Will Ferrell | Vax Or Fiction?

Summary

The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Will Ferrell | Vax Or Fiction?
Release Date: January 30, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert delivers his signature blend of humor and incisive commentary before engaging in a lively conversation with guest Will Ferrell. The episode delves into heated political topics, healthcare controversies, and behind-the-scenes insights from Will Ferrell’s latest projects.

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2. Stephen Colbert’s Monologue

a. RFK Jr.'s Nomination and Controversies

Stephen Colbert opens the episode by addressing the contentious nomination of RFK Jr. as the potential Secretary of Health and Human Services. He vehemently criticizes RFK Jr.'s stance on vaccines and his involvement in spreading health conspiracies.

• Key Points:

  • RFK Jr.'s Background: Colbert highlights RFK Jr.'s dubious activities, including mishandling roadkill and making unfounded health claims.
  • Vaccine Misinformation: He points out RFK Jr.'s role in promoting debunked theories linking vaccines to autism and other health risks.

• Notable Quote:

  • "For a guy who's supposed to know how to stay healthy, he has a long history with dead animals." (02:15)

b. Caroline Kennedy’s Opposition

Colbert references Caroline Kennedy's opposition to RFK Jr.'s nomination, emphasizing the internal family conflicts within the Kennedy dynasty.

• Key Points:

  • Caroline Kennedy’s Letter: She issued a scathing letter to senators, condemning RFK Jr.'s suitability for overseeing major health agencies.
  • Historical Legacy: Caroline underscores the contrast between her public health advocacy and RFK Jr.'s controversial actions.

• Notable Quote:

  • "Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father, but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby... would be disgusted." (05:30)

c. Trump Administration’s Grant Freeze

Colbert transitions to criticize the Trump administration’s decision to pause federal grants, detailing the ensuing chaos and its impact on educational programs.

• Key Points:

  • Immediate Damage: Grant freezes led to difficulties in reimbursements for preschool centers and stalled funding for after-school programs.
  • Public Outrage: The move sparked confusion and anger among the public and political figures like Senator Chuck Schumer.
  • Federal Employees Union's Response: The union condemned the administration's tactics as creating a toxic work environment.

• Notable Quote:

  • "The grant freeze is just one of the confusing and chaotic things that Trump attempted in the last week." (12:04)

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3. Interview with Will Ferrell

a. Discussing "Will and Harper" Documentary

Stephen welcomes Will Ferrell back to the show, praising his documentary "Will and Harper." The conversation touches on the documentary’s themes of friendship and self-discovery.

• Key Points:

  • Documentary Insights: Ferrell shares experiences from his documentary, highlighting the deep bond with his friend Harper Steele.
  • Inspiration and Reception: Colbert mentions being inspired by the documentary and discusses its positive reception.

• Notable Quote:

  • "It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen in years. It was beautiful. It was timely. It was heartfelt." (19:40)

b. Behind the Scenes of "Bewitched"

The discussion shifts to Will Ferrell’s role in the recent remake of "Bewitched," offering a humorous glimpse into the filming process and interactions on set.

• Key Points:

  • First Scene Experience: Ferrell recounts the intense experience of filming the first scene with Nicole Kidman, describing her captivating presence.
  • Character Dynamics: They explore the dynamics between Ferrell’s character Darren and Kidman’s Samantha, emphasizing the magical chemistry on set.
  • Personal Anecdotes: Ferrell shares personal stories about meeting his wife Evie during an acting program and his journey into comedy.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "She literally, like, glowed from the inside." (29:56)
  • "I was trying to dress up like Buddy the Elf, but people were confused about what I was promoting." (21:35)

c. Personal Stories and Future Projects

Ferrell opens up about his personal life, including his long-standing marriage and humorous reflections on his athletic endeavors in high school.

• Key Points:

  • Marriage Milestones: Ferrell and Colbert discuss their enduring marriages, celebrating over 25 years together.
  • High School Athletics: Ferrell humorously recalls his high school record for field goals, adding a personal touch to the conversation.
  • Future Projects: They briefly mention upcoming projects, including a potential video game adaptation of the documentary.

