MY NEXT GUEST IS A TALENTED
ACTOR WHO IS NOMINATED FOR A
TONY AWARD FOR HIS
PERFORMANCE IN "HAMILTON."
♪ THERE IS NO MORE STATUS QUO
PUT THE SUN COMES UP AND THE
WORLD STILL SPINS
♪ I HAVE LAFAYETTE DRAFT A
DECLARATION NEN I SAY I GOTTA GO
♪ GOT TO BE IN MONTICELLO
NOW THE WORK AT HOME BEGINS
♪ SO WHAT DID I MISS
WHAT DID I MISS
♪ VIRGINIA, MY HOME SWEET HOME,
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CIZ ♪
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME
DAVEED DIGGS!
( BAND PLAYING )
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON
EVERYTHING.
>> THANK YOU, MAN.
>> Stephen: HOW IS IT IT FEEL
TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAS
BECOME A CULTURAL MILESTONE?
>> I --
>> NO PRESSURE.
>> I KNOW, I CAN'T THINK ABOUT
THAT PART OF IT.
I JUST GO TO WORK EVERY DAY.
>> Stephen: YOU PLAY BOTH
JEFFERSON AND LAFAYETTE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IN "HAMILTON," THE
MUSICAL.
AND THAT WAS JEFFERSON JUST
THEN.
WHAT I LOVE.
THAT SONG, THE MOMENT WHEN YOU
TURN AROUND AND SAY, "WHAT DID I
MISS?"
IS A HUGE LAUGH IN THE MUSICAL
BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN AWAY WHILE
HAMILTON AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN
BACK HERE FIGHTING THE
REVOLUTION.
>> THOMAS JEFFERSON MISSED
EVERYTHING BEING A ROCK STAR IN
FRANCE.
HE WAS A SYMBOL OF AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY SO HE WAS LITERALLY
LIKE ROCK STAR LIFESTYLE, AND
SHOWS BACK UP IN THE U.S. AND IS
GIVEN THE THE JOB OF SECRETARY
OF STATE JUST SIGHT UNSEEN.
JUST SHOWS UP, "HERE, YOU'RE
SECRETARY OF STATE, COOL."
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THOMAS
JEFFERSON'S WHOLE LIFE.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST
SECRETARY OF STATE.
HE DID A LITTLE BIT OF WORK.
>> AND HAD A LOT OF LEISURE TIME
AND INVENTED THINGS.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE PLANTED ALL
THOSE CROPS BY HIMSELF.
>> I KNOW.
>> Stephen: HOW DID HE HAVE
ALL THAT LEISURE TIME?
>> HE WAS SO BUSY.
>> Stephen: AMAZING, AMAZING.
>> JUST PUSHING A PLOW.
>> Stephen: AND BOTH JEFFERSON
AND LAFAYETTE, IS THERE ONE--
LAFAYETTE, OF COURSE, PEOPLE WHO
DON'T KNOW, A FRENCHMAN WHO
FOUGHT WITH THE UNITED STATES
AGAINST ENGLAND, IS THERE ONE
YOU LIKE DOING MORE BECAUSE
THEY'RE BOTH FANTASTIC PART?
>> I REALLY LOVE THAT I GET TO
DO THEM BOTH BECAUSE THEY
FUNCTION REALLY DIFFERENTLY IN
CONTEXT OF THE PLAY.
LAFAYETTE'S ARCH, IS REALLY
DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET THROUGH.
HE'S NOT ON STAGE A TON AND HE
HAS TO GO FROM SOMEBODY WHEN WE
MEET HIM IS BARELY COMPETENT IN
ENGLISH TO WE SEE HIM BECOME A
GREAT GENERAL AND DOING A REALLY
FAST RAP PIECE.
SO I'M VERY FOCUSED AND I'M VERY
SORT OF INSIDE OF IT.
AND JEFFERSON THE FIRST THING I
DO IS WAVE AT EVERYBODY AND BLOW
THEM KISSES.
YOU SAW THE THING.
THAT'S-- IT'S RARE THAT YOU GET
TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IN
ONE SHOW, HAVE THESE TOTALLY
DIFFERENT THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
S.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE
INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT, FOR
PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN
"HAMILTON," IS JEFFERSON IS
ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS SORT OF A
GENIUS HERO IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
HE IS NOT THE HERO OF THIS PLAY.
>> NO, NO IT'S HAMILTON'S STORY.
>> Stephen: IT'S HAMILTON'S
STORY BUT HAMILTON HAS HIS OWN
FAULTS HERE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK
THAT THIS PLAY-- BESIDES THERE'S
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, TREMENDOUS
PERFORMANCES, A REALLY
COMPELLING STORY, BUT WHY COW
THINK IT IS SO TRANSFORMATIVE?
BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES FEEL LIKE
YOU'RE WATCHING SOMETHING
DIFFERENT HAPPEN ON STAGE?
>> I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH
THAT WE, THE PERFORMERS ARE,
SORT OF ASKED TO ELIMINATE ALL
OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
OURSELVES AND THE AUDIENCE,
RIGHT.
SO THAT'S CULTURALLY, AS WELL AS
EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S HIP-HOP IN
THE PLAY.
HIP-HOP IS A VERY CONTEMPORARY
STYLE OF MUSIC.
AND THAT MAKES THESE CHARACTERS
FEEL CONTEMPORARY AND FEEL LIKE
PEOPLE YOU WOULD KNOW AND MEET.
>> Stephen: IT DOES REMOVE THE
BETWEEN NOT ONLY YOU AND THE
AUDIENCE BUT ALSO BETWEEN THE
AUDIENCE AND THE FOUNDING
FATHERS.
>> I THINK THAT'S THE THING.
IF THAT I EVER-- WE'RE USED TO
LEARNING ABOUT THEM AS STATUES
OR PAINTs.
>> Stephen: VERY WHITE
STATUES.
>> VERY WHITE STATUE S.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GET
INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
>> I-- I-- I'M PART OF THIS
GROUP FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
THAT IS LIN FOUNDED WITH TOMMY
KALE, OUR DIRECTOR, AND CHRIS
JACKSON IS ALSO A PART OF THIS
GROUP.
AND WE WERE ASKED TO PERFORM--
IT'S AN IMPROVISED RAP PROJECT,
AND WE WERE ASKED TO PERFORM AT
THE SUPER BOWL IN NEW ORLEANS
RAPPING LIVE ABOUT SPORTS
CELEBRITIES ON SPORTS NATION AS
THEY WERE BRINGING PEOPLE OUT.
YEAH, YEAH.
IT WAS A TOTALLY CRAZY TIME.
AND WE'RE THERE, AND TOMMY KALE,
COMES UP TO ME SORT OF AFTER ALL
THIS IS DONE AND SAYS, "HEY,
LIN, IS WORKING ON A NEW THING.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A READING,
IT'S A RAP MUSICAL ABOUT
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
WILL YOU COME AND BE A PART OF
IT?"
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR
FIRST REACTION, A RAP MUSICAL
ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF THE FEDERAL
BANKING SYSTEM?
>> IT IMMEDIATELY MADE PERFECT
SENSE AND I KNEW EXACTLY-- I
ACTUALLY TOLD TOMMY TO HIS FACE
IT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA.
AND THEN TOLD HIM TO SEND ME THE
SCRIPT BECAUSE I WAS FOR SURE
MOTT-- MY FRIEND'S WRITING A
PLAY AND THEY WANT TO PAY ME?
YEAH.
AS SOON AS THEY SENT ME THE
MUSIC, IT WAS-- ALL OF A SUDDEN
IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
THAT'S THE FUNNY THING ABOUT
THIS SHOW, THE PITCH IS NOT
GREAT, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: MY REACTION-- I
HEARD ABOUT IT, AND EVERYBODY
SAID, "YOU HAVE TO GO SEE IT."
I THINK YOU GUYS WERE STILL IN
PREVIEWS-- YOU HAD MOVED TO
BROADWAY BUT HADN'T OPENED YET,
AND MY REACTION IS WHAT I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE'S REACTION IS.
THE FIRST 15 MINUTE YOU GO,
"THIS IS GOOD.
THIS IS GOOD.
I WONDER HOW LONG THEY CAN
SUSTAIN THIS?"
BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE NOT USED TO SEEING
CERTAINLY HISTORY OR MUSICAL
PRESENTED THIS WAY ON PRAUD WAY.
AND THE NEXT 15 MINUTE THEY GO,
"WOW, THAT IS REALLY
EXTRAORDINARY."
AND 15 MINUTES LATER YOU'VE
COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN IT'S A NEW
FORM AND TWO HOURS LATER YOU'RE
SAYING, "WHY AM I CRYING OVER
ALEXANDER HAMILTON?"
WHY AM I CRYING OVER ALEXANDER
HAMILTON, DAVEED DIGGS?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T DONE
IT 500 TIMES.
( LAUGHTER )
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: YOU'RE LOOK,
"ALEXANDER HAMILTON, ENOUGH,
ENOUGH!
"
>> Stephen: WELL, I WOULD SEE
IT 500 TIMES.
>> PLEASE DO.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE TONIES ON
JUNE 12 RIGHT HERE ON CBS.
DAVEED DIGGS, EVERYBODY.
