to get faye out safely. >> hit by a car and then -- >> a rough week for that pup. >> she needs to have a little bit of obedience training. you stay by my side, please. >> oh my goodness. >> poor thing. >> i feel bad for the wall. as well. i mean, i'm glad the dog is okay, but you know that's going to cost money. >> that's going to be expensive to fix. yeah, yeah. at least she's okay. >> pet insurance doesn't cover that. >> if you try calling your insurance company with that, what happened? dog got stuck in the wall. >> and we had to ke a >> we're gonna have some trump surrogates outside of court today, and we've got some big names. we've got vivek ramaswamy coming down. mike johnson's going to be here and vp hopeful doug burgum. >> tommy tuberville was here yesterday as well, along with j.d. vance. >> they are able to say the things that donald trump cannot because of this gag order.

>> like a sad ventriloquist puppet. [drumroll] >> this judge is giving me a gag order. [slams] ♪ ♪ >> no respect. ♪ ♪ >> bong, bong, bing, bing, bing. >> announcer: it's "the late show with stephen colbert"! tonight... when the cohen gets tough! plus, stephen welcomes jennifer hudson! and marisa abela!

featuring louis cato and "the late show" band. and now, live on tape from the ed sullivan theater in new york city, it's stephen colbert! [cheers and applause] >> your number one. [cheers and applause] have a good show. tuesday, tuesday, happy tuesday, baby. happy tuesday, my friends. hey! thank you very much! look at that. here, down there. there we go. ♪ ♪

welcome, my friends. please, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to "the late show." i'm your host, stephen colbert. [cheering] the number one news story laying eggs in our national brain continues to be the trump trial here in manhattan. the last four weeks have been full of lurid and shocking sexual revelations that we learned six years ago. it's been a real case of deja ewww. once again today the prosecution presented their star witness, former trump fixer michael cohen, seen here regretting knockin' while the van was a-rockin'. cohen's testimony seems to prove that trump was directly involved in paying off stormy daniels. for instance, yesterday, cohen told the court that after first resisting, trump eventually ordered him to pay daniels $130,000, telling him, "just do it." in response, nike has changed their slogan to: "yay!

sneakers!" [laughter] yay! [cheers and applause] today, prosecutors had cohen bring us back to 2018, when the stormy story broke, and trump was desperately trying to keep it from damaging his presidency. that year, the feds began to look into cohen's illegal work for trump, culminating in an fbi raid on his home and office. cohen testified that he received a phone call from trump after the raid, and trump told him, quote, "don't worry. i'm the president of the united states. there's nothing here. everything's going to be okay. stay tough. you're going to be okay." that really smells like some mafia talk. we haven't heard a president sound that much like a mob boss since billy "the bathtub" taft. the offer he couldn't refuse? more ham. cohen also testified about a 2018 phone call with another

key player in the hush money scheme, "national enquirer" publisher and the mummified remains of colonel sanders, david pecker. "the enquirer" was getting heat at the time from the feds for illegal campaign contributions. cohen testified that trump told him to reassure pecker that, quote, "the matter was going to be taken care of, and the person of course who was going to be able to do it was then attorney general jeff sessions." trump wanted to quash an investigation into his own wrongdoing using attorney general jeff sessions, seen here mad that you opened the cupboard and disturbed his nap. this testimony means i get to bring out my favorite guest from back in the day. please welcome former attorney general jeff sessions. [applause] >> hello! hey, everybody! i have returned! it isi, jefferson

beauregard sessions iii, and i will not stand by idly while that yankee lawyer drags my good name through the fudge! >> stephen: former attorney general sessions, did you follow through on trump's promise and derail a legitimate fbi investigation? >> how dare you doubt my honor, sir! i swear on a stack of "gone with the wind" dvds that i have an alibi. i was standing shoulder to shoulder with 23 of my closest friends in a tight cellophane sleeve. and frankly, my dear, i don't give a damn where the president dips his nilla wafer. that's just the way the "me" crumbles! >> stephen: indeed it does. [cheering] cohen's testimony was... incredibly damning,

but trump responded with the legal defense known as "honk, shoooo, mi mi mi mi." because yesterday, trump took in cohen's testimony with his eyes shut, nearly reactionless, moving only occasionally to whisper or pass a note to his attorney. and i'm being told we have one of the notes. "shhhh! i'm trying to sleep." this morning, trump was defiant heading into court, making this bold claim. >> signing an nda is not a crime. >> stephen: "it's totally legal. in fact, signing an nda proves i'm innocent because it stands for 'not did anything.'" am i right? i'm being told that i'm right. not doing anything right there. we also learned a fun new detail about trump's response to the "access hollywood" tape. because cohen testified that it was melania's idea to characterize trump's comments as mere "locker room" talk.

