>>> MICHAEL COHEN LOGGED THREE BIG DAYS ON CAPITOL HILL AND
HE’S NOT EVEN DONE TESTIFYING.
WHEN HE’S ALL OVER, IT WILL BE
ONE OF THE MOST MOMENTOUS
WATCHED ACTIVITIES OF ANY PERSON
AS A FINAL ACT BEFORE RETURNING
TO PRISON.
TO PRISON. OTISVILLE, ONE OF AMERICA’S
CUSHIEST PRISONS ACCORDING TO
FORBES, WILL DIFFER GREATLY FROM
THE OVER 2 MILLION AMERICANS
CURRENTLY INCARCERATED.
CURRENTLY INCARCERATED. IN A NEW HBO FILM, OG EXPLORES
THE ACTUAL PRISON SYSTEM GOING
INSIDE TO THE STORY OF SOMEONE
WHILE FICTIONAL IN NATURE, THE
ACTUAL PIECE IS SHOT ALMOST
ENTIRELY GET THIS INSIDE A REAL
MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON IN
INDIANA.
INDIANA. A REAL ENVIRONMENT FOR A
FICTIONAL UNIVERSE EXPLORING REA
PROBLEMS FACING ANYONE TRYING TO
SHIFT FROM HARD TIME TO FREEDOM.
>> NO FUTURE IN THAT, ESPECIALLY
WITH WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WHEN IT POP OFF, YOU’LL BE THE
FIRST TO GET IT.
>> HEY, DIGNITY, SELF-RESPECT,
GRACE.
GRACE. AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT’S
WHAT YOU WANT TO HOLD ON TO IN
HERE.
HERE. MIGHT NOT MEAN MUCH TO YOU NOW
BUT SOMETHING TO REMEMBER.
>> I’M JOINED BY THAT VERY
ACTOR, THE STAR OF "O.G.,"
JEFFREY WRIGHT, AN EMMY AND TONY
AWARD WINNER.
AWARD WINNER. WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO
SHOOT INSIDE A REAL PRISON?
>> I DID IT I THINK TO EDUCATE
MYSELF, TO INFORM MYSELF A
LITTLE DEEPER ON THE ISSUES, BUT
ALSO ON A CREATE RIFIVE LEVEL, T
IF I COULD PULL IT OFF, IF I
COULD DELIVER AN AUTHENTIC
PERFORMANCE IN THE COMPANY OF
THESE MEN WHO KNOW THIS STORY IN
MUCH MORE DETAIL THAN I DO.
AND THEY WERE A BIG HELP TO ME.
THEY HAD LIKE AT ANY GIVEN
MOMENT I HAD A HUNDRED EXPERT
CONSULTANTS ON SET TO TALK ME
THROUGH VARIOUS THINGS.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY MOVING
PROCESS FOR ME.
>> MICHAEL COHEN, AS I
MENTIONED, IS HEADED TO PRISON.
CHAIRMAN CUMMINGS IN THAT
DRAMATIC HEARING SAID THE WAY
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TALKED ABOUT
COHEN HAS ACTUALLY PUT HIM IN
DANGER.
DANGER. >> I KNOW IT’S PAINFUL GOING TO
PRISON, I KNOW IT’S GOT TO BE
PAINFUL BEING CALLED A RAT.
I LIVE IN THE INNER CITY OF
BALTIMORE, ALL RIGHT?
AND WHEN YOU CALL SOMEBODY A
RAT, THAT’S ONE OF THE WORST
THINGS YOU CAN CALL THEM BECAUSE
WHEN THEY GO TO PRISON, THAT
MEANS A SNITCH.
>> IS HE RIGHT ABOUT THE
IMPLICATION THAT DONALD TRUMP
WAS PUTTING MICHAEL COHEN?
EXTRA DANGERS?
