White house press secretary, sean spicer, said today that President Trump will donate his salary to a charity at the end of the year. Its expected that most of the money will go to his favorite charity, donnies kids. [ laughter ] experts are warning that the republican plan to repeal and replacement obamacare could result in millions of people losing access to insurance, and i think they may be right because thats the name of the bill. [ laughter ] over the weekend, donald trump jr. Made his First Official political appearance since his father was elected president. He hadnt planned on appearing but someone said entourage three times into a mirror. [ laughter ] entourage, entourage, entourage. How you doing . The Season Finale of abcs the bachelor aired tonight, where thirty women competed to win the love of one man their father. [ laughter ] at least thats how id see it. Now, we tape our show before the bachelor aired so we dont know which girl got publicly dumped tonight and which one will get quietly dumped in about six weeks. [ laughter ] a new study revealed that the brain continues to be active for a few minutes after a person is declared clinically dead. So bad news guys, nana heard you say, finally. [ laughter ] i warned you i warned you it was bad news. [ laughter ] japan has begun opening owl cafes, where customers can pet birds while they eat lunch. We should go there, said the health department. [ laughter ] according to a new study, the majority of people think they are nicer than they actually are. Wow, who could be that delusional. Yeah, i am a nice person. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] seth and finally, British Company has created a wearable condom ring that can measure different variables during sex, such as calories burned, average skin temperature, and how fast she left when you started putting it on. [ laughter and applause ] ladies and gentlemen, we got a great show for you tonight. [ cheers and applause ] she is starring in the Broadway Revival of sunset boulevard at the Palace Theater here in new york city. She is one of our favorites, glenn close is back on the show, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] shes one of the stars on hbo girls, in its final season, alex karpovski is here. [ cheers and applause ] fantastic actor and more, looking forward to talking to him. And he is a best selling author and his new book, exit west is fantastic. Mohsin hamid is here tonight. [ cheers and applause ] a great book. So we just had a week off. My wife and my 1yearold, ash, went on a vacation. We had an excellent time. On the ay back we were flying back, and as a 1yearold, hes just more mobile than the last time we flew with him. He can crawl, he wants to move around, he doesnt want to sit in the lap. Hes not satisfied with that. So he was squirming around a lot. He was very upset during the flight. Which was very upsetting to us. It was very hard to relax on this flight. My wife and i were sitting with an aisle between us, and we were both, i will admit, losing our minds a little bit. Then the couple sitting next to my wife is a lovely couple said to her, you know we our kids are 17 and 15 now. We miss babies. Wed love to hold him. And we just said, go for it. [ light laughter ] so heres a photo. Thats theres my wife giving a thumbs up. Thats my baby there. [ laughter and applause ] and they were, they were very, they were lovely people, but i need to stress, i would have given him to anyone. [ light laughter ] like an old crone could have walked over and been like, oh, your baby looks delicious and i would have went, here you go. See you in baggage claim. Or barring that his high school graduation. But then the longer he was there, i started to get a little jealous because he just like really showed a lot of affection for this man he never met before. And i complained to my wife, i said he wasnt putting his head on my chest, and she said, well that guy had a window and it was the first time that i felt like an angry father who was underappreciated because my wife said, oh he has a window. And its like, i put a roof over his head. [ laughter ] i didnt realize a [ bleep ] window was the ticket to his affection. Anyway, we did get him back. We had a great trip. And i want to give my sincere thanks to this couple that was so kind and awesome. And i promise that when our children are that age, i will not be taking a baby. [ laughter ] i will not be reciprocating that kindness. One thing thats become clear over the last week is that lying is now such a central feature of the Trump Administration and many in d. C. Just take it for granted. But theres one issue where trump lies could have very real consequences for millions if people and thats healthcare. For more on this its time for closer look. [ cheers and applause ] one thing one thing that happens when you make as many wild unproven claim as trump does, is that the people around you have to go to increasingly ridiculous lengths to try to defend those claims. And this weekend we saw another example of that when white house counselor, kellyanne conway, was asked if she had any proof for trumps outlandish claim that obama wired taped him during the campaign and offered this bizarre answer. Do you know whether trump tower was wire tapped . What i can tell you is there are many ways to surveil each other now, unfortunately. Do you believe that . There is an article this week that talked about how you can surveil someone through their phone, through their certainly through their television set, any