MY FIRST GUEST STARRED IN "20TH CENTURY WOMEN," "THE KIDS ARE
ALL RIGHT," AND "AMERICAN BEAUTY."
HER NEW FILM IS "THE SEAGULL."
>> WHICH OF US LOOKS YOUNGER?
WELL?
WHICH OF US LOOKS YOUNGER?
>> YOU DO, OF COURSE.
AH!
THERE, YOU SEE?
AND WHY?
BECAUSE I WORK.
I'M CONSTANTLY DOING SOMETHING.
I EXPERIENCE LIFE.
YOU JUST SIT STILL IN ONE PLACE, NOT REALLY LIVING.
YES.
AND I HAVE A RULE -- I NEVER THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
I NEVER THINK ABOUT OLD AGE OR DEATH.
WHAT WILL COME IN LIFE WILL COME.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME ANNETTE BENING!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: HELLO.
HI.
>> Stephen: HEY.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> I'M SO EXCITED.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, I'M A
LONG-TIME FAN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WE'VE SPOKEN ONCE OR TWICE OVER THE PHONE OVER THE
YEARS, BUT I'M A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK IN THE DRIFTERS,
"AMERICAN BEAUTY," "THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT," "20TH CENTURY
WOMEN," AND "THE PRESIDENT" WITH MICHAEL DOUGLAS.
CAN'T YOU AND MICHAEL DOUGLAS JUST BE THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST
LADY?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) IT'S JUST PRESIDENT PORN AT THIS
POINT, AND THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING GIVEN THIS PRESIDENT.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT YOU ARE A FAMOUS ACTRESS AND
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE A CALLING THAT SURPRISED ME.
YOU WERE A PROFESSIONAL COOK.
>> WELL, THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERSTATEMENT.
I WAS A COOK ON A BOAT ON A SCUBA DIVING BOAT.
>> Stephen: DID YOU GET PAID?
I DID.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL.
( LAUGHTER ) HOLD ON, GO BACK.
YOU COOKED FOR SCUBA DIVERS?
>> YES, I HAD BECOME CERTIFIED AS A SCUBA DIVER.
IN ORDER TO BECOME CERTIFIED YOU HAVE TO DO A BOAT DIVE.
THIS IS LIKE A SPORT FISHING BOAT, KIND OF, LIKE, 65-FOOT.
>> Stephen: WHERE ARE WE TALKING?
>> LIKE, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, I GREW UP IN SAN DIEGO.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
O I HAD TO DO THE BOAT DIVE TO GET CERTIFIED.
SO I WENT OUT ON THIS BOAT ON A TRIP.
WE HAD TO JUMP OFF THE BOAT AND SWIM IN THE OCEAN, SCUBA DIVE,
THE WHOLE THING.
SO SOMEHOW I GOT THE IDEA I MIGHT BE THE COOK.
THERE'S A SMALL GALLEY.
I WENT TO THE DOCK IN MY MOTHER'S STATION WAGON.
I REMEMBER DRIVING DOWN, BEING NERVOUS, WALKING DOWN, BEING
BILL JOHNSTON WAS HIS NAME, WONDERFUL GUY WHO OWNED THESE
TWO BOATS, SO I WAS THE ASSISTANT COOK FOR THE FIRST
WEEKEND BECAUSE THEY'RE WEEKEND TRIPS, THEN I BECAME THE COOK,
AND I DID IT FOR A YEAR.
>> Stephen: HOLD ON FOR A SECOND.
>> COOKING FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU TAKEN WITH SCUBA DIVING SO MUCH YOU
THOUGHT I NEED TO STAY ON THIS BOAT?
OR WERE YOU, LIKE, TURNS OUT I JUST REALLY WANT TO COOK, I
DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WATER ANYMORE?
>> NO, I WANT TO SCUBA DIVE, TOO.
OF COURSE, YOU COULD SCUBA DIVE WHEN YOU WENT OUT, BUT ALSO JUST
THE ADVENTURE OF IT.
I WAS A TEENAGER.
>> Stephen: WAIT, HOW OLD WERE YOU?
>> I WAS 16.
>> Stephen: 16 YEARS OLD.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU LIVING OUT THERE DAY AND NIGHT?
>> THEY WERE ONE AND TWO-DAY TRIPS MOSTLY BUT SOMETIMES
FIVE-DAY TRIPS.
SO THE FIRST PART, I WAS FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL.
WE WOULD LEAVE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AND DRIVE ALL NIGHT TO GET TO
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS WHICH IS WHERE WE WOULD DIVE.
>> Stephen: BIG SHARKS OUT THERE.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: THERE ARE GREAT WHITE SHARKS OUT THERE.
>> I NEVER SAW ONE.
>> Stephen: THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT
WHITE SHARKS OUT THERE.
I WATCH THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL.
( LAUGHTER ) >> THEY HAD LITTLE LEOPARD
SHARKS BUT NO BIG SHARKS.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
>> Stephen: AT WHAT POINT DID YOU SAY THAT'S ENOUGH?
>> I DID IT FOR A YEAR.
PART OF THAT TIME I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND I WAS JUST
WORKING FOR A WHILE, WHICH IS COOL.
EASY TO SAVE MONEY, YOU CAN'T SPEND IT YOU'RE OUT.
THEN I WENT TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I WENT TO MESA COLLEGE IN SAN DIEGO.
ONCE I STARTED SCHOOL SERIOUSLY I STARTED DOING PLAYS.
>> Stephen: TO STUDY ACTING?
AND OTHER THINGS.
>> Stephen: GOOD.
IT WAS A REALLY GREAT THEATER DEPARTMENT WHICH I LOVED AND GOT
REALLY INTO THEN.
