Thursday, 29 October 1998. Rosie O'Donnell Show from New York

Codes: RO (Rosie O'Donnell) CS (Christian Slater)

Christian appeared on the Rosie O'Donnell Show on Thursday 29 October 1998. He was mainly there promoting his up coming movie, Very Bad Things, and his stage play, SIDE MAN. He looked very relaxed during the whole interview, laughing and joking with Rosie, and I have to say that Rosie O'Donnell has the knack of being able to talk to people as though there is no-one else in the room. Christian was wearing informal clothing - dark jumper and trousers, and looked GREAT!

RO: Hey Christian.

CS: Hi!

RO: How are you?

CS: Lovely.

RO: You look good. You look fit. You look trim.

CS: Thank you.

RO: You look buffed a little bit!

CS: Ummm, no cheese.

RO: Is that what it is?

CS: I don't know what it is!

RO: Oh, you don't. I thought you had a secret.

CS: That's what I heard!

RO: I haven't really met you. I've been to parties where you've been, and I know your Mum.

CS: Ah yes, Mary Jo Slater.

RO: Yes

CS: Yes, Casting Director Extrordinaire!

RO: And, in fact, she cast my favourite show of all time - Ryan's Hope.

CS: Absolutely.

RO: So, she's the woman I used to write letters to that said: "Hi, I'm from New York. I'm Irish. Please, I'm in the 8th grade, and I want to be on the show."

CS: It was a great show. It was a classic. That's actually my father who was the original Frank Ryan.

RO: Now, how long was your dad Frank Ryan, because I don't remember this Frank Ryan.

CS: He was the first Frank Ryan. He was on... I guess... the first two years.

RO: Really?

CS: Er, maybe the first year and a half. Something like that. I think he fell down the stairs!

RO: What's his name?

CS: Michael Hawkins

RO: Michael Hawkins ...

CS: Yes

RO: I remember, he fell down the stairs! I remember that episode, Delia pushed him, didn't she?

CS: Right. He spent, like the whole season in a wheelchair!

RO: And then, you know who replaced him? The guy from Hardcastle & McCormick.

CS: Correct.

RO: Hey, you see that?

CS: Yes. You're on fire!

RO: If I was on Ryan's Hope Jeopardy, and there was a Ryan's Hope category...

CS: You're in!!

RO: I'm in! You were also on Ryan's Hope?

CS: Yeah, I was. I was DJ Lasalle. It was me and Yasmine Bleeth. I was sort of her bad boy friend for a while.

RO: You started acting when you were very young?

CS: I started when I was about 9.

RO: 9 years old?

CS: Yeah.

RO: And, you started at your Mum's suggestion? Or were you always sort of into it?

CS: Well, she was doing a talk show at the time called "Joe Franklin"...

RO: I know the Joe Franklin Show!

CS: A legendary show! And I was this 9 year old little boy, watching from the sidelines, and Joe Franklin looked over and saw me, and asked me to come on, and I sat down, and I guess that night, Michael Kidd, the director who was doing the "Music Man" at the time, he saw it and asked me to come in and audition. I sang "Zip-a-dee-doo-da", and got the job!

RO: And, we have a clip of you and Dick Van Dyke!

CS: Fabulous!

RO: This is the commercial for City Centre. You're so adorable!

CS: Thank you (looking slightly embarrassed).

RO: He's the little boy Dick Van Dyke is holding at the end.

(Commercial shown)

RO: You were like, 9 years old there?

CS: Yeah, 8 or 9. Just a sweet, young innocent child!

RO: You were!

CS: Oh God... what a life!

RO: And, you had a couple of solos in the Music Man?

CS: Yeah, I did.

RO: You remember them still?

CS: Barely! Er, Gary Indiana, Wells Fargo Wagon.

RO: So, things are going well for you now? Things are going good?

CS: Yeah, things are going lovely. I'm having a great time doing the show. The cast is wonderful, It's been about 15 years since I've done something on Broadway, so I'm just really grateful. It was an opportunity that came about in the last couple of months that really caught me by surprise.

RO: It's a wonderful show. It's called Side Man. It was off Broadway, at the Roundabout, was it not?

CS: Yes.

RO: And you have stepped into the lead role?

CS: Yes.

RO: And are you going to get to sing at all in this show, or not really?

CS: Only if I really lose my mind! It's not in the script, but if I really go off the book and decide one day I'm going to sing everything, that's the only way that'll happen!

RO: I got ya!

CS: Which is possible. I mean, THAT is possible!

RO: How long is your run? I know some people have a limited engagement.

CS: I think I'll be in it 'til the middle of January, but I'm having such a great time, I may....., who knows? I'm just going to play it by ear.

RO: Had any crazy New York fans yet, screaming stuff out like. "weren't you in Heathers?"

CS: The matinee audiences have been .... interesting. Ladies will be sitting there and sometimes they'll need their little hearing aids, and I'll be in the middle of a monologue, and some lady, I'll hear her out of the blackness of the audience going ..."is your's working?" I just keep plowing through. I don't stop... I try to just let all that stuff happen.

RO: So, are you living in New York now, or only during the time of the show?

CS: Er, yeah, right now, only during the time of the show. I'm considering spending a little more time here. I just love this city! I was born and raised here. I just have alot of love for this city. It's a great town!

RO: Do you have a favourite movie of all of them that you've done?

CS: Well, I really liked Pump Up The Volume, but I'm really proud of the last thing that I did called Very Bad Things. I get to play a real PSYCHO! I think people get to enjoy me doing that for some reason.

RO: Yeah, I don't know why!

CS: I don't know why that is.

RO: Because you are awful cute, and you don't look psychoish at all!

CS: Thank you.

RO: You're welcome. When does that open?

CS: It opens November 25.

RO: It does? Did you bring a clip?

CS: No

RO: No?

CS: I brought nothing. I brought myself!

RO: Ah, well, that's enough. What are you going to do on Halloween? You're going to work?

CS: Er, I don't know. I'm going to work, and I'm probably going to go ..... there is a big parade downtown.

RO: Yeah?

CS: Yeah, I'll do something like that.

RO: Put on a mask?

CS: ............ Or run around naked!!

RO: That's a good idea too! Well, in case you don't get to go trick or treating, a little candy, a little Butterfinger, Baby Ruth? (Rosie offers Christian something to eat)

CS: Thank you very much. Baby Ruth - this baby gets you going!

RO: You're not kidding.

CS: That's what they say.

RO: Would you like a sip of my Pepsi One?

CS: Er, ooooh sure!

RO: Just have a sip

CS: Thanks. (Christian raises his glass to the camera). Ooooooh, that's good!

RO: Yeah, that's right, it's good stuff. Glad to see you. You're looking very well. And, congratulations on your success of this play - John Golden Theatre - go see Side Man. Christian Slater everybody!