• Notable Quote:

  • "We were bad. We were 18 and 1 my senior year." (24:35)

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4. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Colbert and Ferrell exchanging light-hearted banter about movie productions and the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry. Colbert thanks Ferrell for his candidness and humor, leaving listeners with a blend of thoughtful commentary and comedic relief.

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5. Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully balances serious political discussions with entertaining personal anecdotes from Will Ferrell. Stephen Colbert's sharp wit and insightful interviews provide listeners with both laughter and meaningful perspectives on current events and celebrity life.

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Remember: Late Show Pod Show listeners can use the discount code "TLS20" for 20% off all The Late Show with Stephen Colbert products on ParamountShop.com. To watch more episodes, tune in weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on CBS or stream on Paramount+.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome. Welcome one and all to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. I want to start off right now. Let's kick off the proceedings this evening. I want to wish everybody out there a happy Lunar New Year. Which despite my yearly letter writing campaign. Thank you. Happy Lunar New Year. There it is. Which, despite my yearly letter writing campaign, does not involve Anderson and Andy getting crunked on the moon. On the Chinese zodiac calendar, this is the year of the Snake. Which, of course, we already knew from the official announcement. You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in. Yeah, he's honest. He's honest. I'll give him that. Why would I give him that? Traditionally, the year of the Snake is a time to reset. It's about letting go of the past and letting go of anger. So in that spirit, I am letting go of my past anger than picking up my future fury. Because our possible next Secretary of Health and Human Services could be anti vaxx roadkill chef and CPR dummy that no one wants to practice mouth to mouth with. RFK Jr because for a guy who's supposed to know how to stay healthy, he has a long history with dead animals. He famously scooped up a roadkill bear to eat later, then instead left it in Central Park. He decapitated a beached whale with a chainsaw to tie it to the roof of his car, where its decomposing juices ran down on his children's head. And once claimed he had memory loss. Quote, caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died. Which means if he's confirmed, the FDA will have to issue a new label that says warning May Be fatal to worms. Along with the taste buds of a highway vulture. RFK Jr is also patient zero for spreading dangerous health conspiracies. Like the idea that Covid was, quote, ethnically targeted to spare Jews. The claim that fluoride may lead to IQ loss, and the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism in children because of mercury containing preservatives. And despite all that, Bobby was on Capitol Hill today interviewing to oversee all of America's health agencies, including the fda, the cdc, the nih, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. No, no, no. We've all seen the classic Jimmy Stewart movie. Mr. Smith says Covid was ethnically targeted to spare Jews and still gets to go to Washington. Now, what does Jimmy Stewart. Jimmy Stewart thinks. So what does RFK suggest should replace vaccines? He's pretty vague, but he has said the treatment for measles is chicken soup. So get ready for a soup based healthcare system. Mr. Reynolds, I have your chart here. We have your EKG results, and I'm afraid we need to start treatment immediately. Luckily, your insurance covers gazpacho. There you go. That was a hell of a walk. Now, the long walk right there. If you're alarmed about RFK Jr becoming our health secretary, there's a good chance you may be a member of his family. Because yesterday the Senate got a chilling warning from his cousin Caroline Kennedy, who urged senators to reject his nomination. Ooh, I love an old fashioned Kennedy fight. Yeah, usually these things get worked out in Nantucket with croquet mallets until it's time for oysters, gin and the NDAs. Caroline is JFK's daughter and she's housed in government and public health. She served as ambassador to Japan and Australia, where she was actively involved in promoting the HPV vaccine which put Australia on a path to eliminate cervical cancer. Or as they say in Australia, crikey, that Sheila Caroline Kennedy, really? Kangaroo cooked the carcinogenadoo out of our ladies. Wallaby pockets. Kangaroo carcinogenadoo. Was that even close? Any close? Yesterday, Ambassador Kennedy sent senators a scathing letter and went on social media to read it.

[Caroline Kennedy]

I've known Bobby my whole life. We grew up together. It's no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets, because Bobby himself is a predator.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're not a predator if the animal you're eating was already run over by a Volvo. Technically, you're a scavenger. Ambassador Kennedy gave an alarming example of Bobby's insane cruelty from his drug fueled college days.

