HE IS A THREE-TIME TONY AWARD WINNER YOU KNOW FROM "ANGELS IN

AMERICA," "THE PRODUCERS," AND "THE BIRDCAGE."

HE NOW STARS IN THE NEW SHOWTIME SERIES, "PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF

ANGELS."

PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," NATHAN LANE!

>> IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU.

>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO.

I LIKE-- I LIKE YOUR BACKDROP THERE.

YOU'VE GOT THE BOOKS.

YOU SEEM VERY SMART.

>> WE'RE GOING FOR PRISON LIBRARY.

>> Stephen: OH, GOOD.

>> I'M ACTUALLY DOING JUST WHAT I SEE EVERYBODY ELSE DOING,

WHICH IS THEY'RE FILMING THEMSELVES NOW IN FRONT OF

BOOKCASE S.

>> Stephen: I HAVE ONE RIGHT HERE.

>> A SAD ATTEMPT AT SEEMING LIKE AN INTELLECTUAL.

I WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD WATCHING "TIGER KING!

I JUST FINISHED "MOBY DICK."

CALL ME ISHMAEL.

>> Stephen: WHERE ARE YOU NOW ARE YOU IN YOUR APARTMENT?

>> I'M IN A RECONFIGURED YTW YTWO,KAPARTMENT IN THE HAMPTONS.

I'LL BE HERE ALL YEAR!

>> Stephen: MAYBE.

MAYBE.

GET COMFY.

>> MAY BE.

THIS IS A GUEST ROOM/PANIC ROOM.

ALTHOUGH, EVERY ROOM IS A PANIC ROOM NOW.

YES, I COULD SHOW YOU AROUND.

>> Stephen: PLEASE, WE'D LOVE A TOUR.

>> THERE'S NOTHING, OTHER THAN A MASK AND RUBBER GLOVES THAT'S

MORE COMFORTING THAN SHOW BUSINESS MEMORABILIA.

AND I HAVE EYE HAVE SOME SHOW BUSINESS MEMORABILIA.

>> Stephen: OH, I LOVE.

>> DON'T GET NERVOUS.

I'M CARRYING YOU OVER TO THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THIS, BUT CAN YOU SEE THAT?

>> Stephen: UH.

THAT'S WALTER MATTHAU.

>> IT'S A SIGNED PICTURE OF WALTER MATTHAU IN "THE ODD

COUPLE" FILM WITH CAROL SHELLY AND MONICA EVANS.

AND THERE'S A STORY-- THEREBY HANGS A TALE--

>> Stephen: GOD, I HOPE SO.

WE'VE GOT SOME TIME TO FILL HERE, NATHAN.

>> IT'S A TALK SHOW.

LATE IN HIS LIFE, I'M-- I MET AND SOCIALIZED A LITTLE WITH

WALTER MATTHAU IN LOS ANGELES.

I WAS DOING AN ILL-FATED SITCOM WITH JOAN PLOUGHRIGHT, LADY

OLIVIER.

AND SHE HAD DONE THE FILM ""DENNIS THE MENACE"" WITH

WALTER.

AND ONE DAY SHE SAID TO ME, "NATHAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE

DINNER WITH WALTER AND CAROL MATTHAU?"

I SAID, "WALTER, MATTHAU.

I WOULD BE THRILLED.

HE'S A HERO OF MINE."

HIS WIFE WAS FASCINATING.

SHE WROTE A BOONG OF OUR OWN.

>> Stephen: "THE TIME OF OUR LIVES."

>> "THE TIME OF YOUR LIFEMENT.

AND, ALSO, SHE WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR HOLLY GO

LIGHTLY.

SHE WAS A GREAT FRIEND OF TRUMAN CAPOTE.

>> Stephen: I HEARD THAT, I HEARD THAT, YEAH.

>> WE WENT TO WHAT WAS STILL IN EXISTENCE IN L.A., AND THERE WAS

AN OUTDOOR SECTION, AND THERE WAS WALTER MATTHAU.

AND I WAS SO NERVOUS, AND I WENT IN AND I SAID, "HOW DO YOU,

MR. MATTHAU.

IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU."

I SAID, "HOW ARE YOU?" AND HE SAID, "I JUST HAD MOST OF

MY COLON REMOVED."

AND SO I THOUGHT, OKAY, I'M DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO HAVE THE

LIVER TONIGHT.

I SAID, "NEVER THE LESS, YOU-- YOU LOOK VERY GOOD"

HE SAID, "THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S DARK OUT HERE.

LET'S SIT DOWN AND WE CAN TALK SOME MORE ABOUT ME."

SO HEIST ADORABLE.

AND WE SAT AND WE TALKED AND, YOU KNOW, WE-- HE KNEW THAT I

HAD PLAYED NATHAN DETROIT IN A 1992 PRODUCTION OF "GUYS AND

DOLLS," AND HE HAD PLAYED NATHAN DETROIT AT CITY CENTER, AND HE

SAID THAT WAS WHERE NEIL SIMON HAD FIRST SEEN HIM.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE KIDDING.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

>> YEAH.

AND HE SAID, "IF IT WASN'T FOR NEIL SIMON I WOULD BE AN OBSCURE

CHARACTER ACTOR IN A REGIONAL THEATER RIGHT NOW."

I SAID, "I DON'T THINK SO."

ANYWAY, THEY WERE VERY CHARMING, BUT THEY WERE FAMOUS FOR THEIR

BICKERING.

AND AT ONE POINT, CAROL, APROPOS OF NOTHING, SAID, WELL, IF IT

WASN'T FOR WALTER'S GAMBLING WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT

MONEY."

AND WALTER LEANED IN AND SMILED AND SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU GO

( BLEEP ) YOURSELF, DEAR."

