Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Interview with Robert Wagner

Aired July 31, 2002 - 10:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The new Austin Powers movie is number one at the box office, and today we have Number Two from the film joining us. Robert Wagner plays Dr. Evil's henchmen, Number Two, in "Goldmember" as he did in the other two Austin Powers movies, and Robert Wagner joins us from New York to talk about the new movie and whatever else may be on his mind this morning -- How are you? Good to see you. I guess we're having some problems with Number Two's earpiece there. Can we get that straightened out?

ROBERT WAGNER, ACTOR: You are. You are having a little trouble with my earpiece.

HARRIS: There we go.

WAGNER: I have got you now, Leon.

HARRIS: Good. How are you? Glad to have you with us.

WAGNER: I'm fine, Leon.

HARRIS: This is -- you could not have predicted the kind of response that the audience has had to this movie so far.

WAGNER: Oh, impossible. But you know, I didn't hear the first part of what you said, but you know that it opened this last weekend for $72 million. I mean, it's the biggest domestic comedy in the history of the entire motion-picture industry, so...

HARRIS: And of course, you all knew that was going to happen, right?

WAGNER: Oh, yes. Well, I knew because I'm so close to Dr. Evil and he tells me a lot.

HARRIS: Yes, exactly. But you know what, man, I got to tell you, I saw this one, and there wasn't as much of you in this one as the other one. You phasing your character out here or what?

WAGNER: Well, you know, my character -- my character was created by Mike, and he, as you know, created all of the Austin Powers characters, and my character, I think, will keep maintaining, I hope.

HARRIS: How in the world did you get hooked up with Mike on this? I mean, because you know, I've been watch -- I've been a fan of yours for a long time. I go all the way back to the "It Takes a Thief" series, and after that, to "Hart to Hart" and all that. And as a matter of fact, it hit me that this doesn't sound like the kind of thing that you would be doing. It's a comedy. You were always Mr. Suave Bola (ph).

WAGNER: Well, you know, Leon, I was in the original "Pink Panther," and I have done some comedy, but I met Mike when I was the -- when it was my night on "Saturday Night Live." He had written a couple of things, and I did a few of his skits, and he liked me very much, and we got along very well together, and apparently he saw this kind of comedy aspect of me, and when he wrote -- started to write Austin Powers, the first one, he wrote the character of Number Two for me, and I was so flattered and I loved the script, and I just thought this is going to be the greatest. And the rest has been such a wonderful ride for me, which you can imagine. To be involved with this has been just the joy of my life.

HARRIS: A lot of us envy you on this one. But I have to ask you this, you talk about writing scripts here. From what I understand, Mike does a lot of ad-libbing. Did you have to do a lot of that?

WAGNER: Well, there's a lot of improvisation, Leon. When we get on the stage, it is written, it is all on the page, but then, when we start with Jay Roach, who has directed all three of them, and we start working on it, there's a lot of things that are added, and we start to improvise a little bit, and go one way or the another, and that becomes a wonderful way to work.

HARRIS: OK. Well, listen, I want to show the audience right now something I'm told is your favorite scene from the movie. Let's go ahead and roll the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MYERS, ACTOR: Upon entering the atmosphere, the hot ball of magma will strike and melt the polar ice caps, causing a global flood. But enough of my technical mumbo jumbo. Allow me to demonstrate. Lower the globe.

WAGNER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

MYERS: Lower the globe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lower the globe.

MYERS: Well, congratulations. You've succeeded in turning me into a frickin' Jack in the Box. Get it off, get it off. It's dark, it's dark. OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WAGNER: Well, that line was given to me by Robin, Mike's wife, and I loved that line. We were just crazy about that.

HARRIS: You have got to explain something else to me, too. I want to hear the truth on this one. I heard a rumor that it was very easy for those who had to deal with the character Fat Bastard to act as though he were revulsive because I understand that really, really did stink. Is that true?

WAGNER: You know, I was never around that character very much, but I heard that as well. But I was in the makeup room when they were preparing Mike with Fat Bastard, and yes, there's a little bit of -- a little bit of odor around that makeup, but isn't that a wonderful character? I mean, all of those characters that he has created have been so wonderful. And what a time to have this movie come out, so people can go and have joy and watch it, and have a great afternoon and laugh their heads off. It's marvelous for all of us.

HARRIS: That's a great point. That's a great point. You going to be in the next one, or two or three or ten of these movies?

WAGNER: I hope so. I hope so, Leon. Because I have got my patch, and I'm ready to go. You know?

HARRIS: Well, look, we are ready to see you do it too. Robert Wagner, thank you very much.

WAGNER: Thanks. Thanks so much.

HARRIS: Appreciate the time this morning.

WAGNER: Great to be with you.

HARRIS: Good luck to you -- as if you need our wishes. Way to go. Congratulations.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com