well, that makes sense. 'cause any time trump tries to get near melania, she lock 'er room. [applause] trump got some moral support today from speaker of the house mike johnson, seen here after accidentally thinking about the word "nipple." [laughter] just the word, not even the image. just the word "nipple." too titillating. don't get him started on the word titillating. johnson is a hyper-conservative biblical literalist, but today, he took a day off from performative holiness to attend trump's hush money trial. now, i'm no fan of johnson, but no one should be subjected to 30 years of sex education in one day. that's like taking an amish kid to epcot. "goodness, english. mexico is beside france is beside space?" now, outside the courtroom,

johnson made it clear what he won't stand for this charade. >> i'm an attorney. i'm a former litigator myself. i am disgusted by what is happening here. >> stephen: "i've heard things today that disgust me! woman layeth with man outside holy wedlock? when does the stoning begin? i brought my lucky rock." trump's child got a suck-up visit from one of his vp hopefuls, entrepreneur vivek ramaswamy, seen here asking, "okay, who stole my puppet?" while outside the court defending trump, ramaswamy made a bit of a freudian slip. >> let's pray for our country being stronger on the other side of this disgusting sham politician -- prosecution. [laughter] >> louis: whoa, whoa. >> stephen: this disgusting sham politician.

i mean prostitution! this a pervert of justice! i mean perversion of juices. i mean he must proclaim his flatulence! i mean innocence!" other maga congresspeople have been showing up for trump this week. yesterday, he was joined by alabama senator, former college football coach, and man realizing he just texted his wife a text about his wife, tommy tubberville. here's tubberville outside the court yesterday, where he implied that the folks on the jury might not be american citizens. >> i am disappointed in looking at the american -- supposedly american citizens -- in that courtroom, that the d.a. comes in and he acts like it's his super bowl. >> stephen: senator tuberville appears to be the only person to get ever brain damage from coaching football. trump's trial isn't the only big attraction here in new york new york. downtown, there's a new art installation providing a live window between new york and dublin, ireland. what a beautiful idea. two cosmopolitan cities, linked by history, literature, and immigration,

now joined by art, and people are flashing their private parts while others openly do drugs and stream pornography from their phones. well, it makes sense. you put new york and dublin together and what do you get? boston. [laughter] boston? boston, boston. and we should've seen this coming. all new technologies are used to transmit porn eventually. remember alexander graham bell's first telephone call. >> mr. watson, i'm insanely high on morphine. now hold the transmitter down to your rear and let me hear dat booty clap." >> stephen: we got a great show for you tonight! my guests are jennifer hudson and marisa abela. but when we come back, "meanwhile"!

join us, won't you? ♪ ♪ >> announcer: "the late show with stephen colbert" sponsored by listerine. feel the whoa.

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♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> stephen: welcome back, everybody. louis cato and "the late show" band, right over there. [cheering] tonight i'm very excited because one of my favorite guests, an amazing artist, jennifer hudson is here in just a moment. and the star of the amy winehouse movie "back to black," marisa abela is here in just a few minutes as well. [applause] folks, if you watch the show, you know i spend most of my time right over there eyeing the day's news leather and hand-selecting only the most topical vegetable-tanned story stock, which i embellish with gold tilla thread and fine glass

beadwork to create for you the stunning yet tasteful punjabi jutti shoes that are my nightly monologue. but sometimes, sometimes, folks, while being chased barefoot through a chemical bog by u.s. marshals, i rip scraps of tarp off an abandoned hobo camp which i strap to my feet using strips of dead skunkvine, then limp down the interstate in the escapee's kluge-boots of news that are my segment... >> "meanwhile"! [cheers and applause] >> stephen: kluge-boots. meanwhile, as part of a new collaboration, eggo is selling waffle-inspired sneakers for $150 which come in two styles inspired by eggo: fully loaded chocolate chip brownie and strawberry delight, fun fact: both of these shoes contain more nutrients than an eggo waffle. meanwhile, anyone here a big fan

