1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing. 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: Rosie O'Donnell has been a stand up comic, a star 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: search contestant, an actress, a talk show host, a philanthropist 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 1: and activist, a magazine editor, a blogger, a Broadway and 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: television producer, and a mom. Rosie has five kids. Doing 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: it all was a pattern Rosie established early in high school. 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: She was voted Homecoming Queen, prom Queen, Senior class president, 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: and class clown. Rosie O'Donnell is not one to mince words, 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: and she's never shied away from a controversial subject. Her 10 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: combination of confidence and conviction has led to very public 11 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: disagreements with celebrities such as Tom Selleck, Donald Trump, and 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Hasselbeck from the view, but that same combination led 13 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: to her husually successful talk show, The Rosy O'Donnell Show, 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: where she sat down with the biggest stars of the 15 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: time and talked about what mattered to them and to her. 16 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: She earned herself the nickname the Queen of Nice. Rosie 17 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: o'donnald is nice and grateful for what she has. She 18 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: might say that has something to do with her childhood 19 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: when she suffered the hardest blow imaginable. You know, my 20 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: mother died so ten and they were two younger siblings 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: and two older siblings, right, so that was really hard 22 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: to everything. Yes, and and it's sort of close to her, 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: not really, I mean I think that she was very 24 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: irish and reserved like my father. There was no I 25 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: love using the house. There was no hugging, you know. 26 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: It was more like like I went to Jackie's house 27 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: all the time. My best friend still lived across the 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: street when I was a kid, and her mother would 29 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,559 Speaker 1: say I love you to them, and I remember being 30 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: struck like cold from that, like you would say that 31 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: to each other, like no one said that to each 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: other and my family ever until we were really older adults, 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: and even then it was difficult. So I remember when 34 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: I had my first child, when Parker, who was now eighteen, 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: the I love yous were frequent and fluid. And you know, 36 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: even now, I dropped my boy off at school this 37 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: morning and he's thirteen. You know, I'm like Bob Blakey 38 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: love He's like love you to mom, like casual, nothing, 39 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: don't even And that was so foreign to me as 40 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: a child, and I craved it. I craved it. And 41 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: when a mother dies in a family like that, things 42 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: turned to disarray because the washing machine, the you know 43 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: things that my dad just had no clue about, Like 44 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: he mashed the potatoes in the water. He was trying 45 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: to make mashed potatoes. After she died, like all of 46 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: the domesticity went out of the house, and it was 47 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: so kind of stark and cold and and run down, 48 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,119 Speaker 1: and you know, the things that a mother's touch generally 49 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: bring to your life, we're missing. And that's all the 50 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: all the softness and the and the kind of safety 51 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: and security to prepare the family for a life without her, 52 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: Rosie's mother taught each of her five children a different 53 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: meal to cook. Rosie learned how to make London broil, 54 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: which she says she still won't eat because of the 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: men raise it conjures. Up in her hometown of Coomack 56 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: Long Island, not far from where I grew up, Rosie 57 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: began to plot out her future in show business. You know, 58 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: I never wanted to be a talk show host. That 59 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 1: was never my goal. I wanted to be on Broadway, 60 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: so you know, I wanted to be a Bette Midler 61 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: backup singer, one of the Harletts. So when I was, 62 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: you know, in in Comac High School South in nine nine, 63 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: and I would take the train in and see Matinee 64 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: every Wednesday and cut out of school and do standing room. 65 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: And so my goal was Broadway, and I saw a 66 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: bet on Broadway and Clowns and a Half Shell one 67 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: of my first shows ever. You know, I didn't grow 68 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: up listening to Johnny Carson like every comic tells you. 69 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: I didn't, you know, admired to be like my mother. 70 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: You didn't want to stand up either. I never thought 71 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: of it. My mother didn't like John Rivers. My mother 72 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: thought she was mean. And I remember my mother telling 73 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: me Tody Fields was a real comedian, Philis Diller was 74 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: a real comedian, but that Joan Rivers is not nice. 75 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: And she said you never go far in self exactly. 76 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: And Joan was made fun of Elizabeth Taylor, which I 77 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: think to my mother was sacraseck. You know, so I 78 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: never like thought of it. So when I was in 79 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: high school, I would do the play for the seniors, right, 80 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: everybody makes fun of the teachers and like a Saturday 81 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: and night life type thing the senior year and I 82 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: was a freshman and they knew that I was sort 83 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: of into comedy, and they said, would you write the skits? 84 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: So I did so I was the only sort of 85 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,119 Speaker 1: freshman allowed to be and for every year sophomore junior, 86 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: I was writing these skits. So the last years, my 87 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: senior year, this guy comes in and and says, hey, 88 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: did you write all this stuff? And I said yeah. 89 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: He goes wanted to be a stand up. I'm like, God, 90 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: I don't know how to understand up, because well, I 91 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: own a club, east Side comedy club Huntington's near you. 92 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: Why don't you come and do stand up? Okay, what 93 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: what year is that? That is nineteen seventy eight? What 94 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: is a stand up comedy club like in Huntington's in 95 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: nine seventy eight? Well, I was sixteen years old. I 96 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: just got my license, but I wasn't really old enough 97 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: to get into clubs. So I took my neighbor, Dory 98 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: Norton's license member when they were paper and you could 99 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: take a little pin and scrape, so I had fake id. 100 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: Career is built on a crime, actually without a debt. 101 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: I was impersonated, wouldn't um So I went in and 102 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: you know, when you're sixteen years old, You're fearless, right. Also, 103 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: everybody I knew from my high school showed up that 104 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: night because it was a Saturday night or something, and 105 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: he let me go on and do a few minutes, 106 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: and I killed because everybody I knew was in the room, right, 107 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: So I'd make jokes like Marylyn's going out with Mitchell 108 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: and Mike doesn't know, and all my friends would be 109 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: like and made fun of the teachers like common things that. 110 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: So the owner said, well, that was really good. Why 111 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: don't you come back tomorrow? So I went back the 112 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: next night. I didn't know anyone. It was a school night. 113 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: I bombed like you have never, oh my god, like 114 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: a horrible death. And I went home and I thought, 115 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: I don't want to do that anymore. So I'm watching 116 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: um MERV. Griffin and I see Jerry Seinfeld and I 117 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: see him doing is that It's all then like last? 118 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: And I remembered is that you know there were no 119 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: VCRs then? But I remembered, like you know, my car 120 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: stopped and I opened up the HUD and I'm thinking, 121 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: what am I looking for? And on off, switch, on off, 122 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: and I'm thinking hi, And so I remembered it so right, 123 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: the club owner called me again, Richie and said, come back. 124 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: Why don't you come back? You were good that first night. 125 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,119 Speaker 1: And so I come back and I do sign Fells 126 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: act almost verbatim, and I get off stage and Ritchie 127 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: and you know, a bunch of other comics are standing around, 128 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: said would you get that material? I said, this guy 129 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: named Jerry who was on MERV Griffin yesterday. They go, 130 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: you're not allowed to do that. Like why not? They go, 131 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: you have to write your own jokes, and like, wait 132 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: a minute, strikes and doesn't write her own songs? Did 133 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: you do? Well? Did the audience like? And they didn't 134 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: you hear those? Because they were laughing jokes a joke. 135 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: I have to write the jokes. Nuts, Harold Arlen wrote 136 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: that song, that stuff, and so you know that. Then 137 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: I they said, well, why don't you just hang around here, 138 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: and uh, you can watch? So I started watching, right. 139 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: I started going there almost every night watching comics, and 140 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: the crowd like, well back then it was sort of 141 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: the Heyday was starting with the hey Day, like Eddie 142 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: Murphy had just gotten on Saturday Night Live. So somebody 143 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: from our little club broke out to the big time 144 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: and comic clubs were kind of hot in the eighties. 