his latest, choreographer bob fosse.talked about his life and career with tony. >> reporter: sam rockwell's acting career, like a toy chest, is full of cowboys. >> trying to wear me down on this. >> reporter: outlaws. >> i'm going to die. >> don't keep going on about it. >> reporter: spacemen, and monsters. if you were to take every role you've been in and dump it out on the floor in action figures. >> it would be weird. >> what the crap? >> reporter: for rockwell, none of it is child's play. >> i've gone to therapy. i have an acting coach, a dialect coach, a voice coach. i don't do it alone. >> reporter: why so open about the work. >> there is a lot that goes into it. you don't just show up. >> my love. >> reporter: he's been disappearing into characters for so long -- >> this is ridiculous. >> reporter: and so completely, he was once about as unknown as a celebrated actor can be. >> most of you probably know me as that guy from that movie. you know what i'm talking about, the main -- not the main guy but the other guy.

because it's about bob fosse, who i know a little bit about.ay, i knew very little about. >> yeah. >> seth: who was his wife and collaborator. >> that's right. and we're trying to sort of correct the record on that and give gwen verdon her due and some attention about that collaboration. >> seth: yeah, because i think we're all familiar with bob fosse's work. and it's really nice that this show is going out of its way to say, "oh, there was this other sort of genius involved with this as well." >> yes, yes. and if you don't -- younger people don't know, "cabaret," "pippen," "chicago" are some of the things they did together. >> seth: and i would imagine you had to -- i know you had some dance background. but you probably had to take some extra dance lessons for this one? >> i did. we had amazing choreographers. andy blankenbuehler, susie misner, mary lamb. i did all this training ahead of time. michelle does a lot more dancing than i do. >> seth: i wasn't going to say, she's, you know, better. [ laughter ] >> she's better and she's younger. >>

now, most people are familiar with bob fosse, the great sort of choreographer, dancer in his own rightat one time, creative partner, creative muse, gwen verdon. tell me about her life and what their partnership was like. >> so, actually, when they met, they were-- their positions were fleet completely different. she was-- she was a broadway star. she was considered the greatest dancer of her time-- still considered the greatest broadway dancer of all time. and he was a failed actor. and she gave him a shot as a cheograpotim hedaise director. and she was sort of his behind-the-scenes fixer for many, many years, uncredited fixer. and one of the things that the show is hoping to do is to acknowledge her contribution to his art, and, also, to help people pronounce her name correctly, when you did. and i'd like to thank you. >> stephen: how do people say it? >> very-done. >> stephen: did you know much about her before you played her? >> i was familiar with her in a very kind of diletante sort of way, and now i'm so familiar with her, that i miss her. yeah. >> stephen: you danced on broadway

when i heard that you were playing bob fosse, i go, "this is perfect." 'cause i know you.> jimmy: "hamilton." >> and lin-manuel is producing. and we had -- we got michelle williams. so, you know, it's really about their relationship. and it kind of corrects the record on how important she was to his choreography and his life. and you know, if you don't know bob fosse and gwen verdon, "cabaret," "chicago," "pippen" are a lot of the things they're famous for. >> jimmy: yeah. >> you know. >> jimmy: i mean, even just watching -- the first part is >> jimmy: but i know for a fact that you really got into this character. and you trained. >> trained and realized, you know, when you get in with professional dancers, you know, you realize you don't know what you're doing at all. [ laughter ] you know? >> jimmy: 'cause we think we're good 'cause we're at a wedding or something. >> yeah. yes, exactly. >> jimmy: pretty good move is pulled off. yeah. and it was good. >> meanwhile, we're like, all the bones are creaking. you know? >> jimmy: yeah. but, dude, you're amazing. >> thanks. >>

had breaks into a soap opera but is it really is so bob rose that a serious threat to the continent of europe well a british tragedy is also a fosse right and it it's both those things at the same time in my view the negative consequences for europe could be even more serious than those for britain and what way. because we already see a lot of forces of populism nationalism and disintegration in different ways in the european union and brics it could give a big big push to those forces and is there anything that the european union can do to counter that i hope that they will be doing it this even when they give a long flexible extension for that gives the for a democratic process which will end up with a second referendum and britain may be staying in the you which would be if charles for europe or with a softer bricks it both becomes a less for europe then you think that there is also in europe inception that britain needs to go through this i hear more and more the argument in continental europe that. britain is going to be such a problematic member of the e.u. the metaphor of poison is used but if we're thinking about long term

compadres into a soap opera but is it really is so bob crow is it a serious threat to the continent of europe will. a british tragedy is also a fosse right and it it's both those things at the same time in my view the negative consequences for europe could be even more serious than those for britain and what way. because we already see a lot of forces of populism nationalism and disintegration in different ways in the european union and brics it could give a big push to those forces and is there anything that the european union can do to counter that i hope that they will be doing it this even when they give a long flexible extension for that gives a for a democratic process which will end up with a second referendum and britain may be staying in the u. which would be a fantastic charts for europe or with a softer brics it both. for europe and you think that there is also in europe the perception that britain needs to go through this i hear more and more the argument in continental europe that. britain is going to be such a problematic member of the e.u. the metaphor of poison is used but if we're thinking about long term for decad