( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS AN ACTOR YOU

KNOW FROM "MINDHUNTER," "FROZEN," AND "HAMILTON."

NOW HE'S IN "THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS."

NOW HE'S IN "THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS."

>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, JONATHAN GROFF

♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )

♪ ♪ ♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

>> Stephen: HELLO, JONATHAN GROFF.

>> HELLO, HELLO.

>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK.

>> Stephen: HERE'S THE THING, I HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE BECAUSE

I'M SUPER COOL AND SPECIAL.

AND CAN I-- CAN WE-- WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT WHO YOU ARE?

LIKE, WHAT CAN I REVEAL?

CAN WE REVEAL ANYTHING, OR-- YOU'RE A BADDIE.

>> YOU COULD SAY THAT.

>> Stephen: IS THAT FAIR?

YOU'RE A BADDIE.

OTHER THAN THAT, WE SHOULD JUST LEAVE IT?

>> I MEAN MAYBE...

I DON'T KNOW THE RULES.

I DON'T KNOW THE RULES.

>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW, EITHER.

>> BUT I HAVE AN INTERACTION WITH KEANU.

>> Stephen: THAT IS VERY EVOCATIVE OF SOME OF THE OTHER

SCENES WE SAW IN THE ORIGINAL "MATRIX" TRILOGY.

I'LL LEAVE THAT EXPLANATION RIGHT THERE.

>> OKAY, PERFECT.

>> Stephen: IT CAME OUT IN 1999, THE ORIGINAL.

YOU WERE QUITE YOUNG AT THAT POINT, ONE IMAGINES.

WERE YOU A FAN?

WHEN DID-- WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE "MATRIX"

MOVIES?

>> I WAS 14 WHEN IT CAME TO THE THEATERS.

AND A COUPLE OF-- SO I DIDN'T SEE IT THEN.

>> Stephen: BECAUSE?

>> IT WAS RATED "R," AND I WASN'T ALLOWED TO GO.

>> Stephen: I FORGOT.

I FORGOT.

IT'S GOT THE SEXY.

>> YEAH, YEAH, EXACTLY.

SO THEN A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, I WENT WITH MY FRIENDS TO THE

BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO, BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO.

>> Stephen: I REMEMBER THAT.

>> REMEMBER THAT.

>> Stephen: SURE, THAT WAS FUN.

>> THAT WAS FUN.

>> Stephen: I MISS THAT.

>> AND WE GOT THE VHS.

>> Stephen: SURE, REWIND.

>> EXACTLY.

THOSE EMPTY BOXES AND YOU WOULD SEE IF THE MOVIE THERE WAS OR

NOT.

AND WE WERE VERY EXCITED "THE MATRIX" WAS THERE AND WE HAD OUR

MINDS BLOWN.

>> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO AUDITION?

YOU HAVE SEEN THIS MOVIE, IT'S A SEMINAL MOVIE, IT'S SORT OF

CHANGED SCIENCE FICTION MOVIES IN KIND OF A PROFOUND AWAY WAY.

IT'S A BRILLIANT FILM.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO GO AUDITION TO BE PART OF THE CONTINUATION OF

THIS INCREDIBLE SERIES?

>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN I WENT-- SO CARMEN CUBA, WHO IS THE

AMAZING -- >> Stephen: YOU WENT IN TO

AUDITION NOT KNOWING ANYTHING?

>> SHE TEXTED ME AND SHE SAID, "THERE'S A VERY EXCITING MOVIE

WITH A VERY EXCITING DIRECTOR.

WILL YOU FLY TO SAN FRANCISCO AND MEET SAID DIRECTOR ON YOUR

DAY OFF FROM 'LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS'."

I SAID, YES, AND THEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS LANA WACHOWSKI AND IT

WAS "THE MATRIX."

AND I THOUGHT I'M NOT GETTING THERE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO MEET

LANA, I'M A HUGE FAN AND WENT TO SAN FRANCISCO.

>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT THE TRAINING?

DID THEY JACK IT INTO THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD AND FEED IT IN,

BECAUSE THEY CAN DO THAT NOW.

THEY CAN DO THAT.

ELON MUSK IS WORKING ON THAT NOW, THE CHIP IN THE HEAD.

WHAT SORT OF TRAINING ARE WE TALKING HERE?

>> IT WAS TWO MONTHS OF TRAINING WITH MY FRIEND AND TRAINER ERIC

JOHNSON IN NEW YORK TO GET READY FOR THE FIGHT TRAINING, WHICH

WAS ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.

>> Stephen: YOU HAD TO TRAIN FOR THE TRAINING?

>> I HAD TO TRAIN FOR THE TRAINING.

>> Stephen: WOW.

DID YOU GET BIG.

LIKE I'M SURE YOU'RE ALREADY FIT.

MUSICAL THEATER GUYS ARE ALWAYS READY TO GO, YOU'RE DANCERS.

>> HAVE THE DANCE BELT ON ALWAYS, JUST IN CASE.

>> Stephen: ME, TOO.

>> RIGHT.

I CAN TELL.

>> Stephen: IT'S ON RIGHT NOW, IT'S COMFY.

>> I CAN SEE IT.

TAP SHOES AND A DANCE BELT ALL THE TIME.

>> Stephen: 100%.

100%.

>> YOU HAD TO TRAIN FOR THE TRAINING.

AND THEN WHEN I GOT IN FOR THE FIGHT TRAINING, I WALKED INTO

THE TENT, AND KEANU IS THERE IN HIS JUJITSU OUTFIT, COVERED IN

SWEAT, GOING LIKE BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP-BOP.

AND I WAS LIKE WHAT?

