WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."

FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST IS A GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER YOU KNOW

FROM "NOTTING HILL," "FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS," AND "A VERY

ENGLISH SCANDAL."

HE'S CURRENTLY STARRING IN THE LIMITED SERIES, "THE UNDOING."

>> HEY.

>> HEY.

>> HE'S MY PATIENT.

>> GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM.

>> I'M SO SORRY ABOUT YOUR MOM.

>> DON'T TALK TO HIM.

>> I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR MOM, I DIDN'T

DO IT.

>> ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

>> GOTO YOUR ROOM >> NO, HE SHOULD KNOW THAT.

>> HE NEEDS TO KNOW THAT, AND SO DO YOU.

THERE WERE LINES I CROSSED, BUT I DID NOT TAKE HER LIFE.

>> Stephen: WOW.

PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," HUGH GRANT!

HELLO, HUGH GRANT.

>> WELL, HELLO.

( LAUGHS ) HELLO.

>> Stephen: NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.

>> YOU SAY, "WELCOME," AND ONE THINKS THERE'S GOING TO BE

CLAPPING, AND THERE'S NO CLAPPING.

>> Stephen: NO, THERE'S NO CLAPPING.

IT IS A LITTLE ODD.

IS THIS THE FIRST OF THESE YOU'VE DONE IN COVID TIMES?

>> YES.

>> Stephen: OH, YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT.

>> I FIND IT-- I'M HATING IT ALREADY.

>> Stephen: THE SILENCE-- THE SILENCE, YOU CAN IMAGINE

ANYRIATION YOU WANT AT ANY TIME.

YOU JUST PAINT THE AUDIENCE YOU WISH.

>> I CAN'T-- I NEED CONSTANT AFFIRMATION AND APPLAUSE, EVEN

WHEN I'M FILMING.

>> Stephen: WELL, HUGH, I THINK YOU LOOK GREAT.

>> REALLY?

NOT JUST SAYING THAT?

>> Stephen: FOR A MAN OF YOUR AGE, YOU LOOK AMAZING.

>> WELL, I CAN'T DISAGREE.

>> Stephen: WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU ZOOMING IN FROM NOW,

MR. GRANT?

>> I'M IN LONDON.

I'M IN THE WEST END OF LONDON, WHICH IS COMPLETELY DESERTED.

WE'RE IN ANOTHER LOCKDOWN, IN A HOTEL, WHICH IS ALSO COMPLETELY

DESERTED.

LITERALLY, I'M SITTING HERE ALONE IN A LARGE HOTEL.

THE ONLY PERSON I'VE SEEN IS A LITTLE GIRL RIDING A TRICYCLE IN

THE CORRIDORS.

IT'S VERY SCARY.

>> Stephen: IS THIS THE HOTEL FROM "THE SHINING," BECAUSE I

BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT MOVIE?

>> THAT RINGS A BELL, YES.

>> Stephen: DON'T USE THE ELEVATORS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

DON'T USE THE ELEVATORS.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL BEEN IN LOCKDOWN?

THERE'S TALKS-- IT'S SPIKING IN THE UNITED STATES, TOO, AND

THERE ARE TALKS SOME OF THE BIG CITIES, ESPECIALLY, MIGHT HAVE

TO LOCK DOWN AGAIN.

HOW LONG AGO DID THAT HAPPEN FOR Y'ALL?

>> A WEEK AGO.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE JUST FOR A MONTH.

AND I'M NOT SURE EVERYONE'S GOT QUITE THE SAME ENTHUSIASM THEY

HAD THE FIRST TIME AROUND.

>> Stephen: NO, OF COURSE NOT.

>> WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE IN OUR HOMES, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN

THE STREETS MORE THRONGED WITH PEOPLE.

YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO FORM A LINE TO GET ON TO PICCADILLY.

>> Stephen: WHAT IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE?

WHAT IS THE LOCKDOWN RULE?

>> IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE NO RESTAURANTS, NO BARS, AND ONLY

ESSENTIAL SHOPS.

BUT EVERY SHOP SEEMS TO THINK THAT IT IS, IN FACT, ESSENTIAL,

YOU KNOW.

FLORISTS ARE OPEN.

>> Stephen: WELL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE CHEER IN YOUR DAY.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT-- HOW ABOUT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

IS EVERYBODY HEALTHY?

HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO ARB VOID IT?

>> WELL I HAD IT.

MY WIFE AND I HAD IT WAY BACK IN THE WINTER, SO WE --

>> Stephen: BACK IN MARCH.

>> WE HAVE ANTIBODIES.

I'M RATHER PROUD OF THEM.

SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IT, I DON'T THINK.

>> Stephen: YOU GOT IT BACK IN MARCH?

YOU ACTUALLY HAD IT?

>> I GOT IT IN FEBRUARY -- >> Stephen: YOU KNOW FOR A

FACT?

YOU WERE TESTED?

>> WELL, I'VE HAD AN ANTIBODY TEST ONLY A MONTH AGO, AND I

STILL HAVE THOSE ANTIBODIES, SO I KNOW THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

IT BECAME CLEAR-- I MEAN, IT STARTED AS JUST A VERY STRANGE

SYNDROME WHERE I KEPT BREAKING INTO A TERRIBLE SWEAT.

IT WAS LIKE A PONCHO OF SWEAT-- EMBARRASSING, REALLY.

AND THEN MY EYEBALLS FELT ABOUT THREE SIZES TOO BIG.

AND THIS FEELING AS THOUGH SOME ENORMOUS MAN WAS SITTING ON MY

CHEST, SORT OF HARVEY WEINSTEIN OR SOMEONE.

>> Stephen: THAT'S NOT GOOD.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS.

AND THEN I WAS WALKING DOWN THE STREET ONE DAY, AND I THOUGHT, I

CAN'T SMELL A DAMN THING, AND YOU START TO PANIC.

BY THEN PEOPLE HAD JUST STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS AS A SYMPTOM.

AND I STARTED SNIFFING FLOWERS, NOTHING.

YOU GET MORE AND MORE DESPERATE.

I STARTED SNIFFING IN GARBAGE CANS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO SMIF STRANGERS' ARMPITS BECAUSE

YOU JUST CAN'T SMELL ANYTHING.

AND I EVENTUALLY WENT HOME AND SPRAYED MY WIFE'S CHANEL NUMBER

5 DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE.

COULDN'T SMELL A THING.

I DID GO BLIND.

>> Stephen: WOW.

THAT'S WHY FLORISTS ARE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AT THIS POINT.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: IT'S A TEST CENTER.

YOU GO INTO THE FLORAL SHOP AND SAY, "GIVE ME A DOZEN ROSES."

IF THEY DON'T SMELL, YOUD TOOLE DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL AND YOU'LL

BE FINE.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: HOW IS QUARANTINING-- I UNDERSTAND YOU

HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN.

IS THIS TRUE?

>> YES, SO I HAVE DOZENS OF THEM.

>> Stephen: GOOD.

>> I'M QUARANTINED WITH THREE, A BOY AND TWO SMALL GIRLS.

I HAD-- I AM OLD, BUT I HAD CHILDREN VERY LATE IN LIFE.

SO, YES, I'VE BEEN LOCKED UP-- WELL, THE FIRST TIME FOR THREE

AND A HALF MONTHS WITH A FOUR-YEAR-OLD ASK A TWO-YEAR-OLD

GIRL.

BUT THE ANSWER-- IT'S BEEN ALL ABOUT BARBIES.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT KIDS --

>> Stephen: I DO, I HAVE THREE, BUT THEY'RE PAST BARBIE.

>> IS ONE EVER PAST BARBIE?

BECAUSE I PLAYED WITH THEM, THE BARBIES.

AND TO START WITH YOU THINK I'M JUST BEING NICE, AND I REALIZED

EVEN AFTER MY GIRLS WENT TO BED, I WAS STILL PLAYING WITH THE

BARBIES.

>> Stephen: SURE.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT-- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A MALIBU DREAM

HOUSE AS MUCH AS THE NEXT PERSON.

>> I THINK I DO.

AND I ENJOYED MAKING THEM FALL IN LOVE.

THEY BECAME VERY FOND OF EACH OTHER, THESE TWO BARBIES.

>> Stephen: GO ON.

>> IN FACT, I THINK ONE OF THE THEM-- ONE OF THEM WAS BARBIE

AND ONE WAS ELSA, I THINK, FROM "FROZEN," AND THEY DEVELOPED AN

AFFAIR.

I PHOTOGRAPHED THEM KISSING EACH OTHER AND SENT THEM TO FRIEND.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN A REALLY LONG LOCKDOWN.

>> Stephen: NO WAY MY AUDIENCE IS TURNING AWAY RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS SUPER BOWL RATINGS.

HUGH GRANT DESCRIBING BARBIE PORN, THAT'S A HUGE BUMP.

>> WELL, YOU GET DESPERATE.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO MOVE ON FROM BARBIE PORN TO YOUR NEW

LIMITED SERIES ""THE UNDOING" WHERE-- BRACE YOURSELF-- YOU ARE

PLAYING A CHARMING ENGLISHMAN WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE A

SOCIOPATHIC MURDERER, AS WE SAW IN THE CLIP JUST AT TOP THERE.

I THINK HE IS.