EXTRA DANGERS? >> I HAVE BEEN TO OTISVILLE,
I’VE BEEN THERE SCREENING A FILM
WITH THE TRIBECA INSTITUTE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THESE GUYS AND I
LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT
THE MICHAEL COHENS HAVE HAD,
THAT THE PAUL MANAFORTS HAVE HAD
IN THEIR LIVES TO BETTER
THEMSELVES, THE OPPORTUNITY
THEY’VE HAD TO DEVELOP POSITIVE
OUTCOMES ON A PERSONAL LEVEL FOR
THEMSELVES AND YET CHOOSE AN
EGREGIOUSLY IMMORAL PATH, I
DON’T THINK THAT I LOOK AT THEM
WITH THE TYPE OF UNDERSTANDING
THAT I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE
GUYS WHO DID MUCH MORE VIOLENT
CRIME, SIMPLY BECAUSE THESE GUYS
NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPLORE MORE.
EXPLORE MORE. >> YOU KNOW HOW PLOTS WORK.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. >> HOW DO YOU SEE THE PLOT OF
THIS MUELLER PROBE ENDING?
>> CERTAINLY WHAT WE’VE SEEN
FROM THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN
MADE PUBLIC, THE CHARGES AGAINST
MANAFORT, THE IMPLICATIONS THERE
RELATIVE TO FOREIGN POLICY
DECISIONS MADE AT THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION, IF WE CAN
ONLY WONDER, ONLY SPECULATE AT
WHAT THE BUSINESS TIES OF THE
PRESIDENT, HOW THOSE MIGHT HAVE
INFORMED OR ARE INFORMING POLICY
DECISIONS RELATIVE TO SAUDI
ARABIA, TO RUSSIA AND ANY OTHER
PLACE THAT HE MIGHT HAVE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS PRETTY
EVIDENT THAT THERE’S SOMETHING
GOING ON THAT’S UNDERMINING THE
STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND
UNDERMINING THE STRENGTH OF OUR
GOVERNANCE.
GOVERNANCE. SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THIS
DENMARK.
DENMARK. >> BEFORE I LET YOU GO, VAN
JONES HAS WORKED ON THESE
ISSUES.
ISSUES. HE WAS SPEAKING AT A
CONSERVATIVE CONFERENCE ABOUT
REFORM.
REFORM. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HE JUST
SAID.
SAID. >> THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT IN
THIS COUNTRY UNFORTUNATELY, FROM
MY POINT OF VIEW, IS NOW THE
LEADER ON THIS ISSUE OF REFORM.
TAKE SOME DAG-DOM CREDIT FOR
BEING SMART.
BEING SMART. >> TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST STEP
ACT, WHICH WAS BIPARTISAN,
ALTHOUGH I’M NOT SURE THE
REPUBLICANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN
THE LEAD.
THE LEAD. YOUR VIEW.
YOUR VIEW. >> WELL, THEY WEREN’T IN THE
LEAD WHEN OBAMA WAS IN THE
OFFICE AND THEY WOULDN’T --
MITCH McCONNELL WOULDN’T BRING
IT UP FOR A VOTE, SO I’M NOT
SURE -- THIS IS POLITICS.
I THINK VAN IS PLAYING SOME
POLITICS AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE HE’S TRYING TO
REACH OUT TO THE OTHER SIGNED
AND FIND COMMON GROUND BUT I’M
NOT SO SURE WHY HE’S SO THEN
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT PLAYING
PRAISE AT THE FOOT OF THE
REPUBLICANS AND DONALD TRUMP.
FOR ME THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING
ON THIS FILM SPOKE LESS ABOUT
TRILLION JUSTICE REFORM AS IT
DID ABOUT THE DRIVERS THAT LEAD
YOUNG MEN, YOUNG PEOPLE INTO
SITUATIONS IN WHICH THEY FIND
THEMSELVES WITH MULTI-DECADE
PRISON SENTENCES.
PRISON SENTENCES. >> IT’S AN IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION AND IT’S ONE THIS