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-- >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK TO PART TWO OF MY RARE INTERVIEW WITH LEGENDARY
ACTOR ROBERT DUVALL.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE DOING THE GODFATHER?
I ASSUME FOR MEN OF YOUR GENERATION, ACTORS OF YOUR
GENERATION, BRANDO, WHO IS ONE GENERATION BEFORE Y'ALL --
>> HE WAS OUR GODFATHER.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, MYSELF AND GENE HACKMAN, WE GET IN ONCE A
WEEK IN THAT DRUGSTORE UP THERE IN NEW YORK IN THE MIDTOWN, AND
IF WE MENTIONED BRANDO ONCE WE MENTIONED HIM 25 TIMES IN A DAY.
THE FIRST TIME GENE HACKMAN MET BRANDO WAS BY ACCIDENT AND HE
ALMOST CRIED.
>> Stephen: HE BUMPED INTO HIM AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH
THE FEELINGS?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
GENE, YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS BRANDO LIKE?
HE'S AN ENIGMATIC FIGURE TO THE PUBLIC LIKE ME.
WHAT WAS THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP LIKE?
>> THE FIRST TIME I WORKED WITH HIM WAS ON THE CHASE, AND WE
TALKED ABOUT THE SCRIPT, AND HE SAID, HOW YOU DOING, THIS AND
THAT, THIS AND THAT.
I SAID, OH, WE'RE GOING TO BE BUDDIES.
FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, YOU NEVER EVEN SAID GOOD MORNING.
SO THAT WAS HIS DEAL.
YOU KNOW.
BUT HE WAS -- I MET A GUY FROM ENGLAND, A VERY TOPNOTCH ENGLISH
ACTOR AND HE SAID HE WENT TO SEE STREET CORNER DESIRE AND HE SAID
HE WAS EMBARRASSED BECAUSE HE THOUGHT A STAGEHAND WANDERED ON
THE STAGE ACCIDENTALLY AND IT WAS BRANDO.
IT WAS SO NATURAL.
HE SAID HE SAW IT SEVEN TIMES.
>> Stephen: I WAS WONDERING, SOMEBODY WHO ADMIRED HIM AS YOU
CAME INTO YOUR OWN DEVELOPMENT AS AN ARTIST, HE SAID SOMETHING
ALONG THE LINES THAT ACTING ISN'T A PROPER PROFESSION FOR A
MAN AND IT'S AN EMPTY AND MEANINGLESS --
>> HE'S SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF.
>> Stephen: I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IF I -- LIKE MY COMEDIC
HEROES, IF SOMEONE SAID TO ME BEING A COMEDIAN IS NOT A WORTHY
THING TO DO, IT WOULD AFFECT ME EMOTIONALLY TO HEAR THAT.
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE TO HEAR THAT FROM, IF YOU DID HEAR IT, FROM A
HERO LIKE THAT?
>> WELL, HE SAID A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAME OUT STRANGELY.
HE HAD STRANGE ASPECTS TO HIM.
I GOT A LETTER FROM HIM DOWN IN MY LIVING ROOM THAT I VALUE AS
MUCH AS MY OSCAR.
>> Stephen: WERE THERE ANY DIRECTORS YOU WORKED WITH SOME
OF THE GREAT DIRECTORS IN THE 20th CENTURY AS WELL, WERE
THERE DIRECTORS YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE WORKED WITH LIKE JOHN
HOUSTON OR STANLEY COOPER.
>> I WAS GOING TO DO HIS LAST MOVIE, JOHN HOUSTON, AND HE
DIED.
BUT, NO, I TEND NOT TO GET ALONG WITH TOO MANY DIRECTORS.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T GET ALONG WITH THEM?
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
HOW DOES THAT PRACTICALLY PLAY OUT?
>> GET OUT OF MY WAY.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE TELLING YOU HOW TO DO YOUR
JOB?
>> MAYBE OR IMPLYING THAT, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: LINE READINGS.
WELL, JUST HOVERING, HOVERING.
>> Stephen: WHAT SHOULD A DIRECTOR DO?
>> STAND BACK AND SEE.
THAT'S WHAT COPELA DOES, TO SEE WHAT YOU DO AND BRING.
WHAT YOU BRING, HE'LL USE IT.
BUT COPELA WAS VERY GOOD THAT WAY, JUST, YOU KNOW, STANDING
BACK AND SEE WHAT YOU DO.
THAT'S WHY THEY HIRE YOU, TO SEE WHAT YOU DO.
WHEN ACTORS GET TOGETHER, THEY SAY WHAT WAS THAT DIRECTOR LIKE?
HE LEFT ME ALONE.
OH, TERRIFIC.
>> Stephen: YOU'VE DONE SO MANY INCREDIBLE FILMS, AS I
SAID, THE GODFATHER, APOCALYPSE NOW, MASH, THE ORIGINAL FRANK
BURNS.
FOR ME, I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS NECESSARILY YOUR GREATEST
PERFORMANCE, I AGREE WITH THE ACADEMY TENDER MERCIES IS
PERHAPS YOUR GREATEST PERFORMANCE, AN INCREDIBLY
BEAUTIFUL FILM, BUT YOUR PERFORMANCE FRANK HACKETT IN
NETWORK IS ONE THAT LEAPS OUT TO ME.
>> I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN A LONG TIME.
>> Stephen: CAN I SHOW YOU A CLIP FROM IT, MY FAVORITE SCENE
THAT YOU EVER DID.