[Caroline Kennedy]

His basement, his garage, his dorm room, were always the center of the action where drugs were available. And he enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in a blender to feed to his hawks.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, okay. That behavior is disgusting and cruel and it completely disqualifies him from working for HHS and for Jamba Juice. Plus, why did he have to blend up food for his hawks? They swallow their prey whole. It's not like they're up there flying around with a neutral bullet. Caroline wrapped up the letter invoking the spirit of their shared lost relatives.

[Caroline Kennedy]

Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father, but I am certain that he and my uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public service to our country, and my uncle Teddy, who devoted his long centered career to the cause of improving health care, would be disgusted.

[Stephen Colbert]

And we know that for a fact because of Bobby's uncle's famous speech. Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what the hell is Bobby doing with that blender? Put the hamster down and put a shirt on. No. Yep. Yep. Anybody in his hearing today, Bobby tried to spin his fear mongering as just advocacy, claiming I have often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Yes, he has the courage to ask uncomfortable questions all the time. Like, are you going to finish that raccoon? All day long, RFK Jr tried to weasel and spin his way out of the things that he said in the past. Like this exchange with Colorado senator Michael Bennett.

[Senator]

I'm asking you yes or no, Mr. Kennedy. Did you say that COVID 19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?

[Stephen Colbert]

I didn't say it was deliberately targeted.

I just.

I just quoted an NIH funded an nih. Oh, about that study. The Washington Post fact checked it and said the study in reference did not state those conclusions. Well, to quote Shakespeare, you can't just say you're quoting some and then make up whatever you want, you numb nuts. But beautiful. You can't just quote. Is that scanned? You can't just quote somebody. End. But the highlight of the hearing was when Senator Bernie Sanders confronted Kennedy about a group that Kennedy founded which sells anti vax merch.

[Senator]

You have started a group called the Children's Health Defense. You're the originator. Right now, as I understand it, on their website, they are selling what's called onesies. These are little things, clothing for babies.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is these things. It's a onesie, not to be confused with a burp cloth, which is for baby spit up. Fun fact. There's no law. You can't use it as an adult. When I go to lunch, I keep one right here. It's great for mopping up soup. But this is a onesie, bernie continued.

[Senator]

One of them is titled Unfaxed Unafraid. Next one. And it sold for 26 bucks apiece, by the way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which is a total ripoff, by the way. 26 bucks. Here's what you do. Take an old T shirt and a pair of scissors. Snip stitch. Boom. Free onesie bonus. The extra material makes a nice burp.

[Senator]

Cloth for the soup.

[Stephen Colbert]

26 bucks. Bernie went on.

[Senator]

Now you're coming before this committee and you say you are pro vaccine. Just want to ask some questions. And yet your organization is making money selling a child's product to parents for 26 bucks. Which casts fundamental doubt on the usefulness.

[Stephen Colbert]

Of yes, it's the most unhelpful child's product to hit the market since Hasbro released My Little polio. Eventually. Eventually. RFK Jr answered Bernie's question by dodging it. Senator, I have no power over that organization. I'm not. You've heard of it. I resigned from the board.

[Senator]

That was just a few months ago. You founded that. You certainly have power. You can make that. Are you supportive of this?

[Stephen Colbert]

I've had nothing to do with Are.

[Senator]

You supportive of these onesies?

[Stephen Colbert]

That's such an intense grilling with such silly words. It reminds me of this scene from A Few Good Men. Colonel Jessup, did you order the Huggies little snugglers? We got a great show for you tonight. More late show car show after this.

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[Stephen Colbert]

