YOU KNOW MY FIRST GUEST FROM MOVIES LIKE "ATONEMENT" AND

"BROOKLYN."

SHE NOW STARS IN ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I'VE EVER SEEN "LADY

BIRD."

>> DARLENE, CAN YOU EXCUSE US?

>> DARLENE, STAY.

>> WHY AREN'T YOU IN ALGEBRA TWO.

>> I SWITCHED SECTIONS.

>> WHY?

>> AREN'T JENNA AND KYLE ENOUGH?

>> I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE JEALOUS.

>> JENNA IS A MORON, YOU KNOW.

>> SHE'S NOT, SHE'S IN A.P. CALCULUS.

>> HOW DO YOU ASSIGN THE ROLE BY THE WAY.

YOU JUST NEVER SHOWED UP TO CLAIM IT.

>> WHAT ROLE?

>> THE TEMPEST.

>> THERE IS NO ROLE OF THE TEMPEST.

IT'S A MADE-UP THING SO WE ALL CAN CAP PARTICIPATE.

>> YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS YOU'RE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION,

YOU CAN.

>> YEAH, WELL YOU KNOW YOUR MOM (BLEEP) ARE FAKE, TOTALLY FAKE.

>> SHE MADE ONE BAD DECISION AT 19.

>> TWO BAD DECISION!

PLEASE WELCOME SAOIRSE RONAN.

♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )

>> WE'RE BACK!

>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK.

>> WE'RE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN?

>> WE ARE.

BY POPULAR DEMAND.

>> BY POPULAR DEMAND.

>> Stephen: THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR SAYING SUCH LOVELY THINGS ABOUT THE

FILM.

>> Stephen: I ABSOLUTE-- THIS FILM WAS ABSOLUTELY-- WE HAD

GRETA GERWIG ON, AND I TALKED TO HER ABOUT THIS, BUT I'M

ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED BY THIS FILM.

IT IS FUNNY.

IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S HEARTBREAKING.

IT'S HOPEFUL.

AND-- AND I THINK I COULD PROBABLY GIVE AWAY THE ENTIRE

PLOT-- I'M NOT GOG-- BUT THE ENTIRE PLOT OF THE MOVIE AND IT

WOULDN'T AFFECT PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IN SOME

MOVIES YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE EXPLOSION OR THE BIG EVENT.

>> EXACTLY.

IT'S NOT OVERLY DRAMATIC AT ALL.

>> Stephen: THE BIG EVENT OF THIS MOVIE IS EVERY MOMENT IN

THE MOVIE.

PEOPLE'S LIVES HONESTLY TOLD.

>> YEAH, I KEEP DESCRIBING IT AS SORT OF LIKE A PHOTO ALBUM, AND

EVERY MOMENT THAT GRETA HAS CHOSEN TO, LIKE, SHOW AND SPEND

TIME WITH IS SO CONSIDERED AND WELL THOUGHT OUT, AND SHE'S

JUST-- SHE'S DONE SUCH A BRILLIANT JOB.

LIKE, THAT'S HER FIRST FILM.

IT'S HER FIRST FILM AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING TO BE A PART

OF THE WHOLE -- >> Stephen: THAT ALMOST MAKES

ME ANGRY THAT IT'S HER FIRST FILM.

>> I GLN IT'S EXTRAORDINARY.

THE PACES SHE HAS.

YOU WOULD THINK A FIRST-TIME DIRECTOR WOULD BE A LITTLE

NERVOUS AND RUSH MOMENTS.

>> ALSO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND FOR FIRST-TIME DIRECTORS AS WELL,

FOR SOME OF THEM, THEY'RE FINDING THEIR FEET AND FIGURING

OUT WHAT KIND OF FILMMAKER THEY WANT TO BE.

AND I THINK BECAUSE GRETA WAS INVOLVED IN "FRANCIS HAHN," AND

THINGS LIKE, THAT SHE'S FOUND HER STYLE ALREADY EVEN BEFORE

SHE TOOK TO DIRECTING AND STUFF.

>> Stephen: AND, ALSO, THIS IS IN SOME WAYS HER STORY.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, THIS IS--

>> IN ESSENCE.

>> Stephen: IN ESSENCE HER STORY.

BUT NOT YOURS, OKAY.

YOU'RE NOT FROM SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

>> I'M NOT.

I'M ACTUALLY NOT.

IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS, YOU WERE WRONG.

( LAUGHTER ).

>> Stephen: DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ACCENT.

>> NO.

>> Stephen: I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GO INTO THE

INTRICACIES OF YOUR ACCENT BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST

TIME.

>> WE DID.

>> Stephen: BUT AN EXTRAORDINARYUE HAVE AN AMERICAN

NEUTRAL ACCENT, PERFECTLY, EVEN WHEN YOU SING IN THIS MOVIE--

BECAUSE YOU DO, YOU ODD DIG IN THIS MOVIE AND THAT'S WHEN THE

ACCENT CAN COME BACK.