CAN WE WATCH IT TOGETHER?
>> OKAY.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
SO THIS IS THE SCENE, JUST TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE HERE, THIS
IS THE SCENE AFTER PETER FINCH'S CHARACTER, HOWARD BEHL, AFTER
HOWARD BEHL HAS BECOME A HIT AND HE'S CLEARLY NOT WELL AND HE'S
LIVING WITH MACK SCHUMACHER WHO IS BILL HOLDEN'S CHARACTER, AND
HE'S RUN AWAY SOMEPLACE AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE.
AND YOU WANT HIM TO FIND HOWARD BEHL BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT A HIT
YOUR HONOR HANDS, AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN MADE HEAD OF THE
NETWORK.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE SCENE IS THAT YOU HAVE
AN INCREDIBLE INTENSITY.
THERE ARE ENORMOUS CHOICES BEING MADE IN THIS MOVIE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: IT'S A SATIRE ON MANY LEVELS.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: BUT THERE ARE BIG PERFORMANCE CHOICES BEING MADE,
AND I JUST LOVE TO WATCH IT WITH YOU AND ASK YOU --
>> WHO WROTE IT.
>> Stephen: PATTY -- GOOD GUY.
>> Stephen: LET'S A WATCH.
LET'S SAY ( BLEEP ) YOU HACKETT.
YOU WANT ME OUT OF HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DRAG ME OUT
KICKING AND SCREAMING AND THE WHOLE NEWS DIVISION KICKING AND
SCREAMING WITH ME.
>> YOU THINK THEY'LL QUIT YOUR JOBS FOR YOU, NOT IN THIS
RECESSION.
>> HE'LL HAVE YOUR ASS.
I GOT A HIT.
HE WAS HOPING I'D FALL ON MY SHOW WITH THIS BEHL SHOW IT'S A
BIG FAT PIT AND I WON'T RUN WITH HIM.
IF HE WANTS TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE BOARD LET HIM.
DO YOU THINK HE'S STUPID ENOUGH TO GO TO THE BOARD AND SAY I'M
TAKING THE ONE HIT SHOW OFF THE AIR?
NOVEMBER 14, I WILL BE STANDING UP A AN YEW YOU WILL MEETING AND
ANNOUNCE THE PROJECTED EARNINGS FOR THE NETWORK FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN TEN YEARS AND MR. JENNINGS WILL ROCK BACK AND
FORTH AND SAY, THAT'S VERY GOOD FRANK, KEEP IT UP.
>> SO I DON'T HAVE ANY ILLUSIONS ABOUT WHO'S RUNNING THE NETWORK,
YOU'RE FIRED.
I WANT YOU OUT BEFORE NOON OR I'LL HAVE YOU THROWN OUT.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE SCENE.
YOU REMEMBER SHOOTING THAT.
>> YEAH.
JUST SO -- I THINK I DID OKAY.
YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP IT WITHIN YOUR TEMPERAMENT.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
YOU, YOUR TEMPERAMENT, YOU KNOW, YOUR SENSE OF WHATEVER,
YOU KNOW, ANGER, YOUR VULNERABILITY OR WHATEVER, IT'S
GOT TO BE YOUR TEMPERAMENT WITHOUT STEPPING OUT OF THAT,
AND THEN IT BECOMES MORE LIKE ACTING, BUT YOU TRY TO KEEP IT
WITH, YOU KNOW, FROM YOU, FROM YOUR TEMPERAMENT.
YOU KNOW, INTERPRET IT A CERTAIN WAY.
>> Stephen: I ASSUME THAT WILL BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL IN A
FILM WHERE THERE ARE BIG ACTING CHOICES MADE.
BUZZ BILL HOLDEN AND FAYE DUNAWAY ARE MAKING HUGE CHOICES
IN THAT SCENE, TOO.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: YET ALL OF IT SEEMS BELIEVABLE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN BY KEEPING WITHIN THE TEMPERAMENT?
>> YEAH, KEEPING WITHIN THE -- YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE LIKE WOULD
YOU COME OVER HERE, PLEASE?
YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL YOU DOING IT WITHIN YOUR SET OF EMOTIONS
OR YOUR TEMPERAMENT OR YOUR PSYCHE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO
CALL IT, WITHOUT OVERACTING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT TO BE IN TOUCH
WITH YOUR TEMPERAMENT.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THAT SCENE, I'VE
ALWAYS LOVED THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU SAY, YOU'RE FIRED, I WANT
YOU OUT OF HERE BEFORE NOON OR I'LL HAVE YOU THROWN OUT.
THE GESTURE YOU MAKE RIGHT THERE FEELS LIKE YOU'RE PICKING UP
WILLIAM HOLDEN AND THROWING HIM OUT OF THE ROOM, AND THAT IS A
PURE UNDERSTANDABLE VISCERAL INTENTION I'M FEELING FROM THAT
CHARACTER.
>> I REMEMBER THE PRODUCER CAME INTO MY DRESSING ROOM AND TO SAY
SOMETHING AND I DIDN'T LIKE THE GUY.
I SAID, WILL YOU TURN AROUND AND WALK THE ( BLEEP ) OUT OF THIS
ROOM, THAT'S WHAT I SAID TO THE GUY.
RIGHT.
YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHEN WE COME BACK, ROBERT DUVALL GIVES ME AN ACTING
LESSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )