WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."

MY FIRST GUEST IS A THREE-TIME ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE YOU KNOW

FROM "EASTERN PROMISES," "CAPTAIN FANTASTIC," AND OF

COURSE, "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" TRILOGY.

HE NOW MAKES HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH THE NEW FILM,

"FALLING."

>> OH, GOD...

PULL, PULL.

YOU PULL.

PULL, DAD.

OH!

>> DAD, YOU CAN'T SMOKE IN HERE.

LET'S LET YOUR MOTHER SLEEP FOR A WHILE.

IT'S VERY EARLY.

>> GOOD IDEA.

>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," VIGGO

MORTENSEN.

VIGGO, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> HI, HOW ARE YA?

>> Stephen: FOR ANYONE CONFUSED AT HOME, I'M THE ONE IN

THE GREEN SHIRT, VIGGO IS IN THE BLUE SHIRT.

PEOPLE WILL GO, WHICH ONE IS VIGGO?

>> IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

>> Stephen: I GET IT.

NOW, WE DON'T SEE YOU ENOUGH.

IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE, AND IT'S ALWAYS

A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU.

NOT ONLY BECAUSE I'M A FAN OF YOUR WORK, BUT IT'S GREAT TO

HAVE A RENAISSANCE MAN HERE.

YOU DO IT ALL.

YOU'RE AN ACTOR.

YOU'RE A POET, I HAVE SEVERAL COLLECTIONS OF YOUR POETRY.

YOU'RE A PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU'RE A PAINTER AND NOW A DIRECTOR.

WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO BE DIRECTING YOUR FIRST FILM, TO BE

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS?

WHAT ARE YOU, DIRECT, THINK OF VIGGO MORTENSEN ACTOR.

IS THAT GUY A PRIMA DONNA?

>> HE WAS VERY OBEDIENT.

HE NEVER GOT TO THE SET LATER THAN I DID.

NEVER.

HE WAS ALWAYS ON TIME.

>> Stephen: THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IF I WAS ON TIME, HE WAS ON TIME.

>> Stephen: BUT, SERIOUSLY, HOW DOES IT CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF

YOUR SORT OF MOST FAMOUS PROFESSION, WHICH IS ACTING, TO

BE THE DIRECTOR?

DO YOU VIEW YOUR ART ANY DIFFERENTLY NOW THAT YOU SEE THE

NEEDS OF DIRECTING?

>> WELL, WHEN I GO TO THE MOVIES, AND I HAVE BEEN GOING A

LOT, WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN GO TO THE MOVIES --

>> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT YOU'RE IN EUROPE.

NO ONE'S TOLD ME WHAT COUNTRY YOU'RE IN.

YOU'RE IN A COUNTRY THAT CAN SHOW MOVIES.

THE ONLY ONE I KNOW OF IS IN NEW ZEALAND, AND THAT'S NOT IN

EUROPE.

>> WE HAVE BEEN SEEING MOVIES SINCE LAST AUGUST.

>> Stephen: DO YOU SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY YOU'RE

IN?

>> I DO.

>> Stephen: THATDOESN'T HELP BECAUSE YOU SPEAK SEVEN

LANGUAGES.

>> I'M IN SPAIN, AT THIS MOMENT.

>> Stephen: OH, OH.

WELL...

HOLA.

>> HOLA.

( SPEAKING SPANISH ) YEAH.

IN FACT, "FALLING" WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO BE SEEN IN MOVIE

THEATERS.

IT WAS THE COUNTRY WHERE "FALLING" CAME OUT.

IT CAME OUT THE SECOND OF OCTOBER.

IT'S BEEN RUNNING FOR MONTHS.

IT'S LIKE AN I AN INDY HIT.

>> Stephen: TELL ME WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

>> I'VE WRITTEN SCREEN PLAYS AND "FALLING" TOOK ME THREE TRIES

AND ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO SHOOT IT.

AND THE REASON I STARTED WRITING IT, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER MY MOM

DAD, AND SHE HAD HAD DEMENTIA, LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTER

HENDRICKSON IN MY STORY DOES, HE PLAYS MY FATHER.

THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.

MY MOM, DAD, BOTH SIDES, WE'RE RIDDLED WITH DEMENTIA, OUR

FAMILY.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO EXPLORE.

BUT IT WAS -- WHEN MY MOM DIED, I JUST WANTED TO REMEMBER

EVERYTHING ABOUT HER.

I LOVED HER AND I STILL LOVE HER AND I GUESS IN A WAY I WANTED TO

KEEP THAT FLAME ALIVE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS VERY PRESENT, VERY

ALIVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY DIE.

