TONIGHT, HOW ARE YOU, JEFF?

SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

I'M WONDERING IF YOU ARE FEELING SLIGHTLY SMUG RIGHT NOW WHILST

LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE FLEEING THE CITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE, YOU

WERE WAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN MICHIGAN FOR YEARS NOW.

HOW IS EVERYTHING THERE?

IS EVERYTHING GOOD?

>> I HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS PANDEMIC SINCE 1986.

WE MOVED BACK HERE, TO A SMALL TOWN IN MICHIGAN AND RAISED THE

KIDS HERE.

AND YOU ARE RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE, ARE GOING TO THE CITIES.

THEY'VE LEAVING THE CITIES, GOING TO THE SMALL TOWNS.

WE'RE ALREADY HERE.

IT'S BEEN GOOD.

IT'S BEEN GOOD.

IT'S A LITTLE, I MEAN WE'RE HEALTHY, START THERE.

BUT IT'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT LIKE A FORCED RETIREMENT.

EXCEPT FOR THE GOLD WATCH, THAT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.

>> James: WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU IN MICHIGAN WHEN YOU WALK

AROUND THE TOWN AND THINGS-- DO PEOPLE CARE ABOUT YOUR CAREER

THERE?

DO THEY CARE ABOUT YOUR CELEBRITY?

ARE THEY INTERESTED IN FAME?

>> IT DEPENDS.

THE PEOPLE AROUND ME, CLOSER TO ME, YOU KNOW, ARE KNOW THAT IT'S

A JOB AND THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING IT A LONG TIME.

IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT SEE ME THAT THEIR VOICES GET A LITTLE

LOUDER.

THEY TALK A LITTLE FASTER.

IT'S NOT TOO MANY OF THEM.

PEOPLE ARE REAL GOOD ABOUT KIND OF LEAVING ME ALONE AND LETTING

ME LIVE MY LIFE.

I DON'T, I CERTAINLY DON'T GO AROUND YOU KNOW SAYING, I DON'T

KNOW IF YOU SEE ME IN A RECENT THING BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD

LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOU.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME, I'M SORRY.

THERE IS NONE OF THAT.

I KIND OF, I'M PRETTY RECLUSIVE TO BE HONEST.

>> James: WEREN'T YOU ADDED TO THE MICHIGAN WALK OF FAME?

IS THAT RIGHT?

>> YES, APPARENTLY THAT WAS AN HONOR.

(LAUGHTER) UP AT THE CAPITOL LANCING, THIS

WAS EASILY 10, 15 YEARS AGO.

THE GOVERNOR DE SUEDED TO LET ME-- WANTED ME TO GET A STAR ON

THE MICHIGAN WALK OF FAME ALONG WITH GERALD FORD AND THOMAS

EDISON AND I BELIEVE STEVIE WONDER.

>> James: RIGHT.

>> THERE WERE ABOUT 30 PEOPLE THERE.

IT IS THE MIDWEST, THEY KIND OF DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF IT.

SO YOU HAVE WHAT, SOMETHING ON A SIDEWALK?

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> HUH.

IS THAT, DO I HAVE TO STEP OVER THAT OR WHAT IS THAT?

IS THERE A GATE.

>> IT'S JUST PEOPLE WALK OUT ON T OUT IN HOLLYWOOD THERE ARE

LOTS OF THEM.

REALLY, HOLLYWOOD, NOW DO WE HAVE ONE.

>> DO YOU HAVE ONE IN HOLLYWOOD.

>> NO, I DON'T, I DON'T, THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS I HAVE

WITH PEOPLE ABOUT FAME IN MICHIGAN, YES.

>> James: NOW THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU WE WERE AT THE TONY

AWARDS WHERE YOU WERE NOMINATED FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD WHICH

WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.

AND A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING, TAKING ON THAT ROLE.

