>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.

MY GUESTS TONIGHT ARE TWO BELOVED ACTORS.

ONE YOU KNOW FROM "LOVE ACTUALLY" AND HIS ACADEMY

AWARD-WINNING ROLE IN "THE KING'S SPEECH."

THE OTHER YOU KNOW FROM "THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA," "BIG NIGHT,"

AND "THE HUNGER GAMES."

THEY NOW STAR TOGETHER IN THE NEW FILM "SUPERNOVA."

>> CAN I ASK YOU, DID YOU WANT ONE?

AN AUTOGRAPH?

FROM HIM?

BECAUSE I SAW YOU LOOKING, AND I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WANTED ONE.

>> NO, IT'S ALL RIGHT.

>> HE'S VERY SHY.

DO YOU HAVE A PEN WITH YOU?

ALL RIGHT.

BUT IF YOU WANT ONE, HE'LL SIGN ONE FOR YOU.

SHE'S SHY, BUT HE WILL.

EITHER ON THE NAPKIN, OR IF YOU HAVE ONE OF HIS PIANO ALBUMS.

>> THANKS.

>> OKAY, ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

IT'S VERY NICE OF YOU.

THANK YOU.

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE THIS PERSON?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I DO IT BECAUSE IT REALLY ISN'T EVEN

SATISFYING ANYMORE HALF THE TIME, ANYWAY.

>> SO WHY DO YOU DO IT?

>> BECAUSE OF THE OTHER HALF.

( LAUGHS ) >> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME TO "A

LATE SHOW," COLIN FIRTH AND STANLEY TUCCI.

GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

>> Stephen: IT'S WONDERFUL THAT YOU COULD TAKE THE TIME TO

JOIN US FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF ALLEGORICAL PLAY

ABOUT GOOD AND EVIL, EITHER THAT OR YOU'RE PLAYING-- YOU'RE

PLAYING-- YOU'RE PLYING "SPY VERSUS SPY" FROM "MAD MAGAZINE"

FROM MY CHILDHOOD.

>> THAT'S A NEGATIVE.

>> I'M SO SORRY.

WE'RE NOT VERY IMAGINATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO BACKGROUNDS.

>> THIS IS OUR RELATIONSHIP ( LAUGHS ).

>> Stephen: YIN, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.

YANG, I'LL GET TO YOU LATER.

YOU TWO OF YOU PLAY A COUPLE IN THE FILM "SUPERNOVA," BUT I

UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR 20 YEARS.

>> YUP.

>> Stephen: FIRST OF ALL, YOU GUYS LOOK LIKE A FUN FRIENDSHIP.

WHAT'S YOUR MEET CUTE?

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER?

>> WE WERE DOING A MOVIE ABOUT NAZIS --

>> Stephen: I'M SORRY, SOMETHING ABOUT NAZIS.

YOU MET THROUGH NAZIS.

I DIDN'T CATCH SOME OF THAT.

WE HAD A BREAK-UP.

>> I REALLY DO NEED TO CLARIFY.

A FILM ABOUT NAZIS.

>> Stephen: THERE YOU GO.

THAT'S MUCH BETTER.

YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THESE DAYS.

>> WE DO.

AND THIS WAS-- YEAH, WE WERE DOING A FILM ABOUT NAZIS, AND

IT'S-- IT'S NOT THE MOST PROBABLY MEET CUTE, BUT,

STANLEY, THERE WAS A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE, AND I WAS VERY DRAWN

TO STANLEY, AND TO THIS DAY, HE'S THE NICEST NAZI I'VE MET.

>> Stephen: THAT'S QUITE A COMPLIMENT.

>> YEAH.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> Stephen: IT'S A LOW BAR.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: NOW, STANLEY, THE SCRIPT "SUPERNOVA," FOR THIS

FILM, CAME TO YOU FIRST, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU SORT OF

SURREPTITIOUSLY SLID IT OVER TO COLIN, SO TO SPEAK.

THAT IS NOT NORMALLY HOW THINGS GO.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET THIS INTO HIS HANDS AS QUICKLY AS

POSSIBLE?

>> WELL, IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SCRIPT.

YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T OFTEN GET A SCRIPT THAT'S WRITTEN AS SUBTLY

AS THIS, WITH SUCH RESTRAINT AND TRUTH.

AND WHEN HARRY GAVE IT TO ME, I THOUGHT-- ALL I COULD THINK OF

IS, WELL, THE OTHER ROLE IS PERFECT FOR COLIN.

AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING-- WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING

TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME AGAIN.

SO I, YOU KNOW, MET WITH HARRY, AND THEN I SAID, "I THINK COLIN

WOULD BE GREAT FOR THIS."

AND THEN, UNBEKNOWNST TO HARRY, I SLIPPED IT-- I HAD SLIPPED IT

TO COLIN ALREADY.

AND COLIN HAD READ IT, AND HE SAID, "MY GOD.

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL."

AND I SAID, I KNOW.

>> Stephen: COLIN, DID YOU HAVE TO ACT SURPRISED WHEN YOU

WERE CONTACTED BY THE PRODUCTION, LIKE, "OH, I'D LOVE

TO READ IT?" >> IT WAS A BIT LIKE THAT.

MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, THANK YOU, STANLEY, BUT AM I INVITED?

AND WE HAD TO JUMP THROUGH A FEW HOOPS.

MERCIFULLY, I THINK THE BRITISH ARE VERY POLITE, SO I THINK ONCE

STANLEY HIT KNOW-- PUT THEM IN AN AWKWARD POSITION, I FELT, YOU

KNOW, THEY JUST DIDN'T-- THEY WEREN'T IN A POSITION TO SAY NO

ANYMORE.

AND THEN-- >> NO, IT'S WEIRD, BECAUSE

YOU'RE NOT BANKABLE.

>> Stephen: THEY WERE STUCK WITH AN ACADEMY AWARD WINNER.

I FEEL SO SORRY FOR THEM.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GREAT INVERTED SNOBS, WHERE WE COME

FROM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, NOT TO LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH, THE

FIRST THING WE DID WAS THEN ASK IF WE COULD SWITCH ROLES.

>> Stephen: THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE STORY IS

THAT NOT ONLY DID YOU PUT THEM IN AN AWKWARD POSITION BY

SLIPPING HIM THE SCRIPT.

HOW-- HOW LONG BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY WERE SUPPOSED TO START

SHOOTING DID YOU DECIDE THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD SWITCH?

>> HOW LONG WAS IT?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

A FEW WEEKS.

>> IT WAS A WHILE.

WE DIDN'T-- WE DIDN'T THINK OF IT ON DAY ONE.

>> WE DID-- BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW.

AND THEN COLIN CAME TO ME ONE DAY, AND HE SAID, ", YOU KNOW, I

THINK WE SHOULD SWITCH ROLES."

AND I SAID, "WELL, ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN THINKING THE SAME

THING."

AND WE WENT TO HARRY, POOR■ç HARRY--

>> Stephen: THE DIRECTOR.

>> THE DIRECTOR, SORRY, JUCH JUS BLANCHED AND THOUGHT, "GOD, WHY

DID I HIRE THESE TWO PEOPLE?" THEN HE SAID, LET'S READ SOME

SCENES," AND WE READ SOME SCENES, AND THEN IT WAS OBVIOUS

THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE WAY IT ENDED UP.

>> Stephen: HAD YOU ALREADY BEEN MEASURED FOR WARDROBE OR

ANYTHING?

DID THEY HAVE TO LET OUT SOME PANTS.

>> NOT UNTIL THE NEXT SIX WEEKS.

>> WE ACTUALLY AUDITIONED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HARRY WASN'T

SO WE VOLUNTEERED TO READ FOR THE OTHER ROLES.

, WHICH WAS AN ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING EXPERIENCE.

I HAD ALWAYS BEEN CONVINCED STANLEY WOULD BE BETTER FOR

TUSKER, THE ROLE HE EVENTUALLY PLAYED.

I WASN'T NECESSARILY CONVINCED I WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE ROLE I

ENDED UP PLAYING.

BUT WE TRIED IT OUT, AND SURE ENOUGH, STANLEY WON THE AUDITION

IN BOTH ROLES.

>> COMPLETELY.

>> Stephen: WHY DIDN'T YOU DO BOTH-- DID DIDN'T YOU DO BOTH,

STANLEY?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

>> THEY HAD ALREADY HIRED HIM, SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

ONE WOULD FEEL BADLY.

>> Stephen: THAT WOULD BE AWKWARD.

THAT WOULD BE AWKWARD.

NOW, IS THIS TRUE YOU SHOT THIS IN THE LAKE DISTRICT, WHICH IS

EXTRAORDINARILY BEAUTIFUL?

>> YES.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE WORK.

THAT'S NICE WORK, IF YOU CAN GET IT.

SO YOU'RE DEAR FRIENDS, YOU'RE SHOOTING TOGETHER ALL DAY.

AND THEN WOULD YOU THEN HANG OUT AT NIGHT WHEN YOU WERE FINISHED

SHOOTING?

WERE YOU ALWAYS TOGETHER?

>> BASICALLY, YES.

>> Stephen: AND YOU DON'T GET SICK OF EACH OTHER.

>> WE WERE IN THE DISTRICT LIVING IN-- WHAT DO THEY CALL

THEM, COLIN, THE HOLIDAY CAMPS?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS A LODGE.

IT WAS A LOT OF BUNGALOWS.

A LOT OF HUTS TOGETHER.

AND WE WERE NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

AND -- >> Stephen: HUTS?

HUTS?

>> THEY WEREN'T MADE OF STRAW.

THEY WEREN'T MADE OF STRAW.

>> THEY WERE WOODEN.

>> Stephen: WELL, THE FIRST ONE WAS STRAW.

THE SECOND ONE WAS STICKS, AND THE LAST ONE WAS BRICKS.

>> RIGHT, AND WE WERE IN THE BRICK ONES.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

>> YEAH, BUT, YEAH.

NO, SO WE HAD THESE BUNGALOWS, WHICH WERE ACTUALLY QUITE

LOVELY, NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

AND COLIN WOULD COME OVER FOR DINNER.

I WOULD COOK, AND THEN WE'D GET UP THE NEXT DAY AND, YOU KNOW,

FILM.

THEN WE'D TYKE ON THE WEEKENDS WE'D TAKE THE TRAIN HOME, WHICH

CAN TAKE FIVE HOURS TO GET BACK TO LONDON, TO BE WITH OUR

FAMILIES.

AND WE'D SIT TOGETHER AND HAVE A BOTTLE OF WINE AND SOME CREDFUL

FAST FOOD OR SOMETHING.

AND WE SEEMED TO NOT GET TIRED OF EACH OTHER.

AND IT'S FUNNY, BECAUSE WE'RE BOTH INCREDIBLY BORING.

AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY.

AS YOU'RE FINDING OUT NOW IN THIS INTERVIEW.

>> Stephen: NOT AT ALL!

NO, NOT AT ALL.

I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE I'M TALKING TO TWO PEOPLE FROM THE

AFTER-LIFE.

I CAN'T GET OVER-- I STILL CAN'T GET OVER THE BLACK BACKGROUND

AND THE WHITE BACKGROUND.

IT'S LIKE CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE.

>> WE'VE BEEN MONOCHROME ALL OUR LIVES, BUT I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY

SEEN THIS PERFECTION OF SYMMETRY BEFORE.

WE DID NOT PLAN THIS.

>> YEAH, IT IS PRETTY COOL.

>> Stephen: NOW, BUT-- >> WE ARE-- I MEAN THE TRAIN

JOURNEYS-- I ENJOYED THEM.

BUT ANYBODY LISTENING IN WOULD HAVE GLAZED OVER.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK-- AS A FUNDAMENTALLY BORING PERSON, I

THINK ONE OF THE JOYS OF MEETING STANLEY IS IF YOU'RE BORING,

IT'S, OBVIOUSLY, QUITE EXHAUSTING TO KEEP UP WITH FUN

PEOPLE.

>> Stephen: YES.

>> AND THE JOY OF MEETING STANLEY IS THAT THERE'S-- I

DON'T HAVE THAT PRESSURE, REALLY.

>> RIGHT.

( LAUGHTER ) WE JUST --

>> Stephen: SURE.

YEAH.

>> IT'S-- >> IT'S THE BEST RELATIONSHIP

EITHER OF US HAVE EVER HAD.

>> Stephen: DO YOUR WIVES KNOW?

>> NO.

>> Stephen: OKAY, GOOD.

WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL

ASK COLIN IF HE HAS TASTED STANLEY'S FAMOUS NEGRONI.

STICK AROUND.

♪♪