SOUNDS TERRIBLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST VERY IMMEDIATE, ALL

THESE IMAGES OF HER AT DIFFERENT AGES AND THE STORIES ABOUT HER

THAT YOU HEAR THAT MORE OR LESS COINCIDE WITH YOURS.

SO I WANTED TO WRITE THEM DOWN, THESE IDEAS, THESE MEMORIES, AND

I STARTED WRITING, BUT IT BECAME A FICTIONAL STORY, WHICH I GUESS

I FELT FREER TO WRITE THAN THE DOCUMENTARY THING WHERE I WOULD

HAVE TO CALL MY BROTHERS AND SAY DID THIS HAPPEN?

WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?

WHO SAID THAT?

I SAID, I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE IT UP AND USE THE FEELINGS, A

FEW MEMORIES, A FEW INCIDENTS, BUT IT'S A MADE-UP STORY.

THAT'S HOW THAT CAME ABOUT.

I HAVE KEPT THAT FLAME ALIVE, THAT WOUND OPEN, I GUESS, THE

MEMORY OF MY MOM AND MY DAD BY MAKING THE MOVIE AND EDITING IT,

EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, I CAN SEE HER, AND THAT'S WHAT I

WANT.

>> Stephen: THAT'S A TRUE AND PROFOUND THING, THE FLAME ALIVE

AND WOUND OPEN IS THE SAME THING.

YOU WOULDN'T WANT ANYONE TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM YOU BECAUSE THE

PAIN IS ALSO PART OF THEM.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Stephen: THIS IS ALSO THE 20th ANNIVERSARY RELEASE OF

THE FELLOW SHIP, THE FIRST "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" FILM.

WHAT STRUCK YOU ON SEEING EVERYBODY?

HAD YOU ALL BEEN TOGETHER IN A WHILE?

>> I'VE SEEN NOT ALL OF THEM.

I'VE SEEN SOME OF THEM.

THE HOBBITS.

I'VE SEEN ORLANDO BLOOM NOW AND THEN.

I'VE SEEN SEAN BEAN A FEW TIMES, YOU KNOW, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

IT WAS WONDERFUL.

I THINK THE THING LASTED AN HOUR, A COUPLE OF HOURS.

IT COULD HAVE GONE ON 20, 30 HOURS FOR ME.

I MEAN, THERE WERE SO MANY MORE THINGS I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT.

I DON'T KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN DO IT AGAIN.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET TOGETHER, LIKE IN NEW ZEALAND,

IDEALLY, WITH EVERYONE.

IT WAS GREAT.

IT WAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE FRIENDSHIPS

OR THAT IT WAS BASED ON THE AMAZING TOLKIENS BOOK, BUT

SEEING JACKSON AND IT DID NEW ZEALANDERS WHO HADN'T HAD

EXPERIENCE, CERTAINLY NOT ON A BIG MOVIE, LEARNING AS THEY WENT

ALONG AND PETER JACKSON FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET PAST OBSTACLES,

SOLVE PROBLEMS EVERY DAY, BIG ONES, LITTLE ONES.

WELL, LET'S MAKE UP A SHOT, DO SOMETHING NOBODY'S EVER DONE.

IT WAS ALMOST EVERY DAY.

IT WAS, LIKE, A WIDE OPEN, CRAZY, FILM SCHOOL, REALLY.

>> Stephen: I LOVE THE DESCRIPTION.

I'VE HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS THE MOST EXPENSIVE LOW-BUDGET FILM

BECAUSE THE SCOPE WAS SO GREAT EVEN THOUGH THE BUDGET WAS SO

ENORMOUS.

THEY SPENT EVERYTHING MAKING IT THE BEST FILM YOU COULD.

I'M JUST BOND RICK, HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED ALL THE FILMS IN

THE EXTENDED EDITION?

HAVE YOU SEEN EVERYTHING?

>> ALL THE ONES.

>> Stephen: NO, JUST HAVE YOU SEEN THE EXTENDED EDITIONS?

SOME AN TORSE DON'T WATCH THEMSELVES.

>> I TAKE THE BAD WITH THE OKAY.

YOU LEARN WATCHING, AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE CAN'T, BUT YOU KNOW

ONE.

YOU ARE THE FOREMOST EXPERT -- >> Stephen: FAN, MAYBE NOT

EXPERT.

MAYBE FAN.

>> I WOULD SAY YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT I KNOW OF IN THE

WORLD WHO IS THE MOST CONSUMED WITH ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

THAT HAS TO DO WITH PETER JACKSON'S "THE LORD OF THE

RINGS" TRILOGY.

