IMPERSON NATION. NIKKI WHATTAGE IN WAS THE
MUSICAL GUEST.
>>> LAURA DERN HAS BIG NAME
CREDITS AND IT SEEMS THAT THE
WORLD HAS FULLY WOKEN UP TO HER.
SHE'S CLEANED UP THE AWARDS FOR
HER ROLE ON THE HBO SERIES "BIG
LITTLE LIES."
HIGHLIGHTING A CAST THAT
INCLUDES SOME OF THE BIGGEST
MOVIE STARS IN THE WORLD.
ON THE BIG SCREEN, DERN PLAYED
IN THE "STAR WARS: THE LAST
JEDI" MOVIE.
A FILM THAT'S MADE $1.3 BILLION
AT THE BOX OFFICE.
SHE'S CLEARLY COMFORTABLE IN
THAT SPOTLIGHT.
DERN WAS BORN INTO HOLLYWOOD.
THE DAUGHTER OF TWO ACCLAIMED
ACTORS WHO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED
FOR OSCARS THEMSELVES.
LAURA AND I GOT TOGETHER HERE IN
NEW YORK FOR A SUNDAY SIT DOWN.
WITH HIGH PROFILE ROLES IN "STAR
WARS: THE LAST JEDI," ON "BIG
LITTLE LIES" AND ON THE REVIVAL
OF THE SERIES "TWIN PEAKS" LAURA
DERN IS HAVING A YEAR.
THEY'RE CALLING IT THE DERN
ASANS.
>> YEAH.
>> I LOVE HEARING THAT.
I HOPE YOU'LL USE IT
PERIODICALLY.
>> DROP IT INTO CONVERSATIONS.
>> YES.
>> CONFUSING TO EVERYONE AT THE
TABLE.
>> I'D LIKE --
>> WHAT A WAY TO START.
DOES IT FEEL LIKE BY THE WAY
I'VE HAD THIS CAREER ALREADY AND
THIS IS THE NEXT MOMENT IN IT?
>> YOU KNOW, NO, I SO CELEBRATE
THAT.
BECAUSE FOR ALL OF IT TO SAY
THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF
THE HEIGHT OF WHEN SOMEONE -- A
WOMAN SHOULD BE CELEBRATED.
THAT IS COOL.
BUT IT'S NOT THE OLD STORY LIKE
A PRO ATHLETE.
YOU HAVE YOUR FIVE YEAR AS A
STARLET.
>> WITH THREE MORE THAN THREE
DECADES OF ACTING UNDER HER
BELT, THE 51-YEAR-OLD DERN
PROVED LONG AGO SHE WOULDN'T BE
ONE OF THE FLAMEOUT STARLETS.
>> I FOUND SOME PICTURES --
>> HER LATEST IS THE INTENSE HBO
MOVIE "THE TALE".
SHE STARS AS A WOMAN UNCOVERING
THE LONG SUPPRESSED TRUTH ABOUT
HER ABUSE AS A CHILD.
A ROLE THAT FORCED DERN TO
RECONSIDER HER OWN PAST.
>> I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED.
>> IT REALLY IS A FILM ABOUT THE
STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES.
PERHAPS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE AN
EXPERIENCE.
>> IT DID FORCE ME AS A VIEW
TORE THINK BACK A LITTLE BIT.
DID YOU FEEL THAT TOO?
DID YOU FIND ANYTHING IN YOUR
OWN LIFE?
>> 100%.
I THINK THE THINGS THAT I FOUND
WHICH IS THE GRAY AREA MOMENTS
WHERE YOU HAVE JUSTIFIED
BEHAVIOR FOR YEARS, BECAUSE IT'S
SOMEONE YOU ADMIRE OR SOMEONE
YOU LIKED, I WAS AMAZED AT HOW I
HAD IN FACT NOT ONLY DEFENDED
OTHERS' BEHAVIOR, BUT PUT MYSELF
IN THE STORY AS MUCH MORE
MATURE.