number of different ways. Microwaves that turn into cameras, et cetera. [ laughter ] seth if trump had a secret camera in his microwave, that must have been a very distressing feed to watch. How long does it take to warm up kfc, melania . Melania . Oh, put a put a camera in the microwave. [ laughter ] you sure you you sure you dont want to just wire tap his phone . Nope, well put a little secret camera right there in the back of his microwave. [ laughter ] keep an eye on him. [ applause ] today today, conway did the rounds on the morning shows and tried to clarify her remarks by claiming she was answering a question about surveillance in general, not trumps wire tapping allegations. If fact this article. He didnt ask about it generally, though. Thats just truly the transcript. You may have answered it generally, but you were asked specifically. Chris, im not inspector gadget. I i dont believe people are using the microwave to spy on the trump campaign. Seth and when inspector gadget heard that, he said, even i think youre crazy and my hat turns into a helicopter. [ laughter ] now republicans may try to move past trumps wiretapping claims, but theres one issue where they wont be able to avoid the consequences of trumps lies. And thats healthcare. As a candidate, trump claimed repeatedly that he had a Great Health Care plan that would be easy to implement, but as president he discovered things werent quite so simple. Youre going to have such Great Health Care at a tiny fraction of the cost, and its going to be so easy. Now, i have to tell you, its an unbelievably complex subject. Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated. Seth in his defense, when this guy is your doctor, youd have to assume healthcare is pretty easy. Yeah, dude. I got fired from the lazar tag place so im a doctor now. [ light laughter ] however, i do think some people knew health care was complicated. In fact, watch the reaction of one of those people, Bernie Sanders, when he was asked about trumps comments on cnn. Im wondering when you heard the president say, saying, quote, nobody knew that health care could be so complicated. [ laughter ] seth Bernie Sanders hasnt laughed that hard since he used to babysit charlie chaplin. [ laughter ] and remember, youre only a little champ because of the millionaires, and the millionaires. In fact, trump seems so befuddled by healthcare that even after the plan was released last week, he talked about it in ways that made it seem like he had no idea what was actually in it. This will be a plan where you can choose your doctor. This will be a plan where can you choose your plan. And you know what the plan is, this is the plan. Seth you know what the plan is, this is the plan. Basically trumps take on healthcare is an abbott and costello routine. [ laughter ] whats the plan . The plan is the plan. Will i still be insured . Third base. [ laughter ] so because trump made promises he had no intention of keeping and because he doesnt even seem to understand the basics about healthcare policies works, he essentially differed to gop leaders, specially to house speaker, paul ryan, to put together a plan. Despite telling voters he would be different from republicans like ryan. In fact, trump is now so supportive of ryans Healthcare Plan, despite the fact that it breaks so many of trumps own promises, that hes pulling out all the stops, convinced skeptical members of congress to get on board. Also a big task for President Trump was going to be wooing some team members of Congress Next week. Hes inviting them to the white house for an exclusive pizza and Bowling Party to see if he can convince them. Seth thats right, trump is trying to sway members of congress with an 8yearolds birthday party. [ laughter ] also, good news, steve bannon has agreed to be a terrifying clown. [ laughter ] so it turns out that voters, who thought they were getting a different kind of republican, are in fact getting the same old failed gop policies that trump claimed to be against. Essential to this gop philosophy is the idea that health care is not a right but a commodity that you can only access if you can afford it. A philosophy summed up by this now infamous comment, from utah congressman, Jason Chaffetz last week. Americans have choices, and theyve got to make a choice. And so maybe, rather than getting that new iphone that they just love and they want to spend hundreds of dollars, maybe they should invest in their own health care. Seth yeah, americans need to cool it with the gadgets. They want the hot new iphone or crutches when a good old stick will do. [ light laughter ] but chaffetz isnt the only republican to frame healthcare as a commodity rather than a right. Ted cruz for example, said something similar in a debate over Health Care Policy with Bernie Sanders on cnn a few weeks ago when talking about the obamacare mandate. Imagine if the federal government mandated that everyone in america must drive a lamborghini. Now, ive never driven a lamborghini, i mean they look kind of fun. But you know what, im willing to bet most of us, if that was the mandate, and itd be cool. Youd have leather seats, you could go 200 miles an hour. Seth i mean well, thats a [ bleep ] analogy. Because health care treats all illnesses whereas a lamborghini only treats erectile dysfunction. [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] well today today, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the gop Healthcare Plan would cause 24 million americans lose coverage. And yet despite that, gop leaders are