Stephen King Talks To George Stroumboulopoulos

Mega-selling author Stephen King is in the red chair to talk about his process and his wildly successful career as an author.
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight airs weeknights at 7 and 11:30 pm on CBC Television
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[@Julie-kx5bs]

I love how Stephen is just like fu*k shoelaces...imma rock dem Velcros.

[@amazingsupergirl7125]

Well when you have pain it’s practically impossible. I have stretchy laces and just shove my feet in.

[@puffyshirt681]

It's funny because everyone says George is a great interviewer--which he is--but the funny this is he does very little talking during his interviews. He asks a 10-20 word question and whoever is sitting across from him suddenly tells him and his audience their entire life story, and Strompoloujpuopluopuolous just sits there and listens. Hence, best interviewer working today.

[@Numenorean921]

Yeah, the goal of a good interviewer is to say as little as possible while staying on point and he succeeds beautifully.

[@HandsOfCinderblock]

That is actually also a fundamental aspect of journalism. Let the interviewee do all the talking and you'll be golden. Strombo keeps it simple and keeps it real.

[@TurquoiseStar17]

Seems like some interviewers now, they just try to prod the questions in a certain direction so they can get reusable soundbites. Strombo's never really been like that :)

[@roder51]

George is also Canadian which makes him a good listener too. Americans talk too much.

[@SanDmaNTheFreakTrucker]

I'm not at liberty to say he's the greatest author ever because I haven't read every authors material (obviously) but I will say he's the greatest I've experienced.

[@tookool4school]

i just wanna have tea with him and my life will be complete.

[@jfallas]

+Bananasauce Or over ;-)

[@metalheadlazz]

+Jorge Fallas that would be if she wanted to have a slice of pie with him 😁

[@rd58rd58]

the guy is the most repetitive and childish writer.

[@sunsetbeach7]

+rd58rd58 jealous much? this guy don't write fluff. He adds depth and things in society weaved know his books that has changed our culture. If you want fluff, read Danielle Steel.

[@dkupke]

I remember in jr high we had an assignment to write about how if we could meet any three people from history who would it be, what would we do, etc. I wrote Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Alfred Hitchcock and that we would have tea and biscuits in Dracula’s castle.

[@Anna_Stetik]

What I would give to be able to sit on a porch, in the evening, with a pitcher of lemonade, and listen to Stephen King tell tales like the inspiration for Cujo. He is so interesting, and he knows how to tell a story.

[@scyllaandcharybdis]

Ma'am! I salute your comment!!!!

[@vinnievee5710]

I thought too much cocaine is what inspired Cujo. I’ve heard King doesn’t even remember writing it. He certainly is brilliant though and so interesting to listen to in interviews or when speaking. Great writer and great guy

[@angelkalathas]

God, I wish I could meet him. He's one of the reasons I'm trying to be a writer myself

[@TheOriginalMoc]

im reading the shinning now and im loving it.

[@benja2783]

I never saw before an interview with Stephen King, but I absolutely loved it. This guy is an icon

[@TrickWithAKnife]

Fantastic interview. A brilliant storyteller and a well read, thoughtful interviewer.

[@ShadowCrowX]

I miss when this show was a full hour and the interviews were longer. George's interviews are awesome! He gets the most authentic side of his guests out from his line of questioning.

[@hopeschannel]

This dude is a millionaire and dresses like he eats at mcdonalds I love it

[@smoothcriminal28]

When you exude brilliance and have nothing to prove, things like that become irrelevant.

[@aaqilian5.085]

regardless of how much money one has, there are only so many kinds of clothes. did you expect a gold suit?

[@dkupke]

Gonna sound disrespectful AF, but its the old saying abut “You can take the trash out of the trailer park but can’t take the trailer park out of the trash.” Stephen King had a pretty backwoods hick kind of upbringing and he lives that to this day even if he has money like few could dream of.

[@MsButterflysting]

Was thinking my dad wears his pants that high, same sneakers too. Button up tshirt. They're a year apart & 5 states apart-gotta be generational.

[@theoschommer3530]

He's worth like 50 mil too lmao

[@thomasminot8613]

This is one of the best interviewers I've ever seen, and a really interesting interview.

