>>> AND WELCOME BACK. LAURA DERN IS AN AWARD-WINNING
ACTOR RECENTLY PICKING UP AN
EMMY AND GOLDEN GLOBE FOR BUG
LITTLE LIES.
LITTLE LIES. >> AND JACK O’CONNELL PLAYED
LIEU
LIEU LOUIE VAMPRINI.
LOUIE VAMPRINI. >> NOW THEY ARE TOGETHER FOR
THIS NEW FILM CALLED "TRIAL BY
FIRE."
FIRE." IT TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF A
TEXAS MAN ON DEATH ROW AND THE
TEACHER WHO STARTS INVESTIGATING
HIS CASE.
HIS CASE. >> THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
WE HAVE GOT PLENTY TO GO FILE AN
APPEAL WITH THE FIFTH CIRCUIT.
>> THEY ALREADY SPENT FIVE OF MY
APPEALS, LIZ.
APPEALS, LIZ. I ONLY GOT ONE MORE LEFT.
>> YOU GOT ONE MORE LEFT.
>> IT’S THE SAME AS THE OTHERS.
>> TODD, YOU HAVE ONE MORE.
>> LAURA DERN, JACK O’CONNELL,
WELCOME TO YOU.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
JACK, YOU PLAY A GUY NAMED
CAMERON TODD WILLINGHAM,
CONVICTED OF A HORRIFYING CRIME
IN TEXAS.
IN TEXAS. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS FILM THAT
DREW YOU TO IT?
>> WELL, I GUESS THE IDEA OF
BEING WRONGFULLY TRIED FOR
SOMETHING THAT, IN MY BELIEF, HE
DIDN’T DO, AND THEN EVENTUALLY
PAYING FOR THAT WITH HIS LIFE.
THAT, TO ME, FEELS LIKE A BIT OF
A HELL ON EARTH SITUATION.
SO, YEAH, THAT WAS APPEALING.
PLUS, LAURA WAS ATTACHED.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE SHOULD MENTION, THOUGH, WHILE
CAMERON TODD WILLINGHAM WAS
EXECUTED, THE INNOCENCE PROJECT
CONTINUES TO PROTECT HIS NAME.
THE TEXAS BOARD OF PAROLES
DECIDED NOT TO GIVE HIM A
PARDON.
PARDON. WE REACHED OUT FOR COMMENT.
WE DID NOT HEAR BACK.
>> DESPITE EVIDENCE THAT
EXONERATED OTHER PEOPLE ON DEATH
ROW.
ROW. SO IT’S A TRAGEDY AND I PRAY FOR
HIS EXONERATION FOR HIS FAMILY.
>> I IMAGINE JUST PLAYING THESE
ROLES, SINCE IT IS A TRUE STORY,
YOU LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT THE
WHOLE SYSTEM IN GENERAL?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. I GUESS SO.
I MEAN, I STILL FEEL LIKE MY
PERSPECTIVE ON IT IS A FOREIGN
ONE.
ONE. SO I WOULDN’T KNOW HOW QUALIFIED
I AM TO REALLY PASS COMMENT OR
MAKE A JUDGMENT ON IT.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. I WAS READING HERE THAT YOU
GUYS, THE FILM IS SHOT IN REAL
PRISONS, RIGHT?
PRISONS, RIGHT? TALK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT
EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE GOT TO HIENGANG OUT WITH INMA
SO WE WENT BEHIND THE WALL KIND
OF ON THE LAST DAY.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT DID
FOR THE FILM?
YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN’T HAVE TO DO
IT THAT WAY.
IT WAS AUTHENTIC, YOU KNOW?
>> IT WAS A DEEP REMINDER OF HOW
BROKEN OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM IS.
WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY
TO, AS WE ARE AS ACTORS, WHEN WE
GET EMBEDDED INTO SOMETHING, TO
LOOK AT THE STATISTICS OF
WRONGFUL INCARCERATION.
WRONGFUL INCARCERATION. LET ALONE NOW JUST THE INNOCENCE
PROJECT’S WORK HAS EXONERATED
200 PLUS PEOPLE WHO, THROUGH DNA
EVIDENCE, WERE PROVEN INNOCENT.
SO IT’S TERRIFYING WHEN WE
CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN
ERROR, AND YET WE STILL HAVE
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> I HAVE DONE STUFF WITH THE
INNOCENCE PROJECT BEFORE.
IT REALLY DID CHANGE MY OUTLOOK
ON OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
IT SEEMS DOING THIS FILM CHANGED
YOU?
YOU? >> YOU KNOW, I WAS RAISED TO
BELIEVE WITH SOME PROGRESSIVE
MORAL COMPASS IN MY FAMILY THAT,
YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE CRIMES
WHERE SOMEONE LIVES A LIFE
WITHOUT PAROLE.
WITHOUT PAROLE. BUT THE IDEA OF PLAYING GOD WAS
NOT SOMETHING THAT MY FAMILY
EVER RAISED ME TO BELIEVE THAT
WE WOULD EVER WANT TO CONSIDER.
I FEEL VERY PROUD THAT I’M A
CALIFORNIAN.
CALIFORNIAN. GOVERNOR NEWSOM HAS CALLED FOR A
MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY
IN CALIFORNIA.
IN CALIFORNIA. AND I’M HOPEFUL THAT, YOU KNOW,
YOU HOPE THAT A MOVIE CONTINUES
A CONVERSATION.
A CONVERSATION. IT MAY NOT CHANGE EVERYTHING,
BUT THE FILM IS MADE TO LOOK AT
ONE STORY, AND THE QUESTION OF
INNOCENCE AND CONVICTION AND
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> BEFORE YOU LEAVE US THIS
MORNING, CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT
"BIG LITTLE LIES"?
THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE ME
CHAMPING AT THE BIT.
I THINK BOTH OF US.
>> MY HUSBAND, TOO.
>> EVERYBODY.
>> EVERYBODY. >> IT’S AMAZING.
>> IT’S ONLY JACK.
I’LL TELL YOU ABOUT "BIG LITTLE
LIES" IF SOMEBODY TELLS ME A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT THEIR 40th
BIRTHDAY.
BIRTHDAY. >> OOH!
>> OOH! >> THAT WAS GOOD RNL I GUESS WE
ARE NOT GETTING ANYTHING ABOUT
"BIG LITTLE LIES."
I GUESS WE ARE NOT GOING TO FIND
OUT.
OUT. I LIKE WHAT YOU DID THERE.
WELL PLAYED.
WELL PLAYED. WELL PLAYED.
WELL PLAYED. >> I TRIED.
I TRIED TO GET A LITTLE NUGGET.
>> "TRIAL BY FIRE" IS IN SELECT
THEATERS THIS FRIDAY.