AND I WANT TO SEE YOUR REACTION TO THAT.

YOU'RE THE MURDERER!

NOTHING.

SEE, THAT'S EXACTLY HOW A MURDERER WOULD LAUGH.

THAT'S A SOCIOPATHIC LAUGH.

( LAUGHS ) >> YES.

WELL, OR NO.

WHO KNOWS?

>> Stephen: DID YOU-- DID YOU-- ARE YOU IT?

OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN'T TELL ME TRUTH, BUT I WANT TO ASK ANYWAY

FOR THE AUDIENCE'S SAKE.

DID YOU DO IT?

DID YOUR CHARACTER DO IT?

>> WELL...

>> Stephen: SIMPLE QUESTION, SENATOR.

>> WHERE ARE WE NOW?

THIS GOES OUT THIS WEEK.

WE HAVE WATCHED THREE EPISODES.

OF COURSE HE HASN'T DONE IT.

HE'S NOT A PERFECT MAN.

HE HAD AN AFFAIR.

HE LET NICOLE KIDMAN DOWN BADLY.

HE HAD AN AFFAIR WITH THIS HOT MOMMA FROM SCHOOL, HE HASN'T

BEHAVED WELL.

DO YOU HAVE GOGGLE BOX IN AMERICA.

>> Stephen: GOGGLE BOX?

DO WE HAVE THAT HERE?

NO.

WHAT'S GOGGLE BOX?

>> WE HAVE A SHOW WHERE PEOPLE WATCH-- THEY'RE FILMED WATCHING

TV SHOWS, AND IT'S VERY FUNNY, REAL PURE.

>> Stephen: REACTION VIDEOS.

I LIKE THOSE.

>> YEAH, AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING THEM WATCH OUR SHOW.

AND I'VE PARTICULARLY ENJOYED THEIR REACTION TO ME HAVING SEX

WITH THIS HOT 'NOTHER, AND THEN GOING HOME AND SEX SEX WITH MY

WIFE, NICOLE.

"OH, LOOK AT THAT, HE'S A DIRTY DOGGY.

DOUBLE DIPPED.

( LAUGHING ) >> Stephen: I'M GONNA LEAVE

THAT ONE RIGHT THERE!

I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT ONE RIGHT THERE, MISTER!

>> OKAY.

>> Stephen: OKAY, SO, DO YOU WATCH YOURSELF, BY THE WAY?

I JUST SAW YOU-- WERE YOU WATCHING YOU IN IN THAT CLIP?

DO YOU EVER WATCH YOURSELF PERFORM?

>> YEAH, I WATCH IT, YEAH.

I'M QUITE INTERFERING.

I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE NOTES DURING THE EDIT AND BULLY THE

DIRECTOR.

>> Stephen: OH, THEY LOVE THOSE ACTORS.

I KNOW-- I KNOW THERE'S NOTHING A DIRECTOR LIKES BETTER.

>> THEY LOVE ME.

>> Stephen: AN ACTOR GOING, "YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD EDIT

THIS."

>> "JUST A BIT MORE ME."

>> Stephen: I ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT THE SHOW NEEDS?

A LITTLE MORE STEPHEN COLBERT.

>> EXACTLY.

>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE-- AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND

THIS TERM AT ALL-- A RELUCTANT ACTOR.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

IS IT HARD TO CONVINCE YOU TO DO ROLES?

MOST ACTORS ARE OUT OF WORK, HUGH?

>> YEAH, SO I SOUND SPOILED.

>> Stephen: YEAH.

>> IT'S ONLY FEAR.

I DEVELOPED A FEAR, A SORT OF STAGE FRIGHT ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO

OUT OF NOWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF FILMING "NOTTING HILL," IN FACT.

I SUDDENLY JUST STARTED SPHITZING, AND COULDN'T REMEMBER

MY LINES AND I LIVE IN FEAR OF FEAR.

BUT I'M BETTER NOW.

>> Stephen: NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FEAR ITSELF, HUGH.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THAT.

>> YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

THANK YOU, YOU'RE FULL OF PEARLS.

( LAUGHTER ).

>> Stephen: I'VE BEEN CALLED FULL OF OTHER THINGS, SO PERLZ

I'LL TAKE.

ALWAYS DELIGHTFUL.

I KNOW YOU DON'T DO A LOT OF THIS STUFF OVER IN THE UNITED

STATES.

REALLY GRATEFUL THAT YOU STOPPED BY.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> NO, NO, WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Stephen: "THE UNDOING" AIRS SUNDAYS ON HBO AND STREAMS ON

HBO MAX.

IT'S HUGH GRANT, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING MUSICIAN STURGILL

SIMPSON.

STICK AROUND.

♪ ♪ ♪