Good to see you in this film. Thank you. Thank you.
Tell me a little bit about just the making of the film and your concerns going into it.
Well, you know,
about 3.5 years ago when I first had my stroke,
I just babbled, I couldn't speak. And I assumed that was the end
of my career as an actor.
But then I had made eight or two pictures and I said, well, maybe that's it.
But I worked
with a speech therapist.
And then when I,
when I saw the script of Diamonds,
I realized that nobody else could play it that,
that,
that part were made for me
and I injected in the, in the, into it.
So much of what I felt in my own life.
So I felt very, very
close
to the character
and very close to
the, the picture
and, you know, working with, uh my friend.
Yeah,
we call and work with my friend
that act.
Well, it was really something very, very special in my life.
There's a scene early in the movie where the, whether your grandson
uh
doesn't know how to act around you
after you had your stroke? Did people not know how to act around you? Of course,
you know, for example, they would say,
uh
how do you feel Kirk? I
said, I, I hear you.
Yes.
You know, the stroke
is such like a mysterious thing.
Now,
I have been fortunate
be because my stroke affected my speech,
but lots of people are paralyzed on the right side.
Thank God,
I didn't have that problem. So III I was able to,
to play golf
but,
uh,
you know, a, a stroke says
they don't know where you're going to flop over in Iowa.
So people have to,
but I always, uh, put people at ease because,
um, I make, uh, I
make jokes.
I would, I would tell them when,
before I had my stroke, I said Michael and I were working
on the picture we're going to do.
Then I had my stroke and Michael was that, don't worry,
we work with the speech therapist
and then we'll do the movie that made me mad. I said Michael,
why don't you work with my speech therapist?
And then when you talk, like I talk, what makes the movie?
So
then he laughed. I la
so if, as long and you have a sense of humor
and you don't give up,
you can survive, man.
And that's the message to a lot of people
who are going through what you've been through.
Yes.
And I hope that,
uh, I'm going to give a speech
in San Francisco at the, at
the speech for Father this
convention
because I want to thank them for the work that they do.
And I want people in general to know more about strokes
and how the, how do they deal with it? Absolutely. Nice to see you.
Thank you.