Elisabeth Moss Describes A 'Fictional' Totalitarian, Right-Wing Regime

>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW"!
FOLKS, YOU HAVE BINGE-WATCHED MY FIRST
GUEST ON "MAD MEN" AND "THE WEST WING."
SHE NOW STARS IN "THE HANDMAID'S TALE."
PLEASE WELCOME ELISABETH MOSS!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( PIANO RIFF )
>> HELLO, HOW ARE YOU?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOUR SHOES ARE FANTASTIC.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THOSE ARE REALLY AMAZING.
ARE THOSE STREET LEGAL, THOSE SHOES?
>> I HOPE SO.
>> Stephen: ARE THOSE JUST FOR TV OR ARE YOU WEARING THOSE
AROUND TOWN, TOO?
>> THESE ARE FOR TV.
I WAS WEARING UGGS BACKSTAGE AND WILL BE IN A FEW MINUTES.
>> Stephen: I LOVE HAVING PEOPLE ON THE SHOW BUT WHEN MY
NIGHT IS OVER, THEY PUT ME UNDER THE DESK.
I STAY HERE.
PEOPLE LIKE MOVIE STARS AND WHO DO EPISODIC TV, THEY DO JUNK
ET CETERA OF PRESS, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WEREN'T SOMEPLACE APPROPRIATING
SOMETHING?
THAT'S PART OF THE GIG.
>> ALSO.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, ME AND MY BEST FRIEND HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO
HAWAII WHICH IS THE FIRST VACATION WE'VE HAD IN A WHILE
AND WE HAD FIVE DAYS.
>> Stephen: WHICH ISLAND?
MAUI.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) YEAH, MAUI, WOO-HOO!
>> Stephen: WELL, IT'S 4/20.
THIS IS THE BEST AUDIENCE EITHER ONE OF US WILL EVER HAVE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY
ANYTHING.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU DO?
JUST LIE ON THE BEACH?
>> WE HAD FIVE PRECIOUS DAYS AND WE INTENDED TO SOAK UP AS MUCH
DUNN AS POSSIBLE AND SIT BY THE POOL EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEN ONE DAY IT POURED ALL DAY, AND WE REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT IT WAS RAINING.
WE WERE IN FULL DENIEVMENT WE WENT TO THE POOL AS IF NOTHING
WAS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, PUT OUR BAGS DOWN, WE HAD OUR UMBRELLAS.
WE WEREN'T ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE RAIN, BUT WE JUST READ OUR
BOOKS, TALKED, DRANK, WENT IN THE.
>> Jon: COUPSY, FULL DENIAL BECAUSE WE REFUSED TO GIVE UP TO
THE RAIN.
>> Stephen: COCKTAILS GO WELL WITH DENIAL.
THEY REALLY DO.
( LAUGHTER ) YOU HAVE BEEN PART OF A COUPLE
OF ICONIC SHOWS.
YOU WERE PEGGY ON "MAD MEN " , ZOE ON" THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER
"ON WEST WING.
YOU WERE A CHILD ACTRESS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU SEEM LIKE A PERFECTLY NORMAL AND
WELL-ADJUSTED PERSON.
BUT THE STEREOTYPE ISN'T THAT.
>> YEAH, I WASN'T FAMOUS FOR A LONG TIME.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DID "MAD MEN"?
>> 23.
>> Stephen: YOU SEEM YOUNGER.
THANK YOU.
17 FOR WEST WING.
I WASN'T A CHILD STAR SO I DIDN'T FALL INTO ANY OF THE
TRAPPINGS.
I TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY BECAUSE IT WAS MY JOB.
>> Stephen: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED?
>> 5 OR 6.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?
DID YOU GO TO NORMAL SCHOOL?
>> NO, MY FAMILY WAS ALL MUSICIANS, SO -- YEAH.
>> Stephen: OH.
HI, GUYS.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YEAH, VERY NICE.
VERY NICE.
>> EDUCATION?
YEAH, SO, NO, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET UP AND TAKE ME TO SCHOOL
IN THE MORNING.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WHAT TIME DID THEY
WANT TO GET UP?
>> ONE, ONE-ISH.
EVERYONE WAS UP LATE, YOU GET IT.
THAT'S JUST HOW LIFE IS.
AND IT SCREWED ME NOW BECAUSE NOW I HAVE TO GET UP EARLY FOR
WORK ALL THE TIME AND I DON'T WANT TO.
>> Stephen: SO DID YOUR PARENTS TEACH YOU?
>> NO, I'M THE ONLY PERSON WHO DOESN'T PLAY AN INSTRUMENT IN MY
FAMILY.
>> Stephen: THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PASS THEIR LIFESTYLE ON TO
YOU?
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT
ALGEBRA, DID THEY TEACH YOU THAT STUFF?
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW HOW
TO ASK THIS, BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW TO READ?
( LAUGHTER ) OR ARE YOUR SCRIPTS GIVEN TO YOU
IN PICTOGRAPHS?
AND THE BAD MEN WILL START HITTING ON YOU AND SMOKING --
( LAUGHTER ) >> THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
I DO KNOW HOW TO READ, RELATIVELY I GUESS.
>> Stephen: NO DOUBT.
YEAH, YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH.
I'M VERY PROUD.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE AN R RIGHT THERE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: FOR READIN', FOR ARITHMETIC.
YOU WERE A DANCER, TOO.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHY DIDN'T YOU STAKE WITH THE DANCING?
>> I WAS A BALLET DANCER FROM 5 TO 15.
I SAT DOWN WITH MY MOM AT 15 AND WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION.
I HAD TO DECIDE WHICH ONE I WAS GOING TO DO.
>> Stephen: AT 15.
YEAH, BECAUSE IN BALLET THAT'S A TURNING POINT WHERE YOU
GO PRO.
>> Stephen: DO YOU SPIN THE CACOON AT THAT POINT AND YOU
COME OUT LATER AND YOUR TOES ARE ALL CURLED?
( LAUGHTER ) DID YOU GO ON POINT AND ALL THAT
STUFF?
>> YEAH, I WENT UP ON POINT.
BALLET IS A VERY TOUGH WORLD, A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
>> Stephen: I SAW BLACK SWAN, I KNOW.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YEAH, IT'S NOT ALL LIKE THAT,
BUT -- >> Stephen: STAB EACH OTHER.
YEAH, GRATEFUL.
>> Stephen: GOT THE FEATHERS.
YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS LIKE, AND MY MOM WAS, LIKE,
YOU DON'T WANT THAT.
MY MOM WAS, LIKE, HELL NO.
>> Stephen: AND DANCERS ARE LIKE BEING AN ATHLETE.
>> THEY EAR SO ATHLETIC AND STRONG.
>> Stephen: YOU WOULD BE AT THE END OF YOUR CAREER NOW.
>> YES, I'M 34.
IF I WAS SUCCESSFUL AND NOT INJURED, I WOULD BE DONE SOON.
I'M 34 AND I'M STARTING A NEW CHAPTER WITH A NEW SHOW AND IT
DOESN'T FEEL I'M DONE YET.
>> Stephen: NOT AT ALL.
"THE HANDMAID'S TALE" IS GETTING GREAT REVIEWS, BASED ON A 1985
FUTURIST NOVEL BY MARGARET ATWOOD, WHO IS A GREAT WRITER
( APPLAUSE ) AND FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE NOT
READING FUTURISTIC NOVELS IN '85 LIKE I WAS, CAN YOU EXPLAIN
WHAT HAPPENS I IN "THE HANDMAID' TALE."
>> YES.
IT'S ABOUT, IN AMERICA, A TOTALITARIAN, RIGHT-WING
FUNDAMENTALIST REGIME -- ( LAUGHTER )
-- TAKES OVER THE COUNTRY.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
WOMEN ARE ENSLAVED AND MADE TO BE BREEDING HOSTS.
ALL REPRODUCTIVE RIGHT ARE STRIPPED, AND THE CONSTITUTION
IS BLOWN TO SMITHEREENS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN IMAGINE --
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: SURE.
-- SUCH A WORLD.
( APPLAUSE ) TRY TO GO THERE.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
JUST TRY.
>> Stephen: AND YOU'RE A WOMAN WHO IS RESISTANT TO THAT, RIGHT?
>> VERY, YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
AND WE HAVE A SCENE HERE -- DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING
ON IN THIS SCENE?
>> YES, THIS IS ME AND ALEXIS -- GILMORE GIRL -- INCREDIBLE
PERFORMANCE AND SHE PLAYS MY PARTNER.
WE CAN'T WALK ALONE.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK TO EACH OTHER SO THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME WE'RE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND TELL EACH OTHER OUR
STORIES WHICH IS EXTREMELY FORBIDDEN.
>> Stephen: JIM?
WE TRIED TO CROSS IN MAINE WITH MY HUSBAND AND WE SPLIT UP.
THEY SHOT HIM.
>> THEY CURRENT GOING TO LET ANY OF US GET AWAY.
NOT IF YOU HAD A RED TAG.
>> THIS IS YOUR STUFF, AS THEY USED TO SAY.
IT WAS NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU.
>> YOU, TOO.
>> Stephen: FASHION HAS CHANGED SLIGHTLY.
( APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH, JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> Stephen: AND THERE IS NO INTERNET OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
>> Stephen: NO SOCIAL MEDIA.
WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ.
SO I'LL BE RIGHT AT HOME.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WELL,
CONGRATULATIONS ON STARTING YOUR CAREER AT 34.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Stephen: AND I HOPE YOU CAN COME BACK AND DANCE WITH US SOME
TIME.
>> I WOULD LOVE TO.
>> Stephen: "THE HANDMAID'S TALE" PREMIERES WEDNESDAY ON
HULU.
ELISABETH MOSS, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH ANTHONY ATAMANIK.

Elisabeth Moss Describes A 'Fictional' Totalitarian, Right-Wing Regime

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