Carrie Coon Compares The Gilded Age Set to Nerdy Theater Camp

-Our next guest is a Tony- and Emmy-nominated actress you know from shows such as "The Gilded Age," "The Leftovers" and "Fargo," and films like "Widows" and the Ghostbusters franchise. She stars in "His Three Daughters," which is in theaters this Friday and available to stream on Netflix September 20th. Let's take a look. -How do you like the food? -What's that? -Food? The food that I made. Are you enjoying it? -Yeah. I like the food that you made. Thank you for making the food that you made. The food you made taste good. I got a parlay going. I'm on the final team. That's why I'm looking at my phone. I am working. -You mean you're watching a game that you bet on? -Yeah, I bet on 4-1-3. So 10 bucks to make 270. -Do you think watching will change its outcome? -Please welcome back to the show Carrie Coon, everybody. [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Welcome back. -Thank you. Seven years. -Seven years since you've been here. -What have I been not doing that you didn't invite me back? -What is going on in your life that you weren't here? -What was going on? Well, the pandemic, of course. -The pandemic. -We had pandemic babies. -We both had pandemic -- -No, we didn't have a pandemic baby. -Yes, I had a -- [ Laughter ] -Right. That's confusing. -If we did, this would be such a fun way to say it. [ Laughter ] -Yeah, yeah. -Like that, by accident. And I'm like... -"Don't say it. Not right now." [ Laughter ] -Congratulations on your nomination for "The Gilded Age." -Thank you so much. Thank you. -It's really wonderful. Yeah. It's exciting. [ Cheers and applause ] -You're back in production on season 3. -We are. -And it's a fantastic cast. And it's a very -- A New York show is always thrilling because you keep seeing the New York actors that you've come to appreciate as our local legends. -Yes. Nerdy theater camp. Yes. -Nerdy theater. -It is rather Broadway Bingo. We have more Broadway Bingo coming up for you in season 3. -Very exciting. -It's a hoot. Yeah. We love it. -This is exciting. You received an Emmy nomination. Your husband, Tracy Letts, also received an Emmy nomination for his work in "Winning Time." That's very exciting. -Yes, it was exciting. [ Cheers and applause ] Thank you. He didn't know. -He did not know. This is very Broadway of him. Such a playwright thing to not know. -Yes, he's above it all. My parents were visiting and my brother and my sister-in-law and their two babies. And we were having a harrowing morning. My breakfast was sitting on the counter and I hadn't eaten and I was shaking. I was hypoglycemic, and I got -- my sister-in-law says, "Your phone's ringing." And I picked it up. And it was Jacob Fenton, my agent. He's like, "Congratulations." And I was like, "For what?" And then my husband had been watching the broadcast in a hair and makeup chair in the city, and he saw that I got nominated, he saw the show got nominated, and he turned it off because he's very polite. -Yeah. -And then I got a text saying he got a nomination, so I called him with my son on my lap in our pajamas, like, "Oh, no, you got one too. We have to go to the Emmys." You know, you have to sit through the Creative Arts Emmys, which are just -- it's an exercise in, you know, stamina because they're very long. Lovely. We love to reward those artisans for everything. And so I'll just give him some snacks and I can't go with them. -Oh, no. -I wish they were the same weekend, but yeah. He needs a date to the Emmys if anyone's around. -Do you want to just throw that out as well? -Yeah. Great. I had Seth's baby, and now my husband needs a date to the Emmys. This is how rumors get started. -This is the least you could do for him. -You're right, to make it up. I'll make it up to you, babe. -It is very exciting. And I want to ask. You just had your wedding anniversary. Because I know, because I just had mine, and I think I'm a day after you. -Yes, yes. Well, we backdated ours one day because it was kind of illegal, but that's neither here nor there. -Oh, interesting. -But anyway, go on. -Why? Everything you say is a mystery. [ Laughter ] -How do you think I've maintained this career for 43 years? -Illegal wedding. -Enigmatic. -And also, by the way, what kind of law did you break that you could backdate it a day and you're like, "We good"? -Our registration. You know, our registration was over. I've told you the story before, and then she had to like, you know, cheat the date. -Alright. -But, you know, on my wedding, I don't know what you guys did, but I woke up that morning, and Tracy was like, "Happy anniversary." I was like, "Oh, yeah." Well, that day I was packing, I was doing fittings. He was getting a tux fitted. I had the kids in the bathtub, I took a shower, the kitchen was a mess, and I got in a car and came to London. And the kids were literally running naked in the yard. -You drove to London? -And then I drove across the ocean to London. I know. It's an extraordinary life. -I fully forgot. My wife and I both forgot it was our anniversary this year. -That's what happens. -Last year was 10. -You have three kids. -We, like, dialed in on 10. And then it was like fully like 2:00 in the afternoon. -You were like... -Yeah. She was holding a tennis racket and said, "Hey, happy anniversary," and tried to high-five me with a tennis racket. -Aww! [ Laughter ] That's so charming. -I was like, "Oh, my God. That's so romantic." -One year, some flower -- I think last year there were flowers that came to the house and I was like, "Oh, no, some mysterious boyfriend