♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: my thanks to drew barrymore, peso pluma, pedro tovar, and the roots right there from philadelphia, pennsylvania. thank you for watching. stay tuned for "late night with seth meyers." goodnight, everybody. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> announcer: from 30 rockefeller plaza in new york, it's "late night with seth meyers." tonight --

will forte. musician and actor ben platt. an all-new "closer look." featuring the 8g band with jon theodore! ♪ [ cheers and applause ] and now, seth meyers. >> seth: good evening. i'm seth meyers. this is "late night." we hope you're doing well. and now if you don't mind, we're going to get to the news. president biden released a video yesterday challenging former president trump to a debate which appeared to have five jump cuts and they weren't even trying to hide it. >> good evening -- my fellow -- americans. [ laughter ] >> seth: president biden and former president trump agreed yesterday to face off in a pair of summer debates. i don't know. it feels like the only summer debate you should have at that age is johnson's versus gold bond. [ laughter ] former president trump was accompanied to the courthouse today by republican representatives matt gaetz and lauren boebert. well, i get it, it's good publicity for boebert and good practice for gaetz. [ laughter ] "oh, so this is what court's going to look like? [ laughter ] all right!" according to a new analysis,

former president trump spends only 11% of time talking about policy plans. the other 89% is mostly recapping the plot of the hannibal lecter movies. [ laughter ] "'red dragon'! did you see that one? not as good as the original. maybe if you're on a plane. it might be good for a plane. 'red dragon.'" [ laughter ] democratic presidential candidate jason palmer announced yesterday he's ended his campaign, and he knew he made the right decision when the announcement echoed. [ laughter ] a wild turkey was spotted this week on the streets of brooklyn. even crazier, it was on a leash. [ laughter ] "yeah. it's my emotional support turkey. i got it for my half birthday. [ laughter ] i've been really down 'cause my favorite coffee place closed." [ light laughter ] uber announced yesterday it will offer uber shuttle which allows users to reserve seats in a

vehicle heading to one destination like an airport or concert. those guys are amazing. first they invent the taxi and now they invent the bus. [ laughter ] how do they -- silicon valley, man! [ light laughter ] the nfl has announced they will have a black friday game for the second year in a row. it's the only black friday event that causes more concussions than walmart. [ laughter ] [ audience oohs ] producers have announced that "the golden bachelor" will air this fall and, fellas, you're going to like what you see -- pictures of her grandkids. [ laughter ] and finally, the makers of oreos yesterday unveiled new packaging inspired by the "star wars" franchise. the way it works is, the first three oreos are pretty good. the next three are pretty bad. [ laughter ] and the rest -- the rest you eat just because you ate the first six. and that was the monologue, everybody! [ cheers and applause ] here we go! here we go! we've got a great show for you tonight. he is an emmy-nominated actor you know from "snl," "the last man on earth," "nebraska" and "macgruber."

he's currently starring in "bodkin" on netflix. one of my dearest friends in the world, will forte is here tonight. [ cheers and applause ] it's always a special night when will is around. he's an emmy, grammy, and tony-winning singer, songwriter, and actor you know from "dear evan hansen" and "parade" on broadway. his three-week residency at new york's palace theater starts may 28th. ben platt is also back on the show! [ cheers and applause ] hey, this is very exciting. red nose day is back for its tenth year raising life-changing funds to help kids facing poverty across the u.s. and around the world. donate now at rednoseday.org and watch the special right here on nbc may 23rd at 8:00 p.m. it is a good cause and a wonderful organization. moving on. matt gaetz and lauren boebert were heckled outside the manhattan criminal courthouse today where they appeared along with several other maga weirdos in support of donald trump. for more on this, it's time for "a closer look." [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> seth: if you're planning a

trip to new york any time soon you're probably familiar with some of the must-see landmarks and tourist attractions we have here. broadway, the m&m store, central park, the m&m store, times square, the m&m store, the american museum of natural history, and moma which is of course a fancy way of saying the m&m store. [ laughter ] but there is a new must-see hot spot that is the top of the itinerary for every out of town visitor we have here. the donald trump hush money trial at the manhattan criminal courthouse. >> it's a show of support for donald trump. republicans vying to be his running mate turned out in force at his trial today. >> you just saw both senator j.d. vance of ohio and senator tommy tuberville of alabama. >> rick scott joined donald trump in court on friday. >> vivek ramaswamy, congressman byron donalds, congressman corey mills. >> doug burgum, tim scott, marco rubio. >> donald trump has brought more friends with him to court. >> a big entourage today. no less than nine lawmakers showing up for former president trump this morning. you've got representatives

