come see the privates on parade ♪ >> simon russell beale knocking them dead in the west end in "provincen parade" finds the crosswords a nice change after all that cross dressing. >> for the company i'm in at the moment, -- when you say through the evening, not while the show is going on? really? >> well, you've got five minutes. there is a direct connection. i think a lot of his solvers think they know what type of man he is, and i have an absolutely clear picture of the type of sense of humor he has. >> it is a wonderful process because i do not get to know my solvers but they get to know me. i do not understand quite how it works, but they do. the relationship is an odd one. >> that relationship changed dramatically after he published a cross word with this master clue. 18 down or 19 across, treated with 1315. cancer, esophagus. palliative care. >> a started it, and i got cancer and i got esophagus and i got appellative care. to be honest, i did not want to continue it. i mean, i thought it was an amazing thing to do, but i did not feel comfortable continuing with it. m a many others

and simon, if he doesn't win the oscar on sunday i'll be shocked pause what he has done is herculean. >> dave: russells in the movie. >> yes. >> dave: your buddy russell crowe. when he started to sing, did people giggle? that was a problem? ( laughter ) ( applause ) >> oh, my god. >> dave: was there any of that? >> no. >> dave: now, you guys are countrymen, right? >> yes. i own my career toerous crowe. >> dave: in what sense? >> he turned down "wolverine," and he suggest me for it 12 years ago. ( cheers and applause ). >> dave: wow, pretty cool. >> a great mate. he is a great friend. he also turned down the role i played in australia. so i've been coming off the bench for russell my entire career. >> dave: you know, he turned down this show. >> i heard. ( laughter ) ( applause ) >> dave: thank you, russell. tell me about your-- you have a nine-year-old son. >> i have a 12-year-old. you have a nine-year-old son. >> dave: i have a nine-year-old son. ( laughter ) tell me-- give me one story about your 12-year-old. let me hear kind of what i might have ahead of me. >> well, i don't know about you, like i