>> Stephen: I WOULD CHANGE ONE THING IN THE SENTENCE -- I AM

MOST NOURISHED, NOT CONSUMED.

>> OKAY.

>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU AND I HAVE SOMETHING COMMON,

OBVIOUSLY IT'S LIKE FRATERNAL TWINS, IS THAT WE BOTH HAVE

VERTIGO.

>> I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.

YOU HAVE THAT?

>> Stephen: I ACTUALLY HAD A LITTLE ATTACK WHILE WE WERE

TALKING JUST NOW.

I WASN'T SURE -- LITERALLY DOWN WAS THAT WAY FOR A MINUTE.

IT COMES AT TIMES I CAN'T EXPLAIN.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD IT?

>> MY MOTHER HAD IT REALLY BADLY.

SHE COULDN'T GET UP ON A -- YOU KNOW, STAND ON A CHAIR WOULD BE

TORTUROUS.

I NEVER HAD IT WHEN I WAS A KID.

MAYBE I REMEMBER ONE TIME I CLIMBED UP THIS STEEP HILL AND

THEN I DIDN'T -- I WAS YELLING AND SCREAMING, I WAS VERY

LITTLE, I DIDN'T DARE CLIMB DOWN AND MY DAD HAD TO COME GET ME.

OTHER THAN THAT, I ALWAYS CLIMBED TREES, MOUNTAINS,

EVERYTHING, DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT.

AND AS AN ADULT, IT HIT ME ONCE IN A WHILE.

THE FIRST TIME IT HIT ME BADLY WAS DURING "THE LORD OF THE

RINGS."

I WAS DOING THE SECOND MOVIE, THE BATTLE FOR HELMS DEET.

THE SCENE WITH US AT NIGHT, IT WAS WET AND RAINY.

THERE WAS A STAIRWAY A LITTLE OVER A FOOT WIDE, NO RAILING,

GOING UP THE SIDE OF A WALL.

THERE'S A SCENE WHERE I'M FIGHTING MY WAY UP TRYING TO GET

TO THE TOP, AND THERE ARE ALL THESE ORKS COMING DOWN, AND I'M

FIGHTING THEM ALL THE WAY UP.

ONE THROWS A SPEAR SIDEWAYS AND I THROW MY LEGS OVER AND LEAPT

OVER THE PRECIPICE AND KEPT GOING.

THEY SAID, TAKE A BREAK, AND REST A LITTLE.

EVERYBODY WAS RUSHING DOWN.

I TURNED AND WAS GOING DOWN THE STAIRS AND I SUDDENLY GOT IT

REALLY BADLY AND I FROZE.

PEOPLE WAITING, ALL THESE ORK AC FORCE TRYING TO GET PAST ME.

AND I JUST GOT AGAINST THE WALL LIKE THAT, AND I SAID, GO AHEAD,

GO BY, GO BY.

I WAS LOOKING OUT AT THE NIGHT SKY, I COULDN'T GO DOWN.

THEY GO, WILL YOU ALL RIGHT?

YEAH, I'M FINE, RESTING, RELAXING.

I WAS SO TENSE.

I FINALLY CURLED AROUND.

I JUST HAD TO LOOK AT THE STONE.

I WAS LIKE A SPIDER AGAINST THE WALL.

AND THEN EVERYBODY HAD LEFT.

SO IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WAS UP THERE DOING THIS AND PEOPLE ARE

GOING VIGGO, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?

YEAH, I'M FINE, I'M JUST -- >> Stephen: JUST REALLY IN

CHARACTER.

JUST STAYING IN CHARACTER.

>> HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE.

DO YOU WANT ME TO THROW YOU SOMETHING UP THERE?

I SAID, NO, JUST THE IMAGE OF CATCHING SOMETHING OVER THIS

ABYSS, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS HORRIBLE, AND I WAS REALLY THINKING I DON'T EVEN

WANT TO GO DOWN, MUCH LESS DO I WANT TO FIGHT ON THESE STAIRS.

AND I'M DREADING WHEN THEY ALL HAVE TO COME UP AND TROOP PAST

ME AGAIN TO GET INTO POSITION.

SOMEHOW I GOT THROUGH IT BUT IT WAS REALLY HORRIBLE.

>> Stephen: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, "FALLING" IS IN

SELECT THEATERS AND ON DEMAND NEXT FRIDAY.

VIGGO MORTENSEN, EVERYBODY!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "NEW YORK TIMES" JOURNALIST

CHARLES BLOW.

♪♪♪ ♪