rushing the bill through the house as quickly as possible. They held two marathon overnight Committee Hearings with no public input. One last 27 hours and another lasted 18 hours and ended at 4 30 in the morning. In fact, theres been so little public input into this whole process, that when gop congressman was asked the basic question, of how many public hearings the house has held on the bill, he could not answer. How many hearings, open hearings with witness testimony and the like have you had on this bill . Weve had a series of hearings over the last several years. No, in this congress though, how many hearings in this congress on this bill. We have gone to the American People with paul ryans better way. How many hearings has your committee had on this bill . We had a 27hour marathon session. How many hearings has your committee had on this bill . Weve had a series of hearings over the last several years. Seth you know, im surprised he didnt just take a cue from trump and lie. Weve had 1. 5 million hearings. One for each person who came to the inauguration. [ light laughter ] of course, if you actually saw what republicans are doing in these hearings, you might understand why theyre holding them in the middle of the night when people arent watching. Just take the missouri gop congressman jason smith, who argued that obamacare taxes on tanning beds should be repealed. Using a very dumb analogy. You could tax a lot of different items if you want to stop behavior. You know, i love ice cream. Ice creams probably not the most healthy thing to eat. Why is there not a tax on that . You know what . If you look at the number one cause of skin cancer, its not tanning beds. Do a google search. Its the sun. So why have they not proposed a tax on the sun. Seth yeah, why dont they tax the sun . Is it because we already know that an orange ball of gas would never pay its taxes . [ cheers and applause ] even more even more embarrassing, though, is the fact that republicans and democrats and then proceeded to actually spend time debating whether it was possible to tax the sun. To relate ice cream to tanning is a serious mistake. Theres a major difference in the impact. Why did you not look at a sun tax. Because thats the number one cause of skin cancer. Ill tell you why. Because its a little hard to tax the sun. Its much spain taxes the sun. No, no, well spain taxes the sun. So im curious. Im not sure how they tax the sun. Ill send you an article. [ laughter ] seth look, you cant tax the sun. Take it from a guy who was there when the sun was formed. The guy was the suns college roommate. But Congressional Republicans didnt only focus their eye on the tanning tax. Another gop congressman took issue with obamacares requirements that insurers covers certain basic medical procedures like prenatal care for pregnant women. His main objection, why should men have to pay for it . What mandate in the obamacare bill does he take issue with . Im curious what is it were mandating . Whether gentlemen yeah, sure. What about men having to purchase prenatal care . Im just, is that not correct . Reclaiming my time. Should they . Seth yeah, why should men pay for prenatal care. For that matter, why should women . Prenatal care is for the fetuses, fetuses should pay for it. [ laughter ] theyll just should give up their precious iphone. [ laughter ] all of this, of course, has put the bill in a very precarious position. Everyone from doctors, to hospitals, to insurers, to the aarp has come up against it. In fact, as cnn reported, its so toxic that nobody wants their name on the republican healthcare bill. And the white house says dont call it trumpcare. Even donald trump wont put his name on this thing. One reason for that might be that hes worried people wont like it as much as obamacare. In fact today, trump blamed the media for obamacares rising popularity in the polls. The press is making obamacare look so good all of a sudden. Im watching the news. Looks so good. The press is making it look so wonderful so that if we end it, everybodys going to say, oh, remember how great obamacare used to be . Remember how wonderful it used to be . It was so great. Its a little bit like president obama. When he left, people liked him. When he was here, people didnt like him so much. Seth i love how donald trump cant figure out why obama is suddenly so popular. Its you, dude [ laughter and applause ] its you. [ cheers and applause ] trump trumps like the guy who clears out the subway cart because he [ bleeps ] his pants and then says, oh, i guess that was everyones stop. [ light laughter ] this has been a closer look. [ cheers and applause ] well be right back with glenn close, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] [music beatbox vocals playing] youre gonna rock the party rock this party up red line, 20 minute delay. Oh, no. rhythmic clatter cant get a signal . So annoying, right . Yeah, and im late for a job interview. Hey, man, can you just nix it, just for like two seconds . Thank you. You need verizon. They have the largest, most reliable 4g lte network in america. Its made to work in places like this. With verizon unlimited, we could video chat the interview in hd right here. Okay. Hey, man, ill cue you. vo when it really, really matters, you need the best network and the best unlimited. Just 45 per line for four lines. Im a people person. drumming resumes the seal you can trust. With stain and sealer in one. And easy to choose colors. Exceptional beauty and protection have never been easier. Thompsons waterseal stain and