145 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: You know, I sort of hit Yeah, I hit the 146 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 1: wave at the exactly the right time. Michael said that 147 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: to me once. He said that when Saturday Night Live 148 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: started back then in the mid seventies seventy five, he said, 149 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: they were like six comedy clubs in the United States exactly, 150 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: and you knew every stand up working. There was a 151 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: time when I started where I knew every female comments 152 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: working working in the country, right, and everybody knew each other, 153 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: and everybody would help each other out. Hey, there's a 154 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: club Tickles and War in Ohio. I can talk to 155 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: the guy for you. You wouldn't have to audition because 156 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: you knew somebody who went there. And a lot of 157 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: times I'd go to the clubs and they pick you 158 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: up in the car at the airport and they'd have 159 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: a sign and they'd be driving you back to the 160 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: comedy condo and the guy go, you know, you're the 161 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: fourth girl I had. The last three sucked. If you win, good, 162 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: I'm never book and a girl again. I was like, 163 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: no pressure, you know, just my entire gender is writing 164 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: on this, so um, you know. The k comic called 165 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: me and said, come back, and then I did. I 166 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: was hanging out there and then I would do open 167 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: mic night. So Shirley Hemphill, do you remember what's happening? 168 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: Big Heavy Black Lady should play? Okay, she was the headliner. 169 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: Now that was a big deal in night. Right, she's 170 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: the headliner and she's there are a day earl watching 171 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: open mic night. I come off the stage. She comes 172 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: over to me and she goes, little one, little one, 173 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: come here. I said, yeah, Now, I'm an eighteen year 174 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: old kid, alec, but I look about fourteen right, and 175 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: she says, um, you're funny. Come with me. She takes 176 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 1: me in through the kitchen to Richie's office and says 177 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: I want her to open for me this weekend, and 178 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: he goes, no way, she's too new, she doesn't have 179 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: any act. She says, I wanted to m C. I 180 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: wanted to open and do every show. And I want 181 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: you to pay her twenty five bucks a night. There 182 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: was a hundred dollars. I was eighteen and in high school. 183 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: I thought my head was going to exactly, my head 184 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: was going to explode, and so she really helped my career. 185 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: I started doing that and then I never stopped and 186 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: you did that until Star Search was two when you 187 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: were on. Now, obviously, this idea of the talent search show, 188 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: this goes back to Leonard Sillman on Broadway years. I mean, 189 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: this has been forever. And then then of course there's 190 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: a renaissance of this now with the voice and this 191 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 1: in the hand and the foot and the tongue and 192 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: the show. What was that like back then for you? Well, 193 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: it was unbelief people, because unlike huge and unlike today 194 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: where there are so many media platforms and there are 195 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 1: so many shows like it, we had four channels, five maybe, 196 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: And I remember my nana whenever somebody was on, like 197 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: Tody Fields was on MERV Griffin or the Don Ho Show, 198 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,079 Speaker 1: which was on in twelve and the I'd have my 199 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: nana press play and record on the cassette player so 200 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: I could listen to Tody Fields on the shows that 201 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:23,839 Speaker 1: I would miss at school. And I think back about 202 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 1: that now and it's kind of trippy. Was the Fireplace? 203 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,839 Speaker 1: Oh my god? Totally? So what happened was Star Search 204 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: was so popular and I was on the second season. 205 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 1: Comics had two minutes, hundred and twenty seconds to do materials. 206 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 1: Do you have a clean routine. Oh yeah, always have 207 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: a clean routine. Oh no, not in clubs necessarily. But 208 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: I hadn't, you know, enough stuff. The problem was I 209 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: kept winning. So I had enough clean material for like 210 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: five weeks, and then I kept winning and I was 211 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: like ship. So I called up comics who are my friends, 212 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: and said, can I use that? Bit about this? Can 213 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: I use that? And they a lot of them said yes, 214 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: you know, Jeanette Barber, let me use a lot of bits, 215 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: Carol Henry, let me use bits. And you know, I 216 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: had people trying to help me. And so then I lost, 217 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: and I eventually, but I won like god like. It 218 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: was like twelve thousand dollars al or like fourteen thousand dollars, 219 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: and I remember thinking I couldn't believe it. I couldn't 220 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: believe it. I went for the final, a hundred thousand 221 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: dollar thing, and I lost, and uh, I remember never 222 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,599 Speaker 1: being so nervous in my life. You know, TV was 223 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: so different back then. In they put you up at 224 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 1: the Sunset Strip, Right, it was at Sunset and Vine 225 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: where they filmed it. And I didn't have any money. Right, 226 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: they give you per diem, but I didn't know to 227 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: get per diem so I had. All that I had 228 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: in my pocket was like, you know, forty dollars. So 229 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: I'd walk every day to Carney's, you know that hot 230 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: Dog's cheer on Sunset and for a dollar four you 231 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: could get fries, a small coke, and a hot dog. 232 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,719 Speaker 1: And that's all I had. So it's so funny. You 233 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: watch it. You watch me losing weight every single week 234 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,599 Speaker 1: because I didn't. I didn't really, you know, but I 235 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: ended up winning all this money. And I went from 236 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: being an opening act to being a headliner from Star 237 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: Search overnight, and then you get into the movie business. 238 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 1: Then I become a DJ, I do Star Search, and 239 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: then I do give me a break. What happened was 240 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: I was at a comedy club and Lauren Michaels was there, 241 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: was Share and Brandon Tarnikoff and it's called Igby's Comedy 242 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: Club in Okay, and Dana Carvey was was auditioning to 243 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: get on SNL and I was the next comic up 244 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: and the way, this is one of my friends. And 245 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: they said, we're not dropping the check until after your set. 246 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: So well, Brandon and they wanted the check because they 247 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: had seen Dana I was on and I killed right now. 248 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: It's I had a decade under my belt of doing 249 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: stand up right, so um. They came up to me 250 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: after the show, Brandon Tarnikoff, and said, Hi, I want 251 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 1: you to call this number at NBC tomorrow. We have 252 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,959 Speaker 1: a job for you. And I called my sister. Was 253 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: like three in the morning, New York time. I said, 254 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: I got on SNL. Oh my god, Brandon Tarnikoff was 255 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,559 Speaker 1: here with Lauren Michael's and I'm gonna be on SNL. 256 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: And I walk in the next day to NBC and 257 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: they said, we're gonna put you on. Give me a break, 258 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: and I was like now, I was still thrilled to 259 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: be on TV. And so that was the show. I 260 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: did about ten episodes of that in the last season 261 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: after that. That was eighty six and then eighty eight. 262 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: They were auditioning VJs for VH one and at the 263 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: improv with Budd Freedman and I went there and I 264 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: did my set and the guy came out and he said, 265 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: you're really good, but you don't really look like MTV. 266 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:20,320 Speaker 1: And I said, I know when he goes, but we 267 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: have another station, v H one, and at that time 268 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 1: it was reda Coolidge. I don't know if you remember. 