matt gaetz, lauren boebert, andy biggs, michael cloud, among others. >> seth: man! beavis and butthead are everywhere. [ laughter ] seriously, there are more republican members of congress at trump's criminal trial than there are at the capitol. just going to throw this out there. it might be a good day to storm it! [ laughter ] you see, trump is under a gag order and can't attack people involved in the case the way he wants to, so his workaround is to summon his army of puppets to do his bidding. the problem is character witnesses should be people of high character, not people of who you would say "he's a real character." [ laughter ] if you're on trial for a criminal charge where character is central to the case. matt gaetz and lauren boebert aren't exactly the role models you want with you in the room. that's like if o.j.'s buddy at his trial were charles manson, hannibal lecter. [ laughter ] got to say i'm surprised to see

lauren boebert there. not surprised she showed up, just surprised she hasn't been kicked out yet. i mean, if you're going to get handsy during a performance of "beetlejuice" the musical i can't imagine how turned on you'd get for a hush money to a porn star trial. [ laughter ] but boebert and gaetz did get prime seats. >> boebert and gaetz are in the courtroom right now sitting in the front row next to eric trump. >> seth: oof! [ light laughter ] they have to sit next to eric trump? where did you get your tickets from? seat freak? [ laughter ] scrub hub was also considered. [ laughter ] sitting front row at the trump trial must be like the maga version of sitting courtside at the knicks game. except if someone says, "wow, they're bigger up close" they're talking about the bags under trump's eyes. [ laughter ] seriously, this is how grimy and pathetic the republican party has become. the only thing sadder than having to sit in a dreary new york city courtroom for your porn star hush money trial is sitting in a dreary new york city courtroom for someone else's porn star hush money -- [ laughter ] we're in the big apple! what should we -- catch a broadway show? should we grab a hot dog?

i got an i -- let's go down to the courthouse, and listen to stormy daniels describe the worst sex of her life. [ laughter ] if joe biden were ever on trial for paying hush money to a porn star, i guaran[ bleep ]tee you not a single democrat would be caught dead within a hundred mile radius. [ light laughter ] you'd never catch bernie sanders sitting in the front row saying, "the problem with pornography is the top 1% of all of the housewives are getting 99% of the pizza deliveries! [ laughter ] the rest of the housewives are living on the crusts!" [ laughter ] also, joe biden -- "sometimes maybe a pepperoni falls!" [ light laughter ] also joe biden would never pay hush money to a porn star. he would just talk to her in hushed tones. "hey, you're not gonna tell -- [ laughter ] you're not gonna tell anybody about this, right?" [ light laughter ] at the very least can we all just take a second on reflect on the fact that there used to be a time when republicans would lecture the rest of us about family values and just

officially declared now that they were full of [ bleep ]? in fact, ohio senator j.d. vance once literally called for a ban on porn in order to save families. of course, knowing how this guy flip-flops in deference to trump, he'd probably say, "the great thing about president trump is he works hard. he didn't sit back and watch porn, he went out and made it!" [ laughter ] house speaker mike johnson once said that he and his teenage son monitor each other's porn intake. >> coveted eyes is the software that i -- we've been using a long time in our household. it's accountability software. so men in a church, you know, men's bible study groups will do it. it scans every -- all of the activity on your phone or your devices, your laptop, tablet, what have you. we do all of it. and then it sends your report to your accountability partner. so my accountability partner right now is jack, my son, right? and so he's 17. so he and i get a report of all the things that are on our phones, or all of our devices once a week. if anything objectionable comes up, your accountability partner gets an immediate notice. i'm proud to tell you my son has -- he's got a clean slate. >> seth: what about you? how come you didn't tell us about yourself? "my son's got a clean slate.

i, however, keep getting very x-rated links sent to me by a friend." "hey, mike, thanks for coming to my trial. also, check this out." "is it porn?" "no." "what is it?" "it's porn." [ laughter ] and yet even accountability partner mike johnson traveled to the courthouse to defend trump during his porn trial. >> the crime that they are accusing president trump of is falsification of business records, but i think everybody knows he is not the bookkeeper for his company. >> seth: that's not the charge! the charge is he funneled a hush money payment through his business and lied about it on official records to conceal it from voters during an election. you can't do that. i can't funnel a hush money payment through this show's budget and call it something like "wardrobe expenses," mainly because everyone knows we don't spend anything on my wardrobe. [ laughter ] nbc pays for an intern to go to jfk once a week to rifle through all the luggage that gets left behind. [ laughter ] that's why yesterday's show i was wearing a bolo tie and mickey mouse ears. [ light laughter ] so that's everyone from matt gaetz, to lauren boebert, to the speaker of the house. don't you guys have, like, i don't know, anything better to do? even if you put aside your supposed jobs as members of congress. i mean, just life stuff.

i have three kids and a full-time job. if one of my friends asked me to fly to a different city to sit in a courtroom for eight hours for his criminal trial i would do anything to get out of it. i'd say, "oh, you don't want me. if jurors are anything like emmy voters, you want john oliver." [ laughter ] he's a friend. he's a dear friend. he's a very dear friend. not like, "here, borrow one of my emmys" friend, but a dear friend. and not only are they showing up to the courthouse. they're also making it incredibly weird. for example, kellyanne conway's estranged husband and donald trump enemy george conway is in the courtroom, as well. and according to the reporters in the room, boebert and gaetz keep turning around to stare at anti-trump attorney george conway. gaetz and boebert are turning the first-ever criminal trial of an ex-president into some sort of telenovela. [ dramatic music sting ] ♪ george? lauren! matt. ♪ george? [ laughter ] matt? lauren? [ gasp ] kellyanne! ay, dios mio! ♪ [ laughter ]

[ applause ] got all the cameras right. [ laughter ] it wasn't -- i'll be honest, not a lot of confidence from the staff. [ laughter ] but aside from embarrassing themselves and their party i'm not sure what exactly they were hoping to accomplish with their presence. i guess they were there to offer moral support for trump and ended up coming off as creepy. for example, see if you can spot matt gaetz in this clip of trump speaking at the courthouse. >> are you worried about a conviction? >> will you testify, mr. trump? >> thank you very much. [ talking over each other ] >> excuse me, excuse me. we are going to be working with a lot of people over the next couple of weeks. this is finishing up. at some point it will be finished. every single review, every legal scholar that i've been able to read said there's no case. >> seth: oh, my god, matt gaetz is looming behind him like the killer in a lifetime movie. [ laughter ]

like he appeared during a lightning storm. "oh, hello, donald. i hope i didn't startle you." [ laughter ] what lifetime movie is that? [ laughter ] "my ex is a vampire?" [ laughter ] also, dude's got such a big head he's standing all of the way in the back and it's still almost the same size as trump's. [ laughter ] he sticks out like a thumb with googly eyes. [ light laughter ] gaetz and -- oh, boy. i'm just so tired from my camera move. [ laughter ] you guys remember when i looked at all three and that part went so good? [ laughter ] i feel like that should have been the end and now we're still doing it. i'm so tired. gaetz and boebert then appeared with their gop colleagues outside the courthouse where they spent a lot of time their getting heckled. first a protester held up a sign

while gaetz was talking that said "bootlickers." of course, bootlicking is one of the things trump paid hush money to cover up. then -- [ laughter ] [ audience ohs ] at the end of the press conference, boebert tried to speak, but was heckled by protesters who taunted her with mentions of the musical she got kicked out of. >> i want all of the news to start asking the question what is the crime? because everyone in this court has not been informed of what the crime is. >> beetlejuice, beetlejuice, beetlejuice! >> the defendant does not know the crime that was committed. [ laughter ] >> seth: don't say it three times! [ laughter ] it's a sign! [ applause ] it's a sign of how insane our politics are that protesters are shouting the word "beetlejuice" at a member of congress and we all know what it means. also, my favorite part is when all of her supposed friends just walk away and abandon her. [ laughter ] dudes, you're not going to help her out? "oof, it's lauren's turn, let's

get the [ bleep ] out of here." [ laughter ] this is how much the gop has debased itself. they spent years lecturing the rest of us about family values, and now they're flocking to the criminal trial of an ex-president so they can stand there while the porn star he paid off describes what was, by her own admission, some of the worst sex of her life. what did trump tell stormy while it was happening? don't worry -- >> this is finishing up at some point. [ laughter ] >> seth: this has been "a closer look." [ cheers and applause ] ♪ we'll be right back with will forte, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> announcer: for more of seth's "closer looks," be sure to subscribe to "late night" on youtube.

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♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: give it up for the fantastic 8g band, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] all this week we've had a simply fantastic drummer sitting in with us whose played with groundbreaking bands like one day is a lion and golden. he's a member of grammy nominated rock band queens of

the stone age who are currently out on tour in support of their latest album "in times new roman," from baltimore, john theodore who has been with us all week. [ cheers and applause ] always a pleasure, john. thank you. >> thank you. >> seth: our first guest tonight is actor-nominated actor and writer you know from his work on "saturday night live," "macgruber," "nebraska," and "the last man on earth." he stars in the new series "bodkin," which is streaming now on netflix. let's take a look. >> there she is. bronagh mcardle. >> that's one of the terrifying mcardles? [ laughs ] she's a little old lady. >> bronagh was married to jon-joe mcardle, an absolute psychopath, and even he was scared of her. >> oh, oh, okay -- wait, wait, wait. are -- are you sure that charging in there with a gun is a good idea? >> yeah, you're right. you're right, you should go. >> uh, okay, okay -- now -- >> you go in. you go in. keep her distracted and i'll go around the back and i'll get the jump on her. >> seamus, come on! do you hear yourself? >> it's only frightening if you