sealer. Available at national retailers. Degree has redefined deodorant with motionsense technology. So that i can redefine. Power. Footwork. Range. And the more i move, the more it works. Giving me superior protection. On, and off, the court. Degree. It wont let you down. [ cheers and applause ] seth welcome back, everybody. Please give it up for the 8g band right over there. [ cheers and applause ] sitting in this week, hes the drummer for a simply legendary heavy metal group, who have sold more than 90 million albums worldwide, and are set to perform in brooklyn at the Barclays Center on july 21st and 22nd, where theyll wrap up their globespanning book of souls world tour. From iron maiden, Nicko Mcbrain is here. Thank you so much for being here. [ cheers and applause ] so happy to have you. Thank you, seth. Great night. Thanks for having me. Seth our first guest tonight, is a tonyawardwinning actress whos currently starring on broadway in the critically acclaimed revival of sunset boulevard. It is playing now through june 25th at the Palace Theater. Please welcome back to the show, glenn close, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] seth hi hi seth how are you . So good to see you. Seth this is a its such a delight to see you. I came and saw the show on saturday night. Its fantastic, congratulations. Thank you. Seth and you know, i had i wanted to see it, one, because you were coming on the show, but also we live in the same building. I see you a lot i know. Seth and i told you i was going to see it. And looking very different. [ light laughter ] i i see you going off to exer you know, to the gym. Seth yeah, gym, yeah. And you see me with my glasses, walking my dog. Seth yeah, exactly. Well, we we do share that were dog owners, and you have been so kind to our dog frisbee, because when you sometimes you will give us handmedowns for your dog clothes. Thats right. But theyre all brandnew. I never give seth right, of course. That hes actually [ laughter ] i also brought you something. Seth what did you bring . Its kind of a frisbee present. Seth okay. Donald trump dog poop bag. Seth oh, wow. Fantastic. [ laughter and applause ] i thought you might enjoy them. Seth that is great. Thats great, for when for and depending on how much goes into the bag, he has different expressions on his face. Seth oh, really . [ laughter ] it will change . I think yes. Seth i will remember this next time frisbee needs to drain the swamp. [ laughter and applause ] i also want to say congratulations on your 500th show. Seth it is our 500th show today. Isnt that crazy . [ cheers and applause ] thats amazing ive only done 28. Seth yeah, so thats but your so this interesting. So youve done 28 so far, youre going to june. Something like that, yeah. Seth but you this is a show that you did 23 years ago in the same role. And that thats so exciting and its so great to see a role that youve returned to. I had not seen the original. How you were too young. Seth i was too young. [ light laughter ] did you was it, did you have any hesitations as far as returning to it . It was intriguing to me at the time. It was in london where we first did it, so i thought, i have a whole ocean between me and new york where i did it last. Seth right, the revival. The revival, yes. We did it in london. I its the second time that ive returned after a number of years to a role. I did it with a role called albert nobbs and it but a role as great, and as rich, and as iconic as norma desmond, theres theres no end to what you can do with that and how what you discover, and what you find. And after 23 years to come back, i decided not to go back to anything that id done before, but just kind of start fresh, and i feel like its a totally different performance. Seth and i guess it mustve been an incredibly risky undertaking, when you did it the first time, because its such an iconic role, norma desmond. Right. Seth it has when you say its been completely different, is it more fun the second time . Because you know how well, i think i sing better now than ive ever sung in my life. Seth really . Yes. Seth what do you think you attribute that to . Well, learning how to sing better. [ laughter ] seth oh, my goodness. Well it did say in the playbill its a very, very complex score, its very tricky vocally, technically. And the more you know, and the more you know how, i mean, there are certain notes seth right. That you have to be conscious of where you put them in your on your vocal chords, and whether you can do them every night. I mean, its seth well, i you know, you you dont have to be honest, but i would appreciate your honesty, cause we were there in the middle of the show, not the end of the first act, not the end of the show, uh, there is a song where everybody rises their feet, its a fantastic number. Does that happen every night . cause we all we gave you a standing ovation in the middle of the show. I ask Michael Michael xavier my wonderful costar seth whos fantastic. Because i cant i cant see everyone, and i dont look to see if theyre standing up. Seth yeah, yeah. I notice you doing this glenn. [ laughter ] so, i i go off stage, and hes just like, they were standing up. I said, oh, well thats cool. Wow. Seth thats good. Thats a nice way of not being able to see makes it a lot better yeah, it does. Seth then it would be such a bummer if if and is it true that what is it not just that its still a glenn close in the role, but that you actually used your old costume from the original production . From 23 years ago . Yes, i did. Yes, its