HOW DID YOU-- HOW DID YOU GET YOUR HOOK?

ARE THERE AMERICAN PHRASES YOU WORKED ON THAT REALLY GET YOU TO

IT?

>> THERE'S-- IT IS-- IT IS SORT OF A GENERIC AMERICAN ACCENT IN

SOME WAYS, BUT, ACTUALLY, THE SACRAMENTO ACCENT, I NEVER

REALIZED BEFORE-- AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU --

>> Stephen: I HAVE BEEN TO SACRAMENTO.

I AM AWARE OF HOW BORING IT.

>> SACRAMENTO IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

>> Stephen: VERY BEAUTIFUL BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT TO DO.

>> BUT VERY PRETTY AND WE LIKE IT, AND GRETA LOVES IT, AND

THAT'S THE MAIN THING.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY CERTAIN SOUNDS SHE WOULD PICK UP ON,

LIKE THE WAY I WOULD WITH AN IRISH ACCENT, AND SHE WOULD

REALLY HONE IN ON THAT.

HE WOULD BE LIKE, "NO, NO, YOU HAVE TO SAY IT LIKE THIS."

AND IT BECAME QUITE SPECIFIC.

I FIND WITH CAPITOL HILLIAN ACCENTS IN GENERAL BECAUSE

THEY'RE IN THE SUN AND SUPER LAID BACK, THEY DON'T-- MY

ACCENT-- WE PROBABLY TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST TIME-- MY

ACCENT IS SO SORT OF LIKE-- ERRR!

AND IT'S OUT THERE AND VERY MELODIC AND SORT OF LIKE, "LIKE

ME!" I FEEL LIKE WIT WITH THE CALIFOR

S.

>> Stephen: I NEVER HAD A GIRL COME UP AND SAY, "LIKE ME."

>> BUT THE IRISH ACCENT -- >> Stephen: THERE'S I BOUNCE

TO IT.

>> AND I THINK WITH A CALIFORNIAN ACCENT IT'S MORE

LAID BACK.

I FOUNT THAT DIFFICULT.

>> Stephen: YOUR SCENES WITH LAURIE METCALF, THEY'RE

ACTIVELY, AND IF SHE DOES NOT WIN BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, SHE

IS NOT ONLY FANTASTIC BUT SUPPORTING THE EMOTIONAL PLAYING

FIELD THAT YOU'RE ON.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: I MEAN TSTARTS OFF WITH THE TWO OF YOU-- LIKE,

SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: AND THEN IMMEDIATELY IN CONFLICT.

>> YEAH, AND IT'S WHAT YOU WERE SAYING THAT MOMENT TO MOMENT,

EVERY-- EVERY PIECE IN THIS MOVIE AND EVERY SCENE OR EVERY

SHOT THAT WE SEE OR EVERY INTERACTION, IT IS JUST LIKE

INVITING US INTO THIS WORLD MORE AND MORE.

SO, LIKE, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST SCENES BETWEEN LAURIE AND ME

SELF WE'RE IN A CAR, AND WE'RE LISTENING TO "THE GRAPES OF

WRATH" AND WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE END OF IT AND WE'RE CRYING AND

THE NEXT MINUTE WE'RE ARGUING.

AND IT'S -- >> Stephen: AND THE NEXT

MINUTE YOU ARE THROWING YOURSELF OUT OF THE CAR WHILE IT'S

MOVING.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> Stephen: YES.

>> THEY DON'T GET IT YET BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T SEEN IT BUT IT'S

ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD SEEN SCOOEP.

YEAH, THERE ARE ALL THESE WONDERFUL INTRICACIES WITHIN THE

RELATIONSHIP.

>> Stephen: >> Stephen: I'M NOT THE ONLY

WHON LIKES IT.

IF DETHRONED "TOY STORY 2" AS THE BEST MOVIE EVER ON ROTTEN

TOMATOES.

IT'S 100% ON ROTTEN TOMATOES.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW WE BEAT "TOY STORY 2."

>> Stephen: THEY HAD IT COMING.

>> I FEEL A BIT GUILTY ABOUT IT.

>> Stephen: REALLY?

>> YEAH.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT BACKSTAGE HOW "TOY STORY" HAS

STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.

>> Stephen: YEAH, SURE.

>> SO HOPEFULLY "LADY BIRD" WILL AS WELL.

>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.

I THINK IT WILL.

BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT'S JUST ABOUT HOW PEOPLE RELATE TO EACH OTHER.

>> YEAH.

>> >> Stephen: NOW, THAT

COLLICISM IS A BIG PART OF THIS MOVIE DID WE TALK ABOUT IT THE

LAST TIME WE WERE HERE?

>> I DON'T THINK WE DID.

>> Stephen: WERE YOU RAISED CATHOLIC?

>> I WAS RAISED CATHOLIC, YES.