269 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: And so he said, you wanted an audition for that, 270 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: you'd have to fly yourself to New York. I said, 271 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 1: all right, So I flew my play White Wedding like 272 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: nine times a day, exactly right. And they said, you 273 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 1: know you can audition. So I went on camera and 274 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: I auditioned and went home to l A and then 275 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,320 Speaker 1: I wrote him a thank you note, Steve Leeds, I said, 276 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: thanks for the shot. I really appreciate it. And he 277 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: was so moved that somebody wrote him a thank you 278 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: note that he sent the tape over to the v 279 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: H one people. The guy who was hiring is named 280 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: Ed Harrington, very Irish guy. He saw Rosie O'Donnell and 281 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: he hired me. So it was a thank you note 282 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: that got me to that. I did that for about 283 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: two years. What was that like? It was because it 284 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: seems like for the person who wanted to the clams 285 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: on the hashell career, you meander and you here and 286 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: here where it takes you. What was it like for 287 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: you to be doing that? Well? Everyone everyone said not 288 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: to do it. People who were quote unquote advising my career, 289 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: like Bud Freeman or you know, I didn't even have 290 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: an agent really any because I knew it was in 291 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: twenty three million homes. And I thought that it would 292 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: teach me how to be conversational versus presentational. Presentational is 293 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: what you do with stand up. You've already prepared it. 294 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: It's a wrapped package. They undo the bow, they undo 295 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: the thing, kaboom, there's the joke, right, But this is 296 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: more conversational. Can you carry on a conversation with a 297 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: camera and treat it like a person? And I thought 298 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: it was a skill that would really help me. And 299 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: I also thought that many millions of people seeing you, 300 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 1: you can't say no. Was it also about money? It 301 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: was a hundred thousand dollars because I don't want to assume, 302 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: but are you like me where a lot of the 303 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: decisions I made was about money. Yeah, at that time, 304 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, twenty one maybe, and to 305 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: get a hundred grand because I remember saying to them, 306 00:13:57,840 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: I'm giving up a lot of money to not go 307 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: on the road because I was a good money in 308 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: the road and you would have to definitely cover that. 309 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: And so they came up with a hundred grand. So 310 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 1: what I would do is it was eight hours a day, 311 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: but you could film that in about two hours. It 312 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: was four breaks an hour at two minutes a break, 313 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: so they would give you the pictures that you had 314 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: to do, like you know, this is Rosie O'donnald coming 315 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: at You on v H one Video Hits one. The 316 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: other music television that was Whitney Houston, her seven single 317 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: offer debut album, Whitney Houston is doing VH one To 318 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: Go Go our dance show only here on VH one 319 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: Saturday nights eight to eleven. But that was about fourteen seconds. 320 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 1: Now I had a minute and a half left to 321 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: fill and there's nobody but me and two cameramen. So 322 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: my goal was to get the cameraman to laugh so 323 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: that the camera would jiggle right. So that was that 324 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: was my goal. I want to go back and see tape, 325 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: see if I can find that jiggle camera. Bet you can't. 326 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: I bet I can't. Yeah, And so I did that 327 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: for about two years, and that's how Penny Marshall saw me. 328 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: She saw you on VH one. I had just gotten 329 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: an agent, and I sit next to this woman on 330 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: a plane and coach and she's very bitchy to the 331 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: students and she's saying I ordered salad, and I start 332 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: making her laugh. I'm like, here, take my salad, give 333 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: me a dessert. You're such a and I put her 334 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: her luggage. I'm not just making her laugh, right, And 335 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: so it turns out she's an agent. She's a new 336 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 1: agent at William Moore. She's Julie Roberts Agents assistant. Okay, 337 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: so I'm like, wow, that's pretty big for me. So 338 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: I start talking to her and she's like, what are 339 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: you doing. I'm like, I'm going out to audition for 340 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: a game show and she's like, oh, and good luck. 341 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: So I don't see her. You know, I dropped her 342 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: a no to something. And then six months later I 343 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: sit next to her again on another plane. Is that 344 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 1: the weirdest story? And I she said, what are you doing? 345 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: I said, I got offered wind Loser drawer for kids 346 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: on Disney. They're gonna pay me fifty thousand dollars a year, 347 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: five year contract and I'm gonna host that show. And 348 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: she said, you're not. And I'm now your agent, and 349 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: we're too close to God for me not to intervene. 350 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: And it's too weird to sit next to you twice 351 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: reesa Shapiro of course, and she um becomes my agent. 352 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: She gets a phone call, Hi, do you represent that VJ? 353 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: Can she play baseball? She calls me up, She says, 354 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 1: can you play baseball? And baseball? I said, if there's 355 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: one thing I can do better than Julia Roberts, it's 356 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: base all And so I went and I auditioned for 357 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 1: the movie. You had to play baseball to even get 358 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: a reading, and I, of course, I'm very good at baseball. 359 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: So um, I went in and got the part. So 360 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: everywhere you're going, you're showing up, obviously with stand up, 361 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: and then you're making the guys laughing, jiggle the camera, 362 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: and there's a velocity and a pace and an energy 363 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: to what you're doing. And now you're making movies, And 364 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: does that become a different muscle for you to sit 365 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: there and go, man, this is slow and boring. Yes, 366 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: But I love the camaraderie. I love the set of 367 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: League their Own with all the people playing baseball and 368 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: oh no, it's the actors, the camera guys and like 369 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: you know, all of the crew doing the thing where 370 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: they picked the cards and exactly, and it was so 371 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: loving and so beautiful and stand up you're alone. You're 372 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: going on these clubs. You know, for ten years, fifteen years, 373 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: I was alone on the road. You know, I'd go 374 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: by myself. I had to get in a plane and 375 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: I'd fly to someplace in the middle of the country 376 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,440 Speaker 1: and they picked me up and feel homeless. Yeah, and 377 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: you feel lonely. And then so when you go to 378 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: make a league of their own and you get the 379 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: responsory had made. The movie is a huge success. Everybody 380 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: loves you, blah blah blah. Do you say to yourself, Well, 381 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: I mean, which is I'm not assuming you do. But 382 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:09,359 Speaker 1: often people sit there and thinking, well, this is it. 383 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:10,959 Speaker 1: I'm a movie star and I'm gonna be lighting one 384 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: off the other for the next forty years. Well, I 385 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: will tell you this. When they said that Madonna was 386 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: going to be playing my best friend, you know, we 387 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: had all been cast, and Penny said that to me, 388 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 1: she's going to come in. You have to make a 389 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: laugh and hopefully she'll do the film. Like I had diarrhea. 390 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 1: I thought, Madonna, Madonna, how do you be friends with Madonna? 391 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: What the hell? Like? You know, in our lifetime, I'm 392 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 1: fifty one years old, so we're almost the same age. Right, 393 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: and to see her at twenty something explode like she did. 394 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: And I remember she had been friendly with Sandra Bernhard 395 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: a little bit, and as I was a VJ, thinking 396 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: how can you be friends with her? How could somebody 397 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: be friends with like Elvis, like mcdonna? And here I 398 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,159 Speaker 1: am playing her best friends. So I knew when she 399 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: was cast in that role that my career was going 400 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: to take a whole different trajectory because of it. And 401 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: it did. And for you, that experience of working with her, 402 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: it was positive, it was positive, and it was sister 403 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,080 Speaker 1: Lee like you know. Some people have said to me, 404 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 1: I thought you guys were lovering. I'm like, are you 405 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: out of your mind? Like you know something? Even Sandra 406 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: said to me away from Madonna. Please, I'm such an 407 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: Irish Catholic girl, like you can count on both hands 408 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,200 Speaker 1: how many people have been with my entire fifty one years? 409 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: You know, my friend? I don't. I don't know. It 410 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 1: never crossed my mind because I met her the day 411 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: after I saw Truth or Dare. And in that movie 412 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: Truth or Dare, she goes to her mother's grave and 413 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:22,679 Speaker 1: it's her own name on her mother's grave, and my 414 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: mother same experience. My mother's name is mining. So when 415 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: I went to see her grave when I finally got 416 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: my license at seventeen years old, there I saw for 417 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 1: the first time Roseanne O'Donnell. And it's flippy to think 418 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: to yourself, I know someone else who experienced that same thing. 