think about it. [ light laughter ] >> seth: please welcome him back to the show my very good friend will forte, everybody! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ >> seth: dear friend. >> hello, dear friend. >> seth: dear friend alert! so great to have you here. >> it is so great to be here. it's always so great -- >> seth: i also had a very nice thing happen and you were actually -- you were in brooklyn for a bit this year filming a movie. >> yes. >> seth: i got to spend time with you and your lovely wife olivia and two beautiful daughters. >> yes. >> seth: one of whom, is represented on your socks tonight. is that correct? >> yes! tonight i have zoe. this is you know uh -- probably a year and a half ago. >> seth: uh-huh. [ audience aws ] >> so -- >> seth: yeah. >> i do have another daughter, cecilia, and i have socks of

her, too. >> seth: uh-huh. oh, that's right? >> but tonight it's zoe sock night. >> seth: okay, that's fair. and i'm glad you're getting that out there so cecilia's feelings aren't hurt. >> yes. >> seth: cecilia is a paul simon song. >> yes. >> seth: and im wondering, is that any -- is that why -- how you came up with the name? >> no. actually, cecilia is my mother's middle name. so we named her after that in honor of my wonderful mother who you know very well. >> seth: very well. >> hello, mom, i love you. >> seth: yeah. >> yeah, but, you know, we always was a huge fan of cecilia. and obviously, having a daughter named cecilia, you can't help, but sing that song all the time. >> seth: yeah. and you have a song in your heart, as a guy you're almost always singing. >> uh. [ light laughter ] >> seth: i just feel like you love to sing. >> oh, yes! oh, i thought you were -- sorry. [ laughter ] that came out -- my brain -- i'm still -- i'm a little jet-lagged. >> seth: yeah. >> so that did not -- i didn't process that. >> seth: you were right -- you were in indianapolis last night. >> yes. and that always --that -- that uh -- really always takes it out of me.

[ laughter ] uh, indianapolis, turkey. [ laughter ] so uh -- so but -- yeah, but cecilia is a little problematic, to be honest. because it starts out very nice, ♪ cecilia you're breaking my heart ♪ ♪ you're shaking my confidence cecelia ♪ ♪ oh cecilia i'm down on my knees ♪ ♪ i'm begging you please to come home ♪ that's when the problem starts. >> seth: okay. >> when you have a daughter named cecilia. >> seth: yeah. >> and you're singing this to her 'cause the verse then kicks in and it goes -- ♪ making love in the afternoon ♪ ♪ with cecilia up in my bedroom ♪ ♪ making love ♪ >> seth: oh, yeah, they really hammered it home. >> but i have switched the lyrics smartly. i'm a smart dad, and it's -- ♪ reading books in the afternoon ♪ ♪ with cecilia up in the library ♪ ♪ reading books ♪ [ laughter ] >> seth: oh yeah, you don't even want to read books in your bedroom. you're like "let's go to the library." [ laughter ] >> then there's another problematic -- i have another problematic name in my family which is my mother-in-law is named denise. >> seth: okay. >> and there is only one song with the name denise in it and it's ♪ denise denise

i'm so in love with you ♪ and it's just all about, like, looking into her eyes -- >> seth: yeah. >> and wanting to kiss her and stuff. and when you hear the name denise, my -- i just think of that song and i automatically go to kind of sing that song and it is a very creepy situation -- [ laughter ] >> seth: to sing to your mother-in-law. >> yeah. >> seth: yeah. >> yeah, so i try to -- i try to cut it off but it's just, like, i love to sing, you know? [ laughter ] >> seth: i love to hang out with your wife olivia, she's so wonderful. >> she is wonderful. >> seth: i, especially like that she is not just a fan of you the person but a fan of your work. i, as well, am a great lover of the sketch "macgruber," the film "macgruber," and the series on peacock. [ cheers and applause ] >> aww, thank you. >> seth: but olivia -- olivia wants the next step. she's not happy with these three adaptations and she wants more "macgruber." >> olivia is pushing for us to do a "macgruber" musical. >> seth: right. [ applause ] >> she's, like -- she is pushing it very hard, and i've got to

say, like -- i love doing "macgruber" so much because it's just this huge group of friends that i get to work with, and it just means spending more time with them and you. >> seth: yep! >> and you know, i want to do every version of macgruber there is, so i'm all for it, but, like, when she told me about that idea i was, like, "oh, i am with the right woman. " >> seth: yeah. >> you know? >> seth: 'cause i mean, when you think everybody who loves musicals and everybody who loves macgruber -- it's like you, wiig, olivia. [ laughter ] >> it's a venn diagram! it's a very small -- >> seth: you -- this is -- "bodkin," which is a wonderful show. this is your third project you've done in ireland. i feel like so often, i've reached out to you to say hi, and you're like "i'm in ireland." it's a wonderful show, it's very funny. >> thank you. >> seth: it's a great idea. but im wondering, you are -- as one of my favorite sketch performers of all time, you are