[@Gr8Layks]

I like a few of King's books. My favorite, however, is "On Writing..." It's a primer on how to write, and how he writes. Excellent!

[@KishorTwist]

My favorite book of his entire bibliography is Different Seasons.

[@immaculateboy]

That's on my To Read list!

[@Justinicus24]

Good for you. Ta sha nagi onanwai!!!

[@druboy7201]

yep, always a letdown when I get to the end of one of his books. never want them to end no matter how many pages they are.

[@bristlethewolf56]

His books are amazing!! But they are graphic enough to scare the crap outta you! And at the end of Cujo I cried! Poor, poor Tad...😭😭😭

[@bristlethewolf56]

Also The Green Mile must be read!!

[@GreenRobotDancer]

I would love to meet Stephen king and I write my own books and I'm thinking of typing them next but Stephen king is my idol

[@xMxRxPx]

Pogo the Clown? LMFAO!!!!!!! Nice John Wayne Gacy reference, Mr. King! lol

[@robertgennaro8075]

After I finished "it" I felt sad saying goodbye to those people but (SPOILIER ALERT) how they forgot each other at the end but remembered the love between them I feel is a beautiful metaphor for life when we pass on our memories may be gone but the love we felt for people will go on forever

[@Claudia-jv3be]

Stephen King is amazing. I've seen most of the movies that were made for his books and loved them, and when I was in high school I read his books written under the pseudonym, Bachman, and I loved them. For some reason, I didn't read anything more from him until about two months ago, and now every third or forth book I read is Stephen King. The Shining, The Stand, Misery, The Long Walk - again, Rose Murder, and Mr. Mercedes. ALL of them great. Stephen King is amazing! :-)

[@altabtabai5696]

its great to see such interviewers. Knowledgeable and smart.

[@GDug-rs5sh]

please george come back. so good. stephen is inspo

[@supernintendochalmers6628]

'The talisman' and 'black house' are fucking incredible. I read them about about once every year or two. Both wildly different genres that meet in the middle with such enduring depiction's of friendship. 😍 Wolf is probably my favorite character from any Stephen King novel.

[@marystevenson9311]

I love Stephen king. Love his books and movies. Under the dome I read, I loved it. Got 12 of his book. I'm reading doctor sleep which is his new book. And it's amazing read up to now

[@sneaksauce]

just finished that book, ending was really good.

[@MDkid1]

The Cujo back story with the bike and the farmer was creepy. Imagine all the creepy things this guy has seen or experienced in his life in order to come up with the material he does?

[@Aeghamedic]

Dimcle He saw one of his friends get hit by a train as a kid.

[@RaptorRoll]

Aeghamedic But he doesn't remember the incident and doesn't consider it an influence in his darker works. How true that is, I don't know, but he believes most of his stories just come from a normal imagination of scary concepts.

[@inthenameofjustice8811]

RaptorRoll He married a feminist. That would inspire horror in me too.

[@sirblumpkin6161]

InTheNameOfJustice I think I love you haha

[@Maialeen]

InTheNameOfJustice All the best people dislike people like you. And no. It wasn't funny to anyone of at least average intelligence.

[@Kinsman19]

Great interview. Stroumboulopoulos keeps the conversations genuine and cuts all the pomp, which is always appreciated. It's always cool to read the comments under interviews with Stephen King, and to see how much he's had an impact on us all. He's created this other (better) universe that we spend sizable chunks of our lives in. I wonder if he realizes just how much of an impact he's had. Probably hard to quantify.

[@didina232]

I. LOVE. THIS. MAN.

[@shanebondy3065]

Christine is my favourite book by Stephen King, and the movie made it more awesome.

[@adrianadrew4026]

Stephen King is not a Futuristic Writer - he is all about the mind and shows what the characters go through.

[@markcarrico7908]

“The Running Man” was sort of futuristic, and that was an amazing short story..

[@sodarkfilms101]

Great stuff. Only read a handful of his work - he puts the pro in prolific!

[@planetofether5462]

George does the best interviews.

[@acajudi100]

Thank you for the great interviews!

[@johnplayersstandard]

One of my favorite interviews love it.

[@MJLoverAngie]

Love this Interview. Thanx!