419 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 1: So when I met her, I said, I saw your 420 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 1: movie yesterday. And my mom died when I was little, 421 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: and I'm named after her too, and there and it 422 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: was like, right away we had a sister thing, you know, 423 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 1: right away going on. Now, Penny's in the kind of 424 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,120 Speaker 1: comedy College of Cardinals. There she did the hit show. 425 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 1: She's funny as hell. Was she helpful to you as 426 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: a director and she just leave you alone? How an actor, 427 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: she was amazing because she I love to improve eyes, 428 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: and I come to find out later in all the 429 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 1: movies I did after that, not every director likes this. 430 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: But she would go, you know, okay, somebody got to 431 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: go over there, catch a bull full and just stay 432 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,640 Speaker 1: come up with a hot door hope, but doorway. Now, seriously, 433 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 1: half the time people didn't understand what she was saying. 434 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,119 Speaker 1: So I'd raised my hand and she got rosy again. 435 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: All right, So my part was not really that big, 436 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: and she kept giving me all this extra stuff to do, 437 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: and if you got one take, she'd go try it again, 438 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,360 Speaker 1: like she'd get the grip. The guy played my dad 439 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: was the grip, and he'd come down and he looked 440 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 1: irish and older guy, and she said, okay, put a 441 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: hat on him. He'll be your father, and let's talk 442 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: about a steak dinner near the bus go like So 443 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: it was a lot of improvisation, which for me is great, 444 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: like doing you know, curb your enthusiasm like you do. 445 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: I know so well. I love that. I mean, that's 446 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: to me the most fun because it's like stand up 447 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: where you can go anywhere and say anything you want. 448 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: Did you go right into another film before League got released? Yes, 449 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: I did Sleepless in Seattle, and so I did League 450 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:00,360 Speaker 1: and it wasn't out yet, and then my and now 451 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: a woman who I mean, Penny is discerning, and Penny 452 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: is you know, well regarded as a director and so forth. 453 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 1: But now you go and work with a woman who 454 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: was the most discerning and who was the most options 455 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: and who I cast anybody and had anybody, and she 456 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: chose you. And I'm so intimidated because it's Nora Fron 457 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 1: and I've read every single thing she ever wrote in 458 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: her life, and I knew about her sister and her 459 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 1: parents and what they had written. So I go into 460 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 1: the app Thorpe, into her big, you know apartment that 461 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: has a library full of and I'm looking at what 462 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: book she's reading and I'm you know, and she calls 463 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: me in and she says hello, and I say hello, 464 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 1: and I'm still like happy to be there. And we 465 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: clicked right away, and she's like wow. She goes, wait 466 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: a minute, and she goes and gets the script off, 467 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: the facts that Delia had been working on and pieces 468 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: of a new scene, and she goes, read this, and 469 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 1: I read that, and then I left and I called 470 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: my agent in the car and said, I got the job. 471 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: And she said, you know, this is your second movie audition. 472 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: You don't really understand. You got the first one, but 473 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: you're not probably going to get this. And I said, no, 474 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: I got the job. And I did. And the reason 475 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,479 Speaker 1: Nora told me was that night at dinner, she said, oh, 476 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: I I interviewed this girl today. I think I might hire. Her. 477 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: Name's Rosie O'Donnell and her son, Jacob, who was ten 478 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,239 Speaker 1: at the time, who was a Madonna freak. Was like, 479 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: oh my god, mom, I know her. And he ended 480 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: up being a gay man now who was a writer 481 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: at the the Times, right, a great guy. And and 482 00:21:16,920 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: then Nora ended up getting me an apartment in the 483 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: app Thorpe after the movie, and Jacob used to come 484 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,400 Speaker 1: over to my apartment and tell me about his being 485 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 1: gay and not knowing how to tell his mom, and 486 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: so I sort of helped. What did you tell him? 487 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: I helped him come out. His mother knew, but you know, 488 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:31,880 Speaker 1: his mother said to me, do you think he's gay? 489 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,159 Speaker 1: I'm like, yes, I do, right, And he was like 490 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,239 Speaker 1: ten or eleven. She goes, I think he might be too. 491 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: I said, yeah, he is. Some nights, I'd come home 492 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: when he's like fourteen, he's drunk outside. I'm like, come here, 493 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: you're gonna go up to my apartment. Come with us. 494 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: I take him up to the apartment. I'd call Nora, 495 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: I'd go I have him. I'll bring him back in 496 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:48,000 Speaker 1: a little while. Right. It was like living in Queens. 497 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: Everybody knew each other. But he was a great kid. 498 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: And you know, I have pictures of him playing with Parker. 499 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 1: You know, when Parker was a baby, and then I 500 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: have a tick picture of them when we did Love 501 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: Laws and what I wore at the opening night Parker 502 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 1: six foot something standing next to Jacob, And it's just 503 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: so weird how life goes like that. I'm not big 504 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: on the whole gay identity thing in terms of you 505 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: know that that story, because I'm sure you've exhausted that. 506 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: But what I'm curious about is how over the ark 507 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: of a long career, now that's changed for you. And 508 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: it was being a gay woman, being a gay performer, 509 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: going back to you know, it is seventy eight and 510 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: you're at the club in Huntington's on through. Now it's 511 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: many many years, it's a thirty five years since you 512 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: were a kid doing this stuff. How's that changed for you? 513 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: Remarkable the amount of change that's happened just in my lifetime. 514 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: You know, I was coming out of therapy two weeks 515 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: ago in Nyack, New York, and I see two high 516 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,479 Speaker 1: school girls holding hands walking through the parking lot and 517 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: like I almost fill up with two I stopped them. 518 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 1: I said, excuse me, now, they have no idea right there, 519 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: the there's a cut off. My fame is over, right, now, 520 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: I know there are people who still but it's not 521 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,359 Speaker 1: like it was. Right. So I said, excuse me, and 522 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:53,199 Speaker 1: they sort of like, what's this old lady's talking to me? 523 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: I said, I just want to tell you that I'm 524 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: a fifty one year old gay woman, and as a 525 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: gay woman. To see you two girls, are you in 526 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,240 Speaker 1: high school? They're like, yeah, we're in tenth grade. To 527 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: see you holding hands in the middle of town walking 528 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: through it just it moves me so much. And they're like, 529 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,760 Speaker 1: oh really, oh thanks, all right, see you here. I 530 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: am like, come here. I don't know. You know, people 531 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: sort of knew that I was gay, in my opinion 532 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: in show business because I never hit it. It's never 533 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 1: like I pretended to have a boy friend or although 534 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: people say I did that with Tom Cruise, but it 535 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: wasn't a sexual thing with him. I still have a 536 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: crush on him, you know, but it's not like I 537 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: wanted to screw him. I just thought, God, that is 538 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,159 Speaker 1: a that is something about the breakfast, exactly like to 539 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: have him, you know, with no shirt on, painting something 540 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: in my house, you know, and then leaving after he 541 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: gave me your breakfast exactly right. So anyway, people knew 542 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,160 Speaker 1: was what I thought, right. But I remember like when 543 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: Ellen called me up and said, I'm going to have 544 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 1: my character Ellen Morgan come out as a lesbian on 545 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,880 Speaker 1: my TV show, and I remember thinking, why the hell 546 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,800 Speaker 1: is she doing this? She's going to ruin her entire 547 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: career and her life. It was such a foreign concept. 548 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,960 Speaker 1: This is pre Will and Grace. Okay, no one had 549 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 1: ever even considered it. The only people who were out 550 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: were rock stars. There was no actor or actress or 551 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:12,680 Speaker 1: comedian who was out. You know. I don't remember even 552 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: Charles Nelson Riley wasn't out. I mean, you know, thurdly 553 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: gayish people. And I remember thinking, she's making a huge mistake, 554 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: you know, And then there was that tremendous amount of 555 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: fall out that happened afterwards. I was like, it was 556 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 1: pained me for her. It really did. Now listen in hindsight, 557 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: Oh my god. The courage that it took for her 558 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: to do that at the time she did it, in 559 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: the way she did it was pretty unbelievable, you know. 560 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: I I did not possess that. And so she did that, 561 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 1: and then Will and Grace came on and I remember 562 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: them telling me at my show, oh, there's a new 563 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: sitcom that's starting. It's about a gay man living with 564 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: a straight girl. And I go, that will never work. 565 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: Remember Love Sydney with Tony Randall. He had his dead 566 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: partner's picture on the mantel and the Catholic Church was 567 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: protesting and it was often two weeks. And this was 568 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 1: Tony Randolphs right. So I thought that will never work. 569 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 1: So and Will and Grace comes on. Not only does 570 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: it work, it blows up queer eye for the straight guy. 571 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: It's like the society culture we have changed in such 572 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: a quick amount of time that people don't even realize it, 573 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: you know, to think that in my lifetime, in my career, 574 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: that you can be an out performer actor playing against 575 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: type Neil Patrick Harris playing a womanizer on that show, 576 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: be out married with twin boys and it doesn't hurt 577 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: your career and it doesn't do anything to you know. 578 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 1: So in a way, it's the most beautifully astounding inspirational 579 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: thing that I can think about it in my fifty 580 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: one years of living now, in the time that you 581 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: from being a young woman and a performer in this 582 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: business and you're making your way and you're succeeding and 583 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,199 Speaker 1: you're a gay woman. Did you ever think about marriage kids, family? Like, 584 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 1: when did that polaroid begin to become more in focus. 585 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: I always knew I wanted kids, you did, always, But 586 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:54,360 Speaker 1: I never thought I would get married to a man. 587 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: I mean I didn't really of course, you know, I 588 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: would not have turned that down. But I know, I 589 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,720 Speaker 1: just you know, I dated one guy when I was 590 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: twenty eight for about a year and a half, two years. 591 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: His name was Mike. We lived together, great guy, six 592 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 1: ft one or six ft two. I had only dated 593 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: two women before that. I just sort of didn't do 594 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 1: it at all. It was just like, you know, whatever, 595 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:19,360 Speaker 1: and yeah, I got a career plan and uh so, um, 596 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 1: I dated this guy, and I remember thinking, maybe I'm 597 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: not gay. Look at this, Maybe I'm not gay. But 598 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: it turned out, you know, I was wrong. So uh 599 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,120 Speaker 1: that was the only time that I thought to myself, well, 600 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: maybe I am straight. Maybe this I don't know what 601 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: this is. Maybe, um you know, because it's it's like 602 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:36,959 Speaker 1: what people don't understand about homosexuality. It's not that you 603 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,719 Speaker 1: can't have satisfactory sex with the opposite gender. It's just 604 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: that your heart and your soul and your connection and 605 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: your desire for emotional intimacy is only really served by 606 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: somebody of the same sets. I've never heard anybody articulated 607 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: that way before ever. Yeah, I've never heard anyone say that. 608 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: I mean, but there was a period. Mike was his name. Yeah, 609 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,880 Speaker 1: you still in touch with him? Um, not so much. 610 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: We had been for about ten years. It was I'm 611 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: fifty now, right, so it was half a life ago. 612 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: But did you leave all those people behind? Did you 613 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: shed a skin when you became famous and went into 614 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,240 Speaker 1: the business, Because for me, all my friendships began when 615 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: I got in this business. It's interesting. I have two friends, 616 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,159 Speaker 1: Jeanie and Jackie. They're my friends since I was in 617 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: elementary school and they're still my best friends. And the 618 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: three of us see each other at least, you know, 619 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,600 Speaker 1: Jackie probably twice a week, Jeanie probably because she's out 620 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: on the island at least once a month. And the 621 00:27:29,960 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: three of us are like sisters and their family to me. 622 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,080 Speaker 1: Jackie's mother raised me, you know, after my mother died, 623 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: I would eat dinner at their house like five nights 624 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: a week. She bought me my first bra, She bought me, 625 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: you know, tampons when I needed them as a kid. 626 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: She was a mother, right, so, and she's still alive 627 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:47,440 Speaker 1: Bernis and so I see Jackie like like a sister 628 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: all the time. But aside from those two, I don't 629 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 1: see anyone from high school. I don't see anyone from 630 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:56,159 Speaker 1: my old stomping grounds on Long Island. And most of 631 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: my friends, aside from those two, are friends that I'm 632 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: out in this business because it's very hard for people 633 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 1: to understand. It is lonely, and it's lonely, and it's 634 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 1: hard to explain it to someone else because they it's 635 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: held up as the be all and end all. It's 636 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: held up as and it it really isn't. The reality 637 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 1: of it is very different than what you expected from it. 638 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. This is gonna seem mundane, perhaps, but 639 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: this really defines what I'm talking about. Im I would 640 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,600 Speaker 1: be sitting like I'm in the Canadian Rocky shooting a 641 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: movie with Tony Hopkins, and I'll never forget. My assistant 642 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: would FedEx me my mail and I pick up this 643 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: thing and it says, you know the dates of the 644 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: Bacon exhibit at the met and it's going to close 645 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to get back there and I'm 646 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: gonna miss the Bacon exhibit. I felt so awful because 647 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: I thought, I'm missing my life, I'm missing everything like 648 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: what I did thirty Rock. People say, why did you 649 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: love thirty rockets because they would work the schedule with me. 650 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 1: When you're in the movie business, they are so punishingly 651 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: unempathetic because they got ninety days to do it. They've 652 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: got to get this thing done. Cutting days and cutting 653 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: costs is what they're all about. Well, I remember when 654 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 1: I was on my talk show. You were saying, I 655 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: really want to get a sitcom. I really want to 656 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: do a sitcom with me. Remember we were talking about it. 657 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,320 Speaker 1: He said, we're gonna do Jackie Gleeson and you're Jackie Gleason. 658 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: And I'm yeah. I said, You're gonna be the brassy, 659 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: tough character and I'm gonna be your withering husband. Right. So, 660 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: I remember when people were saying that there was a 661 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: show thirty Rock and Alec Bolden, and some people are 662 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: saying to me, he's not gonna do a sick I'm like, yes, 663 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: he is, you know, because I knew because I had spoke, 664 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: we had spoken about it, how taxing it is, and 665 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: I knew what you were craving was some kind of 666 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: a normal schedule, Like a sitcom is the perfect gig 667 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: for every actor. If you could get a thirty minute sitcom, 668 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,719 Speaker 1: I think that you know, one hour drama is just 669 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 1: like doing a movie for nine months in a row. 670 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: It's exhausting. In a minute, Rosie o'donnald gives me the 671 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: lowdown on what it's like having a baby in your fifties. 672 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to here's the thing, 673 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:13,160 Speaker 1: this is Alec Baldwin. For much of her career, Rosie 674 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: O'Donnell has created and supported numerous children's charities, from issues 675 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: like pediatric aids to making sure New York City kids 676 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: and particularly inner city kids, can see a real play 677 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: with real actors on a Broadway stage. If you live 678 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: in New York and haven't been to Broadway, as Rosie says, 679 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: it's quote like living in Hawaii and not having access 680 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: to the beach. Rosie realized she wanted children of her own, 681 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: so at age thirty three, she adopted a baby, boy, Parker. 682 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: The balancing act between motherhood and career, particularly one in 683 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: the entertainment industry, took her by surprise. When Parker was 684 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:54,760 Speaker 1: a baby, you know, I didn't know anyone who went 685 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: to nanny. I grew up like you did. There was 686 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: an unheard of thing. I didn't even know anyone what 687 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,560 Speaker 1: a babysitter, right. Besides, somebody would come over for three 688 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,680 Speaker 1: hours when your parents went to you know, red Lobster. 