>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK WITH THE STAR OF
"HILLBILLY ELEGY," GLENN CLOSE.
TELL ME ABOUT MAWMAW.
THE MOVIE IS "HILLBILLY ELEGY."
WHAT ROLE DOES SHE PLAY.
MAWMAW IS THE GRANDMOTHER OF J.D. VANCE AND SHE STEPS IN WHEN
HE WAS IN DANGER OF GOING OFF THE TRACKS.
HE WAS A TEENAGER.
SHE SAID COME WITH ME.
SHE BASICALLY DISCIPLINED HIM, MADE HIM STUDY AND GET GOOD
GRADES.
INSPIRED HIM.
THEN HE WENT INTO THE MILITARY AND THEN TO YALE, AND IT CHANGED
THE CYCLE OF ABUSE AND POVERTY THAT HAD BEEN IN THAT FAMILY.
I THINK SHE'S AN ARC TYPAL CHARACTER.
THERE ARE MAWMAW'S ALL OVER THE WORLD WHO STEP IN AND SAY THIS
WILL NOT HAPPEN IN MY FAMILY.
>> Stephen: I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
YOUR FATHER PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN STOPPING THE SPREAD OF EBOLA.
THERE WAS ANT OUTBREAK IN ZAIRE IN THE 1970s.
WHAT DID YOUR FATHER DO?
WHAT WAS HIS OCCUPATION?
>> MY DAD WAS A DOCTOR.
HE WAS A TRAINED SURGEON, COLUMBIA, AND HE WAS -- HE WENT
TO AFRICA WITH A QUASI KIND OF MISSIONARY TYPE OF GROUP BUT
THEN BROKE AWAY WHEN THE MUTE ANY HAPPENED, WALKED INTO THE
BIG HOSPITAL IN, AT THE LEO LEOPOLDVILLE AND SAID I'M A
SURGEON, PUT ME TO WORK.
HE WORKED THROUGH THE MUTE ANY, STAYED 16 YEARS.
HE DID REMARKABLE WORK THERE.
THE LAST BIG EVENT OF HIS LIFE WAS TO HELP THE C.D.C., WHO CAME
TO RESEARCH -- TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS KILLING PEOPLE, HELPED THEM
GET TO YAMBUKU WHERE IS FIRST OUTBREAK WAS AND BASICALLY
ORGANIZED ALL THEIR TRANSPORTATION, HOW THEY GOT
EVERYTHING THERE AND, YEAH, HE WAS QUITE IMPORTANT.
THAT WAS THE FIRST OUTBREAK, THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY HAD EVER SEEN
OR HEARD OF EBOLA.
>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER MEET ANYBODY AT THE C.D.C. WHO HAD
WORKED WITH YOUR DAD?
>> I MET A LOT OF THEM, AND THEY WERE SOME OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE
PEOPLE I WILL HAVE EVER MET, AND IT JUST BOILS MY BLOOD THAT THE
C.D.C. HAS SOMEHOW GOTTEN THIS REPUTATION.
THEY WOULD GO AROUND THE WORLD TO PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WERE
DYING AND NOBODY KNEW WHY, AND THEY'D FIND OUT WHY, SOMETIMES
AT GREAT RISK.
I HAVE TO SAY, THE GUYS -- THOSE GUYS AT THE C.D.C., I'VE MET AND
LOVE A LOT OF THEM.
JOEL BRENNAN ON THAT TEAM GOING TO AFRICA, IN THE FIRST OUTBREAK
OF EBOLA.
HE CALLED ME THIS SPRING.
HE LOVES OUR FAMILY, AND HE WAS JUST CHECKING IN, BUT HE SAID,
YOU KNOW, IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO IN MAY ON THE STAGE WITH THE W.H.O.
IN GENEVA THAT WE ANNOUNCED THAT SMALLPOX HAD INDEED BEEN
ERADICATED FROM THE WORLD.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF PEOPLE THEY ARE.
>> Stephen: WELL, GLENN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: STAY SAFE OUT IN THE BIG SKY.
"HILLBILLY ELEGY" IS IN SELECT THEATERS NOW AND
PREMIERES ON NETFLIX TOMORROW.
GLENN CLOSE, EVERYBODY!
BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY KANE BROWN.