a magnificent anthony powelldesigned costumes. Seth and you just have you still have the costume . I have a magnificent costume collection. Seth okay, and you i have all of cruella. Seth oh, wow. So this is films and uh [ laughter ] ha, ha [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] oh, that wasnt the real laugh. Seth i mean, there is i mean, if you really wanted to to do me a favor with frisbee, you could cruella in there one of these days. [ laughter ] when shes behaving when shes misbehaving. Ill be there. You could be coat for this lady it would [ light laughter ] youd have to put some spots on him. Seth yeah, thats true. And do you there are just, you just sort of archive them. Very carefully. Yes, well, i because now its so big, and its getting financially unfeasible, i am set. It looks like im going them to the to indiana university. Seth oh, fantastic. Yep, yep. Seth what an incredible collection to be gifted. Thats wonderful. [ cheers and applause ] i know its im proud. Seth is that you know, you mentioned you are doing it completely differently to keep it a a fresh endeavor for you. Is it then strange to bring out the exact same wardrobe from 23 years . It was very strange. Seth yeah. When we started when i put them on for the first time in london, i felt like i was putting on my grandmothers clothes. [ light laughter ] they didnt feel right at all. I had no choice, because they didnt have enough money to to make me some great new costume. But now now i, you know, now wonderful Tracy Christensen has added some pieces. Seth uhhuh. I have very fast costume changes seth well, i am stunned by how quickly youre completely different. Theres a whole other show behind the scenes. So with some pieces that make it, possible to to get through the first act without wearing the same costume. Seth this is not a piece in the show. This is off stage, because we when my wife and i came and said hello to you after the show and you were still in costume, we did not see this robe. But so you were wearing a robe here glenn, correct me if im wrong, that has your face on it. Yeah. [ light laughter ] seth that is that is glenn close in a glenn close robe. I like wearing clothes with myself all over. [ light laughter ] yeah. Seth ill remember that the next time i get you something. No Fred Johanson who plays max, made had that made for me, its its outrageous and fabulous. Seth and do you often wear it after the show . Yes, of course i do. [ laughter ] and its very funny, cause you see this big thing of and also seth yeah right, exactly. Well, then you have to be very careful when you belt a robe with your own face on it. I know. Seth make sure its yeah. [ light laughter ] you know, one of the other things i was thinking last night, so this is a a show, and it was a, you know, a film, and a story about ageism in hollywood. You know, this this character, norma desmond. Its about how the Film Industry and the country has forgotten about her, and yet this is a very exciting time on broadway for sort of, actors who whove been around for a while, like yourself and bette midler. And patti lupone. I know. Sally field. Seth sally field. Yeah. Seth and is it great to be do you know how old im going to be . Seth how old are you going to be . Guess. Seth well, this is one of those things. [ laughter ] just be ready to make edits here if does anybody know how old im going to be in a couple weeks . Seth youre gonna be 61yearsold . No. Seth how old . 65yearsold. Youre going to be 70yearsold glenn close what i dont know [ applause ] wow. Close dont crack [ light laughter ] isnt that incredible . Seth yeah, thats amazing. I cant believe it myself. Seth so, the funny thing then is you actually are playing someone 20 years younger than you in the show thats true. Seth because shes 50 in the show. And, well, thats great. So it turns out that you can play at any age really. Thats right. Except maybe 16. Seth yeah, well, dont sell yourself short. Thats true. Seth what . Yeah. Seth you cant do 16 anymore . Oh, i could do 16. Seth okay, good yeah. I think you could too. Im looking forward to production of whatever show has a 16yearold girl. [ laughter ] i would look forward to you in grease, next year. Oh, yeah. No, thatd be fun. Seth yeah. Thatd be fun to play. Seth its always so great to see you. Thank you so much for being here tonight. Great to see you. Seth congrats on the show. [ cheers and applause ] glenn close everybody sunset boulevard is playing at the Palace Theater now through june 25th. Well be right back with alex karpovsky. [ cheers and applause ] welcome to maxx you. You are whimsical, vibrant, statement making. You stand out in a crowd. And are pulled together. You follow your own lead and show your strength. Always comfortable in your own skin. We see what makes you unique. So we have something for everyone, at a price thats just right for you. Maxx you. Maxx life. T. J. Maxx introducing new depend silhouette briefs. Featuring a comfortable sleek fit. As a dancer, ive learned you cant have any doubts. Because looking good on stage is one thing. But real confidence comes from feeling good out there. Get a free sample at depend. Com. Take on the mainstream. Introducing nissans new midnight edition. [ cheers and applause ] seth welcome back, everybody. Our next guest is an actor director best known for playing ray on the hit hbo series girls. The sixth and final season airs sunday nights. Lets take a look. We never even talk anymore. We never hang out. We never do anything. We see each other all the