WELL, I MEAN I WAS SO TALL FOR
MY AGE.
AND SO -- WHAT?
MY HEIGHT IS THE REASON THAT
SOMEONE ELSE'S BEHAVIOR IS
HORRIFIC TOWARD A 12,
13-YEAR-OLD?
>> WELL, YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT
TOO WHEN YOU WERE 14 YEARS OLD
HAVING AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT.
>> I KNEW THE INDUSTRY, I
KNEW -- AND THEN, WAIT A MINUTE.
THAT WASN'T OKAY.
>> DERN KNEW THE INDUSTRY
BECAUSE SHE GREW UP ON THE MOVIE
SETS OF HER PARENTS.
ACTORS BRUCE DERN AND DIANE
LADD.
LAURA PROVED TO BE A HOLLYWOOD
OPERATOR AT A VERY YOUNG AGE.
DID YOUR PARENTS EVER SAY, MAYBE
YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THIS?
>> I THINK THE QUOTE OF MY
MOTHER'S WAS BE A LAWYER, BE A
DOCTOR, BE A MISSIONARY, BUT
DON'T BE AN ACTRESS.
>> HOW DID YOU CONTINUE TO
PURSUE THAT CAREER?
>> I BECAME QUITE CLEVER AND
SOMEWHAT STRATEGIC, STEALTH EVEN
BY, YOU KNOW, GOING TO MY MOM'S
BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE CORNER OF
THE -- AND CORNERING THE AGENT,
SAYING WILL YOU LET ME COME AND
READ A MONOLOGUE FOR YOU AND
TELL ME IF YOU THINK I HAVE
TALENT AND IF YOU DO, WILL YOU
SEND ME OUT ON THE AUDITION.
>> WOW.
HOW OLD ARE YOU?
>> 11.
>> REALLY?
>> I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT.
>> WOW.
>> SO CLEARLY, I WAS OBSESSED.
>> DERN'S FIRST PAID JOB WAS IN
THE 1980 MOVIE "FOXES."
SHE WAS 13.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW, YOU KNOW?
>> FIVE YEARS LATER, SHE
APPEARED WITH CHER IN THE FILM
"MASK" AND PLAYED A REBELLIOUS
TEENAGER IN "SMOOTH TALK."
>> HOW YOU DOING?
>> DERN'S BREAKTHROUGH CAME A
YEAR LATER WHEN ACCLAIMED
DIRECTOR DAVID LYNCH CAST HER IN
HIS DARK CULT CLASSIC "BLUE
VELV
VELVET."
THE PAIR HAVE REMAINED
COLLABORATORS EVER SINCE.
>> WHAT DID YOU SEE EARLY ON IN
THOSE DAYS THAT MADE YOU THINK I
NEED TO WORK WITH THIS GUY
THROUGHOUT MY CAREER AS YOU
HAVE?
>> IT'S THE LUCKIEST GIFT
BECAUSE HE SEES NOTHING BUT HIS
VISION.
HE BREAKS EVERY BOUNDARY.
I FEEL FEARLESS IN WAYS I NEVER
EXPECTED.
AND, I MEAN, PLEASE, IF AN ACTOR
HAS AN EGO, WHICH I DON'T KNOW
IF YOU'VE HEARD, THEY CAN --
>> SOME OF THEM, YEAH.
>> -- I FOUND A DIRECTOR WHO'S
LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN THIS
MOVIE, THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT
LEADS, YOU'RE PLAYING ALL OF
THEM.
WHAT?
OKAY.
I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY.
>> AND YOU DO AS YOU'RE TOLD.
>> I DO WHATEVER HE SAYS.
>> ANOTHER FAVORITE PARTNER IS
DERN'S MOTHER, DIANE LADD.
THEY'VE BEEN IN THREE FILMS
TOGETHER.
IN THE 1991 MOVIE "RAMBLING
ROSE" --
>> YOU MUST HAVE A WONDERFUL
BRAIN.
>> -- THE PERFORMANCES EARNED
DERN HER FIRST OSCAR NOMINATION
AND LADD HER THIRD.
THEY BECAME THE FIRST
MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEAM TO EARN
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS IN THE
SAME FLIM.
THE NEXT YEAR DERN WENT
BLOCKBUSTER, DODGING DINOSAURS
IN "JURASSIC PARK."
OFF SCREEN, DERN MARRIED
MUSICIAN BEN HARPER IN 2005.
THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND SINCE
HAVE DIVORCED.
DERN EARNED HER SECOND OSCAR
NOMINATION PLAYING REESE
WITHERSPOON'S MOTHER IN THE 2014
MOVIE "WILD."
EVEN THOUGH DERN IS ONLY NINE
YEARS OLDER THAN WITHERSPOON.
>> THERE'S NOTHING I DON'T GET,
BELIEVE ME.
>> HOW WAS YOUR SUMMER?
>> LAST YEAR, DERN AND
WITHERSPOON GOT TOGETHER AGAIN
FOR HBO'S HIT SHOW "BIG LITTLE
LIES."
DERN'S PERFORMANCE WON HER BOTH
AN EMMY AND A GOLDEN GLOBE.
>> LET US ALL GET --
>> WATCHED ONE EPISODE AND LIKE,
OH, MY GOD, RICH WOMEN'S
PROBLEMS.
AND THEN EVERYTHING STARTS TO
UNFOLD AND YOU SEE THE
RELATABILITY IN A LOT OF THE
STORYTELLING.
>> YOU DIDN'T CALL ME.
>> IN A CAST THAT ALSO INCLUDE
NICOLE KIDMAN, THE SHOW'S
UPCOMING SECOND SEASON ADDS EVEN
MORE ICONIC TALENT.
THE CAST IS AMAZING.
IT SOMEHOW GOT BETTER.
YOU ADDED A YOUNG ACTRESS
NAMED -- WHAT'S HER NAME AGAIN?
>> I'M SO EMBARRASSED I FORGET
HER NAME.
LIKE I'M WORKING WITH HER RIGHT
NOW.
WHAT IS IT?
MERYL STREEP.
LOVELY, LOVELY.
>> SHE'S GOING TO BE OKAY IN
HOLLYWOOD?
>> SHE'S VERY GOOD.
SHE'S SOMEONE TO WATCH.
I'VE GOT TO SAY.
SMART COOKIE.
>> I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS
QUESTION BEFORE I ASK IT, BUT
CAN YOU GIVE ANY HINTS ABOUT
SEASON TWO?
>> DO YOU SEE HOW GOOD HE IS?
WHAT HAPPENS IS HE SAYS HE
ALREADY KNOWS THE ANSWER, AND
THEN THAT REBEL IN YOU WANTS TO
QUESTION IT.
>> I HAD YOU THAT CLOSE.
>> AND YOU GO, I'M GOING TO GIVE
HIM INFORMATION JUST BECAUSE HE
THINKS I'M NOT.
>> MINE CRAFT.
>> YES.
I LIKE YOUR STYLE.
NO.
I CAN'T TELL YOU A THING.
EXCEPT MERYL STREEP IS IN IT.
>> MERYL STREEP.
>> WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL
NEXT YEAR TO SEE MERYL STREEP IN
SEASON TWO OF "BIG LITTLE LIES."
LAURA'S MOVIE "THE TAIL"
PREMIERES NEXT SATURDAY ON HBO.
SHE SERVES ON THE BOARD OF
GOVERNORS OF MOTION PICTURES
ARTS AND SCIENCES AND HAS
STEPPED FORWARD IN THE ERA OF ME
TOO AND TIME'S UP.
TO HEAR HER TALK ABOUT THE
INDUSTRY SHE GREW UP IN, CHECK
OUT OUR WEBEX TRAS AND DON'T
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