.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN TALK?
I'M BOLD, YES, I CAN TALK.
>> Stephen: WHAT ARE THE WORDS YOU CAN'T SAY?
WHISPER THEM IN MY EAR.
WHAT ARE THE WORDS YOU CAN'T SAY?
OH, WOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE A SHORT INTERVIEW.
HERE'S THE THING.
>> NO, I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE PAIN, YOU GUYS.
>> Stephen: I DON'T WANT TO CAUSE PAIN EITHER.
BUT LET ME JUST ASK YOU THIS, WHEN MR. LAUER WAS LET GO AT
NBC, WERE YOU AWARE THAT TWITTER BLEW UP WITH SOMEWHERE ANN CURRY
THIS THING, SAID SOMEWHERE ANN CURRY JUST MADE HER ORANGE JUICE
A MIMOSA.
SOMEWHERE ANN CURRY IS HAVING A NICE BOWL OF FROSTED FLAKES.
SOMEWHERE ANN CURRY IS DRINKING MORE WINE THAN --
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SO -- IS ANY OF THAT TRUE?
>> I WISH.
>> Stephen: NO?
NO.
THE TRUTH IS THAT I WAS RAISED CATHOLIC BY A BUDDHIST.
>> Stephen: OH, OKAY.
O THINK ABOUT THE CATHOLIC FAITH MIXED WITH A KARMA,
WORRIES, THE INTENSITY OF THAT.
IT WAS ALL OF A SUDDEN MY BRAIN BECAME A WHOLE WALL OF, HUH-UH,
YOU CAN'T TALK OR THINK LIKE THAT SO I DIDN'T GET TO ENJOY
IT.
>> Stephen: IT WAS HIS KARMA?
THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
BUT I THINK THAT -- AND ALSO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PAIN
THIS -- I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED.
>> Stephen: SURE.
O I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
BECAUSE I'M SORT OF LIMITED.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A VERY NICE PERSON.
>> THANK YOU.
WELL -- ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
DO YOU HAVE A NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT ABOUT BEING A NICE
PERSON?
>> NO, I CAN SAY THANK YOU.
NO, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE CAREFUL.
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT THIS?
NOW, WITH THE TIME'S UP MOVEMENT, THE ONGOING MeToo
AND THE TIME'S UP MOVEMENT, DO YOU THINK ONE MAN, HOWEVER
POWERFUL WOULD BE ABLE TO FORCE OUT A SEASON JOURNALIST LIKE
YOURSELF?
DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME NOW?
HOW ABOUT THAT?
WOULD THERE BE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME IN THIS ATMOSPHERE THAN
WHEN YOU LEFT?
>> I THINK WE'RE NOT REALLY DONE FIXING THE PROBLEM.
I THINK WE ARE A LONG WAY FROM FIXING THE PROBLEM.
IT'S MORE ABOUT CONVERSATION.
IT'S ABOUT ACTION AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TELLING PEOPLE THEY
CAN'T DO CERTAIN THINGS, IT'S ABOUT CHANGING THE DYNAMIC, THE
POWER BALANCE WITHIN COMPANIES SO THAT WOMEN ARE NOT SEEN AS
PEOPLE WHO COULD NEVER RISE TO THE TOP.
ONCE WE FIGURED THAT OUT, WE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE TO FIGURE
THIS OUT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I HOPE SO.
I HOPE SO, TOO.
>> Stephen: WELL, VERY QUICKLY.
YOU'VE GOT A NEW SHOW ON PBS CALLED "WE'LL MEET AGAIN."
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND I NEED TO BRING A TISSUE TO THIS
ONE.
WHAT IS "WE'LL MEET AGAIN"?
>> IT'S BASICALLY ABOUT WORLD-CHANGING EVENTS, THE
PEOPLE CAUGHT UP IN THESE WORLD-CHANGING EVENTS AND THEIR
EFFORT TO FIND THE ONE WHO HELPED THEM SURVIVE EMOTIONALLY
OR PHYSICALLY, AND WE HELP, YOU KNOW, THEM FIND EACH OTHER AND,
WHEN POSSIBLE, WE REUNITE THEM.
>> Stephen: LIKE WHO?
WELL, LIKE PETE PETER WHO SURVIV THE SHANGHAI GHETTO AND THE
WOMAN WHO HELPED HIM.
THE WOMAN SUE WHO EXPERIENCED MT. SAINT HELEN AND HE WAS IN
THE RED ZONE WHEN IT BLEW.
SHE WOULDN'T LEAVE HER FRIEND WHO HAD FALLEN AND BROKEN HIS
HIP.
SHE PROMISED TO COME BACK AND BRING HELP.
SHE CLIMBS HOURS THROUGH THE ASH, GETS OUT, A HELICOPTER
SHOWS UP AND BEFORE SHE GETS ON THE HELICOPTER SHE SAID, I
REFUSE TO GET ON THIS HELICOPTER UNLESS YOU PROMISE TO TURN BACK
AND HELP ME FIND MY FRIENDS.
THE TRUTH IS NONE OF THE HELICOPTER PILOTS NEEDED TO BE
THERE.
THEY COULD NOT BE ORDERED TO BE THERE.
A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM WERE NATIONAL GUARD HELICOPTER
PILOTS.
THIS ONE GUY HAD FLOWN IN VIETNAM AND HE LOOKED AT HER --
HE HAD A FAMILY AND KIDS AND, YET, HE LOOK AT HER AND SAID,
DON'T WORRY, WE'LL GO GET HIM, AND HE FLEW UNDER THE ASH CLOUD
TOWARD THE MOUNTAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DANGEROUS, TO HELP HER
FIND HER FRIENDS AND DID HELP HER FIND HER FRIENDS AND NOW SHE
WANTS TO THANK HIM THESE YEARS LATER BECAUSE WHEN SHE GOT OFF
THE HELICOPTER SHE WASN'T THINKING, SHE WAS SO
TRAUMATIZED, AND I WON'T TELL ANYBODY ELSE BUT YOU WHAT
HAPPENED -- ( LAUGHTER )
-- THAT SHE ACTUALLY -- IT CHANGED HER LIFE NOT ONLY
BECAUSE SHE SURVIVED AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF THAT, SHE ACTUALLY, IN
HIS HONOR, JOINED THE NATIONAL GUARD AND DEDICATED HER ENTIRE
CAREER TO TRYING TO BE AS GOOD ENOUGH A PERSON AS HE WAS.
( APPLAUSE ) CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
AND FOR HER, IT'S JUST AMAZING.
SO YOU MEET THESE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THE REAL-LIFE STORIES, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP.
IT'S AMAZING.
I'M SO MOVED BY IT.
>> Stephen: I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
I'M CRYING NOW.
ANN, LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> LOVELY MEETING YOU.
>> STEPHEN: "WE'LL MEET AGAIN" STARTS TOMORROW ON PBS!
ANN CURRY, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )