EVERYBODY.

MY GUEST TONIGHT CHANGED LATE-NIGHT COMEDY AS THE HOST OF

"THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW."

HE NOW STARS IN THE NEW MOVIE "COMING 2 AMERICA," A SEQUEL TO

THE ORIGINAL.

PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," ARSENIO HALL!

ARSENIO, THANKS FOR BEING HERE, MAN.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, SIR.

I GUESS I PLANNED ON MEETING YOU ONE DAY, BUT NOT THIS WAY.

YOU IN NEW YORK, WHEREVER YOU ARE, ON ZOOM, AND ME SITTING IN

FRONT OF RICK ROSS' HOUSE LAUGH.

>> Stephen: I FEEL A STRONG URGE, AS SOMEBODY WHO WATCHED

LATE-NIGHT TV A LOT, I HAVE A STRONG URGE TO GO OOOOH!

WHEN I SEE YOU.

DO PEOPLE STILL DO THAT TO YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO?

>> YES, I WILL FOREVER BE THAT GUY FROM CLEVELAND WHO BROUGHT

THE BARK TO LATE NIGHT.

I TALK DOG TO BARKS.

WHEN MY SOFNS LITTLE, IT WAS CRAZY, BECAUSE WE WOULD WALK

THROUGH MALLS, AND WHEN YOU ARE TWO NOBODY PREPARED YOU IN

HEAVEN FOR THE FACT THAT PEOPLE BARKED AT YOUR FATHER.

ONE DAY HE DID ASK, "WHY DO THEY BARK?"

I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY, WOOT!

WOOT!

AND THEY MAKE DIFFERENT NOISES.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IT'S A DOG, STEPHEN.

>> Stephen: THE DOG POUND, HOW COULD THEY NOT KNOW?

>> I SWEAR TO YOU, TWICE A WEEK, SOMEONE SAYS ON TWITTER "WOOT,

WOOT" OR WOOO, WOOO.

THAT'S A JEFFREY OSBORN SONG, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT GUY.

>> Stephen: AT LEAST THEY'RE BARKING AT THEIR FATHER IN A

FRIENDLY WAY.

IT'S AFFECTIONATE.

>> OH, YES, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THANKFUL FOR THAT.

PEOPLE WHO CONFRONT ME, IT'S ALWAYS POSITIVE.

IT MAY BE ANNOYING BUT NOT MEAN.

I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT REACTION.

OH...

>> Stephen: IT'S NICE.

THAT MUST BE NICE.

I WANT TO-- I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW MOVIE.

I HAVE A LOT-- I'VE GOT A MILLION QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

BUT FIRST I WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU DOING?

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DURING COVID?

WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, BUT HOWS THAT THE

TUNNEL BEEN FOR YOU?

>> WOW, IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLE.

FIRST OF ALL, IF YOUR RELATIONSHIP CAN LAST THROUGH

THIS, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BECAUSE A LOT OF

RELATIONSHIPS HAVE FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE DURING THIS.

IT'S HARD WHEN YOU CAN'T LEAVE AND YOU'RE JUST WITH THE ONE YOU

LOVE.

SO ME AND MY GIRL ARE DOING GREAT.

MY SON, HE TESTS HIMSELF AND COMES TO VISIT DAD SOMETIMES,

BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO KILL DAD.

>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.

>> MY MOM, I'M SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON YARN AND WEED-- OF

COURSE WE'D FOR ME, AND YARN FOR HER.

I HAD TO FIND HER A HOBBY AND SHE SHE'S MAKING HATS.

>> Stephen: OH, LIKE WHAT KIND OF HATS?

ARE WE TALKING KNIT CAPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT?

>> YEAH, SHE'S MADE, THIS YEAR, 79 HATS.

AND HERE'S HOW CRAZY IT IS: YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE 40 INTERVIEWS

THIS WEEK.

BUT MY MOTHER MADE A HAT FOR YOU.

AND IT'S-- I THINK SHE SAW YOU WITH ANDERSON COOPER, AND

ANYBODY SHE SEES WITH ANDERSON COOPER, SHE LOVES, WHICH I THINK

IS A MISTAKE AS A RULE OF THUMB.

( LAUGHTER ) BUT FOR SOME REASON, SHE'S A

HUGE FAN-- AND I'M GOING TO-- I'M GOING TO MAIL IT TO YOU.

SHE ACTUALLY MADE YOU A HAT.

>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE IT THERE?

CAN YOU SHOW ME?

>> OH, I HAD IT.

WE BOXED IT UP, AND WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT.

APPARENTLY, THERE'S A BOB MACKIE KIOSK AT HER HOUSE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE GOT THIS BOX.

BUT...

IT'S A SPARKLY GLITTER BOX.

AND SHE MADE YOU THIS HAT.

AND SHE PUT HER NAME ON IT!

>> Stephen: I'M HONORED.

PLEASE TELL YOUR MOTHER, I'M HONORED.

>> SHE-- HER NAME IS ANNIE HALL.

BUT SHE PUT ANNIE M. HALL, BECAUSE SHE'S STILL MAD AT WOODY

ALLEN.

SHE THINKS HE OWES HER MONEY OR SOMETHING.

>> Stephen: A LOT-- A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE MAD AT HIM THESE

DAYS.

( LAUGHTER ) OKAY, WELL, LET'S GET TO THE

HEAT OF THE MEAT HERE.

YOU AND I HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON THAT JUST NOT A LOT OF

PEOPLE DO IS THAT HOSTING A NETWORK LATE-NIGHT SHOW, THE

"THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW," THE FIRST TIME IT WAS ON, WHAT WAS

THE RUN?

WAS IT 89 IN '95 OR SOMETHING?