689 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 1: So um. I did Harry at the Spy, my first 690 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: movie after he was born, and he was about three 691 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,239 Speaker 1: or four months old, maybe five months old, and I 692 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: took him to Canada to film, and I asked my 693 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: cleaning lady to come with me to watch him because 694 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,920 Speaker 1: I didn't have anybody to help. So she came. And 695 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: the third day that I came home from a twelve 696 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 1: hour day on the set, he wouldn't come to me. 697 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: I would come here, buddy, and he would cry. He wouldn't. 698 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 1: He was staying with Maria, and I remember at that moment, 699 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: I called my agent and said, you need to get 700 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: me a job that's going to keep me in New 701 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: York because I don't want him growing up on movie sets. 702 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:40,920 Speaker 1: I want him to have his own bedroom. I want 703 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: him to know his cousins. I want him to have 704 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: a normal life and So that's the reason I did 705 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: my talk show was because I wanted you and I 706 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: it's a mirror. That's why I did thirty Rock and 707 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 1: and my daughter lived in l A. But I said 708 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 1: to Lauren, he said, what's it gonna take. I will 709 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: give you off every Monday and every Friday, any weekend 710 00:31:57,440 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: you want to go to go see your daughter who 711 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: was in l A. Which in the beginning I would do. 712 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: And then as my daughter got older, I mean I 713 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: stopped going every other weekend because like I would drive 714 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,560 Speaker 1: out there and like drive my daughter to a party 715 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 1: and drop her off. Believe me, I know teenagers and 716 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 1: its health. But when does the moment come you're like, 717 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: let's have the baby, Let's get this pot on the 718 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: stove and get this thing going. What happens? Well, I did, 719 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: um all those movies in a row that like the 720 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: number one movie, three summers in a row, right, So 721 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,800 Speaker 1: first I did A League, and then Sleepless in Seattle 722 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: and then The flint Stones. Well that's pretty astonishing, you know, 723 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: especially because it's like those wasn't a trained actress. I 724 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: was a comic writer. Didn't even really go to college. 725 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: I went from one year, so I thought that was 726 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 1: pretty astounding, and um, I wanted to do Broadway and 727 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 1: Greece was coming out. So I call my agents and 728 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: I want to go do that. She's like, are you 729 00:32:43,760 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: kidding me? You're on this role movie wise? And I'm like, 730 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 1: but I really really want to do it. So I'd 731 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 1: saved a lot of money, you know, I'd spend wisely. 732 00:32:51,320 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 1: I'm not like a big don't go buy clothes and 733 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: shoes and stuff. And so I exactly, it's the truth. 734 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: So I went and um audition for Greece and I 735 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: got it on Broadway and I said, when I'm done 736 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: with this run, I'm going to adopt a baby. So 737 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: I was thirty two. How long a year? And can 738 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,240 Speaker 1: I tell you, Alec, dear lord heaven, it was like 739 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,960 Speaker 1: groundhog Day the movie, only without Bill Murray. Oh my god, 740 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: it was. I couldn't. I would love to do Broadway again, 741 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: but I would never commit to Yeah, Lord, I know, 742 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: I'm sorry I missed it, but boy, that's something. That's something. 743 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: And uh, so I decided I was going to adopt 744 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: a baby. And it wasn't. I wasn't dating anyone, wasn't 745 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: like you know, I was. I saw I was seeing 746 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: a girl who was in the cast of Greece. But 747 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 1: I it wasn't like we were gonna have kids together. 748 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: I was going to adopt this baby, and she's like, well, 749 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: what about me. I'm like, well, I don't know about you, 750 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 1: but this is what I'm doing in my life. And 751 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: so I adopted. She's like, well what would I be 752 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: to him? I don't know what you're gonna be there. 753 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: It wasn't like I was doing a week. I was 754 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 1: just adopting a baby myself. And then I went and 755 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: did Harry at the Spy and said to my agent, 756 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: I gotta stay in New York. And at the time 757 00:33:57,440 --> 00:33:59,840 Speaker 1: Cathy Lee was threatening to quit. I said, get me 758 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: that gig with Reach and they said, oh, she's stanging, 759 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: but they are willing to give you your own show 760 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: like that, and I said, well, the only thing I'd 761 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: want to do is MERV Griffin. I just simply rip 762 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: off his show. I would do exactly MERV Griffin, a 763 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,359 Speaker 1: talk show when nobody gets hurt, where everybody's friends, when 764 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 1: nobody's gonna embarrass anyone. People in Halee Helium, Balloon's You 765 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: Got It and fun cooking segments and everybody likes each other. 766 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: It wasn't like scandalized like right, So I drew the 767 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 1: set like I said, this is what I want the 768 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:25,680 Speaker 1: set to look like. I drew where the band was 769 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: supposed to be. I decided I wanted to current like 770 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: I knew exactly what I did the logo myself, Like 771 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,400 Speaker 1: I was totally like, here's how you do over. I 772 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:39,000 Speaker 1: was just gone, he's not coming down here. Actually he 773 00:34:39,640 --> 00:34:42,080 Speaker 1: was around then, and he was so sweet to me 774 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: and Mike Douglas because it was a tribute sort of 775 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: to both of them and Dina Shore who was gone. 776 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:47,560 Speaker 1: But you know, those are the shows I watched as 777 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 1: a kid. That's not funny how when you talked before 778 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 1: about a world without VCRs and stuff for them When 779 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: when we were kids, when we watched TV. I'd watch 780 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:55,680 Speaker 1: Dina shot me too. I'd sit in my house and 781 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 1: be like, I don't know who the hell is brought is, 782 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,160 Speaker 1: but I'm gonna watch because the point is what else 783 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 1: was there? There? Was learned to like those shows or 784 00:35:02,680 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: digest them because it's like, what the hell are we 785 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,840 Speaker 1: going to do? Mcgilla, Garilla the Little Rascals, right, or 786 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: you know, Kimber the White Lion, remember that speed racer. Yeah. 787 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: So I did the pilot and then I went to 788 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,239 Speaker 1: Napty and all of the TV people, which is a 789 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 1: convention for television executives station owners, and they came and 790 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: they said, well, if it doesn't work, are you gonna 791 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 1: do like you know Haraldo and Jenny Jones, because those 792 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:26,919 Speaker 1: were the shows that were number one at the time. 793 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 1: It was, you know, reformat. They were afraid that this 794 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't work because it hadn't been on in twenty five years, right, 795 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 1: And they were afraid that I would become just like 796 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:38,799 Speaker 1: the other shows where people were punching each other and 797 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: you know this, I had an affair with him, and 798 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,879 Speaker 1: that I would change the genre correct and I said 799 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: I will never do that. I will just walk away 800 00:35:46,719 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 1: before I do that. And they said, all right, we'll 801 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: try it. So they were hesitant, the station owners. You 802 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: can I it's not your baby exactly, everybody. Please. I 803 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 1: couldn't do that. I really could of how they sleep. 804 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:02,839 Speaker 1: I watched Moria is still on. I'm like, thank god, 805 00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 1: what to seeing Connie talk about at night? Okay? Today 806 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: I had two treads Best Night Short People, and they 807 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 1: had twelve boyfriends. I don't know, how many years do 808 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:13,560 Speaker 1: you do the talk show? Six? I told them Initially 809 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: I had a baby who was one. I said, I'm 810 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: going to do the show for five years, and then 811 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: I'm quitting before he goes to kindergarten. I said, I 812 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 1: just want you to know before he starts, like first grade, 813 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: real school, I'm quitting because this is a toxic business. 814 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:26,640 Speaker 1: I can't imagine what it would do to a kid. 815 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,440 Speaker 1: It's too much for me. And I also knew in 816 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: Success how much money it was. It was an insane 817 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: amount of money. So I told them from the beginning, 818 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: I am only doing uh five, I was a four 819 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: year deal. I said, I'm only doing four years because 820 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: he would be fun. They said yes. But in year 821 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 1: one it was such a big hit that they said, 822 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,040 Speaker 1: please give us two more years. Please, We'll give you, 823 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 1: you know, the Oprah deal. So I agreed to do six. 824 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: Now in my fifth year, they said, please sign up. 825 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 1: That's when I begged you to do the Jackie Gleason 826 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: s off. And you turned to me and said you 827 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: you leaned into me very comming. You said, I Aunt, 828 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:01,919 Speaker 1: I'll never figurt that you'd lean to me. And you said, 829 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: I can't. You said, I'm about to sign a deal. 830 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 1: I'm gonna make quote that sick Oprah money exactly. I 831 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: remember seing the going, fuck, it was money. It was 832 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:14,319 Speaker 1: sick Opra money. Yeah. So I signed on for two 833 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: more years, and then you know, in the fifth year, 834 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: they kept saying, you know, at one year left, come on, 835 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:22,359 Speaker 1: we're gonna offer you this. Honestly, I like the truth 836 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:25,320 Speaker 1: is I felt, if you have a hundred million dollars 837 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 1: in the bank and you think you need a hundred 838 00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: million more, you're missing your life. I had three children 839 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: at the time, right, I had three kids under the 840 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: age of five, and my mother died at forty. I 841 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: was thirty nine. My show ended right when I was forty. 