not the greatest with accents. [ laughter ] >> oh! you feel that way, huh? >> seth: well, well what if you -- how would an irish person be offended by what i just said? >> well, i don't know, seth. [ laughter ] why don't you ask one of them? no, i -- [ laughter ] i -- i have worked there several times and the very first time i worked there this -- this small movie called "run and jump," i would all the time play around with the hair and makeup people and do my accent which is just straight from the lucky charms commercials. >> seth: yeah, yeah, yeah. >> purple horseshoes, green clover! >> seth: yeah, but let me stress, not even a good version of that. >> no -- [ laughter ] i would do this and they would go, "that is not just -- that is not just bad it is offensive." they would say it in an appropriate irish accent. [ laughter ] like an real one. they'd go, "why does your voice get so high?" >> seth: yeah. >> and uh -- >> seth: it sounds like -- it

sounds like you're falling, and i'm hearing it from a well, you're like, "i don't know what to say to you." [ laughter ] >> don't worry, i'm okay! >> seth: that -- no, i like that. >> so, but, the funniest thing was that that movie, "run and jump," made it into the galway film festival. so we went -- i got to go back to ireland that year and watch -- watch it at this galway film festival and the president of ireland was there. he's a big supporter of the arts and he gave a speech and his accent was very similar to mine. [ laughter ] and it was the greatest "f you" back to them. like, you're seeing this? i probably -- its -- yeah, no, it's dead-on. >> seth: yeah. >> it's dead-on. [ laughter ] >> seth: but maybe -- maybe don't google it for our audience? >> maybe not that. that's the only accent i can't do. [ laughter ] >> seth: where -- where are you from, sir? where are you from? >> i don't know. somebody just -- somebody smells like shrimps and barbies. >> seth: oh, boy. [ laughter ] >> just walked by here.

>> seth: we are coming back with something very exciting. we'll be right back with more from will forte. [ cheers and applause ] ♪your competitive brother. and i'm ready for a rematch. game on. i've been practicing. what the cello? you want me to lower the hoop? foul! what? you going to tell on me again? foul yah? foul bro! here take a free shot go ahead knock yourself out. your about to get served. seriously? get allstate, save money, and be better protected from mayhem, like me. love you mom! wait till your father gets home. you want thicker, stronger, fuller hair? you need expert skincare. new dove scalp + hair therapy serum active skincare ingredients targets the source of beautiful hair. your scalp for visibly thicker, stronger, fuller hair.

can i have some mike's please? was this guy's day hard enough for a mike's hard lemonade, hank? i don't know, was it? (stadium cheering) hop to it, bunny boy! hard days deserve a hard lemonade i can't believe i get to work at target! i hope she knows she's getting deals automatically! hop to it, bunny boy! oh i'd tell her if it wasn't a dream! looks like pamela just let that guy know he can get unlimited same-day delivery! and she's gonna save an extra five percent with a target circle card! what's that? oh no, i don't want to wake up! there's too many deals! uh, you are awake. and the deals are real! then how do you explain abe lincoln over by the chips? (vo) it's shrimp your way. choose three flavors for just $20*.

like new street corn shrimp. and our famous garlic shrimp scampi. it's time to grab some cheddar bays and get flavorfull. hurry in to try shrimp your way, only at red lobster. what's the worst part of the locker room? shareef: axe. axe. brandon: i like that. shareef: reminds me of like a designer store. brandon: this smells like a candle. shareef: is this a joke? you chose axe! brandon: i knew i had good taste! shareef: i thought that was a designer brand. (luke) this will be a gold mine of local intel. just you wait. brand(marci)new i had right.aste! so, tell us about this corn festival? (stylist 1) oooh you got your corn pudding... you got your corn chowder... (marci) so... is it safe around here? (stylist 2) sometimes. (luke) if a family of eight were to need a cold plunge, where would they find it? (stylist 1) ...and then they dip it in butter, then bam, it goes right in. (stylist 2) ...really cute vampire bar. (stylist 1) the reverend does like a blessing on the corn. (luke) donut shops. how far from here? (marci) no eyebrows? (luke) think of how light it'll feel in the summer. we've got to run. eleven thousand more neighborhoods to go! (vo) ding dong! homes-dot-com.

♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: welcome back, everybody. we are here with will forte. in "bodkin," you play a true crime podcaster in ireland. >> yes. >> seth: and this was produced

by the obamas production company. >> yes. >> seth: and is it true that barack obama called you? >> yes, he called me two nights ago. it was -- >> seth: wow! >> it was very exciting. i had actually met him in 2008 , he came to "snl," -- >> seth: yeah. >> -- as he was campaigning and went on to win, obviously, and i was in that sketch that he was in. i was playing john edwards, and we were entering from the same place so i was kind of hovering around with him, and you know, asking him questions and stuff. he was very nice, but it was the most thrilling phone call to get. you are told to expect a phone call from the president at a certain time, and i was told, oh, you know "be ready at 5:30." so i am staring at my phone -- [ laughter ] -- like, okay, it's not coming and then it turned to 5:31. i'm like, something's wrong. [ laughter ]

something's wrong. i went over to my missed calls and saw three missed calls from the washington, d.c. area, and i'm, like, [ screaming ] [ laughter ] i pressed that number and thank god it went to the right place and i just had this wonderful call with him. he was very sweet, and i kept it together. >> seth: yeah. >> i didn't make one little -- i said -- he said something nice, and i said "thank you really much." [ laughter ] and that was really dumb. [ laughter ] >> seth: i like that you big timed him, though. you should have, when you called back had been like, "sorry, i was on the phone with someone really important." >> yeah, i was talking to -- i did -- this is really dumb. i did get dressed up for the call. [ laughter ] [ scattered applause ] >> seth: wait, it was -- but it was not --was it a zoom call? >> it was an -- no, it was an audio call. it was just a call over the phone, but i was, like, what if

they have some technology where they can see me? [ laughter ] it was so dumb, but i was, like, "i've got to do it, and i don't regret it." i felt sharp on the call. [ laughter ] one faux pas, but -- it is an honor to be a part of something that -- that they're doing, so -- yeah. [ light laughter ] >> seth: you and i -- you and i also had another shared honor. this summer we got to be with our dear friend kristen wiig on her birthday. >> yes. >> seth: and, uh -- there is a game that you had not played, i didn't realize. this is a game that my wife, alexy and i play i lot and we learned it from our dear friend rob klein. >> rob klein. >> seth: and his wife lucy. >> amazing uh -- writer. >> seth: the game is called under the blanket. >> yes. >> seth: and it -- >> it's -- the game is -- i mean you know it better than i do, but -- >> seth: basically like a bunch of people leave the room. >> yeah. >> seth: and then a person comes out under a blanket. [ light laughter ] >> yeah. >> seth: and you and your team got to guess who it is. [ laughter ] >> it's the dumbest game and you laugh so much. it is just, like -- it is --

because everyone always just kind of creeps out. >> seth: yeah, you have to move real slow because while you're moving under the blanket you don't want to do anything that gives away your identity. >> yes. >> seth: you don't want to laugh. >> you don't want your personality to come out. >> seth: yeah. and now um -- >> i don't do any accents. [ laughter ] >> seth: but we're going to play a different way right now. >> yes. >> seth: we're going to show people out -- you're going to leave -- >> i'm going to leave. >> seth: there's someone else backstage. >> yes. >> seth: the two of you are going to come out under a blanket. >> yes. [ light laughter ] >> seth: i'm going to guess which one is you. >> correct. >> seth: okay, let's do it. >> shall we begin? [ cheers and applause ] [ laughs ] >> seth: the first televised match of under the blanket is going to begin very soon. this is incredibly exciting to me. [ laughter ] i've never -- never played on camera before, obviously, one person under the blanket will be

mr. will forte and the other person under the blanket is unknown to me. i've known will for a long time. i feel very confident i'm going to be able to tell which lump under a blanket -- [ laughter ] -- is he. and we're getting ready. i can see, obviously, i can only see a silhouette. i'm not giving anything away by peeking, but here they come. this is, again, very exciting. [ laughter ] it's under the blanket. [ laughter ] oh, my goodness. here we are, under the blanket. we have a -- it's very exciting i see. all right, i would like to ask -- oh! oh! oh! oh, dear. okay. can i ask both contestants to rock side to side? [ laughter ] >> seth: and now can i get you both to shuffle to your right as quickly as you can? [ laughter ]

all right. i feel like -- i feel like i know. will forte, you are under the striped blanket! will the striped blanket please reveal itself. i will give you a tap in case you forget which blanket you're under. oh! [ applause ] >> good guess! you're very good at that. >> seth: can we please take a look at our other contestant? rachel dratch! [ laughter ] [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: what a game! under the blanket! order it now, peacock. will forte, everyone. "bodkin," is streaming now on netflix. we'll be right back with ben platt. [ cheers and applause ] ♪

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did my legs shrink? i can move them. i mean, i knew alaska airlines' premium class had extra legroom but this... this feels different. okay. crazy idea. on the count of 3... i'm going to try and cross my... ohhhhhhhhhhh boyy that's nice. woooooo! ( ♪♪ ) [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> seth: our next guest is an emmy, a grammy and tony-winning singer, songwriter and actor you know him from "dear evan hanson" and "parade on broadway" as well as the film theater camp and the series "the politician." his three-week residency at new york's palace theater starts may 28th and his third album, "honey mind" is out may 31st.