time, ray. Yeah, after youve exercised. Or when your online therapists husband is awake so she can give you a session. I mean dont you isnt i want more. You know, i need more. Because were not going to be here for very long. You know, very soon were going to be on the other side of the dirt. You know, were all going to the same place, each and every one of us. And that place dead, were all going to be dead. Yes, i know that. Are you really this cliche, ray . Someone you sort of like dies and suddenly you are rejiggering your entire outlook on life . Why should i be smarter than this . Seth please welcome to the show, alex karpovsky, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] seth how are you . Im doing great. How are you . Seth good im so happy youre here. Thank you. Seth im such a fan of the show. Thank you. Seth im such a fan of yours. Thank you. Seth im sad its coming to an end. Me too. Seth and you have had as long a working relationship as anyone could possibly have lena dunham. You were in her film tiny furniture. I was, yeah. Seth so how has this been . Has this an incredible ride, to see a friend like lena go through this all . Yeah, to say the very least. Yeah, im just blown away that we were able lena lead the charge. And we were able to get this sort of indie small, personal, raw sensibility to a mainstream audience. You know, i was so overjoyed when i heard that she was going to get a chance at hbo, but i also had a little bit of doubt, you know. I didnt know if this would translate. And like many things in life, seth, i was wrong. Seth oh yeah. And they found an audience. Seth im like that, too. Im so happy how often im wrong. Yeah. Seth because i tend to be a pessimist. Mmhmm. Seth so, when these things work out me too. Seth its the best. Yeah. [ light laughter ] no, its funny you mention youre a pessimist, because certainly you see some of ray is a pessimist. Mmhmm. Seth and lena did base ray on you. To some degree. Seth okay. And thats what i tell myself, anyway. Seth gotcha. Because i need that distance. Seth yeah. Because a part of me hates the living [ bleep ] out of that guy. [ light laughter ] so a little a bit of buffer. No, i think i kind of view ray as who i was about 10 or 12 years ago. Seth thats a nice amount of distance. Yeah, helps the distance. Seth because you can then say you have bettered youre a different person now. I have evolved, seth. Seth yes. Yes, thats right. Seth how do you do you have a good memory of yourself from 10 or 12 years ago . The bong hits have kind of seth sure. They do have an effect. They do have an effect. Seth yeah, okay. Yeah, absolutely. I found that jpegs help a little bit. But what i discovered in season one was email helps more than anything else. Seth okay. Ive had the same email address for a while. You can do date parameters, to search within this time window. And i can type in keywords. And i my whole tragedy is in the inbox. Seth okay. So i can find an email and within two or three lines seth does that mean you the whole restored memory is lost again. Seth so you dont delete a lot of stuff then . No. Seth okay, gotcha. No, i have a fear of death. Its all woven into my inbox. Seth oh, okay good. I dont delete anything. Seth so whats a word that you would search for, for an email that would help you rays character . Anger. Seth okay, gotcha. [ light laughter ] yeah, like if theres a scene where im like angry and im running out to yell at a guy honking his car, for example. Seth yeah. I might type in within date parameters like rage, im sorry. Seth yeah. Dont press charges. Seth you have to be so full of rage to type rage in an email. [ light laughter ] yeah, i currently have rage and youve also, youre an accomplished director as well as an actor, and you actually directed an episode last year. Right. Seth are you directing one this year as well . No. Seth no, just last year. And, what was it like to step on a set where youve been only an actor and then direct this cast of people, that im assuming at this point you have a friendship with . Yeah, i mean it was really, really exhilarating. I love, truly love, the principle characters on our show. So being able to finally sort of nudge them in certain Different Directions and tease out elements of their personality, was really exhilarating, and fun. I get to play with the action figures. Seth yes you know what i mean . You know what i mean . Seth there is now, is there a line of girls actions figures yet . Has that happened . I heard some rumblings in season one, but i dont think they got off the ground. Seth i would [ inaudible ] theyre stuck in a factory in taiwan somewhere. Seth right. Yeah. Seth your parents are from russia. Yeah. Seth and your mother, the thick russian accent . Where is she at these days . So thick that she doesnt speak english. Seth okay, gotcha. Yeah. Seth so thats thats a pretty thick accent. Seth got it, yeah. And so does she can she appreciate girls . Well in a certain like i give her cliff notes before the episode airs. Seth okay. And then i do kind of a recap afterwards. What happens in between, she lives in boston, i have no idea. Seth okay. I think like, she sees her son, like oh, theres my son, you know, having sex with a beautiful women. Theres my son losing his temper again at strangers on the street. I dont know. Doesnt really its a visual kind of appreciation. Seth yeah. Yeah. Seth its very funny to think of watching girls without the dialogue. Because its such a written show. Like, i like girls for the pictures. Well, yes. Sometimes they