Regis: All right, here he comes, a big star in the U.K. and here in America as well has appeared in the string of hit films now. And now, he’s starring in the highly anticipated Girl with a Pearl Earring. Here’s Colin Firth! [audience cheers and Regis shakes his hand] Colin, my man, nice to see you again. [Colin reaches over to shake Joy’s hand] My wife, Joy.

Regis: (leaning over to Colin) My wife thinks you’re a heartthrob.

Joy: I’m sorry for saying that. You’re a serious actor, Colin, and I didn’t mean to say you were a heartthrob. I mean that sounds so. . .

Colin: No, I’ll stick with the heartthrob. [audience laughs]

Joy: You don’t mind that too much?

Colin: No.

Regis: No, he likes it. Boy, Colin, you do everything so well. These comedies that you make and then a serious film like The Girl with the Pearl Earring. Which do you prefer? Which area do you like to work in?

Colin: Well, the serious movie hasn’t been a commodity that’s come my way much in the last few years, funnily enough. The English seem to be concentrating on the romantic comedy to an extraordinary extent.

Regis: Yes, they do, and they do a good job of it too, don’t they?

Colin: They do. So, I’d been dying to do a comedy for the first 15 years of my career, and—

Regis: Is that right?

Colin: And one has to be careful what you wish for because—

Regis: (interrupting) You’ll get it!

Colin: —I’ve been in the comedy vortex for the past five years.

Joy: And Bridget Jones, of course, was a wonderful comedy. And, you’re doing the sequel.

Colin: We’re doing the sequel now, yeah.

Joy: Now, I have to ask, is Renee Zellweger packing on the poundage again for this movie?

Colin: Well, I have to say, that is the question I get asked most often. How big is Renee’s bottom, they’ll all go. (audience laughs)

Regis: Now you’re talking!

Colin:  Do you want it in pounds or kilos?  It’s a long time since I actually weighed it but...She has achieved very pleasing proportions, I think.

Regis: Well, now, the poor baby. Is she drinking? Do you see her eating?

Colin: (shakes head once) Whatever she’s doing, she’s doing it very discreetly.

Regis: Yeah, oh, discreetly?

Colin: Yeah, I mean, I don’t know what she’s doing. She doesn’t seem to be doing...she’s doing her job brilliantly and she looks just gorgeous really. I don’t think she ever got fat.

Regis: Now, at the end of the first Bridget Jones movie—

Joy: You went off together, right?

Regis: Yes, but she lost the weight, right? Didn’t she come back to normal?

Colin: Yes.

Joy: Oh yes, she’s very svelte.

Regis: So now she’s got to go through that whole process again because you, apparently, you went off together but it didn’t work, or did it work?

Colin: Well, I might give away trade secrets, that’s . . .

Regis: Oh, then we can’t talk about that yet.

Colin: No, I can reveal that Hugh Grant and I have physically deteriorated considerably over the last three years and that we’re—

Regis: You two guys are still battling over that same woman!

Colin: We are, yeah.

Joy: You mean, you’re debauched and you’ve, you’re just . . .

Regis: You like that word debauched, eh, Joy?

Joy: I like that word, yes. Well it’s an interesting thing. You’ve physically deteriorated. I don’t know how to . . .

Colin: Well, yes. We’re of a certain age and the years are less and less kind to us, I think.

Regis: There you go, Joy. Take a look at it, right here (points to himself)!

Joy: Now that you mention it.

Regis: We’re going to break. We’ll be back with Colin Firth in just a moment.

[Commercial break]

Regis: Colin Firth, our guest, has two big movies out right now. Of course, Love Actually came out a couple of weeks ago. Very big hit. A lot of fun.

Joy: Very funny movie.

Regis: One of those comedies. And now, here comes something 180 degrees opposite, The Girl With a Pearl Earring. It’s based on the life of Vermeer, the great Dutch artist, huh?

Colin: Well, I’d like to think it’s based on his life. It’s probably more correct to say that it’s about the maid in his house, played by Scarlett Johansson—

Regis: Oh? Oh! Oh yes. You want to know something, yes, you’re probably right.

Colin: And she’s . . .

Regis: It’s about this girl more than really about him isn’t it?

Colin: Right, but we needn’t—

Joy: It’s taken from the painting—

Colin: Yes.

Joy: And the, the author made up—

Colin: Well it’s . . .

Joy: Made up the whole story around this painting, is that right?

Colin: Yes, she did. I mean, the painting, in a slightly Mona Lisa-ish fashion begs a lot of questions. And she looks out at you with this mysterious expression and you think, “Is it innocent? Is it erotic?  What is it saying to you?” And, basically she did a great deal of research and invented a character for the model and everyone else is real.

Regis: Terrific idea!

Colin: Yeah.

Regis: Now, you know that could spin off a whole bunch of movies based on great artworks and somebody’s imagination about how the picture actually got made, don’t you think?

Colin: Well, it could, although I think films about artists, you know, are very, very difficult to make.

Regis: Really?

Colin: A film about a fictional master painter means you’ve got to get some master paintings from somewhere.

Regis: But, let me ask you something. In your research, did your character, Vermeer, actually develop a crush on this maid?

Colin: Well, that would, again, I think spoil a trade secret, because one of the things I most—

Regis: (slaps armchair) Gelman! This guy won’t tell me anything! (laughter)

Joy: Gelman just wants the clip. He wants you to show the clip.

Colin: Well, I think it leaves people guessing at the end.

Regis: Yeah.

Colin: And I’ve got my views on what he’s feels about her.

Regis: Oh?

Joy: But there’s a—

Regis: So there’s no official word on it.

Joy: Yeah.

Regis: (to Joy) What do you think?

Joy: Well, I thought there is a definite communication between the two of you but the character you play is so withdrawn and so restrained that he did nothing. . . Well I shouldn’t say.

Colin: Got a heck of wig as well. Yes.

Regis: Great wig!  Looooved the wig. Did you like the wig (to Colin)?

Joy: I liked your long hair.

Colin: Yeah, it had to be prized off my head every day. I used to have that hair some years ago. 

Joy: It’s a beautiful movie, though. Isn’t it?

Regis: It is a beautiful movie.

Joy: I really enjoyed it.

Regis: There’s no doubt about it. You have to see it. Let’s take a look at it right now. Here’s Colin playing Vermeer showing Griet, who’s played by Scarlett Johansson, who’s a terrific young actress. Isn’t she something?

Colin: She’s wonderful.

Regis: Anyway, she plays the servant and he’s showing her a look at the painting. [film clip] You never get a look at it!

Joy: I wanted to see the painting.

Regis: We didn’t get a look at it because it’s a trade secret! No, but you’ll see it. It’s a beautiful painting. Of course, you’ve seen it already. It opens on Friday here in New York and in LA; the rest of the country in January. Colin, thank you very, very much. (shakes hand) It was great to see you.

Colin: Thank you (shakes Joy’s hand)

Joy: Was great to meet you.

Regis: We’ll be right back with Seal, yes. (Regis leans to Colin) Appreciate you coming, Colin.