>> Stephen: WE CAN SAY THAT ON CBS, RIGHT?

>> SURE YOU YOU CAN.

>> Stephen: THAT WILL BE FINE.

WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU GO?

>> THIS IS MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSION.

THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME BY A VERY DEAR FRIEND OF MINE, DOUG

McGRATH, A BRILLIANT WRITER AND DIRECTOR.

WHEN I WAS DOING "THE ICE MAN COMETH, WE WE DID ITING IN

NCHICAGO AND THE BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

HE SENT THIS TO ME AS AN OPENING NIGHT PRESENT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT THIS, WHETHER IT WAS A SWAP MEET OR --

>> Stephen: WHAT IS IT?

>> IT'S A WEIRD THING.

IT'S A PAIR OF EUGENE O'NEAL'S MONOGRAMMED BOXER SHORTS.

AND IT'S FRAMED.

YOU CAN SEE IT?

>> Stephen: YES!

>> YOU CAN SEE THE-- HIS INITIALS?

>> Stephen: YES.

E.O.N.

>> O'NEIL, YES.

AND I HAVE HENRY GIBSON'S THONG.

WAIT, WAIT.

HAVE I LOST YOU? WHERE DID YOU GO?

I CAN'T SEE YOU.

>> Stephen: I CAN SEE YOU.

WE CAN SEE YOU.

I PROMISE.

>> OKAY, ALL RIGHT.

>> Stephen: OKAY, DON'T-- BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE, BEFORE

YOU GO ANYWHERE.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: YOU HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT "PENNY DREADFUL."

YOU HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT THE NEW SHOW ON SHOWTIME.

"PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS," TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: WAIT A SECOND, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT REALLY IS

EUGENE O'NEAL'S UNDERWEAR.

ANYBODY COULD EMBROIDER ANYTHING ON ANYTHING.

>> WELL, BE SURE TO CHECK ME OUT ON "TOO HOT FOR ANTIQUES

ROADSHOW."

NO, I DO BELIEVE THESE AREERAL HIS UNDERWEAR.

UN, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE FAITH, STEPHEN.

>> Stephen: OKAY.

>> AND THEY-- I DON'T KNOW.

>> Stephen: THESE DAYS WE ALL NEED SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: AND U19 O'NEAL'S UNDERWEAR IS SOMETHING TO HOLD

ON TO.

>> I CAN'T SEE YOU ANYMORE.

BECAUSE -- >> Stephen: I'M SPEAK YOU FROM

BEYOND THE GRAVE.

>> BECAUSE I'M TECHNOLOGICALLY CHALLENGED.

BUT "PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS", WRITTEN BY THE

BRILLIANT JOHN LOGAN.

HE SENT ME AN EMAIL AND SAID, "I WROTE THIS PART FOR YOU AND I

HOPE YOU'LL DO IT."

IT'S-- GREAT CHARACTER.

HIS NAME IS LEWIS MICHENER.

HE'S A HARD-BOILED JEWISH DETECTIVE ON THE L.A.P.D., OLD

AND GRIZZLED AND WORLD WEARY.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY-- IT'S THE BEST AND MOST EMOTIONALLY

COMPLEX CHARACTER I'VE EVER GOTTEN TO PLAY IN FILM OR IN

TELEVISION.

AND IT'S-- QUITE HONESTLY, I-- I-- YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AROUND A

LONG TIME.

>> Stephen: UH-HUH.

>> AND I SAW THE FIRST SIX EPISODES OF THIS, AND I HAVE TO

SAY-- AND I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL AN UPBEAT

KIND OF GUY.

BUT THIS IS REALLY GOOD.

IT'S-- IT HAS A FANTASTIC CAST.

AND IT'S GORGEOUSLY SHOT.

AND I THINK YOU WOULD BE INTRIGUED BY THIS.

>> Stephen: I'M ALREADY INTRIGUED.

>> IT'S-- IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

IT'S SORT OF RAYMOND CHANDLER MEETSZ ROD STERLING.

LOOK, IT'S GOT EVERYTHING.

IT'S GOT A SORT OF CHINATOWN MURDER MYSTERY IN THE CENTER OF

IT.

AND THERE'S SOME SUPERNATURAL THINGS GOING ON WITH THE

BRILLIANT NATALIE DOARM.

AND SHE PLAYS THE SISTER OF SANTA MUERTA, MAG DA.

YOU KNOW, REMEMBER, THE MOTHER OF THE GABOR SISTER S.

>> Stephen: SURE.

>> ANYWAY -- >> Stephen: NATHAN.

>> IT'S BEAUTIFULLY DONE AND BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN AND I'M I

JUST FEEL LUCKY AND GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF IT.

>> Stephen: WELL, WE ARE-- WE ARE LUCKY AND GRATEFUL-- WE ARE

LUCKY AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT.

>> DON'T GO!

DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE HERE!

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

>> Stephen: IT'S JUST YOU AND SAMUEL BECKETT'S FISHNETS.

>> NO I'M HERE-- >> Stephen: I'VE GOT-- WE DO

GOTTA GO.

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU LIVE ON STAGE AGAIN, NATHAN.

>> YOU'RE VERY KIND.

>> Stephen: IT'S GOING TO BE SO-- IT WILL BE SO LOVELY WE CAN

ALL BE TOGETHER AGAIN IN A LIVE THEATER.

>> I HOPE SO.

NO, I HOPE WE ALL COME OUT OF THIS FOR THE BETTER AND, YEAH.

STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY AND MY BEST TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

>> Stephen: THU, NATHAN.

>> ALL RIGHT.

>> Stephen: "PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS" PREMIERES THIS

SUNDAY ON SHOWTIME.

DR. NATHAN LANE EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪ ♪ ♪