♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY,

WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."

MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AWARD

WINNING ACTOR YOU KNOW FROM "WATCHMEN," "AQUAMAN," AND "THE

GET DOWN."

HIS LATEST MOVIE IS "THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7."

>> YOU CAN'T GIVE THIS SPEECH IN CHICAGO.

>> HE WANTS ME THERE.

LET THEM GIVE THE SPEECH.

BETWEEN I HAD AND HIM THERE WILL BE 5,000 PEOPLE.

>> NOT WHILE YOU'RE IN TROUBLE IN C CT.

>> YES, WHILE I'M IN TROUBLE.

WHEN AM I NOT GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE.

>> YOU WILL BE IN A LOT MORE IF YOU STAND UP AND SAY THAT.

>> IF THEY ATTACK YOU YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF CONTEXT.

>> SO WILL EVERY WHITE PERSON IN AMERICA AND YOU DON HAVE ANY

PROTECTION IN CHICAGO.

>> THERE'S NO PLACE TO BE BUT IN IT.

>> KING -- HE HAS A DREAM NOW A BULLET

IN HIS HEAD.

THEY'RE ALL DEAD.

JESUS IS DEAD.

THEY TRIED IT PEACEFULLY.

WE'LL TRY SOMETHING ELSE.

>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," YAHYA ABDULMATEEN

THE SECOND.

HEY!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, MAN.

HOW YOU DOING?

>> Stephen: I'M DOING WELL.

AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, I A GREAT PERFORMANCE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Stephen: MANY PEOPLE MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.

AM I IN THE BALLPARK?

>> I GIVE YOU TEN OUT OF TEN.

>> Stephen: BOOM!

I DON'T THINK I'VE HEARD MY NAME ON TELEVISION THAT WAY YET.

CAN I SAY SOMETHING?

>> Stephen: I LIKE WHAT YOU'VE SAID SO FAR.

SURE.

>> MOST PEOPLE IN MY LIFE THEY CALL ME YAHYA.

A FEW GOOD FRIENDS, I DON'T THINK ANY FAMILY CALL ME YAHYA,

BUT MOST PEOPLE CALL ME YAHYA.

SO I DON'T MIND IF SOMEONE SAYSIA. I CAN'T IT'S ALWAYS

COOL IF SOMEONE SAYS YAHYA AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THAT.

WHAT REALLY IRKS ME IS WHEN THEY MAKE THE "H" TOO BIG ON MY NAME

AND THAT'S WHEN I SHUT DOWN THE PRODUCTION AND I NEED THE H ON

MY NAME.

>> Stephen: I'M GLAD WE DON'T HAVE TO SHUT DOWN PRODUCTION.

THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT.

KEEP ROLLING WITH PRODUCTION HERE.

CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER.

YOU WON YOUR FIRST EMMY FOR "WATCHMAN."

>> THANK YOU.

>> Stephen: IS THAT YOUR FIRST NOMINATION?

>> YES.

DIDN'T COME WITH AN EMMY BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

>> Stephen: WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO WIN OVER ZOOM?

>> IT WAS COOL.

EVERY TIME I OPEN UP A ZOOM, I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING READY TO

READ A MANIFESTO.

THIS ZOOM WORLD IS BY CZAR.

IT'S FUN.

I'M BREATHING, DOING THE EMMY THING.

I HAVE MY COUSIN AND FAMILY THERE I'M DRESSED IN A SUIT.

THEY MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT I WIN.

>> LET'S SHOW THE CLIP OF YAHYA WINNING.

>> THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN MY FIRST I CALL YOU MY EARLY

INVESTORS.

I LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU AND THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.

THANK YOU.

( APPLAUSE ) ( LAUGHTER )

>> Stephen: WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE END THERE?

>> I WAS TRYING TO KEEP MY COOL, MAN.

I WAS TRYING TO KEEP MY COOL.

AND OBVIOUSLY I THOUGHT THE CAMERA WASN'T ON ME NO MORE.

SO KEEP MY COOL, MY COMPOSURE.

>> Stephen: SURE.

I GIVE MY NICE SPEECH AND THANKS AND TOAST AND I SIT THE

GLASS DOWN AND FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT ONCE I SIT THE GLASS

DOWN THE CAMERA'S NOT ON ANY ANMORE.

BUT THAT WAS REALLY MY TRUE EXCITEMENT UP UNDER ALL OF THAT.

AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT, IT WAS NICE BECAUSE I HAD ANOTHER

CAMERA GOING, ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, COMPUTER GOING WITH MY ZOOM AND

I HAD A PARTY, YOU KNOW, MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, ABOUT 15 MEMBERS

OF MY FAMILY OVER ZOOM, WE HAD A PARTY DRINKING CHAMPAGNE AND

DANCING AND REALLY CELEBRATING.

THAT WAS ABOUT FROM 3:30 IN THE MORNING TILL ABOUT 7:00 A.M.,

AND THEN GOT UP AND WENT TO WORK AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST A

REGULAR DAY AFTER THAT.

BUT, YEAH, THAT WAS PRETTY SPECIAL.

>> Stephen: NOW I HEAR YOU THAT YOU GOT INTO ACTING IN KIND

OF AN UNUSUAL WAY THAT YOU ACTUALLY STUDIED ARCHITECTURE.

>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, I STUDIED ARCHITECTURE.

>> Stephen: AND WORKED AS A CITY PLANNER.

>> I WORKED AS A CITY PLANNER.

>> Stephen: THOSE ARE TWO VERY WELL-RESPECTED JOBS.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO GO OFF AND JOIN THE CIRCUS AND BE IN SHOW

BUSINESS?

HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

>> I GOT LAID OFF FROM MY JOB AND I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I WANT TO GO HAVE SOME FUN, YOU KNOW.

I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND I RAN TRACK IN COLLEGE, AND A TEAMMATE

OF MINE, YOU KNOW, AFTER I HAD DONE SOME SKITS AND THINGS LIKE

THAT, MAKING FUN OF THE COACHES AND THINGS, A TEAMMATE OF MINE

RECOMMENDED I TAKE A THEATER CLASS.

HE SAID, BRO, YOU SHOULD TAKE A THEATER CLASS.

IT'S LIKE RESET.

EVERYBODY IN COLLEGE LOOKS FOR THE EASY A, SO THAT WAS MINE.

I AUDITIONED WITH A MONOLOGUE FROM "BABY BOY" DOING MY BEST

IMPERSONATION, AND I GET INTO CLASS AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD FUN.

SO THAT WAS THE SCENE OF ME -- >> Stephen: WE HAVE PHOTOS OF

YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL ACTUALLY HERE.

THIS IS YOUT AT THE COMPUTER TERMINALS.

WERE YOU INTO PROGRAMMING?

DID YOU RUN WITH THE NERD CROWD?

>> I DEFINITELY -- I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS A NERD CROWD, BUT I

WAS, YOU KNOW -- WELL, MAYBE I WAS, JUST BY TELLING THIS STORY,

I'M KIND OF OUT OF MYSELF.

I WAS -- SO EVERY THURSDAY, MY SENIOR YEAR, ME AND MY TWO BEST

FRIENDS, WE WORE TURTLENECKS ON THURSDAY AND THAT WAS, LIKE,

TURTLENECK THURSDAY.

SO THAT'S A VERY NERD THING TO DO.

YEAH, JUST A LITTLE BIT.

I ALSO PLAYED CHESS.

I WAS IN THE DEBATE CLUB.

I WAS ALSO ON VARSITY BASKETBALL.

I LETTERED IN TRACK FOR THREE YEARS.

>> Stephen: WERE YOU IN THE NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE?

DID YOU GO TO TOURNAMENTS?

DID YOU DO THE NATIONAL FORENSIC LEAGUE?

THE LINCOLN DOUGLAS FOUR MAN DEBATE?

WHAT WERE YOU GUYS DOING?

>> I WENT TO UC PERKILY WITH THE REST OF MY CLASSMATES AND DID

DEBATES.

>> Stephen: THE GUY WITH THE TURTLENECK, ARE THESE THE SAME

GUYS?

>> YEAH, THAT'S DUALITY.

>> Stephen: DUALITY.

YOU HAVE TO BE WELL ROUNDED.

YOU HAVE TURTLENECK AND SWEATER YAHYA AND THEN THE DREADLOCK

YAHYA THAT CAN GIVE IT TO YOU, TOO.

I WON PROM KING, BY THE WAY.

>> Stephen: YOU WON PROM KING?

I'M SORRY, YOU JUST LOST YOUR NERD STATUS.

I HAVE TO TAKE YOUR CARD AWAY.

YOU CAN REAPPLY LATER, FOR NOW, WE HAVE TO IMPOUND YOUR CARD

BECAUSE YOU WON PROM KING.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> Stephen: FOLKS, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK

BUT STICK AROUND WHEN WE COME BACK AND I'LL ASK YAHYA ABOUT

PLAYING BOBBY SEAL IN THE NEW

MOVIE THE CHICAGO 7.

STICK AROUND.