IF YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, AT THE STUDIO, WE

WERE CHATTING IN THE DRESSING REALLY AND YOU WERE SAYING THAT

YOU WOULD UP FOR A WHOLE YEAR AND IT IS EIGHT SHOWS A WEEK AND

HOW DIFFICULT THAT CAN BE.

AND I WAS AMAZED TO HEAR THAT YOU NEVER MISSED A SINGLE SHOW.

WHICH IS ASTONISHING IN A YEAR.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

AND DID EVERYTHING GO SMOOTHLY DURING THE RUN?

>> I, WELL, YOU DID ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS, HOW LONG DID YOU DO

THAT?

>> WE DID IT FOR, ON AND OFF, REALLY, ABOUT 22 MONTHSK BUT I

MISSED FOUR SHOWS.

>> SEE, IT'S THE THING.

IT'S THE THING THAT, AND YOU WERE ALL-- I WENT TO SEE THAT.

I SAW YOU BACKSTAGE.

I LOVED WHATYOU DID.

AND IT WAS, LIKE BUT THE SHOW HAS TO HAVE YOU OUT THERE.

AND THAT IS HOW I TOOK MOCKINGBIRD.

ESPECIALLY AFTER WE GOT THE FIVE STAR REVIEWS.

PEOPLE WERE STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, BUY TICKETS FIVE MONTHS

AHEAD OF TIME.

SO I SAID YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT TAKING TWO WEEKS OFF IN THE

MIDDLE OF JULY WHEN PEOPLE HAVE MADE ALL THAT MONEY FOR PLANES

AND HOTELS AND GOD KNOWS BROADWAY TICKETS.

SO I JUST SAID LET'S SEE IF I CAN DO IT.

BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IS IT NEVER GOES PERFECTLY EVERY

SINGLE NIGHT.

IT IS ALWAYS SOMETHING, WHETHER ST AN ACTOR FORGETTING LINES.

ONE NIGHT WE HAD Z-- WE HAD A OF COME DOWN AND COME IN, SO THEY

NEEDED AIR PRESSURE, A COMPRESSOR, BIG THING IN THE

BACK OF THE STAGE.

AND ONE NIGHT A VAL OF BLEW ON-- VAL-OF-BLEW ON IT AND IT

JUST-- IT SOUNDED LIKE A SHUTTLE WAS TAKING OFF IT WAS JUST SO

LOUD.

AND I WAS ON STAGE WITH CALPERNUA AND THE STAGE MANAGER

CAME ON THE GOD MUK WE CALL T AND SAID ACTORS LEAVE THE STAGE,

ACTORS LEAVE THE STAGE.

AND YOU GOT 1400 PEOPLE SITTING OUT THR IN THE THEATER LISTENING

TO THIS PSSS THING GO FOR 30 SECONDS.

AND I COULDN'T LEAVE, I SAID THIS IS-- THERE'S JUST TOO GOOD

AN OPPORTUNITY HERE SO I WAITED FOR THE COMPRESSOR TO KIND OF

PETER OUT, AND ABOUT 30 SECONDS BEFORE IT RAN OUT OF PSS, AND

THEN I WALKED IN THE FRONT OF THE THEATER STAGE AND SAID

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CONGRATULATIONS, WERE YOU HERE

ON THE NIGHT THE SHU BETTER THEAT-- SCHUBERT THEATER FARTED,

AND THEN I WALKED OFF STAGE.

>> James: AND THEN DID YOU CARRY ON WITH THE PERFORMANCE.

>> WE CAME BACK LIKE TEN MINUTES LATER WHEN THEY SHUT THE

VAL-OF-AND THEN YOU JUST PICK UP, THE AUDIENCE IS GLAD THAT

YOU ARE COMING BACK.

>> James: WHEN YOU ARE DOING A SHOW LIKE THAT, WHEN YOU ARE ON

BROADWAY, ARE YOU SOMEONE, DO YOU LIKE TO BE VISITED BACKSTAGE

AFTERWARDS?

IF PEOPLE ARE IN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, FRIENDS OR OTHER ACTORS,

DIRECTORS, DO YOU ENJOY IT WHEN PEOPLE COME BACKSTAGE?3

>> I DO.