please welcome back to the show our friend ben platt, everyone. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ >> seth: welcome back. >> thanks. >> seth: congratulations on the album. >> thank you. >> seth: i'm wondering, so the title, "honey mind." >> yeah. >> seth: does that come first or does the music come first and where did you come up with either? >> well, i started writing the music back in the spring of '22 pretty early before i did parade on broadway and then it sort of interrupted things unexpectedly, but the title came from a hike that i took from my fiance, his name is noah galvin. we are getting married in the fall. >> seth: congratulations. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. and, you know, i'm a very anxious and fearful person and drug taking really scares me, but noah is completely fearless and can be completely blitzed and you have absolutely no idea

because he's sort of very chill. >> seth: yeah, yeah, yeah. >> so he slowly started to introduce some things to me that he thought was beneficial and one of which was mushroom chocolate. and so, we indulged in some of that and took a hike up in mohawk mountain upstate and it was very beautiful and i was feeling quite loose and quite happy. and, you know, it was very mushy, but he was asking me to try to sort of describe what was making me so giddy and so calm, and i started to think about my love for him, and you know, what that does to my mental state. and i imagined the inside of my head like you do when you're taking mushrooms. [ laughter ] and i thought about all these, like, jagged things jutting out and sharp corners and things that make you stressed and anxious, and i thought about, you know, love doesn't really take those away or make them disappear. it just sort of coats them in something, like makes it all little sweeter and softer and warmer and easier to take. so obviously that felt like honey to me, and i started telling him, "you don't understand you give me honey

mind." and he was, like, "that sounds like a song," and so i wrote the song with some of my co-writers, and then it just felt like a great moniker for the whole album because a lot of it is inspired by my relationship. >> seth: that's incredible. that's really beautiful. >> thanks. [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: it's also -- usually when people say i want you to hear this song i wrote on mushrooms, when it's over, you're like "no, no, no." [ laughter ] not wrote on, idea from, i should say. >> no, i'm unproductive when i can't write. >> seth: i'm really excited by the way. you are coming here june 3rd. you're going to do a song from the album. >> yes, yes. >> seth: still looking forward to that. and i've heard that when you make an album, obviously you want your friends, people you trust to listen to it. >> yeah. >> seth: so you don't mind hearing their feedback. you don't mind that. >> no, i like sending something to someone and letting them listen to it on their own time and then hearing notes back, but the thing that i absolutely hate which is just necessary when you're rolling out an album is when you have to sit in the room and play it for people and sit there and watch them listen to it. i don't mind singing it, like when i have to do some work and like earn my keep, like, that's nice. >> seth: yeah. >> when i'm sitting there and i'm like explaining a song and then press play and just sort of staring at my shoes for three minutes while they listen to it. that makes me very uncomfortable. >> seth: oh, that would be an absolute disaster. i totally understand.

>> i don't want to make eye contact and pressure them into, like, crying -- i just sort of look for tapping toes or kleenexs being reached for or things like that. >> seth: yeah, i also would hate to be in that position of being in the room and listening because i think i would overdo it and be, like -- [ laughter ] you know, i would be a way that i never am listening to music. >> and i would be, like, "seth, this is a really sad song, why are you absolutely jamming." [ laughter ] >> seth: oh my god, i'm so nervous! you're going to be at the palace theatre. >> yes. >> seth: this is a theater that's been shut down for a long time. it's reopening and you're reopening it. >> that's right. that's right. it's a broadway theater that back in the day, it was sort of like the pinnacle of the vaudeville circuit. like, you made the big time if you played the palace and then it became this spot for like one woman and one-man shows and residencies, judy garland and

liza minnelli, bette midler. and then it's been closed for a long time and now they're bringing it back and they're letting me do the first one in there. >> seth: fantastic. so there's judy garland and here's your marquee. >> oh, wow. >> seth: that must be the coolest thing in the world to see the two. and by the way, you're a longtime fan of judy garland. >> since i was a wee, wee child. >> seth: here you are dressed up as judy garland. [ laughter ] >> yes. >> seth: i want to clarify something with you. is this halloween? >> no. [ laughter ] nope, that's a tuesday. >> seth: that's just a day. that's just a day where you're gonna fully judy garland. i love it. >> i would come home and watch "the wizard of oz" every day and that dog's name is dorothy, actually. >> seth: oh, that's fantastic. will you have guests at your residency? >> yes. every night there's going to be -- >> seth: every night a different person? >> all 18 shows we got 18 different special guests, we're talking pop stars, country stars, broadway stars. >> seth: that's great. and they're lined up? >> they are lined up -- well theres 14 are locked up, and four are about to fall into place. >> seth: i would love the invitation! [ laughter ] >> what do you want to sing? >> seth: i don't know. that one -- that song you do where that really sad one. that sad one. >> yeah. >> seth: but this is something very cool and not a joke. everyone in the audience tonight will be receiving a ticket to one of your shows -- >> to the palace. come to the show. [ cheers and applause ]