We got more monologue for you. It's just one of Those days. Please, have a seat, my friends. You know, folks, every. Every day under Donald Trump brings its own bespoke artisanal bakery. Fresh hell. Yesterday was no exception because the White House paused all federal grants, which sparked confusion. We haven't seen this much confusion in the government since Joe Biden told any story about Scranton. Okay, sir, let me get this straight. Did the candy cost a penny, or is penny the name of the horse that stole your dad's pants? The chaos caused by the grant freeze did immediate damage. Preschool centers struggled to obtain reimbursements, and there were cases of stalled money for after school programs. And our after school programs are already 90% funded by bake Sal. Our entire educational system is one lemon square away from complete complapse. I think my tongue is one lemon square away from complex. The grant freeze outraged the public, at least according to Senator Chuck Schumer. People are aroused. I haven't seen people so aroused in a very, very long time. People are aroused. I haven't seen people this aroused since 1977 when I went to Studio 54 and wore my glasses all the way down. Full nostril cleavage. What can I say? I was young. I needed the money. Luckily, last night, minutes before the money freeze was set to take effect, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's freeze on federal grants. And then today, the White House rescinded its freeze on federal grants. Take that, Trump. Something didn't get worse. Gear of the snake, of course. The grand freeze is just one of the confusing and chaotic things that Trump attempted in the last week. Last night, the Trump administration popped off an email to 2 million federal employees offering incentives to federal workers to quit their jobs. Is there any chance. I'm sorry? Is there any chance I'm a federal worker? Did you check? Can you check? Go check. It's unclear what the offer was because the email issued a lot of vague threats about rescinding work from home and relocating federal offices, and then transitioned to outright threats like this one. At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency. But should your position be eliminated, you will be treated with dignity. Okay, that doesn't sound like an employer. That sounds like a funeral director. We have a lovely selection of dignified oak or stainless steel. Let's call them cubicles. And Marge and our makeup team will make your democracy look like it's just sleeping. It sure seems like they're trying to make conditions so bad for federal workers that they'll all just quit. And the Federal Employees Union is not cool. With that, the union president said, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to. Yes, it's the Dutch oven theory of employment. Yes, technically, you're welcome to stay in the bed, but you may not like it when President Trump lifts up those covers. Experts say even a fraction accepting buyouts could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger widespread disruptions throughout society as a whole, triggering wide ranging and as yet unknowable implications.

Huh.

You know, first car I ever owned was a 1978 powder blue Pinto. I bought it from my brother Billy for a dollar, and I got ripped off. But what she lacked in acceleration, she made up for in rattle. It clearly had some problems, but I didn't have any money to fix it, and I didn't know anything about cars. So what I would do is I would drive it over a shallow drainage ditch across the street from me, and I would keep it running, and I'd pull the handbrake really hard, and I'd shimmy underneath it with a hammer, a pair of pliers, and a screwdriver. And then I would touch the hammer to various things under the car, and if by touching them, the rattling stopped, I would use the other tools to remove that thing from the car. And after a while, I had a beautiful collection of rusty hunks of metal on the wall of my garage. I had no idea what they did, but the car was still running until one day I removed one too many mystery parts, and then it died. So I left it on the street, where I was eventually towed away to an area of Chicago you don't want to know about called Lower Wacker Drive. Now, I'm not saying the American government doesn't have problems. It clearly does. What I'm saying is if we just let Trump start firing people and cutting programs without knowing who any of them are or what any of them do, sooner or later, America's going to get lower whackered. We'll be right back with Will Ferrell. Roll out.

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[Stephen Colbert]

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Okay, stop.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Ladies and gentlemen, you know my guest tonight from anchorman Talladega Knights and Barbie. He now stars in. You're cordially invited. Just all calm down. Oh, I'm calm.

Oh, I'm super calm.

You don't seem calm.

I'm dead calm.

Oh, really?

Yeah. But let's get something straight. My sweet little pumpkin's gonna have her special day, and no one's getting in the way of that. Not you, not some dead lady who.

Can'T keep her together.

No one. And come Saturday, if I look out on that dock and that bride's not my baby girl, that bride's going in the lake.

[Senator]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

Splish, splash, bitch taking a bath.

Please welcome back to the late show, Will Ferrell.

Thank you.

Please get off the shed to hear.

Right.

There you go. Yeah, There you go. It is lovely to see you because I haven't had a chance to talk to you since I saw your fabulous documentary, Will and Harper. It was so beautiful. I really loved it.

[Senator]

Incredible.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was incredible. You and Harper Steele, who I know from the old. Just a beautiful documentary about two friends driving across the country and trying to understand each other. Thank you for that. I was inspired. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you so much. And, yeah, one of the best things I ever got to be a part of and loved every second of it.

Cannot wait for the video game.