I-- YOU KNOW, IT IS A CHANCE TO MEET PEOPLE THAT YOU NEVER WOULD

MEET OTHERWISE.

>> James: TOTALLY.

>> BUT THAT'S THE GREAT THING.

AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE IN A HIT, THEN THEY'RE COMING BACK

BECAUSE THEY LUKED IT.

THAT IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT-- THIS' GREAT.

NO ONE HAS TO COME BACK AND LIE AND GO OH WONDERFUL WHEN IT

WASN'T.

SO WE HAD, MY GOD, WE HAD THE BIDENS, WE HAD MUSH EL OBAMA,

JUSTICE SOTO MEYER, WE-- SOTOMAYOR, PACINO, DE NIRO

CAME AND SAT IN MY DRESSING ROOM.

I MEAN ARE YOU JUST, ON AND ON AND ON, BETTE MIDLER CAME, I WAS

IN BETTE MIDLER'S DRESSING ROOM WHEN SHE WAS THERE FOR HELLO

DOLLY.

SO PEOPLE WOULD COME IN TO THE DRESSING ROOM AND I WOULD TELL

THEM BETTE MIDLER'S DRESSING ROOM.

REALLY, YEAH, THEN I WOULD OPEN THE BATHROOM, HER TOILET.

WHO CAME THAT REALLY-- OH, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE CAME.

HE AND JESSICA CAME, AND I HAD NEVER MET EITHER ONE OF THEM.

AND HE, AND ATT ICU S FINCH WAS SO STILL AND PRIVATE AND

BUTTONED UP THAT USUALLY THE BROADWAY PERFORMANCE THAT YOU GO

TO THE BALCONY WITH, THAT WASN'T WHAT I COULD DO.

SO I WAS PULLING THEM IN AND THERE WAS A LOT OF STILTNESS.

AND JUSTIN CAME BACK.

AND IT WAS GREAT.

HE TALKED TO ME ABOUT THE POWER OF STILLNESS AND USING THAT.

AND HE SAID YOU DID IT.

AND HE TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST TIME HE SAW MICHAEL JACKSON,

WHEN JUSTIN WAS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HIGH SCHOOL,

SOMETHING.

AND HE SAW HIM AND MICHAEL STOOD THERE IN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES

OF THE SHOW AND JUSTIN GOT UP IN MY DRESSING ROOM, AND IS FIVE

FEET FROM ME SHOWING US.

A GUY THAT CAN DANCE LIKE NOBODY, RIGHT.

AND HE IS STANDING THERE.

AND HE GOES MICHAEL JUST STOOD THERE AND I WATCHED HIM WITH

BACK LIGHT.

AND THEN FOR LUKE A MINUTE AND THEN HE JUST RAISED HIS HAND UP

ABOVE, AND THE PLACE WAS GOING, THAT'S ALL HE DID.

AND THEN BOOM, AND THEN HE WENT INTO THRILLER OR SOMETHING.

HE GOES THE POWER OF STILLNESS.

IT WAS LIKE A DEMONSTRATION OF IT BY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IN MY

DRESSING ROOM, STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU WILL NEVER-- YOU WILL NEVER

GET THAT.

>> James: YEAH, THIS NEVER, EVER HAPPENS UNLESS I HAVE JUST

BEEN ON STAGE.

I KNOW THAT THEAT CERTIFICATE A BIG PART OF YOUR LIFE.

YOU FOUNDED A THEATRE IN MICHIGAN, THE PURPLE ROSE.

OBVIOUSLY EVERY CORNER OF LIVENT TAINMENT IS SUFFERING RIGHT NOW.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

WHAT CAN WE DO TO SAVE THE THEATER?

>> WHERE A MASK.

START THERE, WE ALL WORE A MASK.

(APPLAUSE) >> THIS WOULD BE OVER MORE

QUICKLY.

IT IS SO SIMPLE.