play it on planes fortunately, so sometimes i see people watching it. And i kind of view it without any dialogue. Seth yeah. And its pretty trippy. Seth oh, thats good. Yeah. Seth you, because of this russian upbringing, and your russian accent, you got to do some voiceover work in one of the grand theft auto video games. Yeah. Gta iv. Seth gta iv congrat liberty city. Seth liberty city. And so you were a russian gangster . Yeah, i was a russian i played actually a small fleet of russian gangsters. Seth oh, so you had to do multiple . Yeah. Seth gotcha. Well, im a very versatile actor. Seth yeah. I dont know if you know that, so. Seth and you did back stories for all of them . Absolutely. Seth yeah. So many rage field keyword searches. Yeah, they i dont know that much about video games. But they told me i was one of the easter egg guys. Seth okay. So theres these hidden place in video games where you can go into these wormholes i guess. These secret places, and it was like the corporate environment. There were guys, you know, with oxford shirts tucked in to their pleated khakis. And they walk me in, theyre like, do you need any hot water . You okay . And im like, yeah, im fine. Seth so, youre in a sound booth . Im in a sound booth, but theres like a Conference Room type of thing. With like executive looking people around me. Its all kind of corporate, but the game is pretty violent. Seth very. And sexy. And they told me they explained it to me only when i walked in. Because of legal reasons or whatever they cant send you stuff. Theyre like, okay, so in this scene, youve just killed a prostitute after having sex with her. And youve killed her because you want to get your money back. Just have fun. Have a good time. ] [ laughter ] like, all right, here we go. Seth you know its funny. Because i do remember playing that and i remember thinking, you know, that guy. That gangster who just killed the prostitute is having fun. Yeah, hes having a lot of fun. [ light laughter ] seth thanks so much for being here. A pleasure. Seth ive been a fan for a long time. I appreciate it. [ cheers and applause ] z its really been great. Seth alex karpovsky, everybody. Girls airs sunday nights on hbo. Were right back with more late night. [ cheers and applause ] woman so this happened. Zoe brought over some limearitas to avas rooftop and thats when we knew it was going to be one of those nights. Thats elyse busting out her dance move from summer of 08. she insists its her signature move, but were all pretty good at it. 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So, seventh generation developed this powerful natural detergent it gets your clothes clean. Really clean. Buh bye blue goo, and come clean with seventh generation. Corolla with Toyota Safety sense standard toyota lets go places [ cheers and applause ] seth welcome back, everybody. Our next guest is a bestselling author whose fantastic new novel, exit west, is available now. Please welcome to the show, mohsin hamid. [ cheers and applause ] how are you . Im great, thank you. Seth so you live in pakistan. Yes. Seth you travel the world to promote your books. Yes. Seth im a big fan of your writing. Do you find that different places receive your writing in different ways . Different people receive writing in different ways. So i like to tell a story about this guy in washington d. C. , an american guy. Blond hair, blue eyes, comes up after a reading of the reluctant fundamentalist, and says you know, this novel is about me. And the reluctant fundamentalist is about a pakistani guy who grows a beard and goes back to pakistan after working in new york city. Seth yeah. So i looked at him, and i looked at the book in his hands, and it was my book, and i said, you know, how so . And he said, well, i went to an ivy league school. I worked on wall street, i quit my job, and i am a yoga instructor. And thats when i actually realized that the reluctant fundamentalist is actually the story of a liberal arts kid who goes to work, and then stops working. And so yeah, people react in different ways. You cant predict. Seth yeah, i still would rather read your version than his. [ laughter ] so this is interesting, this is about a refugee couple in an unnamed country who sort of begin escaping their country and traveling around, trying to find a home. And theres a a great amount of realism to it. The characters are very real, the dialog is real, and yet theres this one element, which is the way they go from one country to the other is through this sort of magical doors. I feel like that might be the best description of it. Yeah . Yeah, thats correct. Seth and so what brought you to use this element of sort of, fairy tale in this very real story . Well, partly, i think the doors sort of already exist. Like, i was in pakistan. I feel like ive sort of stepped through a magical door to arrive sitting next to you. Distance has collapsed in our world. So we are we are pressed close up against each other, through technology. But i wanted to focus on what happens before you move . You know, what leads someone to leave where they live . Whats the enormous sorrow or pain, and then what happens when you get there, which is most of your life. Crossing the rio grande or crossing that train, is a tiny little piece of that story. The real story is all of us, experience this this pain, before we move, and then something happens afterwards. Seth and i think that most of us do see it, only in that snapshot of the journey. I think when we think of refugees, we do think of people crammed