Well, that's in the works. We're in talks with EA Sports. I don't know why. Sports. Ask me if we got Oscar nominated.

Did you? I'm just curious. That's such a good documentary. It's one of the best documentaries I've seen in years. It was beautiful. It was timely. It was heartfelt. I was inspired by it. Tell me, how was the Oscar nomination?

We didn't get it.

Oh, I'm sorry about that. Well, those guys. I know.

Yeah. Thank you.

The Academy. Say it.

Well, especially the doc branch.

Yeah, the doc.

The doc branch in the Academy.

Totally, totally different guys.

Oh, you don't want to hang out with the doc branch. What a bunch of losers.

Few weeks ago.

I hope there's some of them here tonight. Hey, if you're a member of the DOC branch, suck it.

A few weeks ago, this made a lot of news. You were at LA Kings hockey game, right? And you went looking like this. This is like this.

Yep.

Just cause. Just cause.

Just cause. Yeah, that was my goal for the Christmas break. I just wanted to dress as Buddy the elf.

And I like the expression on your son's face right here. Yeah, he's thrilled.

He's so over dad trying to do anything funny anymore. But that, you know that I still love the performance art aspect of getting out there and mixing it up and seeing what the reaction would be. And it was incredible. People were like, what? What is he promoting?

Do you like what's going on? Are you. Totally.

People got mad at me. Buddy would never do that. Buddy wouldn't smoke a cigarette. Well, you don't know Buddy. You don't know Buddy.

You don't know what's happened to Buddy since that movie came out.

Yeah, I mean, with AI, Buddy's out of a job.

Really? AI is replacing the L's.

Oh, yes.

I didn't know that.

Get up to the North Pole, you'll see.

When you were younger, did you do this? Did you like. Would you dress up and do things like sort of public theater to upset yourself and others?

I think it was testing the waters to see if I had the mettle to get into comedy, even though I was radically against doing it as a profession.

You were against being a comedian?

I was. Cause my father's a musician. I saw how tough the entertainment business is. I mean, right, guys? Musician. It's not. I mean, you got a steady gig. I mean, don't blow it. But it's tenuous at best, right? And I would, you know, my dad would come home from playing a gig for a year, and then all of a sudden it was gone. And I was like, how? Who wants that existence? But I loved comedy so much, so I think I found ways. I wasn't a theater kid, so I would do things. Like in college, I would dress up like a janitor and interrupt my Buddy's lecture class with like a bucket and a mop. Once again, a lit cigarette. And just roll in, roll in. And the teacher would say, can I help you? No one threw up in here. The professor went, no. I'm like, well, sorry, I'm from Physical Plant. They gave me a call that someone threw up in here. Are you sure no one threw up in here? Teacher Would go, no, I don't know why you're here. And just to make two of my friends laugh in the back row, and then I just walk out.

Yeah. When did that then turn into, like, okay, I'm gonna do this?

Not really until after college that, you know, I. In fact, I thought I was gonna be, like, a sportscaster, so I studied sports journalism.

But you played, right? You played.

I played ball, sure. I still hold the record in my high school for the most field goals made. Thank you.

Wow.

Field goal.

Wow. How many? Like, in a season or total or.

In a season, career. I think I kicked something like 30 field goals.

That's not bad, men. Yeah, that's not bad.

Over the course of three years.

Sure.

Yeah.

10 a year.

We were bad.

How big was.

We were 18 and 1 my senior year.

11 8.

One win, eight losses, one tie.

But it's a lot of field goals for that many losses.

As much as you would think. I think I was five for seven that year. Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah. Were you a sports guy at all?

What sports? I played a fair amount of hacky sack.

Is that a sport?

Well, that's funny, because my wife.

It is.

In Vermont on our first date. My wife.

Is that how you wooed her? With the hacky sack?

Evie said, joe, do you play any sports?

Right.

And it was a true answer, and I meant it. And I said, I play a lot of hacky sack. And then I told her about a dream I had the night before.

Oh, my gosh. How was there a second date?

I have no idea. How long was there a second date? I kept the wine coming. I kept the wine coming. Yeah. Yeah. It's a small town. There weren't a lot of choices. How did you meet? How'd you meet Vivica? Your wife?

