1999 David Letterman Interview

DL: Our next guest starred as Powder, his latest film entitled, Simply Irresistible opens this Friday, so now here is the very talented Sean Patrick Flanery. (he comes out to an enthusiastic audience's applause, and Sean and David shake hands)

DL: Are you alright?

S: Very good, thank you!

DL: Welcome to the show, it's very nice to meet you, so how are things? You just traveled, tell me if I got this wrong, you traveled in from Vancouver to be here?

S: I did but I stopped in LA first-I'm filming a new movie with Sylvester Stallone called Detox.

DL: What's it called?

S: Detox

DL: Interesting, have you known him before the film?

S: Absolutely not, and the wildest thing about Sylvester is that you see him as Rambo and he's all of one brain cells, he's one of the nicest people I've ever met. He's well read, and as a matter of fact, I'm sure you know him well...

DL: Well, no. I don't know him well, he's been on the show, we've been on for 17 years and I think he's been on here, um, once (audience laughs) But he is a very engaging and very personable and I think what people don't know about him is that he's a very tiny man. (audience laughs)

S: (smirk look on his face) Oh is he? Oh yeah yeah, he's seven inches high.

DL: He could have been a jockey, honest to God!

S: Yeah! (audience cracking up laughing)

DL: But, he's a very nice guy, but a tiny, tiny man.

S: A super nice guy, as a matter of fact, the Mike Tyson fight, when he decided to pummel whoever he was fighting

DL: Oh yeah, 'somebody' botha

S: Yeah, something like that, I guess he decided to slap someone new around. And, um, so Slyvester in Vancouver took us to Planet Hollywood.

DL: That's great.

S: Took us to the top level.

DL: To see the fight?

S: Yeah, on closed circuit tv and I'm doing my best to act like this happens to me everyday, and I'm with Sylvester Stallone, who is "Rocky", and we're sitting thre watching a boxing match (audience laughing and clapping)

DL: And is he talking about it?

S: Well yeah, we're sitting and he's telling me what a "hook" is (Sean mimics SS voice and the audience starts to laugh). I'm just, I have my cell phone out and I'm on the phone with my friend and I'm like "alright, I'm trying not to act like I'm talking but I'm next to Rocky". That was a big moment for me!

DL: Well, what was it like working with the guy, were you nervous in the beginning?

S: No, he's the most personable individual considering he's such a big superstar like that, he's a really nice guy, and he's a huge race fan.

DL: Well, he's suppose too, and if this happens, and if it doesn't happen, he's the biggest weasel in the world, he's doing this movie about Formula One racing.

S: Yeah.

DL: Well, the last time he was here, I said, "Just put me in the movie, it ain't gonna kill you, just put me in". I don't care, all I want to be is one of those guys with the stop watch, that's all I want, like how long does that take, like a second and a half, that's all, just a quick shot of me doing that. (audience laughing)

S: Oh yeah, just a short shot (grinning)

DL: And he says "oh yeah, absolutely, ok, I'll get you in", (David pretending to talk like Stallone), oh that's Arnold Schwarzenegger, I get them confused. (audience laughs)

S: I'll have a talk with him.

DL: Alright so listen, this was 2 year ago, I've heard nothing, nothing! About being in his movie, and, he swore! Paul?!
Paul: Nothing, Nothing!

DL: You were here and he said
Paul: Yes, he said he would, he swore.

DL: And you can tell that he was very uncomfortable and all he wanted to do was get out of here, but he did say in front of the vast people of America that I could be the stop watch guy. So now I'm waiting, and if this don't come through...I don't know why I'm screaming at you.

S: yeah (laughing) yeah, just give me the message. Yo Sly...

DL: But you tell your buddy, that if this doesn't happen, he's the biggest weasel, the smallest man, but the biggest weasel making movies today.

S: I will convey that (smiling)

DL: And I found this out, but I didn't realize that you love to race, you actually race

S: Ah, yeah, I'm dead serious, it's a serious passion for me.

DL: You know then that back in 1978, I finished 3rd in my division at La Maux(?) (audience laughing)

S: No sir I had no idea (grinning as he reaches for a cup to drink some water, and the audience is laughing and David sticks his tongue out to the audience) I do know that Paul Newman is the oldest winner of the Daytona race.

DL: yeah, he won it when he was 70, a 24-hour Daytona race.

S: yeah, yeah

DL: Well hey, you guys may laugh but he was 70 years old and driving a race car, he's an amazing man. Well you know, good for you. Uh, did we mention everything? We have a (movie) clip-how did that clip go? Did we show it, we better show it, I screwed everything up here tonight. Tell them what the clip is about.

S: It's a conversation between myself and Sara Michelle Gellar, it has to do with how many times men think about sex and she indicates that it's 238 times a day, and personally, I disagree with that, it's more like once, but it's a 24-hour continuous though. (audience laughs)
****They show the clip****

DL: Sean Patrick Flanery, he's good friends with Sylvester Stallone, get this matter straighten out, good luck with your racing...

S: Absolutely, I'll certainly have you in that film sir, it's a pleasure meeting you.

DL: Yes, thank you too sir