onto a boat, or people trying to to cross a border. And it seems like you it mattered deeply to you to make these very realistic bring the humanity to these characters. Yeah, because its its to see ourselves in these characters. So, say the characters in this novel are two young people having a love affair, theyve just met. They go to chinese restaurants, they hang out, and and suddenly, their city starts to fall apart. Things get interrupted. People who move are people just like us. Its the part where they move thats different. But before that, and after that, theyre people exactly like us. Seth what is, do you feel that is the element thats missing in the conversation about the travel ban . Well, i think there are lots of elements missing, but you know, one part of it is its a great its a great idea with a couple of small flaws. [ laughter ] its one part of it is that its based on a hysterical level of fear. You know, i live in pakistan, and things are sometimes a little bit scary, and you know, part of how you deal with that in life, is gotta be a little bit brave. And just live your life. And whats happened now is weve been made so frightened of people, and we think in the travel ban is an example of that. Where, lets just take a whole bunch of people and and treat them as though theyre all this horrible, frightening thing. And in the process, throw away our commitment to equality and human decency. Seth what is the conversation in pakistan, like amongst your friends and family, about the travel ban, and about america in general right now, as someone whos sort of, well, spent time in both places. For people like me, its a sense of heartbreak, right . So if your if your part pakistani, ive lived 17 years in the u. S. , the idea of not being able to come is is really heartbreaking. But my daughter dena, is 7yearsold. And my wife and i brought her to new york in august for a month, and she went back saying, i love new york, i love america, why . You know, lets go live there, its fantastic. And just now, she you know, told me before i got a plane to come this way, you know, dont go. And she said, you know, theres a new president there, and his name is donald trump, and you know, he hates muslims, and what if he locks you up . And kids in her school are talking about this. Theyre actually frightened. Little 7yearold kids all over the planet. That cant be a good thing. Like thats not really what america wants to stand for. Seth no, when she told you that there was a guy named donald trump as president , did you say i know that. [ laughter ] she loves hillary too, by the way, my daughter. She loves hillary interestingly enough. Seth oh, well there you go. How important do you think storytelling and, you know, being a storyteller is going forward, in the times we are . Its really important. The reason why we have storytelling is because we dont want to be bound, as human beings, by what was and what is, like we have to imagine what could be. And right now, theres this nostalgic political force, where we looking back, you know, make America Great again, and the caliphate of the 8th century, thats where we want to be. We have to imagine new futures, and i think what storytellers can do, is begin to imagine new ways of being, and new you know, new places that we can all go to. Seth well, thank you so much for continuing to tell your stories. This is a fantastic book. Thank you for making the time, and being here. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] seth mohsin hamid, everybody, exit west is available now. Well be right back. [ cheers and applause ] red line, 20 minute delay. 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Run away [ grunts ] leave him leave him [ music continues ] brick and mortar, what . [ music continues ] [ tires screech ] [ laughs ] [ doorbell rings ] when you bundle home and Auto Insurance with progressive, you get more than a big discount. Thats what you get for bundling home and auto jamie you get sneakygood coverage. Thanks. Were gonna live forever discover italys lighter side,. At olive garden thanks. With new tastes of the mediterranean recipes that put a fresh spin on traditional italian made with simple, wholesome ingredients inspired by italys mediterranean coast. Indulge in italys lighter side at olive garden. Announcer for more late night, go to latenightseth. Com, follow us on instagram and twitter at latenightseth. And be sure to check us out on youtube and facebook. Head over to itunes and subscribe to the late night with seth meyers podcast. Youll get a closer look and more downloaded right to your phone every day. Yo, check it. My parents pimped out our crib with fios internet. Sick. Word on the street is its bomb. Com. I think youre bomb. Com michelle, wanna come over and surf those sweet fios speeds like old times . Todd, ive moved on to xfinity, they have the fastest internet. Sorry todd. Fios has fallen behind. Dont fall with it. Xfinity delivers the fastest internet. Sign up today or get started with this great offer. Call, click, or visit an xfinity store today. [ cheers and applause ] seth my thanks to glenn close, alex karpovsky, mohsin hamid, everybody Nicko Mcbrain, and of course the 8g band. Stay tuned for carson daly. Well see you tomorrow. [ cheers and applause ] carson good evening, im cason daly and you have tuned into last call from the time new york hotel, a beautiful spot. We got a good one for you tonight. Randy liedtke is gonna get our comedy spotlight treatment. Also, the frights will make their tv debut from the el rey