842 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,360 Speaker 1: I thought, any day they're going to diagnose me with 843 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:46,839 Speaker 1: breast cancer. I'm gonna be gone. I wanted to go 844 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,279 Speaker 1: spend the time raising my children the way my mother 845 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 1: didn't get to. So there was no amount of money. 846 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:54,080 Speaker 1: They kept upping the money and upping the money. And 847 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: you know, Dick Robertson, Dick Robinson has said, to me, 848 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: who's still around the older I used to work at 849 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 1: Warner Brothers. He said, never in his life did he 850 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: see somebody walk away from that much money? He said, 851 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: he still doesn't believe sometimes he thinks about that moment, 852 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:09,839 Speaker 1: you know, because he walked in and he's like, I've 853 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 1: been authorized to present you with this, you know, and 854 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 1: thinking I was gonna go, well, okay, but when you 855 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 1: walked away from that, because this is something that I 856 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: wrestled with. Sometimes you want to be more proactive and 857 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:22,640 Speaker 1: involved with your kids. I mean that that's I don't 858 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: I don't dispute that. I mean, that's obviously very very important. 859 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:27,319 Speaker 1: I made a lot of my choices around them as well, 860 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,040 Speaker 1: and continue to now that I'm having another baby. Like, like, 861 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,800 Speaker 1: beyond this thing of not wanting to have money control 862 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: your life, was it also did you become someone you said, 863 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: I'm sick of her and I'm sick of that, like 864 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,840 Speaker 1: that's Rosie in one stage of the rocket Ship, and 865 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 1: now I was time to walk away from them. Yes, 866 00:38:42,840 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: I had morphed into a different person, right because at 867 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:47,800 Speaker 1: the beginning of that show, the concept of knowing Barbara 868 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: streisand of knowing Tom Cruise, of knowing you like I 869 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,600 Speaker 1: had worked with the actors I had worked with, I 870 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,279 Speaker 1: knew those people and I was friends with them, but 871 00:38:55,320 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: that didn't mean that I felt I was part of 872 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,759 Speaker 1: the show biz community. But when that show took off 873 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: and I had literally interviewed everyone from Walter Cronkite to 874 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,799 Speaker 1: you know, Joan Plowwright like to, you know, everyone was 875 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: happy to be on your shop exactly, and it was, 876 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: you know, it was the first one of its kind. 877 00:39:12,360 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: There's a lot of them now. And you know, Ellen 878 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 1: has has done it amazingly well. And she had all 879 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 1: of my same producers, she had Jim Terratory, she had 880 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 1: the same team, and she went and she did it. 881 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:23,040 Speaker 1: And I think she's very good at it, you know, 882 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:25,239 Speaker 1: I really do. But I know that I could not 883 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: have done it any longer than I did it. I 884 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:28,800 Speaker 1: knew I was not a marathon. And then when you 885 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:33,439 Speaker 1: stopped what happened, I was, um. I felt free. First 886 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: of all, I had just sort of come out right. 887 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,280 Speaker 1: I had written my first book and it talked about 888 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 1: my being gay and all of the struggles that I 889 00:39:41,239 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 1: had with how to how to announce that. And I 890 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: did it in conjunction with an A C. L U 891 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: case about Forster care because I was a Forster parent 892 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 1: and blah blah, blah. So I didn't want it just 893 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:51,160 Speaker 1: to be about hey, like, let's talk about my sex 894 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: life and sexual preference. You know. I wanted it to 895 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:55,759 Speaker 1: be about something more. So there was a case with 896 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:58,120 Speaker 1: the Loft and Crew too case down in Florida, two 897 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:00,840 Speaker 1: men who had adopted this children and they ciril converted 898 00:40:00,840 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: from HIV positive to negative because both men were nurses, 899 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,239 Speaker 1: and they wanted to take the kids away after they 900 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:09,400 Speaker 1: ciril converted. So I actually, there's there was a law 901 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,840 Speaker 1: at the time in Florida that gay people could not adopt, 902 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: even the force to chieve children they raised. So I 903 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 1: went through this lawsuit and well the book came out 904 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 1: three months after nine eleven, so it was sort of 905 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:25,160 Speaker 1: like nobody really cared. Nine eleven happened. And thank god 906 00:40:25,600 --> 00:40:30,239 Speaker 1: I was off the following May because I did not 907 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,359 Speaker 1: think and I think there was some you know, intervention 908 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:36,200 Speaker 1: from above that I was off during the Bush administration. 909 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:38,880 Speaker 1: I think I would have probably lost my mind on 910 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 1: national television, you know, when I could not believe when 911 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:46,760 Speaker 1: my show was off and we were going into war, 912 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,920 Speaker 1: going to Afghanistan, like and Phil Donahue was on again, 913 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,120 Speaker 1: and you know, I a spray painted no War on 914 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,319 Speaker 1: the back of my denom jacket. I could Oh yeah, 915 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,480 Speaker 1: I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe now aproposal 916 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 1: that I mean, obviously you like me, you don't hesitate 917 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:05,960 Speaker 1: to speak your mind. Now. You went from being ubiquitous 918 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: the show so forth, and do you enjoy that now 919 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: where you don't you're not out there and you're not 920 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:17,680 Speaker 1: an opinion maker. Yes, but the fall between one and 921 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:22,640 Speaker 1: the other extreme was intense and sharp and shocking. Well, 922 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:24,440 Speaker 1: you know, I when I was on the cover of Newsweek, 923 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,480 Speaker 1: you know when my show premiered, said the Queen of Nights, 924 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:28,719 Speaker 1: I remember holding it up on on live TV and saying, 925 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:30,319 Speaker 1: this is going to bite me in the ass one day, 926 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:32,400 Speaker 1: because you know what, I'm not that nice. If you 927 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:34,560 Speaker 1: ever saw my stand up act, I go after people 928 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:37,440 Speaker 1: and issues that I find abhorrent and repulsive, and I 929 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:39,560 Speaker 1: present them in a comical way that makes you laugh 930 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,000 Speaker 1: and yet think. So I knew that that was never 931 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,120 Speaker 1: ever the totality of who I was. So um, I 932 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:47,799 Speaker 1: was not you know, naive enough to think that I 933 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: was going to slimply glide slowly down towards the anonymity 934 00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 1: you know uh, but it was very very harsh, and 935 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:57,960 Speaker 1: it was very very quick, and it was a very 936 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:01,440 Speaker 1: big shock. Also, I was sued by the magazine company. 937 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: And when you're sued by a corporation, right, I was 938 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: sued for three million dollars right by this corporation they 939 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:11,480 Speaker 1: I when my show was ending, I was convinced to 940 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: do a magazine like Oprah did with my name on 941 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 1: at Rosie, and I was totally had creative control and 942 00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,920 Speaker 1: they had the sales kind of control. What happened was 943 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: after my show ended, the guy who worked there said, well, 944 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,239 Speaker 1: you signed a stupid contract and your lawyers weren't good 945 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: and I owned the show and I'm gonna do what 946 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 1: I want and fired the staff. And UM wanted to 947 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:33,439 Speaker 1: do like thin or thighs and thirty days and all 948 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:35,120 Speaker 1: the things that are not me. And I said, well 949 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:37,000 Speaker 1: you can't do that, and he said, well, you didn't 950 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:39,760 Speaker 1: see this loophole in the contract. So I remember saying 951 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:43,279 Speaker 1: to UM, my friends are to some learned people I 952 00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:46,440 Speaker 1: knew who is the toughest and the best female lawyer 953 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:49,759 Speaker 1: in New York. And they said Mary Joe White and 954 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:54,879 Speaker 1: Mary Joe White, who brought down the first bombers at 955 00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: the nine eleven the college Killia whatever his name, and 956 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 1: she has just been appointed with the Obama administration. She's 957 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:03,719 Speaker 1: like a huge mockey. Mark Well. I went into her 958 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:05,520 Speaker 1: office on a Saturday. She had shorts on and a 959 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,919 Speaker 1: T shirt, and I gave her the contract and I said, 960 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 1: now I want to ask you. Am I right? Am 961 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:11,960 Speaker 1: I wrong? She said, well, you're right, and I said, 962 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:13,279 Speaker 1: She goes, but I don't know that that means you're 963 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:15,200 Speaker 1: gonna win. I said, but I am right. What I'm 964 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: saying is right that this man cannot take what I've 965 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:19,360 Speaker 1: worked for for twenty years, my name and what it 966 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:22,360 Speaker 1: represents and reform at him because I signed a contract 967 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:25,400 Speaker 1: and made me into Susanne Summers correct or who actually 968 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,440 Speaker 1: like and think is very more more like make me 969 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,399 Speaker 1: into a Cosmo girl. Right? And she said, no, you're right, 970 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:34,239 Speaker 1: and if you're tough enough, you'll win. But they're gonna 971 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:37,359 Speaker 1: put you through hell. And they did. I was like 972 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:39,360 Speaker 1: on the cover of the Post like ninety three times. 