THE TRANSCRIPT OF 'THE LATE SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN' INTERVIEW ON MAY 18th 1999
The last guest on the program was Timothy and Conan introduced him and then Timothy comes on stage and thanks everyone for their welcome.
Conan says to Timothy: "How are ya?"
Timothy: "Excellent!"
Conan: "You know I actually worried a little bit, that you know, a very prestigious actor, well thought of actor, well trained actor, and, and, you're backstage with all the animals is everything ok?"
Timothy: "Yea as long as you don't wear vanilla."
Conan: "Vanilla what does that mean?"
Timothy: "No, no, I only know about horses, I don't know about snakes or anything like that."
Conan: "Right."
Timothy: "I remember making a show once with horses and the leading lady had given me a little present of eau de cologne, it smelt of vanilla and we were playing this scene and the horse was nuzzling... nuzzling."
Timothy puts his hand to his head to show a horse nuzzling.
Timothy: "And he just pushed it away and carry on with your lines, then it started rearing up and everybody who was watching this scene was laughing and I looked around... I don't know what you can say on television?"
Conan: "We just had Ronald come in." (which was a reference to an appearence just before Timothy of Ronald Macdonald)
Timothy says excitedly: "How would you describe a horse, how would you describe a horse that was excited?"
Conan: "It was true, it was in a state of..."
Timothy: "It was a..."
Timothy tries to show a certain male only body part in an excited position with his hands
Conan: "Yea a horse."
Timothy: "Yes a hard to describe, it's hard to describe." (Timothy shows again an excited horse).
Conan: "Yes excited, yes ok, excited horse."
Timothy: "That's all I know about working with animals."
Conan: "Does it just work on horses? I mean?"
Timothy: "I dunno I mean you're not er... you had no trouble with the snakes."
Andy (who is another presenter on the show and who was sitting next to Timothy) said: "It might have been because you (he is speaking to Timothy) you're a very handsome man." (The audience laughs)
Timothy: "A memory from the past."
Conan: "I would think everyone is talking about the 'Cleopatra' mini series, it's er people are excited about and I would think you would be very happy that you're coming out with a television mini series this week and not a movie, as everything that is coming out right now has to go up against 'Star Wars' which would be a dreadful experience."
Timothy: "Well I remember coming out a couple of years ago with Fran Dresher in a movie, we went to number two I think in the top whatever and then 'Star Wars' came out the know the re-release of the original."
Conan: "You had to go up against the re-release?"
Timothy: "Every movie, every movie that was out there just disappeared. I mean 'Star Wars' just took it all so..."
Conan: "It's ok to lose to a re-release of 'Star Wars', but what if you are stopped by a re-release of 'Ernest Goes To Camp' or something and you were crushed by it?"
The audience laughs.
Timothy laughs with that wonderful infectious laugh he has and says: "I prefer it was 'Star Wars' but... my advice is miss the lines... save yourself 10 bucks and you know stay in front of the fire at home and watch 'Cleopatra'."
The audience laughs and applauds.
Conan: "You're smooth, smooth.”
Timothy: "Yes!"
Timothy laughs and touches Conan's hand, the audience also laughs and applauds.
Conan: "That would be your advice wouldn't it?"
Timothy: "Go on Wednesday." (Which was after both parts of 'Cleopatra' had aired on the ABC).
Conan: "You know it's funny I , I, because of the James Bond role and you do play er... in the movie you have just mentioned actually and the one you did with Fran Dresher."
Timothy: "Beautician and the Beast, yes."
Conan: "Beautican and the Beast, you, you played a very erudite, you know proper person, that's the sort of your persona. Have you ever thought I wanna stretch, I wanna be a hillbilly in a movie something completely over the top?"
Timothy: "You know, it's interesting I just did a movie with Jim Belushi called 'Made Men' which is a modern American gangster movie which is lawless, subversive, and anarchic, very funny. I play an Oklahoma Sheriff."
Conan: "Really?" (sounding surprised) "I didn't even know that when I asked you Tim."
Timothy: "I know you didn't, I know you didn't."
Conan: "I mean an Oklahoma Sheriff you could still be, I mean a hillbilly with a still and a shotgun and like..."
Timothy: "I am on the way, I am on the way."
Andy: "Can we hear a little Oklahoma Sheriff?"
Timothy in his Oklahoma accent says: "I don't know about that."
Conan: "That's not too bad, that's fine."
Timothy continues in his Oklahoma accent: "How ya doing just a little bit."
Timothy: "I forgot now, you know I've been playing Julius Caesar, I couldn't play and speak in..."
Conan: "It's good to come in with Julius Caesar too."
Timothy: "In fact I think it started kind of Mid Western and just then went to Mid Atlantic and then probably ended up where it should have been done."
The audience is applauding and laughing.
Conan: "In the ocean somewhere yea. Do want to show people the scope of this movie because although people hear a TV mini-series I don't think they understand that I think is a, what is it? $30 million was spent."
Timothy: "Yea I think a bit more."
Conan: "Making this $30 million and forty two dollars was spent on this movie and...
Timothy: "And 10 cents"
Conan: "Lets show people the scope because I don't think you expect this in a mini-series, take a look at this clip..."
A clip of Cleopatra was shown of the battle scene that Ceasar (Timothy) was involved in.
Conan: "That's impressive I mean for a mini-series."
Timothy: "Yes it is."
The audience applauds.
Conan (Conan talks excitedly): "If you were, I think there several points in this movie, you in the character, you are in charge of about 1500 men on horseback and you are leading them in a charge. If they gave me that to do it would go to my head. I would want to attack something, I would feel... did you ever get a swelled head when you were in charge of so many people?"
Timothy (Timothy talks excitedly): "No, no it's fantastic! I will never forget my first day's work on this movie, I mean if you had seen a little bit more you would have seen a city, the city of Alexandria or at last a segment of it built out of the desert ummm. It's huge it's the biggest set I've ever worked on in my life, and my first days work was, was riding in with my soldiers into this city and it stretches for yards and yards and yards hundreds of yards from the port right through to the Royal Palace. (Timothy talks with even more passion and excitement) You fill that with people, you fill that with soldiers, you fill that with the peasants, you fill that with the life, it is I swear to you bigger then Cecil B de Mille. It really is I mean you may not like the show but...!!
Conan (talking loud and excitedly): "You've gone insane, you've gone insane. I've just asked him if it's gone to his head, then you talk for about 30 seconds you're like it's the biggest thing you've ever seen!!!!”
Timothy: "It's true."
Conan (Still talking loud and excitedly): "I will destroy you all with my armies!!!!!
The audience laughs and applauds.
Conan: "It's er... I'm sorry I've had a little too much vanilla before the show.
The audience laughs, and Timothy looks Conan up and down sexually and says: "Really?"
Conan growls at Timothy pretending to be excited then Conan says: "Timothy Dalton" and shakes Timothy's hand. Then Conan gives the time and day that Cleopatra will be on, which those in the States have now seen.
Conan: "And er I'm going to check it out it does seem like a great pic."
Timothy: "It's a real nice one, it really is good."
Conan: "Right er... Timothy Dalton everybody!" Then Conan says to Timothy "Come on by anytime, it's always fun having you on."
Timothy and Conan shake hands.
Timothy: "Thank you."
The audience cheers and applauds.
Conan: "Timothy Dalton. We will be right back with..."