of "jeopardy!" >> audience: whoo! >> stephen: i'm sorry. the correct answer is "what is 'whoo'?" well, good news. because a whole new "jeopardy!" spin-off series has been created, i assume called "law & order: ken jennings victims unit." apparently the show will be a new "jeopardy!" pop culture trivia spinoff. finally, a "jeopardy!" for dumb people. "oh, you know the capital of bhutan? well, i can name all of the friends. ross, rachel. ringo? i'm sorry, who is ringo?" meanwhile, facing increasing financial difficulties, "red lobster is abruptly closing dozens of restaurants." this is terrible news. without red lobster, that only leaves olive garden, ruby tuesdays, cracker barrel, joe's crab shack, tgi fridays, outback steakhouse, pf changs,

chilis, chilis too, "now that's what i call chili's" and of course "law & order: chili's victims unit." [cheers and applause] meanwhile, the "vatican museums staff have started unprecedented legal action over labor conditions which could lead to an embarrassing lawsuit against pope francis' administration." reached for comment, the vatican said, "oh, no! this employment lawsuit is so embarrassing for the catholic church, and everyone should really be talking about this lawsuit, 'cause it's an important issue, so let's really focus solely on this lawsuit, the worst thing the catholic church has ever done." [applause] meanwhile, according to the latest data, "older adults are having sex, and they're getting stis too." apparently the old folks are "forgoing condoms as there is no risk of pregnancy"

and as a result, "cases of gonorrhea among those 55-plus have grown about 600% since 2010. chlamydia cases have quadrupled, while syphilis cases are now nearly 700% higher." welp! looks like i need to have the sex talk with america's elderly. meet me on the sexy-genarian cam. okay, peepop. okay. okay, peepop. this is a condom. and this... nope! can't do it! cannot do it. i'd rather help you set up a wireless printer. meanwhile, a southwest airlines passenger flummoxed fellow flyers after she was filmed napping in the plane's overhead bin. that is insane. there was room in an overhead bin?

since when? it's always full of six illegally large carry-ons, some lady's giant coat, and a cinch-sack of unwrapped deli sandwiches. meanwhile, in the world of basketball, dallas mavericks star luka doncic was answering -- [applause] is he here? was answering media questions about their nba playoff game victory on thursday when what sounded like sex noises interrupted the press conference. let's listen. >> just sharing the ball in our energy was great. >> [moaning] >> what do you think, uh... umm, okay, moving on. >> louis: wow. [cheers and applause]

>> stephen: pretty bad. but better than when a sports press conference interrupts sex. "how do you think it's going so far? well, seems like in the first half, he missed some key shots from downtown!" meanwhile, wendy's is offering free 6-piece chicken nuggets every wednesday for the rest of the year during what the chain is calling wendy's wednesdays. totally unrelated, arby's is running their own promotion: day-old wendy's nuggets thursdays. arby's: we have access to wendy's. we'll be right back with jennifer hudson. ♪ ♪ inez, let me ask you, you're using head and shoulders, right? only when i see flakes. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. tiny troy: he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head and shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really?

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[cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ >> stephen: there you go. thank you. thank you, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back everybody. folks, my first guest is the youngest female egot winner in history and host of "the jennifer hudson show." please welcome back to "the late show," jennifer hudson. ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause]

>> jennifer: hey! >> louis: hey! >> stephen: hey! i don't mention this with every guest for those are some really good looking shoes you've got there. >> jennifer: you like them? >> stephen: can we get a shot of them. you look like you can punch a hole in drywall with those of you had to. >> jennifer: i don't want to do that. >> stephen: in a pinch. >> jennifer: thank you so much. >> stephen: you could find james bond with ozan. >> jennifer: i'll be ready. >> stephen: lovely to see you. we do thank you for having me. >> stephen: a pleasure. mother's day was two days ago. here you are right here with your son, david. he is 14 years old. >> jennifer: that's my baby. >> stephen: easy taller than you at this point? >> jennifer: yes. i've been trying to figure out when i was last able to carry him because at this point he's carrying me. he wanted to be super tall, taller than me. he has surpassed my height and his size 14 shoes.

he's huge. everyone still think he's a baby. and i'd be like, that man right there is my child. that's little david. a nothing little about him. >> stephen: dizzy take after you. is he saying? >> jennifer: he's musical but when he starts singing and i pull off the camera, he is like, what are you doing it. one mother's day, we were in t the -- watching "the greatest showman." he decided to record himself singing it and give it to me as a gift. ain't that sweet, y'all? i would play it for you but i would get in trouble if i did that. so what i did was i took it and i made it the bell of my house, the doorbell. tim singing. >> stephen: how tobacco over? >> jennifer: not good. mama, take it down, don't do that.