WHAT?

CARRIE-ANNE WAS FIGHTING-- MOSS.

THE CARRIE-ANNE MOSS, SHE IS LOOKING LIKE SHE HASN'T AGED A

DAY AND IS FIGHTING LITERALLY 20 PEOPLE.

AND I THOUGHT, WOW, AM I REALLY GOING TO STEP ON THIS MAT?

BUT I JUST PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.

I TOOK ALL OF MY ANXIETY, TURNED IT INTO RAGE, AS THE CHARACTER.

THEY CALLED ME "THE SAVAGE" IN THE TRAINING TENT.

>> Stephen: WOW.

>> YEAH.

AND I JUST, LIKE, WENT FOR IT.

>> Stephen: NOW, YOU SAID-- I HEARD THAT YOU SAID THAT STAGE

FIGHTING IS LIKE MAKING LOVE.

AND I'M CURIOUS WHY-- WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE IT'S ALL FAKE?

>> Stephen: WHY IS IT?

WHY IS THAT THE CASE?

( APPLAUSE ) IS IT, LIKE, ABOUT TRUST AND

CONTROL AND STUFF LIKE THAT?

>> YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

>> IT'S A-- IT'S A PHYSICAL DIALOGUE.

SO...

( LAUGHS ).

>> Stephen: IF YOU EVER-- IF YOU EACH CUT AN ALBUM OF LOVE

TONGZ OF SONGS THAT'S GOT TO BE THE NAME OF THE ALBUM.

JONATHAN GROFF: "PHYSICAL DIALOGUE."

YOU IN A HEADBAND LIKE OLIVIA NAUGHTON JOHN.

>> YES!

YES INSPECT JOHN TRAVOLTA IN "STAYING ALIVE."

THERE ARE NO LINES.

IT'S LIKE DOING A LOVE SCENE BECAUSE YOU'RE TELLING THE STORY

WITH YOUR BODY.

IT'S MORE INTENSE IN A FIGHT...

( LAUGHS ) BECAUSE-- AND KEANU KIND OF

TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT THIS.

THERE'S, LIKE, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR PARTNER.

YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE CONTACT.

YOU'RE GOING TO PUT...

( LAUGHS ) ( APPLAUSE )

>> Stephen: I'M LISTENING.

( LAUGHTER ) GO ON!

>> YOU'RE GOING TO HIT EACH OTHER,s BUT YOU'RE GOING TO

HAVE A PHYSICAL AGREEMENT THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING-- YOU'RE NOT

GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY.

YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT-- ( LAUGHTER )

( APPLAUSE ) ( CHEERING )

>> Stephen: GO ON.

( LAUGHTER ) SO CLOSE, SO CLOSE.

AND THERE'S A CAMERA...

>> AND THERE'S A CAMERA.

AND...

>> Stephen: YOU KNOW.

>> AND A DIRECTOR.

>> Stephen: A DIRECTOR.

AND THERE'S CRAFT SERVICES AND A UNION, YOU KNOW, MAKING LOVE.

>> THE PARALLELS ARE END MS. >> Stephen: THEY SURE ARE.

SPEAKING OF THE PARALLELS OF MAKING LOVE AND, SHALL WE SAY,

PHYSICAL AWAKENING, WE ARE COMING UP-- YOUR BREAKOUT ROLE

WAS BROADWAY'S "SPRING AWAKENING" IN 2006.

THERE YOU ARE.

( APPLAUSE ) LEAH MICHELLE.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT-- SO Y'ALL IN NOVEMBER, THE ORIGINAL

CAST CAME TOGETHER FOR THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE

BROADWAY DEBUT.

LOOK AT YOU GUYS NOW.

HOW DID YOU GET HOTTER?

HOW IS THAT-- TIME GENERALLY DOES NOT MAKE PEOPLE HOTTER.

YOU GUYS ARE SCORCHINGLY SEXY HERE.

>> MY GOSH.

THANK YOU, STEPHEN.

>> Stephen: NO, THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

WE'RE THE ONES WHO GET TO SEE IT.

THANK YOU.

>> OH, WOW.

>> Stephen: ANY ADVICE ON THE REST OF US HOW TO STAY KNOW--

>> YOU'RE KILLING IT.

YOU LOOK GREAT.

>> Stephen: THANKS.

YOU CAN COME BACK ANY TIME.

( APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH, WE DID --

>> Stephen: YOU CAN COME BACK ANY TIME, MAN, ANY TIME.

>> THANK YOU.

WE DID THE SPRING AWAKENING CONCERT AS A BENEFIT FOR THE

ACTORS FUND ( CLEARS THROAT )

YOU GOT THIS.

>> Stephen: I GOT SO EXCITED I FORGOT TO SWALLOW.

IT'S A WONDERFUL FUND.

>> SINCE MARCH OF 2020, THE ACTORS FUND HAS GIVEN OUT $24.2

MILLION TO PEOPLE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

( APPLAUSE ) EVERYBODY IN THE THEATER, YOU

KNOW, ALL THE THEATER ACTORS LOST THEIR JOBS, AND THIS

ORGANIZATION CAME IN AND SAVED THE INDUSTRY.

SO, ALSO, HBO AND RADICA MEDIA PAID FOR US TO DO THIS CONCERT

AND ARE MAKING A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT'S

GOING TO COME OUT THIS SPRING.

( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, JOHN THARNG

A PLEASURE AS ALWAYS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH VERY HAVING ME.

>> Stephen: "THE MATRIX: RESURRECTIONS" IS IN THEATERS

AND ON HBO MAX ON DECEMBER 22.

JONATHAN GROFF, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.