AND IT'S A MUCH MORE SORT OF CULTURAL THING IN IRELAND--

THERE ARE, OBVIOUSLY, VERY RELIGIOUS CATHOLICS AS WELL.

I WENT TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND MADE CONFIRMATION AND FIRST

COMMUNION -- >> Stephen: THIS MOVIE YOU ATE

UNCONSERATED COMMUNION CRACKERS.

>> THERE IS NO WAY YOU WOULD GET AWAY WITH THAT IN IRELAND.

>> Stephen: IT'S BREAD.

>> IT'S AGAINST THE RULES.

>> Stephen: IT'S DEFINITELY AGAINST THE RULES.

>> GOD WILL BE LOOKING DOWN ON YOU JUDGING YOU, STEPHEN --

>> Stephen: THAT ACCENT PUT A CHILL DOWN MY BACK JUST NOW.

YOU'RE LIKE A CHARACTER IN A JAMES JOYCE NOVEL.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: NOW THE TITLE-- I DON'T THINK I'M GIVING ANYTHING

WAY HERE-- WHEN I SAY THE TITLE COMES FROM-- THE CHARACTER'S

NAME IS CHRISTINE.

>> CHRISTINE, YEAH.

>> Stephen: BUT SHE DOESN'T WANT TO BE CALLED CHRISTINE.

SHE WANTS TO BE CALLED LADY BIRD.

SAOIRSE, IF YOU'RE NOT FROM IRELAND, IT'S A BIT OF A

CONFUSING NAME.

>> IT IS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.

>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER GO BY ANOTHER NAME?

DID YOU GIVE YOURSELF A NICKNAME AS WELL?

>> I NEVER GAVE ME SELF ANOTHER NAME.

WHEN I WAS YOUNGER NOBODY WAS CALLED SAOIRSE, I HAD NEVER MET

ANOTHER SAOIRSE, AND SO WHEN I WAS A KID, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE,

YOU KNOW, TOO DIFFERENT.

SO I THOUGHT, MAYBE I'LL ASK PEOPLE TO CALL ME SARAH OR

HANNAH OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NICE AND SIMPLE LIKE THAT.

AND-- BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

AND THEN LATER ON, I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO, I WAS IN AN

AIRPORT, AND I WAS BEING PICKED UP BY SOMEONE, AND THEY HAVE

YOUR, YOU KNOW, THE NAME ON THE BOARDS AND STUFF.

AND I WAS SCANNING THROUGH, AND I WAS LIKE I CAN'T FIND MY NAME

ANYWHERE.

IT'S ALWAYS MISPELLED.

THEY NEVER GET IT RIGHT.

I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS MASSIVE TYPO.

AND I LOOKED THROUGH, AND THEN I, LIKE, SCANNED AGAIN, AND I

SAW A BOARD THAT JUST SAID, "SHELLY RONAN."

AND I WAS LIKE THAT'S ME.

SHELLY IT IS.

MAYBE I SHOULD BE SHELLY, I DON'T KNOW.

>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK A MOVIE ABOUT A 17-YEAR-OLD,

PINK-HAIRED GIRL IN A CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN SACRAMENTO IS

RESONATING WITH SO MANY PEOPLE?

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT-- I MEAN, I'M NOT A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM

A CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN SACRAMENTO.

>> OH,.

>> Stephen: SOMETIMES I WISH I WAS.

( LAUGHTER ) WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS SO--

THIS MOVIE IS COMING OFF AS S SO... GRIPPING, EVEN THOUGH,

AGAIN, NO QUALITY KILLS.

>> BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE NOT THE THINGS THAT DEFINE HER IN

THE SAME WAY THAT YOU CAN SORT OF CATEGORIZE ANY HUMAN.

AND YOU'RE WATCHING THIS PERSON FIGURE THEMSELVES OUT, AND I

MEAN, I DON'T EVEN THINK-- IT'S NOT-- IT'S NOT A TEENAGED

COMEDY.

I DON'T EVEN NECESSARILY WANT TO CALL IT "COMING OF AGE."

YOU'RE WATCHING A HUMAN BEING JUST, ALMOST, LIKE, TRY THESE

DIFFERENT CHARACTERS ON TO SEE WHICH ONE FITS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ALL DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO.

AND IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE-- A VERY SORT OF, LIKE,

LIFE-AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE TO, LIKE, KNOW THAT YOU CONNECT WITH

JUST AS MUCH AS A 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHOSE GONE TO, SAY-- OR A

GUY WHO WENT TO N.Y.U. 10 YEARS AGO AND HE CAME FROM A SMALL

TOWN, TOO.

BECAUSE IT'S HUMAN, YOU KNOW.

IT'S A GENDER LESSON AWAY.

AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT THE FILM SO.

>> Stephen: SO DO I.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) "LADY BIRD" IS IN THEATERS NOW.

SHELLY RONAN, EVERYBODY.