>> stephen: the last time we talked it was the first year of your talk show, "jennifer hudson show." season two, four daytime emmy nominations. congratulations. >> jennifer: hearing that is crazy. >> stephen: that's lovely. >> jennifer: thank you. >> stephen: you said at the time, you are having to get used new lingo, the grind of the every day. working off prompters like this. have you all settled in now? is it natural, second nature? >> jennifer: i'm still learning. i'm finding my groove. i started out singing first announcement balance is a talk show host. i am learned from the energy of the audience that lifts you up, things like that. [cheers and applause] like right now, i'm watching you. taking it all in. it's a different type, it's a different type of connection like as a host and as a singer. if i hit a note, i know people

are going to clap, clap, right? clap, right? but what's strange being a host is when you start talking, people be like. i'm like, shouldn't they be clapping? >> stephen: people get quiet. they want to know you're going to say. >> jennifer: they get quiet. it took me a while to learn that. >> stephen: i heard that you really don't like the cold. for example, i know for myself and other talk show hosts, we like our studios really cool because it keeps the audience crisp like a stick of celery. >> jennifer: is that why? >> stephen: keeps them awake. if it's too warm, people get sleepy. i call it, the weather. if it's cold, you almost laughed as a self-defense mechanism. like chattering your teeth to try to warm yourself up and how do you get around -- is your studio cold? >> jennifer: yes and i can't concentrate when i'm cold. even now, i'm like oh, my god, it is so cold in here. when i requested is my chair to be built with a heating pad in it.

they tried it but they said i couldn't have it because it was a fire hazard. so now i'm just stuck with a cup of tea and i wear layers and layers of clothes to keep me warm. >> stephen: i keep page mina back here for guests who get cold. >> jennifer: you got a blanket? >> stephen: i do. >> stephen: come on here, i am feeling real at home. on my legs. thank you so much, young man. the lord is going to bless you. [applause] >> stephen: i also keep whiskey back here. >> jennifer: i'm okay. got a little tea in this cup and i've got this blanket, child. i'm so good. >> stephen: don't get sleepy. don't nod off. >> jennifer: this is amazing. >> stephen: do you have preshow rituals? three or four things i have to

do every show. i am ready to do the show. >> jennifer: the tunnel of memories. the spirit tunnel is what we have. >> stephen: is that the clip? how does this come about? >> jennifer: i am all about energy and lifting people up. that's what the happy place represents. the staff and gruesome amazing. i feel like they be out there rehearsing incentive writing up the next scene, they be rehearsing. when they -- when i come up they have a two-year song, different song every day. >> stephen: we are about to see it but it changes every day. >> jennifer: every day. >> one, two, three. j-hud don't mess around because she loves her show and does she know for sure. j-hud! ♪ ♪ j-hud ♪

>> jennifer: ♪ colbert, colbert ♪ give me one. you've got the band. they be jammin. >> stephen: 20 years since you are eliminated from "american idol." when you look back at that moment, what were you thinking. did it seem like the end. did you have any idea it was just the beginning of so much success? >> jennifer: wow. that was 20 years ago. i was 22. i'm 42 now but in that moment that is what kept me going. for a split-second, of course you're going to get sad. you're like, i didn't win. this is the end of the road for me here but it was really brief and a few seconds later, i am like, i still have my talent. i still have my gift and the passion to do what i love to do so long as i keep singing and keep it that goal at that dream, it has no choice but to give in because i do it for the love.

[applause] and because of that, i've been blessed. thank you. to do so many things. >> stephen: one of the nice things about the kind of success you've achieved that i'm sure you have a few "pinch me" moments, like meeting people who were heroes of yours or artists you admire. does anything leap out? the first time one of the monty python guys asked tamimi, eric idle wanted to meet me and i thought it was a mistake. how can that be true? >> jennifer: yes, i have had several moments like that. when the guests come on, this is such and such but starting out my career was -- it was after "dreamgirls." i'm singing for an event and waiting for her to start and all of a sudden it's like an army of men in suits walking by. i'm like, who are these people? in the midst of them is my idol,

y'all. oh, my god. she literally stops and says stop, it is you. you're the one. i am like uh, uh, i couldn't move at all. my people were like, get up. when you do? it's whitney houston. i can't move. that's that moment for me. then one time, y'all, i got to sing with prince. prince, right? whoo, child. he was performing in chicago. you can't perform in my city and i not be part of it. he's like okay, we're not going to rehearse. oh, my god. we come up on the lift and we are singing on stage and in the middle of the song it hits me, i am singing with prince. i start screaming the middle of