WHAT WAS THE FIRST RUN?

>> YEAH, IT WAS LIKE A SIX-YEAR RUN, AND THEN I STEPPED AWAY AND

HAD A KID AND DID A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS-- NOT MUCH

WORK.

AND THE SECOND-- I DID A REBOOT THAT LASTED A YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, MAN.

LIKE, YOU DID A JOKE LAST NIGHT, A BUTT DIALING FROM MARS JOKE.

I WAS DYING IN MY HOME.

BUT I WAS LIKE HOW IS HE PACING HIMSELF?

HOW IS HE TIMING HIMSELF?

HE'S THERE WITH LIKE THREE WHITE GUYS.

>> Stephen: TWO, TWO WHITE GUYS, AND THEY'RE ALMOST AS

WHITE AS I AM.

>> TRUST ME, THE BUTT DIALING JOKE WOULD HAVE KILLED AT THE

APOLLO.

>> Stephen: GOOD!

GOOD!

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW THAT SHOW STARTED.

WHERE-- WHERE-- FIRST OF ALL, YOU WERE UP AGAINST-- I KNOW YOU

SAID YOU WEREN'T REALLY IN COMPETITION WITH JOHNNY, BUT

UPPER OPPOSITE JOHNNY, YOU KNOW, THE UNDISPUTED KING OF ALL.

AND WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE TO START THAT SHOW?

I MEAN, WHAT WERE THE-- WHAT WERE THE BUTTERFLIES LIKE?

>> IT WAS-- IT WAS-- IT WAS AMAZING.

BECAUSE INITIALLY, YOU KNOW HOW LATE NIGHT CAN GET.

I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD NO LONGER BE HIS GUY.

I HAD MET HIM.

WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MAGIC, BECAUSE WE BOTH WERE MAGICIAN S.

>> Stephen: YOU HAVE TO SHOW THIS PHOTO OF YOU.

LOOK AT THE LAUGH YOU'RE GETTING OUT OF JOHNNY CARSON.

>> HEY, THAT'S WHAT EVERY COMIC WANTS.

IF YOU CAN MAKE JOHNNY CARSON GO BACK, THAT'S WHAT EVERY COMIC

WANTS.

DURING THE COMMERCIAL-- LIKE I SAID I WAS A MAGICIAN AS A KID

AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND HE DID A COIN TRICK FOR ME.

AND HE DID SOMETHING WE DON'T DO NOW.

HE WAS SMOKING, PUT THE CIGARETTE UNDER THE DESK.

IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

AND ED McMAHON WOULD CALL ME SOMETIMES, JOHNNY WOULD TELL ED

TO CALL ME AND GIVE ME NAMES.

>> Stephen: WOW!

WAIT, I STEPPED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.

JOHNNY WOULD TELL ED TO CALL YOU AND GIVE YOU NAMES FOR GUESTS OR

SOMETHING?

>> LIKE SOMETIMES JOHNNY WOULD COME ACROSS SOMEBODY HE THOUGHT

WAS REALLY GREAT, BUT HE DIDN'T DISCOVER TALENT.

ME BEING THE YOUNG GUY, I WOULD PUT ON A NEW MARIAH CAREY OR

WILL SMITH.

THEY GAVE ME USHER RAYMOND ONCE, BECAUSE I GUESS ED KNEW HIM FROM

"STAR SEARCH."

SO TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY HE DOESN'T HATE ME, BUT HE TRIES TO

HELP ME BECAUSE THE PATHS WERE SO-- SO DIVIDED, SO DISTINCTLY

DIVIDED.

YOU KNOW, YOU KNEW WHO A JOHNNY GUEST WAS, AND YOU KNEW WHO AN

ARSENIO GUEST WAS.

>> Stephen: ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT JOHNNY CARSON TOLD ED

McMAHON TO TELL ARSENIO HALL TO BOOK USHER?

>> YES, AND I THINK HE SAID, "MAKE SURE HE KNOWS ABOUT

SINBAD."

>> Stephen: I HEARD A STORY-- I HEARD A STORY-- IS IT TRUE YOU

HAD WILL SMITH ON, AND HE GOT PITCHED FOR "THE FRESH PRINCE"

BACKSTAGE?

>> YES, WILL WOULD STOP BY SOMETIMES JUST TO HANG OUT.

MY GREEN ROOM WAS LIKE THIS INCREDIBLE CLUBHOUSE.

I WAS LIKE THE CNN OF HIP HOP.

EVERYBODY WOULD GATHER THERE.

THERE WAS NO TWITTER.

I WAS THE BLACK BIRD.

THERE WAS NO BLUEBIRD, AND GUYS WOULD HANG OUT.

AND ONCE QUINCY SAID, "WHEN WILL COMES BY--" I TOLD QUINCY, HE'S

THERE ALL THE TIME.

"WHEN WILL COMES BY, I'D LIKE TO PITCH SOMETHING TO HIM."

AT SOME POINT, WE PUT THEM IN AN EMPTY DRESSY ROOM.

BENNIE MEDINA, WILL PRINCE, WILL'S FRIEND CHARLIE I THINK

WAS THERE-- IRRELEVANT TO THE STORY PROBABLY TO YOU-- AND

QUINCY JONES.

THEY TOOK IT TO NBC-- THE OPPOSING NETWORK-- AND "FRESH

PRINCE OF BEL AIR HAPPENED."

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME

BACK, I WILL ASK ARSENIO ABOUT HIS NEW MOVIE "COMING 2

AMERICA," AND ASK HIM HOW HE MET EDDIE MURPHY AND HOW THE FIRST

MOVIE CAME ABOUT.

♪ ♪ ♪