>> seth: courtesy of mr. ben platt. [ cheers and applause ] >> we love it. >> seth: which is a very, very generous and cool thing. thank you. you mentioned -- you mentioned you're getting married to noah. >> yes, we're getting married. >> seth: you and noah had separate bachelor parties. >> yes, we did. >> seth: which is the right thing to do when you are marrying somebody, you have two different bachelor parties. >> exactly. >> seth: very different in tone. >> very different in tone, noah's was like with his friends in the woods doing drugs, hanging out. >> seth: we're finding out what noah's thing is. >> yeah. [ laughter ] he's a lot cooler than i am in general. mine was my high school theater friends throwing me a cast party and sort of dancing to turkey lurky time and stuff, but it was really fun. it was very strange because they took me to a place called joy face downtown, it's really fun for dancing and we were having a great time and very randomly just sort of out of the blue, paul mescal who i'm doing this film -- "merrily we roll along." >> seth: fantastic actor. >> wonderful guy. dear friend, and he also was with jesse buckley who i think is also think is amazing. >> seth: also incredible. >> who i don't know who is working on a film here, i think, or was. and i have a very strange relationship to my love for

jesse buckley because i took a trip with noah to mexico, and immediately upon arrival drank some water that i shouldn't have drank and got some montezuma's revenge and spent the whole trip in the bathroom and the only thing that kind of got me through that week in the bathroom was i watched this reality show in the uk that if you haven't heard of it, it's on youtube, highly recommend. it's called "i'd do anything" and it's a reality competition show where girls are trying to win the role of nancy in oliver on "the west end." and so it's like american idol, but they're trying to get this role in this musical and jesse buckley as a very, very young kid is on it and it's sort of where her first break happened and she makes it all of the way to the end. so i just spent the whole time on the toilet really just rooting for her to make it and she makes it and spoiler alert

all of the way to the finals and then loses out just because she wasn't exactly the right type, not because of her talent. >> seth: okay. >> but she really got me through that time and so she walks into this club and suddenly, i'm back on the toilet, and i have to express to her how much she meant to me and i'm walking up to her, like, "i'm just going to go through that story, just like i did to you, i'm going to go through every detail" and i get up to her and i'm just like, "you cannot do this at 1:00 in the morning at this club." this poor girl and i was just like, "your work means a lot to me." [ laughter ] >> seth: yeah, that is the right call. if someone is on their way to the dance floor, and you're, like, "can i have a second of your time?" [ laughter ] for a super weird story that's not going to make you ever want to dance again. >> absolutely. >> seth: your dear friend beanie feldstein who is also doing "merrily" with you and paul. >> yes. >> seth: i can't believe it. perfect casting. she talked about how at her wedding you sang at her wedding. >> oh, yeah. >> seth: which is a fantastic thing to do for a friend and also a fantastic reason to have you as a friend. i think that -- >> yeah, i generally work most of the weddings i go to. >> seth: i would imagine it's tough. it's tough for you to go to them where they're not like, "just one song?" [ laughter ] have you, though, asked for the favor to be returned from beanie yet? >> well my wedding is going to be super jewish, naturally, i'm jewish and we have this tradition in the jewish faith called the sheva brachot, which is like seven blessings that you say during the ceremony that are essentially the thing that makes you married. you get like seven different well wishes on your way. so beanie did this amazing thing

at her wedding where she had all seven hebrew blessings but then had people interpret their own english versions of what they like to say and so we're asking beanie to say one of those and offer a blessing to us. i'm not going to make her work quite as hard. >> seth: well, that's very kind of you. you're a very good friend. and congratulations on everything that is in your immediate future. we're looking forward to having you back in june. >> yes. [ cheers and applause ] >> seth: thank you for being here. >> my god, of course. thanks for having me. >> seth: ben platt, everyone. his residency, you're all going at the palace theater on may 28th and "honey mind" is out may 31st. for tickets go to the honey mind tour, visit benplattmusic.com. we'll be right back with more "late night." [ cheers and applause ] [ csomeday, i'll buse ] first female president. of the universe. (middle boy) someday, i'm gonna marry my baseball glove. probably in vegas. (youngest girl) someday, i'll help all balloon animals roam free. (vo) there are a lot of miles between today and “someday”. your long-lasting three-row subaru ascent

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♪ >> announcer: come join the audience at "late night" live in studio 8g. for tickets, head over to latenightsethtickets.com. follow us @latenightseth on all social media platforms. subscribe to late night seth on youtube. find us online at latenightseth.com. and subscribe to the "late night podcast," featuring "a closer look," guest interviews, and more. available wherever you listen to podcasts. ♪

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[ cheers and applause ] >> seth: hey you guys. i want to thank my guests will forte, ben platt. jon theodore, thanks for another great week. the 8g band. head over to youtube for "corrections" there. we love you. thanks for watching. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