the song. ah! it's prince! it comes and goes away it hits you. >> stephen: we have to take a quick break. please don't go away and don't you go away. we'll be right back with ms. jennifer hudson, everybody. and you can still save versus the other guys.” focus! hello t-mobile... hold on... you might want to just... ok stop! just say it like this, “at t-mobile, you can save on every plan, and you get great benefits with magenta status." magenta status... yuh! i'll show you my magenta status. ok, i'll just do it. check out the t-mobile savings calculator to see how much you can save. and right now, we'll even pay off your phone when you switch! to 50 years with my best friend. [sfx: gasp] [sfx: spilling sound] nooo... aya... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty absorbs spills like a sponge. and is 2x more absorbent so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. geico covers dead batteries with their easy app and 24/7 help.

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[applause] >> stephen: hey, everybody, we are back with a host of "the jennifer hudson show." it's jennifer hudson. as a brilliant singer, one of

the greatest of your generation, can you go to a concert and just enjoy yourself? or are you always -- is it like a bus men's holiday, you can enjoy yourself because you're thinking how i would do that song. >> jennifer: i do sit and think, if i could sing that song. i love going to concerts. every time i go, i end up on the program in the middle of the show some type of way. one time -- >> stephen: you don't know you're going to be on stage. >> jennifer: if to the point, if i don't know your song, i'm not coming to your concert. if i'm getting ready to come to your concert and i better know a song just in case they call me up, i'm ready. i want to see anita baker a couple years ago. i'm not tell her i'm here. her songs are like paragraphs, a lot of musical changes. you can't revamp that. you can't. i was like i'm not telling her i'm here. i went backstage, why didn't you tell me you were here.

colbert, let me tell you about this. i went to see diana ross. yes. in chicago. normally we sit in the sky box at the top. that's where i thought i was sitting. i get there and they put me right, the third seat from her, okay. in the middle of everybody. when i go to people's concerts, i like to address at least in my mind how the artist would dress. i'm listening to music on the way to the events my get there so i am thinking i'm sitting in the sky box. i'm sitting third row. i had on what i thought were plush little house shoes. they were fancy. then a slip dress and a scarf. i could wear my shoes because i'm supposed to be in the sky box but i'm in the third row. i get there in the concert is going on. i'm going to join it. all of a sudden the concert is over. i get ready to walk out the back door. my security says jennifer, diana ross wants you to come to

the stage. y'all, i was so close to the exit door. but if diana ross says get to the stage, what are you going to do? get to the stage. diana ross said. do you see my shoes? it looked like i walked out on the stage out of diana ross concert in a nightgown. >> stephen: is now with this is? >> jennifer: that's what that is. there you go, right there. oh, my god. which brings me to come i learned my lesson from then on. i only wear a boot buffer shoe. any heel eyewear, it's got to be comfortable. she need don't ever come to a concert with no flip-flop on. this she was interchangeable. i could be comfortable, go to the concert, go to the basketball game and be okay and that way i won't be caught in another house you at a diana ross concert. >> stephen: always lovely to have you on the show and have you back in the yard. are you doing in new york?

>> jennifer: i have a boyfriend here in new york. we are going to the basketball game tonight and i can't wait. y'all watching the knicks. we've got to watch the game. i've got a date. [applause] >> stephen: lovely to have you. thank you so much for being h here. "the jennifer hudson show" airs weekdays nationwide. jennier hudson, everybody. we'll be right back with the star of "back to black," marisa abela. there are many ways to dress your mcdonald's hot, crispy fries. but which is best...? is it with ketchup? sweet 'n sour? dare i say au naturale...? ♪ ♪ on your period, sudden gushes happen. say goodbye gush fears! thanks to always ultra thins... with rapiddry technology... that absorbs two times faster. hellooo clean and comfortable. always. fear no gush.