I met her. I met her in. In an acting program, actually. And she was in the good group, and I was in the bad group.

So you were. You were trying, like, okay, if I'm gonna do this, I need to be. I need to be a triple threat. Yeah.

And I met her there. We were just friends for years and years and years. Dated a little bit, but didn't take. Didn't take. And then kind of doubled back to each other.

And Evie and I knew each other for, like, we'd met for seven years before once. Absolutely no vibe at all. Yeah. And people have been trying to get us together for those seven years. And we met, and she was, like, distant, icy on a mountaintop. And I was high, and I went, yeah, I don't think we're gonna connect. I walked away, and seven years later, I met her and I went, I'm gonna marry her. That was, like, instantly when I saw her. Yeah.

No, I knew she was the one.

How good my story was.

Yeah, that was good.

It's not a contest. It's not a contest, obviously. I'm just saying I gotta awe. I got an awe and you got a. I know, huh?

Yeah.

I wonder how. I wonder why they didn't get together this year.

Well, they're not all awesome. Some of them are, huh? Yeah. In life. But this year in August, we'll have been married 25 years.

Oh, that's fantastic. Congratulations. Good man. Good man. I do want to point out 31. 31 years. Whoa. 31 years. Again, not a contest. But I'm winning.

It feels like a contest.

We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Will Ferrell, everybody. Hey, everybody. Look at that. It's Will Ferrell. This is the 20th anniversary. This year is the 20th anniversary of Bewitched. Oh, the movie Bewitched.

Let's try it again.

Yeah. This is the 20th anniversary this year of the movie Bewitched. People love it. You Nicole Kidman. When they think Bewitched, they go, yeah, the movie with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell.

Ask Nicole Kidman about the pantheon, the body of work.

Yes.

She always lists Bewitched as number one.

Yes. We had her on. She was sitting right there, and I said, you know, we were in a movie together. We were both in Bewitched. And she went, what are you. You were in. You were in Bewitched.

Yeah, I mean, we had a great. You were part of the writers room.

Yeah, that was officially one of the writers. This is me on the. Me over all the way here. And there's you in the green sweater right there. That's me. That's 20. 20 years ago. 30 years ago, me dressed like a member of Wilco and do you. My favorite. One of my favorite. It was a lot of fun. I was there for 52 days, and I think I showed up in 45 seconds of the film.

Right, right.

Yeah.

That was a long shoot.

That was super long.

75 days, I believe.

Yeah. Yeah. I think Oppenheimer took 50 days to shoot Bewitched.

Yeah. We needed it, though.

Yes.

We needed all those days.

I always wanted to ask you about this. I don't think we've ever discussed this before. There is a moment in the movie, and it's the very first time that your character who's playing Darren? Yes, your character.

Now, for those of you I know everyone's seen it, but I play Darren. Yes, but it's the. But I'm in the TV version.

It's a movie about this. About a remake of the TV show of Bewitched. And you're playing Darren. Yes, and she's playing Samantha.

But I'm an actor in the movie. I'm an actor playing Darren in the TV show.

Right, you're an actor. You are an actor playing an actor. Yes, in that. Okay, so. But here's the thing.

I'm an actor.

This is the first time your character. If you were wondering, this is the. In the scene where you guys act together for the first time, you're doing your first scenes. Yeah, we're doing together as Bewitch. This is supposed to be the moment when, like, either you're meet cute and you fall in love. Nicole Kidman's over there, like, across the studio, and me and all the people playing the writers at Video Village watching the first scene. And you, Will Ferrell, go to. Go play the Darren to go be in the scene with Nicole. And when the scene's over, do you remember what you came and said to us?

No, I have no idea.

You came over to us because when she. When the scene started and when Nora said action.

Yeah. Nora Ephron.

Nora Ephron called action. We saw why Nicole Kidman was a movie star, because the moment she called action, she flipped some switch. She became the most alluring and beautiful woman. She's a beautiful woman, but something preternatural happened. Absolutely. And we did the scene, and all of us are, like, in a fever of desire for the character that she's playing, and we can barely breathe, and none of us are saying to each other, because that's a weird feeling to have on a set. And you walked over and you went, what the just happened out there? And we all went. I don't know. She was like.

I couldn't.

I could barely. I couldn't remember any of my lines.

Yeah.

I couldn't get out of her eyes.

What the just happened. It was like an alien being had come and told us everything's going to be okay.

Yes.

Yeah.

It was extraordinary. She did this. She literally, like, glowed from the inside.

Yeah.

Why can't you do that? I can't.

I. Look, I'm working on it, and I think I'm gonna get there.

Oh, okay.

Eventually.

All right. Can I show you how Nicole Kibbins said goodbye to me?

Oh, please.

Okay.

Yeah.

So I'm wrapped. I'm wrapped before everybody. I don't know why I'm wrapped early a couple of days before other people. And she's been very nice, been very gracious, you know, the whole time we've been working there. And they go, okay, that's a wrap on Stephen Colbert. And you always get a little applause like that. And so this is what she does. She, she goes, stand up. We'll do this together. She'll do this. And I said, hey, it was so lovely meeting you, and I'll be her. She goes like, oh, it was so. No, don't do it. I was like, oh, it was so wonderful. It was so wonderful. I had such a wonderful time. Oh, you were so great. Thank you so much. And then she walked away. Never touched my hand. And I just stood there looking down at my arm. And then there was a grip, like holding a light. This. He goes, guess that's how Nicole Kibben says goodbye.

I wonder.

I don't know, it was like, I was like Reiki or something.

I remember she told me she did learn how to do massage.

No.

Yes. I swear to God. While we were doing the movie, she had learned not. I don't know if it was during, but.

But at some point, but she had.

Learned to do massage techniques just as a, I don't know, enrichment. And so maybe she was just sensing tension through there. And like, that is good.

That is.

Stephen, Stephen, you're so gifted. But what's your next project? What are you working on next? Take care, love.

Uh huh. Yeah. Yeah. But she got spooky. That was really good.

Yeah.

We have to take another break here, but right back with more Will Ferrell. Hey, everybody. We're back with the star of your cordially invited, Will Ferrell. You're a new movie with Reese Witherspoon. Yes, it's called you're cordially invited.

Yeah.

You want to help me out? No, you know, if you go ahead. It's your movie. I don't want to like, jump on Cordially invited. I don't want to steal your glory here.

It's two weddings. My daughter's getting married. Reese Witherspoon's sister's getting married. Booked on the same date at the same destination, you know, There you go.

Like two rams butting heads right there.

Two rams butting heads. And ooh, it gets crazy. I'm not just saying that. It really gets crazy.

You're not just saying that.

I'm not just. I would never come on number and just Say stuff. I mean, it's. It gets crazy.

Well, we know how there's a lot of laughs.

I'm not just saying that either. A lot of laughs.

Okay. It'll be okay if you did.

No, I mean it. There's a lot of laughs.

Okay, good.

Yeah.

Yeah. Who gets more laughs, you or Reese?

It depends. Depends on what part of the movie.

Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But I think it's an equal share, contractually. Contractual, no. Contractually, no. Contractually, I have to get 60.

40. I thought it might be like Vin Diesel and the rock, like when they fight in the fast and furious movies. It says in the contract that neither of them can win or lose.

No.

Did you know that?

I did not know that.

But it says in the contract that neither one of them can win.

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Neither one of them. Who would care what they would?

Our boats both rise with the tide.

Not if one of them loses. Then their boat lost. Yeah, they're both rising up at 1.

But no, I will watch the movie. I'll watch final cut and I'll count the laughs.

Clicker.

Yep, I have a clicker and I don't laugh at all. Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh. Uh huh huh huh huh. Watch it again.

Yep.

Do my co stars laugh? I'll calculate it out and hopefully it's 60. 40.

Yeah.

If it's not, we got to open up the edit.

Yeah, yeah. Are you not doing Colbert?

I have a clicker and I have a change belt for some reason too.

And a key on that retractable thing.

So I'm spilling out quarters, I'm clicking and I'm doing this.

Will Ferrell, it's always a joy. Thank you so much. You're cordially invited. Is available on Amazon prime tomorrow. Will ferrell, everybody. Thank you for listening to the late show pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to the late show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

Welcome to the ol business.

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