LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST
GUEST TONIGHT IS AN
OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR, WHO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCES, DIRECTS, AND
SOMETIMES STARS IN "MADAM
SECRETARY."
>> AH, MADAM SECRETARY!
CHIEF JUSTICE.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN
YOU IN HERE BEFORE.
>> NO, I'M NOT MUCH OF A POWER
BREAKFAST TYPE.
NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG
WITH THAT.
I'M MORE OF A MUFFIN ON THE FLY
TYPE.
>> GOT IT.
THERE'S JUST SOMEBODY I NEED
TO BUMP INTO.
>> YES, THERE IS, AND I WOULDN'T
WANT TO BE THE SENATOR RIGHT
NOW.
( LAUGHTER )
>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME
MORGAN FREEMAN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT THEM IN
THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.
SQUEALS OF DELIGHT WHEN YOU CAME
OUT HERE LIKE THEY WERE GOOSED
BY AN ICE PICK.
>> THEY WERE GOOSED BY THE GUY
THAT COMES OUT HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO
COACH ANYBODY TO LIKE MORGAN
FREEMAN!
EVERYBODY LOVES MORGAN FREEMAN!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
( LAUGHTER )
YEAH.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WOULDN'T THAT BE
NICE IF MORGAN FREEMAN WAS A
POWERFUL PERSON IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.?
YOU'RE A MOUNTAIN OF DIGNITY WE
NEED THAT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
RIGHT NOW, SOMEONE TO LOOK UP
TO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
DID YOU EVER CONSIDER POLITICS
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NO, STEPHEN, I NEVER DID
CONSIDER POLITICS.
I'M AN ACTOR, THAT WILL DO IT.
>> Stephen: IT'S A FINE LINE.
IT'S A FINE LINE.
>> YOU THINK?
>> Stephen: YEAH, YOU BOTH
MAKE THINGS UP BUT YOU GET PAID
BETTER.
>> SO TRUE.
>> Stephen: NOW, THE SHOW,
"MADAM SECRETARY," WE ALL KNOW
WHAT WASHINGTON IS LIKE, AS I
WAS SAYING, I THINK PEOPLE WATCH
THAT SHOW SOMETIMES --
>> JUST TO GET RELIEF.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: TO SEE A
WASHINGTON THAT MAKES A LILT BIT
MORE SENSE TO THEM.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE SHOW
COMPARES TO THE REAL WASHINGTON
IN YOUR MIND?
>> TODAY I DON'T THINK IT
COMPARES AT ALL.
IT'S JUST -- WE DON'T HAVE A LOT
OF CONFUSION ON THE SHOW
BECAUSE --
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHO'S IN
CONTROL, THE DIRECTOR.
>> WE KNOW WHO'S IN CONTROL.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHICH IS YOU FOR
SOME OF THE EPISODES.
>> ONE OF THE EPISODES.
I DO THE FIRST EPISODE EVERY
SEASON.
>> Stephen: HOW MANY SEASONS
HAVE YOU DIRECTED?
>> THREE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
DOES IT GET EASIER OR DO YOU
FIND THE PROCESS EASIER IN DO
YOU CRACK THE WHIP OR DO YOU
DRIVE THE PEOPLE REALLY HARD?
>> I DRIVE THE CREW.
ACTORS, I DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH
BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
DOING.
BUT CREWS TEND TO GET A BIT
COMPLACENT, YOU KNOW, THE
SHOW -- I SAY, WE NEED TO KEEP
MOVING, YOU ALL, AND I REMIND
THEM THAT A NASCAR PIT CREW CAN
CHANGE FOUR TIRES AND GIVE YOU A
TANK OF GAS IN UNDER 14 SECONDS.
JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.
>> Stephen: I'M THINKING ABOUT
IT RIGHT NOW.
>> YEAH.
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: I WANT YOU TO
KNOW, MY CREW IS THE BEST CREW.
I NEVER HAVE TO REMIND THEM TO
BE FAST AT ALL.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
SO HOW DO YOU --
>> BEST WAY TO GET THEM TO SPEED
UP.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU REMIND
THEM, NASCAR DOES IT, YOU CAN,
TOO?
>> IF I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKING
TOO LONG TO CHANGE A LIGHT OR
SOMETHING, I GO, ZING, ZING,
ZING!
THAT'S THE GUY WITH THE --
>> Stephen: WOW, I LIKE THAT.
THAT'S KIND OF GENTLE AND YET
HOSTILE AT THE SAME TIME.
>> YEAH.
( LAUGHTER )
IT'S MERELY A REMINDER, NOT LIKE
A WHIP IS THAT THAT WE CAN DO IT
BETTER.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NOW, I LOVED YOUR
SHOW "THROUGH THE WORMHOLE."
( APPLAUSE )
BUT YOU HAVE A NEW SHOW CALLED
"THE STORY OF US."
IS THAT ANYTHING LIKE "THIS IS
US?"