>> Stephen: I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS OF YOU FOR SEVERAL
REASONS, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS IS, WHEN I MEET SOMEBODY WHO'S
MET SOMEBODY I ADMIRE, LIKE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO GOT TO BE
ON CARSON AND WORK ON CARSON AND I'M JEALOUS OF THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT YOU SPENT TIME ARE HARPER LEE, THE AUTHOR OF ""TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD"."
NOBODY MET HER.
AFTER SHE PUBLISHED THE BOOK, SHE DIDN'T PUBLISH AGAIN.
SHE JUST STAYED IN HER HOUSE.
>> SHE WAS REALLY SHY AND DIDN'T LIKE GIVING INTERVIEWS OR BEING
FAMOUS.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU -- WELL, SHE WAS BEING HONORED
AT THE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION IN LOS ANGELES, AND IT'S THIS
REALLY BEAUTIFUL EVENT OUTSIDE, AND SHE WAS VERY FRIENDLY WITH
GREGORY PECK'S FAMILY WHO WERE VERY INVOLVED IN THE LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION.
>> Stephen: OF COURSE, ATTICUS FINCH.
>> SO THEY INVITED HER TO THE CEREMONY.
SHE TOOK THE TRAIN, I REMEMBER SHE TOLD ME.
>> Stephen: WHERE DOES SHE LIVE, ALABAMA.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: THE TRAIN TO LOS ANGELES?
>> YES, BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T LIKE TO FLY, AND SHE GOT HER TUXEDO
AT A CATALOG.
I REMEMBER THAT.
SHE TOLD ME THAT.
BY THE WAY, SHE LOVED THE EVENING.
AS SHY AS SHE WAS, IT WAS INTERESTING TO MEET HER.
SHE WAS DELIGHTED TO BE THERE.
SHE LOVED EVERYONE.
THEY WERE IN AWE OF HER.
>> Stephen: MAYBE SHE DID LIKE GOING OUT BUT NO ONE INVITED
HER.
( LAUGHTER ) MAYBE SHE WAS THE PRETTY GIRL
ALL THE BOYS ARE AFRAID TO KISS.
( LAUGHTER ) NOW YOU'RE DOING THE SEAGULL.
THERE'S A NEW FILM "THE SEAGULL."
YOU PLAY AN ACTRESS WHO IS QUITE A FAMOUS ONE AND A WEALTHY ONE
IN THIS PLAY, AND SUBSTAN STANIE LOVSKI THE GREAT TEACHER AND
ACTOR PREPARER, SAVED THE PLAY WHICH IS HIS MOST FAMOUS PLAY
BUT SAVED IT FROM OBSCURITY BY REMOUNTING IT TWO YEARS AFTER IT
WAS A FLOP THE FIRST TIME.
HE SAID THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SMALL PARTS, JUST SMALL
ACTORS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
>> I GUESS THAT MEANS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GRATEFUL NO
MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL YOUR PART IS.
>> Stephen: DADE YOU TAKE THAT TO HEART WHEN YOU WERE A YOUNG
ACTOR?
THE THING HE SAID I REMEMBER WAS THE ACTOR SHOULD HAVE IRON
DISCIPLINE.
I REMEMBER THAT.
DID YOU TRY THE MAKE EVERY PART A BIG PART?
>> OH, GOD, IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
I WAS IN A SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IN COLORADO, THE COLORADO
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, AND WE DID THREE PLAYS AND WERE EACH IN TWO
OF THEM AND THE ONE I WAS THE SMALLER PART IN WAS HAMLET AND I
WAS A COURT LADY AND WE WOULD SPEND THE ENTIRE TIME TRYING TO
MAKE EACH OTHER LAUGH.
THOSE OF US THAT HAD THE SMALL PARTS, VERY UNPROFESSIONAL.
>> Stephen: HOW DID HAMLET FEEL ABOUT THIS?
>> HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT?
HE'S THE MELANCHOLY CAME.
HE'S THE CHIPPER.
>> HE IS MELANCHOLY, BUT WE HAD A BLAST.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND YOU SHOT THIS IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
ACTING AS THE RUSSIAN COUNTRYSIDE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU OUT IN THE FIELDS AND EVERYTHING?
>> THERE WAS SOME OF THAT.
>> Stephen: NATURE AND BEARS AND ALL THAT?
>> MAINLY WHAT WE NEEDED WAS A HOUSE AND A LAKE, IT'S IN
MONROE, NEW YORK.
>> Stephen: YES.
WE FOUND ONE BECAUSE OUR PRODUCTION DESIGNER IS THIS
GENIUS WOMAN NAMED JANE MUSKIE HAD ACTUALLY GONE TO THE HOUSE
WHEN SHE WAS A KID, BECAUSE HER GRANDMOTHER WAS PART OF THE
JEWISH POPULATION WHO COLLECTIVELY BOUGHT A HOUSE
THEY'D GO TO TOGETHER.
SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY THIS RUSSIAN HISTORY IN THIS
PARTICULAR HOUSE WE FOUND BUT JANE HAD BEEN THERE AS A KID SO
THERE'S A LAKE AND A HOUSE AND IT WAS JUST WHAT WE NEEDED.
>> Stephen: SNAKES, BEARS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NO.
BUT THERE WERE TICKS.
>> Stephen: OH.
THAT'S FAR MORE DANGEROUS.
>> AND VERY SCARY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S FAR MORE DANGEROUS.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO CHECK EACH OTHER AT THE END OF
THE DAY?
>> WE DID A LOT OF THAT.
>> Stephen: WOW.
DID YOU GET ANY FOOTAGE OF THAT?
JUST FOR BLOOPERS, IS THE OUTTAKE REAL AT THE END?
( LAUGHTER ) >> NO.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: "THE SEAGULL" IS IN THEATERS TOMORROW.
ANNETTE BENING, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH WYATT CENAC!