YET THAT'S NOT THE COUNTRY WE LUV IN RIGHT NOW.

I HOPE THEATERS COME BACK, SMALLER THEATERS.

LIVE MUSIC VENUES.

I HOPE THEY COME BACK.

WE'RE GOING TO NEED THEM-- WE'RE LOOKING AT A YEAR FROM NOW

BEFORE PEOPLE CAN SIT SHOULDER TO SHOULDER AND WE'RE HOPING

THEY CAN.

YOU KNOW, I THINK BROADWAY WILL COME BACK.

I THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT THAT LIVE EXPERIENCE THAT IS

HAPPENING RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEM, JUST FOR THEM, THAT

MIGHT.

I STILL THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WANT THAT, GOD KNOWS IT SUR

PRIEF-- SURVIVED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, IT SURVIVED THROUGH A LOT

OF THINGS WORSE THAN THIS, WORLD WARS, YOU KNOW, 9/11, I LIKE OUR

CHANCES FOR THEATER AND LIVE VENUES TO COME BACK.

IT'S JUST WHETHER THEY CAN FINANCIALLY HANG ON.

>> I HOPE THEY CAN.

SO MUCH.

NOW WE HAVE TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR BRILLIANT NEW MUNI

SERIES, THE COMEY RULE, YOU PLAY FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY.

AS I WAS WATCHING IT I EXPERIENCED A LITTLE PTSD IF I'M

HONEST.

FOR ANYONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW, TELL THEM WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

>> IT IS JAMES COMEY'S STORY.

IT IS HIS SIDE.

STORY OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN TRUMP BECAME PRESIDENT AND TRUMP

SAT HIM DOWN AND SAID I NEED LOYALTY AND JIM DIDN'T DO THAT,

AND THEN JIM WAS HISTORY.

IT'S JIM'S SIDE OF THE STORY.

WE KNOW TRUMP'S SIDE OF THE STORY, WHICH IS COMEY IS A LIAR.

WELL, THIS IS JIM'S SIDE.

ARE YOU ALSO, AND I LEARNED THIS.

YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THAT THIS GUY WAS BETWEEN A ROCK AND A

HARD PLACE WITH THESE DECISIONS THAT WERE SO, FOR THE REST OF

US, LIVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WHAT IS HE THINKING.

WELL, THE MOVIE SHOWS YOU WHAT HE WAS THINKING.

AND WHAT HE WAS UP AGAINST AND HOW THESE WEREN'T EASY

DECISIONS.

IN HIS WHOLE NORTH STAR WAS SOMETHING BIGGER THAN HE WAS.

AND THAT WAS THE WAS THE RULE OF LAW, FOR INSTANCE.

AND HE HUNG ON TO THAT AND WAS GOING UP AGAINST SOMEONE WHO

BASICALLY IS TRASHING THE RULE OF LAW.

AND HE IS NOT ALONE, TRUMP.

AND I THINK THAT, WITH THE COMEY RULE WILL SHOW YOU IS THAT THAT

HAS TO STILL MATTER IN THIS COUNTRY.

THINGS LIKE THE RULE OF LAW.

THAT HAS TO BE RESPECTED BY EVERYONE.

CERTAINLY BARRY GOLD WATER RESPECTED IT ENOUGH THAT WHEN

NIXON WAS BREAKING THE LAW HE MARCHED THE REPUBLICANS UP TO

THE WHITE HOUSE AND SAID YOU NEED TO RESIGN.

WE DON'T HAVE THOSE REPUBLICANS RIGHT NOW.

>> James: NO.

>> AND SO THE COMEY RULE WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT THAT IS

IMPORTANT.

SO IS DECENCY, SO IS HONESTY, SO IS TELLING THE TRUTH.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MATTER.

AND IF IT MATTERS TO YOU, PERHAPS WE'LL ALL GO INTO THIS

ELECTION A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMED THAN WE WERE IN OCTOBER

2016.

>> James: I MEAN PRESIDENT TRUMP IS PLAYED BRILLIANTLY BY