[@user-hb2vp7rm7s]

I WAS DOING TIME IN CHINO CALIF ... C. Y.A.. 1996-2000 READING STEPHEN KING....WICKED ASS MIND

[@jovandavidovic1]

a priceless interview

[@Portalse7en]

I've never heard Stephen king speak before, and I've got to say... That's NOT what I imagined he sounded like. It was deeper in my head.

[@MJRGVR]

Just finished 11/22/63, couldn't put it down, Did nothing else for two days, had to finished it. Great book. There is going to be a movie.....

[@SheenaJackson39]

MJRGVR I'm only 60 pages in, and it's pretty hard to put the book down.

[@stephanierott67]

I really enjoy hearing him talk about his life. It is hard for me to put the man in this vid with the books he writes. For over 30 years I have been a fan....biggest fan NO close hell ya!

[@DrPlatypus1]

This is the man that every talk show host should aspire to be like.

[@jimm8176]

Excellent interview. The interviewer is great

[@farbrore]

king should be a voice actor..

[@JakeParent]

Great interview!

[@justintai8725]

Brilliant interview

[@jenna-m]

fantastic interview

[@TheTacoPandemic]

I wish I had time to read more of his books.

[@MikeRoberts1964]

Read the short stories; They're a quick read and his best work, I think, especially the older ones.

[@HandsOfCinderblock]

The only Stephen King book that I've read in its entirety is "The Shining". It's the little things that make it such a classic; the moving topiary was especially effective, in my opinion.

[@Ekphrasys]

You should read "It", then!

[@supernintendochalmers6628]

Damn, these are fucking great questions.

[@_yellow]

I like this interviewer, he's pretty good. Cheers

[@ScinLaeca358]

His best book if you ask me - "Pet Sematary." Full of everything you expect from Stephen King in classic form - Indian burial grounds, salty Nor'easterners, walking corpses, heady scenes at funerals - and with a perfect ending. Because that's the thing with SK books in general; they tend to feature a huge elaborate epic buildup to an ending that can only be an anticlimax, and is. (I could spoil the thousand pages of "IT" in four words; three if I left out "fucking.") But Pet Sematary goes out with a bang, in a way that seems both inevitable and shocking. I think I've seen Mark Ryden's work illustrating Stephen King books, and that makes perfect sense to me - Ryden's from the "outsider/lowbrow" art set, and King's work seems like the equivalent in literature. I don't mean that as an insult.

[@lucascontreras2840]

zapatillas con abrojo. Lo amo.

[@finnainsley9088]

master or crypt tales. keep writing Steve!

[@mattparrott8]

+Jack Mehoff that username is as good as i.p. freely!

[@finnainsley9088]

Matt Parrott and Peter File and Moe Lester

[@BullitCake]

Jim Carey should play Stephen King in his biopic

[@unou588]

Michael J. Fox should lol

[@sweeney60]

Christopher Butler I think he would be great, but I worry he might not be able to with his parkinsons.

[@timothy790110]

sweeney60 Who has Parkinsons now?

[@unou588]

timothy790110 Fox :P

[@RussX5Z]

Ugh? I don't think so.

[@xPhantom82]

Big Ears Teddy really liked this!

[@DOTA2FroggyStyle]

"Simpsons did it! SIMPSONS DID IT!" Also, why are they never talking about the DT :(

[@EmeraldRuby2]

an awesome one!

[@OldHeathen1963]

I'm not a reader, but I've read a lot of Stephen King books!

[@anthonym4a1]

george is really good at this.

[@that70steen]

So Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker and Stephen King walk into a bar...

[@TheSteadyready]

And H.P. Lovecraft says welcome boys what more can i offer you?

[@Andrewflynn16]

And drink the place dry?

[@dkupke]

And then HP Lovecraft and HG Wells say “Here, hold my beer...”

[@lunalu666lucifuge5]

@WinterGirl and R.L.Stein replys :"Boys we have a gathering this midnight"

[@lunalu666lucifuge5]

Also Anne Rice lifts her hat and says :"Boys i guess you forgot my pint of blood "

[@dataquester]

Maximum overdrive with acdc!!!

[@Nr1from1978]

Yeah I got the global wheater idea too in the book. I hope they turn it into a movie. Also the Dark Tower series. Love it.