973 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,120 Speaker 1: And when you came out of it, you prevailed, Yes, 974 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:46,720 Speaker 1: but it was exhausting, expensive and painful litigation. It certainly 975 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:49,400 Speaker 1: now we're going to run out of time. So I 976 00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 1: want to say two things, and I want to say 977 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:53,840 Speaker 1: this carefully because this is not about personal animus or 978 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,560 Speaker 1: somebody who pisched you off. What's one thing you were 979 00:43:57,600 --> 00:43:59,919 Speaker 1: involved in that you went to the mat cause waw 980 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,880 Speaker 1: or something or an event, something you really went out 981 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 1: there and was the most outrageous, the major, the most indignant. 982 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:13,000 Speaker 1: You know, I think it would probably be um the 983 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:15,440 Speaker 1: right of gay people to adopt in Florida. We actually 984 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 1: did a canvassing of of the state of Florida back 985 00:44:17,680 --> 00:44:19,480 Speaker 1: in you know, in the nineties when my show was on, 986 00:44:19,719 --> 00:44:21,799 Speaker 1: because I thought, if we're gonna fight this, we're gonna lobby, 987 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:23,880 Speaker 1: let's try to see what the what the temperature is 988 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:29,000 Speaker 1: of the state and found a surprising amount, like disproportionately 989 00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,080 Speaker 1: large amount of people would prefer that children had no 990 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:33,120 Speaker 1: parents than gay parents. That was at the time in 991 00:44:33,160 --> 00:44:35,279 Speaker 1: the nineties. Now look how things have changed now, right 992 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:37,879 Speaker 1: that the ruling has been overturned, and you know, gays 993 00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:39,880 Speaker 1: are allowed to adopt in pretty much every state I 994 00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:42,160 Speaker 1: think at this point, and we're allowed to get married 995 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 1: and we're allowed so a lot has changed since then. 996 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:47,280 Speaker 1: But that was quite disheartening at the time. I think also, 997 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: you know what, my saying that I do not believe 998 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:52,920 Speaker 1: the official story of nine eleven has brought a tremendous 999 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,800 Speaker 1: amount of angst into my life. And I don't accuse 1000 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:57,960 Speaker 1: anyone specifically or say that I know any answers. I 1001 00:44:58,000 --> 00:44:59,920 Speaker 1: simply say it defies the laws of physics, or mean, 1002 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 1: we're here, we are. It's the fiftieth anniversary of JFK's association, 1003 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:05,440 Speaker 1: and people still don't want to talk about that. Well, 1004 00:45:05,480 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: and that's when when people come over to me and say, 1005 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:08,839 Speaker 1: I want to talk to you about nine eleven, I said, 1006 00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:10,359 Speaker 1: before we have the conversation, I just want to ask 1007 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: you one thing, who killed John Kennedy? And if they 1008 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:14,319 Speaker 1: say Lee Harvey Oswald, I said, then we're not going 1009 00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:17,640 Speaker 1: to have a conversation. But if you know, because honestly, 1010 00:45:17,680 --> 00:45:20,439 Speaker 1: you either have the benevolent father image in your mind 1011 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,560 Speaker 1: and you can't sam right. It's the cognitive dissidence. Right. 1012 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 1: You can hold two opposing ideas in your brain at 1013 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,480 Speaker 1: one time. You can love the United States of America right, 1014 00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:32,239 Speaker 1: and I love my country and therefore I want to 1015 00:45:32,239 --> 00:45:36,480 Speaker 1: seek exactly right. And therefore democracy demands dissent. And if 1016 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: you have questions. That's part of being and I shared 1017 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:42,400 Speaker 1: that we're people doubt our patriotism because we're critical. I mean, 1018 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:43,840 Speaker 1: if you look at my Twitter feed, I'm going to 1019 00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:47,440 Speaker 1: go off Twitter. Yes, it's too much negativity, and it's 1020 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:49,879 Speaker 1: too much negativity that I don't get in real life. 1021 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:51,880 Speaker 1: I can walk anywhere even to like, you know, my 1022 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:54,319 Speaker 1: son goes to a military school. These are all Republicans. 1023 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 1: These are you know, hello, miss o'donald, thank you. You know, 1024 00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:00,760 Speaker 1: like unbelievably crying people in the world of my experience 1025 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:04,160 Speaker 1: the unanimity of Twitter correct And that's what it is. 1026 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: It's like standing on a stage in a dark and 1027 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:08,520 Speaker 1: comedy club and people throwing shit at you and you're 1028 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:11,160 Speaker 1: still trying to do your act. I want to close 1029 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:15,319 Speaker 1: with one thing, and that is I watch people who 1030 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:18,160 Speaker 1: are virtuosic musicians. I mean, I do this announcing for 1031 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 1: the New York Philharmonic. I just went to Long Longs 1032 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:23,720 Speaker 1: benefit on Monday at Carnegie Hall. I have this tremendous, tremendous, 1033 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:27,200 Speaker 1: almost insatiable appetite for the classical repertoire and the people 1034 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:29,759 Speaker 1: who play it well. And I think to myself, you know, 1035 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:33,040 Speaker 1: where is that and what we do like acting. The 1036 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:35,560 Speaker 1: people talk about Olivier and Kevin Klein and you know 1037 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:38,720 Speaker 1: in Colin Firth and all they're really really beautifully etched 1038 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:41,799 Speaker 1: actors of their day. And then I think about you, 1039 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:45,640 Speaker 1: and I think about to be able to talk on 1040 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:48,399 Speaker 1: a talk show and be able to communicate the way 1041 00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:52,920 Speaker 1: you did. You remind me in the conversational mode of 1042 00:46:53,000 --> 00:46:55,640 Speaker 1: a classical piano player, because you can touch, you can 1043 00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:59,399 Speaker 1: do anything, you can play anything. You are funny as hell, 1044 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 1: you're if you're smart. You are so many things. You 1045 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:07,240 Speaker 1: could have done anything. You're so tenacious and you're so smart. 1046 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:10,320 Speaker 1: If this hadn't worked out for you, what was among 1047 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:12,359 Speaker 1: the fallbacks? What might you have done with your life 1048 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:14,120 Speaker 1: for you didn't do this. I never had a fallback 1049 00:47:14,160 --> 00:47:15,759 Speaker 1: on purpose, and my dad used to say that all 1050 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:17,400 Speaker 1: the time, you need a fallback, But I knew that 1051 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,480 Speaker 1: this career was so difficult to succeed in that if 1052 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:21,319 Speaker 1: you had a fallback, you would fall back. So I 1053 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 1: didn't have one. However, I know I would have been 1054 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:25,759 Speaker 1: a teacher, because it was teachers who saved my life. 1055 00:47:25,840 --> 00:47:27,600 Speaker 1: We were in an abusive all. My dad had some 1056 00:47:27,680 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 1: issues after my mother died and even before, and it 1057 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:33,320 Speaker 1: was teachers in the public school system who saved my life. Literally, 1058 00:47:33,360 --> 00:47:35,239 Speaker 1: I don't think I would be here. I don't think, 1059 00:47:35,239 --> 00:47:37,239 Speaker 1: you know, when my grandmother died, who had lived with 1060 00:47:37,320 --> 00:47:41,000 Speaker 1: us after when my mother had died, you know, when 1061 00:47:41,040 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: she died when I was in high school, all the 1062 00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:45,000 Speaker 1: teachers came to the funeral, all the like we were. 1063 00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:47,960 Speaker 1: We were five orphan children pretty much who were embraced 1064 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: and taken in by the teachers in our communities. And 1065 00:47:52,680 --> 00:47:54,840 Speaker 1: I definitely would have been a teacher. I love kids. 1066 00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:57,960 Speaker 1: And congratulations because you know, way do you see what 1067 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,279 Speaker 1: it feels like doing it at fifty versus doing it 1068 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:03,720 Speaker 1: at thirty. Honey, it's a different gig. Oh my god. 1069 00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:07,799 Speaker 1: First of all, it's so much calmer. You're so much 1070 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:12,600 Speaker 1: more relaxed. You're enjoy every moment so much more like 1071 00:48:12,680 --> 00:48:14,719 Speaker 1: this baby. First of all, she's a dream. She she 1072 00:48:14,800 --> 00:48:16,840 Speaker 1: wakes up and she goes to bed at nine o'clock 1073 00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:18,960 Speaker 1: after bottle, wakes up at six, give her a bottle, 1074 00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 1: and she sleeps in the bed with us till about 1075 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 1: every night. That's what you know. And Michelle, my wife, 1076 00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 1: this is our first kid, goes let's get another one. 1077 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:28,480 Speaker 1: I'm like, you're out of your mind. They don't come 1078 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:31,040 Speaker 1: like this, girm. No, She's just it's a dream and 1079 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:33,319 Speaker 1: I feel younger because of it. I feel like that 1080 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,560 Speaker 1: my design, oh my god, al like it like turned 1081 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:42,000 Speaker 1: on every creative. It's just it rebirthed me. It rebirthed 1082 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,640 Speaker 1: me in a way that I was not expecting, and 1083 00:48:44,680 --> 00:48:48,920 Speaker 1: I'm so thankful for There's something about this experience. Uh, 1084 00:48:49,040 --> 00:48:51,160 Speaker 1: that's very different from the other kids. You know, when 1085 00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:53,560 Speaker 1: you your first baby, because you only had one, so 1086 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:56,879 Speaker 1: your first baby. I always say, the other kids never 1087 00:48:56,960 --> 00:48:58,719 Speaker 1: get what that first kid got. And I'm not the 1088 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:01,040 Speaker 1: first kid in my family, right my brother Eddie is, 1089 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:03,719 Speaker 1: so in a way, this baby feels like the first 1090 00:49:03,800 --> 00:49:11,720 Speaker 1: kid all over again. Rosie O'Donnell entertainer, activist, philanthropist extraordinaire 1091 00:49:11,840 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 1: and above all a mom to five. Imagine the hand 1092 00:49:15,600 --> 00:49:17,799 Speaker 1: me downs in that house. Thank you for doing this, 1093 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:19,239 Speaker 1: and I love you and I love you too, and 1094 00:49:19,280 --> 00:49:21,640 Speaker 1: I'm sending you so many baby things. Don't buy everything 1095 00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:24,360 Speaker 1: because I have a lot of extras. This is Alec 1096 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,919 Speaker 1: Baldwin and you're listening to here's the thing