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♪ ♪ >> stephen: hey, everybody. welcome back. ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is an actor you know from "industry" who is now playing amy winehouse in "back to black." >> i get really nervous when i get up on stage. and now you've basically told me i have no stage presence. great, that's really going to help. i'm not cold porter. i need to live my songs. that's what i'm going to do. i'm going to take some time off so things can happen to me ag again. then maybe i'll get back in your

studio. you know what. see you whenever. >> stephen: please welcome marisa abela. ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] hi, nice to meet you. >> marisa: hi, so nice to meet you. >> stephen: this is a very exciting role for an actress. i mean, amy winehouse, a brief, beautiful, iconic career. is it daunting to be cast to play someone so beloved and so talented? >> marisa: yeah, definitely. i mean, it's daunting. it's, there's so much responsibility that comes along with it. i think you either step up to

the plate when you have something like that, big responsibility, to me as an actor the only way to deal with that is to work really hard. and try to honor her as best i can. that's putting in a performance that is both recognizable, she really existed so it has to look like amy and sound like amy and feel like amy but it also has to be full of that magic thing that she had. which is the more difficult thing to do. >> stephen: obviously would want the rule, your addition, you put effort into it. when you got the phone call but you got the role, what was the ratio of fear to excitement. >> marisa: you are excited for about 2 minutes then you are terrified. i was at the edinburgh fringe festival watching some comedy and i was on my way from edinburgh to ibiza with some friends. it's a fun time, august.

i got themazing here is some champagne and then news. you sit on the flight, you buckle the seat belt and you sit there for three hours. what the hell have i just signed up for? >> stephen: you seeing as amy in this. you sound beautiful. you've got such a powerful, such beautiful control of your voice like she did. how many years have you been seeing? >> marisa: i didn't sing before. i've never sung really. i went to drama school. you do a few bits of singing. one singing lesson a week may be but i would never have song. >> stephen: you're never saying publicly before. >> marisa: never saying publicly. karaoke, whatever. but i would never have offered myself up to sing. >> stephen: did you know you were going to have to sing this part? >> marisa: no, no. >> stephen: if you are not a singer. it would be hard for me to say,

i want to play pavarotti. i dabble. it takes chutzpah. >> marisa: it does take chutzpah but amy had a lot of chutzpah. by embodying her, there's a fearlessness that comes into it. also sam have the rights to all of the music are universal had given the rights to amy's music so if we needed to put amy's voice into it, we could have done. it could have been an overdub. i think that was good because i went into those singing lessons from a place of real curiosity and i want to do right by her emotionally. >> stephen: you went into the studio to record this. >> marisa: it was with amy winehouse is a band. >> stephen: what was it like? did you talk to them about what if it -- what it was like. >> marisa: it was useful to talk to people who really knew her. all the different contexts. they knew her as an artist and that's what our film focuses on we are trying to bring the

artistry back to amy and her legacy is incredible songwriter and singer. i think talking to them about, what was she like during a performance, after a performance. if she hated it. it was amazing and we recorded at abbey road which is so iconic. >> stephen: i can't believe it's already been 13 years since she died. you are very young. how old were you when she passed? >> marisa: i was about 15 i think. her cultural significance in the u.k. alone, i'm sure everywhere but in the u.k., cannot be underestimated. yes, i was young but everyone felt that so hard. i think what happens when the big trauma like that happens to a country is you try and figure out why. i think we've all spent a long time asking, why did this happen to amy? it's put her in a position of the object of trauma. i think what we do with our film

is really put, give her that chutzpah back, the fire. she is the protagonist of her own story again and she's not a victim. she's a true icon and an artist. i'm really proud of it. >> stephen: did you always want to do this? is this what the plan was, to be an actress? >> marisa: well, yeah, i always loved acting. i got to performing arts scholarship to a nice school when i was very young so it was important. my mom is a theater actor. >> stephen: she was okay with you doing this. she didn't want you to get a mechanical engineer degree? >> marisa: cut in the opposite. i wanted to be a lawyer. i watched my mom do it. i grew up seeing her in the theater in these incredible shows and the reality of this job is a hard one. you stop working then you have to do something else for a bit so i think i knew it was difficult. i wanted to do law.

i want to use el, university in london. i was like oh, this is kind of boring. i don't know that i love this. >> stephen: one day. >> marisa: i walked down the street. the drama school i ended up at. the royal academy of dramatic arts. i walked past it and my mom was like, go on. so i auditions. i didn't get in my first year. i thought, i will defer my place and if i don't get in another year i will go to ucl. if i do get income i will go. >> stephen: less boring? >> marisa: way less boring. really fun. >> stephen: thank you so much for being here. "back to black" is in theaters this friday. marisa abela, everybody. we'll be right back.

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mugs. >> stepen: that's it for "the late show"! tune in tomorrow when my guests will be george stephanopoulos and michelle buteau. now stick around for taylor tomlinson and her guests bert kreischer, katherine blanford, and rich eisen. good night!