AM I GOING TO CRY THROUGH THE
ENTIRE SHOW?
>> NOT THE ENTIRE SHOW.
SOME EPISODES WILL BE QUITE
UPLIFTING.
>> Stephen: WHAT IS THE
MISSION?
>> TO SHOW US WHO WE ARE.
>> Stephen: HUMANITY TO
HUMANITY?
>> HUMANITY TO HUMANITY.
WHAT IT IS THAT REALLY KEEPS US
TOGETHER, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS
MIGHT NOT BE A BAD TIME TO BE
AIRING SUCH A SHOW BECAUSE WE
THINK WE'RE SPLITTING APART.
WE'RE NOT.
>> Stephen: HOW SO?
THE DIVISIVENESS IS AN ILLUSION
NOW?
>> WE TALK ABOUT THE
DIVISIVENESS, YOU KNOW, AND THE
US AND THEM QUALITY OF LIFE
RIGHT NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIFE
MOVES IN WAVES.
IT'S ALMOST PREDICTABLE WHAT'S
GOING TO BE HAPPENING A THOUSAND
YEARS FROM NOW WITH US.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'VE
PLAYED GOD SO MANY TIMES.
( LAUGHTER )
I CAN'T SEE A THOUSAND YEARS IN
THE FUTURE.
IS THERE SOMEPLACE YOU WENT?
HOW MANY COUNTRIES DID YOU GO
TO?
>> WE WENT TO TEN COUNTRIES ON
THIS TRIP.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ONE PLACE
WHERE YOU LEARNED MORE ABOUT US
THAN OTHER COUNTRIES?
>> CAN I SAY THAT -- I WOULDN'T
SAY THAT, BUT I WENT TO SOUTHERN
ETHIOPIA, AND I VISITED A TRIBE
OF PEOPLE CALLED THE HAMMER.
>> Stephen: HAMMER.
LIKE THE HAMMER.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
AND THEY LIVE THERE IN THE
VALLEY JUST AS THEY DID HUNDREDS
OF YEARS AGO.
WE WERE THERE FOR THE BOW
JUMPING CEREMONY WHICH IS WHAT A
YOUNG MAN DOES -- THAT'S HIS
RIGHT OF PASSAGE.
>> Stephen: HE JUMPS OVER A
BULL?
>> HE JUMPS OVER A BUNCH OF
BULLS.
HE DOESN'T REALLY JUMP OVER
THEM, HE UH RUNS ALONG THEM.
>> Stephen: STILL SOUNDS
DANGEROUS.
>> IT IS DANGEROUS.
BUT ALL OF THE FEMALES IN HIS
FAMILY, AND THEY MAY NUMBER IN
THE TEENS, COME OUT TO SUPPORT
HIM AND TO SHOW HIM THEIR LOVE,
HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HIM.
THEY HAVE NINE MEN SELECTED -- I
FORGET WHAT THEY CALL THEM --
>> Stephen: A BASEBALL TEAM.
( LAUGHTER )
>> -- AND THEY WHIP THESE WOMEN.
>> Stephen: THE BOY VONNING ON
THE BACKS OF THESE BULLS?
>> THIS IS ALL BUILT UP TO THE
MOMENT HE'LL DO THAT.
>> Stephen: AND THE NINE MEN
ARE WHIPPING THE WOMEN?
>> DOESN'T JUST GO QUITE LIKE
THIS.
>> Stephen: YOU JUST SAID
THEY'RE WHIPPING THE WOMEN.
>> THERE ARE NINE MEN AND
THEY'RE OVER THERE AND THESE
LADIES ARE WEARING BELLS ON
THEIR LEGS AND THEY'RE JUMPING
UP AND DOWN AND HAVING FUN.
THEY COLLECT THE WHIPS
THEMSELVES AND THEY WILL GO OVER
AND CAJOLE OR INSULT A MAN TO
TAKE THIS WHIP AND GIVE ME A
GOOD LICK.
SO THE MAN WILL TAKE THE WHIP
AND GO OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF
THIS CIRCLE AND GO, POW!
RIGHT ACROSS THERE.
AND THE WOMEN DON'T EVEN FLINCH.
>> Stephen: THEY GO STRAIGHT
TO H.R.
( LAUGHTER )
THEY SHOULD.
DON'T DO THAT.
DON'T DO THAT.
( APPLAUSE )
DON'T LISTEN TO THIS PLAN.
>> IT GOES ON.
I MEAN, I WAS -- I WANT TO SAY
ENTHRALLED BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND
RIGHT.
>> Stephen: SOUNDS CLOSE TO
RIGHT.
>> WELL --
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU LEARN
FROM IT, I GUESS?
>> DON'T DO THAT.
( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: THAT'S FAIR
ENOUGH.
THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.
WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A LITTLE
BREAK.
HOPE YOU CAN STICK AROUND, WE'LL
BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE MORGAN
FREEMAN.
DON'T GO ANYWHERE, AND DON'T
WHIP ANYBODY!