is sending me fl--" And then my husband was like, "Happy anniversary." I was like, "Oh, of course, it was you." I mean, this is what happens, what happens in this life that I just can't -- -It's true. If my wife got flowers, the last person she would think it was from is me. -Why is that? -This is a fantastic film. It takes place in an apartment in New York City. It feels at times like a wonderfully written play. And you're with two of our favorites, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen. -I love them. I truly love them. -Did it feel like performance? [ Cheers and applause ] Yeah. -They're amazing. Yeah. -Did it feel like you were performing? -Well, I mean, it is a very -- it's a very dialogue-forward film, I would say, so there was a lot of preparation. But the thing that felt most theatrical about it is that we told the story in order. I mean, we shot the story in order, and I don't know how many people know this, but we never shoot in order in TV and film. I mean, sometimes we shoot from two or three episodes in a day and you're just like, "Are we fighting right now? What is happening?" You have no idea what's going on. And so we actually shot it in the order in which it unfolds and you just learn so much. So the ending was able to surprise all of us because at that point -- We shot it in three weeks. No, not even. 14 days. I think 14 days. [ Light applause ] I know. Incredible. So we had a little bit of rehearsal and then so by the time we got to the end of the movie, we had lived through the whole story, and then we were able to really sit inside of that ending together and just really -- We haven't worked -- We don't get to work that way. So it was very special. -Well, I think the real contrast to what you're describing is the last time you collaborated with Elizabeth Olsen was in "Avengers." -Collaboration is a strong word. -Collaboration. [ Cheers and applause ] -You know, spoiler alert -- she kills you. -Yep, yeah. [ Laughter ] -But like, this is -- Did you even work with her? -No. -So this is -- You guys aren't even -- -I never met her. I didn't really know who was killing me. -Uh-huh. -I think -- -By the way, you're such a good actor because When I saw the scene, I'm like, "She knows who's killing her." -Absolutely. I know, thank you for that. No, I think I was alone for six hours in a conference room. You know, they have a harness with a camera. So you're making all the faces. -Yeah. -Grunting and doing all the things. I didn't know how it would be. -So they don't shoot the Avengers movies in order from beginning? -I have to say no. No, for eight years, yeah. Eight years of being in order. No. But I mean, I'm so glad she killed me. I still respect her. And if someone's going to kill me, it might as well be Lizzie Olsen. -Oh, it might as well. She's so good at killing. -She's really amazing. She is extraordinary. They're extraordinary in this film, both of them. I mean, Natasha's not capable of -- She's just so truthful in this role, and she's relentlessly in pursuit of that in her work. And Lizzie just -- is just lit from within. And I just loved watching them, and I love hearing them talk about the film and talk about the process. And I just feel so lucky I got to work with them. -It's a very special film, and I want to finish by saying there's something else I'm very excited about, which is -- and I know you can't say much about it, but "White Lotus" season 3 -- you're going to be in it, and I'm very excited. -Yeah. Thank you. Me too. [ Cheers and applause ] -And it's also, you know, Mike White has a real knack for putting together casts of people that are very special at their craft. -Yes, I think so. And it's a very big cast this year, an international cast. And, you know, Thailand -- I can't say anything about the story. They're watching me all the time. -Yeah. -But it was really challenging. I mean, there was a night where one of my friends had to do a big... It was her coverage for a scene. And first there was a berry tree, and it only fruits one week out of the year, and that was the week we were shooting under it. And so it was dropping these berries on our costumes and on the table, so that was a nightmare. And then the cicadas started and they were so deafening, we couldn't shoot during the cicadas. And they stopped and we're like, "Okay, let's roll sound." And then the frogs started and we were like, "This is biblical." [ Laughter ] "This is impossible." And this poor actress is just like trying so hard to keep it together to do her part. And then finally, the frogs calm down. And then there were elephants roaring in an elephant preserve. And we were -- And then you're just like, "I give up." -The thing that is nice about it is it does seem like each creature is respectful of the other creature finishing. -I think that's true, yes. It's a very Buddhist country. -You know, the frogs are like, "We'll have our time." -Yes, yes. They're very -- They give grace to each other. Yeah. -And it is -- I will also say, you know, not to point the finger. I feel like if you're shooting next to an elephant preserve... [ Laughter ] -That's what you get. -Then you're going to hear a couple elephants. -Yeah. They were there first. -They were there first, man. We're just trying to preserve them, you know? Thank you so much for being here. It's such a pleasure to see you. -Thanks for having me. -Congratulations on everything. Carrie Coon, everyone. "His Three Daughters" will be in theaters September 6th and available to stream on Netflix September 20th. We'll be right back with more "Late Night."