[@stipsazg]

Epic shoes!

[@ncjackson1958]

Genius.

[@itsjustthatawsome]

That's one hell of a last name.

[@Danimal300zx]

This interview is 4 years old.

[@chivalrouscam]

I watched Stephen king's "it"! IT WAS SCARY!

[@sebastianlucas7449]

i might meet him soon

[@dereksmallsuk]

This dude's books will still be selling hundreds of years from now...... (or downloaded 🙄)..... Any fools who try to critique too much, better be VERY successful authors!! The dude's a genius.

[@eddiedean5047]

love the old man Velcro sneakers

[@eamonnmaccionnaith5761]

I've read the shining, misery, doloras Claiborne and Carrie. Any other recommendations? I tried Liseys Story, Duma Key and wasn't into them

[@MrFacundo7]

Éamonn MacCionnaith The Dark Tower, Pet Sematary, It!

[@antipodal2011]

A name that has more than one syllable.

[@benisisballin]

Stephen king is a god. Been through a lot of shit

[@StephEWaterstram]

Hi Boss! :)

[@JON_HER]

This mf is a good interviewer where is he now??

[@infinightsky]

I wish he would return to "the stand"

[@mijles]

1:42 Did he just "Welcome buddy" Stephen King?

[@yurismir1]

Man I never knew Shawshank Redemption, the Green Mile and Stand By Me were Stephen King books

[@Blackonblackicemin]

"I don't ever wanna be that famous." Lol

[@TheKmkh]

i would think you would like the quirk(y) last names

[@melissag1364]

George was a great interviewer, what happened to the dude??

[@squamish4244]

If Stephen King wrote A Song of Ice and Fire, the series would be done by now even if it was eight 1500 page books.

[@davidsandlin9686]

valar I don't know. It took him over thirty years to complete the Dark Tower series. He took 20 some years between book 3 and 4. At one point he actually said he wasn't gonna even finish it and book three was it. He had lost the passion for the world he had created. The accident sparked him to complete the story he said.

[@EthanRom]

Seriously, though. Would've been hilarious if some character actually said "this s like the Simpsons movie!"

[@SheenaJackson39]

Doctor Sleep is great. I like it better than The Shining.

[@christinej.4404]

Sheena Jackson Me too

[@woonawoona]

the villains were soooo good.

[@TheNikesbkid]

Simpsons did that shit rofl

[@xPhantom82]

He had to have been working on "Doctor Sleep" during this?

[@hollywooda111]

Weather has nothing to do with climate, there's your first lesson Stephen.

[@Venuscombust]

what kind of shoes is he wearing?

[@Imightberiding]

What kind of name is Yan Quirk?

[@lucyberger7625]

His books are so brilliant but most of his scary stuff which was adapted to film and brutally murdered the quality of his stories.

[@meurtri9312]

sounds like he listens to fox news while he types.

[@henrikpersson4698]

haha, nice comeback by george there. squeeeaaal like a piiig.

[@S7EVE_P]

Part 2: 14:27

[@oldnag58]

The 'Green Mile' is not based on real life.

[@Raxoris]

Oh Stephen. I do question your judgement sometimes, but damnit, you seem like such a nice chap.

[@happymushroom8740]

Stroumboulopoulos? xD Our greek names are so hilarious. It basicly stands for "rounded guy." (The chubby type of rounded.).

[@darnellputman9047]

Stephen King: the American Neil Gaiman. So far.

[@TomEbbsjamasteroids]

Getting hit by a car was his inspiration for Mr.Ferrari

[@DarlingMissDarling]

Tom Ebbs lol "Mr. Mercedes"

[@CormanToth]

What's it like being 12?

[@celticarchie]

Going to see a dead body. Going to prison for a crime you didn't commit and getting repeatedly raped in said prison. In prison waiting to be executed for a crime you didn't commit. If that's NOT horror... then somebody needs to check their Funk & Wagnels.

[@SpaceCattttt]

George really plays with my prejudices. I mean, he looks like he should be an idiot, but the questions are always great. Hmm... King is the king, of course.

[@smoothcriminal28]

King is the King indeed.

[@Bayers2020]

50 books hahaha now he’s at like 230 xD 240 xD