Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Revolutionary Turncoat

Aired January 09, 2003 - 11:44   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: A new movie is trying to add some depth and nuance to one of the most maligned men in American history, Benedict Arnold. A&E's "Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor" explores the man whose name is synonymous with traitor. The film focuses on Arnold's relationship with George Washington and it premieres on Monday night.
Kelsey Grammer steps away from his "Frazier" role to play General Washington, as you saw there, and Aidan Quinn is Benedict Arnold. And both men join us from Los Angeles.

Good morning to both of you. Thanks for coming in.

Kelsey, good to see you again. It seemed like I just talked to you about the Christmas special.

KELSEY GRAMMER, ACTOR: That's right, Leon.

HARRIS: You show up as a brown-haired George Washington. I think that was the big surprise for me.

GRAMMER: That what was that was what most took you, huh, the brown hair?

HARRIS: That's the kind of guy I am, you know.

GRAMMER: We thought the powdered wig thing. The time of this film basically takes place when George Washington was 46 years old. I was in that neighborhood, and so we thought we'd go with what would have been more like wartime regalia, rather than powdered wig time.

HARRIS: That in mind, then, Aidan, here you're talking about not just doing a period piece, which, in and of itself is a difficult prospect for many actors and actresses, but to do a period piece and to do it on such a despised character, what was it that appealed to you about this whole prospect?

AIDAN QUINN, ACTOR: Well, it was a beautifully written story, and the writer has been writing about Benedict Arnold for 25 years, and he wrote an incredibly complex story about this man and what really went on with him. And we see that he was the most, you know, the most celebrated American hero. There wouldn't be an America without his victories. He literally singlehandedly built the first American Navy, he stopped the British empire's navy. He was an incredible character. So there was, you know, there was no reason to -- every reason to do it and none not to. HARRIS: I was surprised to learn myself how celebrate add character he was of his time here. Let me ask both of you this, because this is the kind of question that the type of folks that view CNN would first bring to mind. Is what we're going to see here a bit of revisionist history here?

QUINN: I would say personally that I think everything, everything is justified. Everything is informed by the history and there is, of course, dramatic license taken. You don't know what actually was said in the room between Washington and Arnold, but I think all of it is incredibly well-researched, and then, you know, there is a dramatic license taken, yes.

GRAMMER: Yes, I don't know if it's revisionist, necessarily. In the end, the story, the events that have historical significance remain the same. And it is common knowledge historically that Benedict Arnold was a terrific tactician and a great general and true patriot, who had a change of heart, due to whatever the reasons may be.

What I found compelling and interesting about the story was the relationship between the two men and, of course, the relationship between Benedict Arnold and his young bride. But for whatever series of reasons, a human made a decision that turned out to make him a legendary figure in history. This is, I think, what we're exploring.

HARRIS: Gentlemen, I've got to thank you for coming in and talking with us. We have got to move on. We've had so much breaking news that we had to squeeze in. We didn't have enough time.

GRAMMER: Thanks.

HARRIS: Hopefully, we'll have more time next time.

GRAMMER: Watch the movie.

HARRIS: We will. Maybe we can talk about it afterwards.

GRAMMER: Thanks.

HARRIS: Kelsey Grammer, Aidan Quinn, good luck to both of you. Talk to you down the road.

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







Aired January 9, 2003 - 11:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: A new movie is trying to add some depth and nuance to one of the most maligned men in American history, Benedict Arnold. A&E's "Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor" explores the man whose name is synonymous with traitor. The film focuses on Arnold's relationship with George Washington and it premieres on Monday night.
Kelsey Grammer steps away from his "Frazier" role to play General Washington, as you saw there, and Aidan Quinn is Benedict Arnold. And both men join us from Los Angeles.

Good morning to both of you. Thanks for coming in.

Kelsey, good to see you again. It seemed like I just talked to you about the Christmas special.

KELSEY GRAMMER, ACTOR: That's right, Leon.

HARRIS: You show up as a brown-haired George Washington. I think that was the big surprise for me.

GRAMMER: That what was that was what most took you, huh, the brown hair?

HARRIS: That's the kind of guy I am, you know.

GRAMMER: We thought the powdered wig thing. The time of this film basically takes place when George Washington was 46 years old. I was in that neighborhood, and so we thought we'd go with what would have been more like wartime regalia, rather than powdered wig time.

HARRIS: That in mind, then, Aidan, here you're talking about not just doing a period piece, which, in and of itself is a difficult prospect for many actors and actresses, but to do a period piece and to do it on such a despised character, what was it that appealed to you about this whole prospect?

AIDAN QUINN, ACTOR: Well, it was a beautifully written story, and the writer has been writing about Benedict Arnold for 25 years, and he wrote an incredibly complex story about this man and what really went on with him. And we see that he was the most, you know, the most celebrated American hero. There wouldn't be an America without his victories. He literally singlehandedly built the first American Navy, he stopped the British empire's navy. He was an incredible character. So there was, you know, there was no reason to -- every reason to do it and none not to. HARRIS: I was surprised to learn myself how celebrate add character he was of his time here. Let me ask both of you this, because this is the kind of question that the type of folks that view CNN would first bring to mind. Is what we're going to see here a bit of revisionist history here?

QUINN: I would say personally that I think everything, everything is justified. Everything is informed by the history and there is, of course, dramatic license taken. You don't know what actually was said in the room between Washington and Arnold, but I think all of it is incredibly well-researched, and then, you know, there is a dramatic license taken, yes.

GRAMMER: Yes, I don't know if it's revisionist, necessarily. In the end, the story, the events that have historical significance remain the same. And it is common knowledge historically that Benedict Arnold was a terrific tactician and a great general and true patriot, who had a change of heart, due to whatever the reasons may be.

What I found compelling and interesting about the story was the relationship between the two men and, of course, the relationship between Benedict Arnold and his young bride. But for whatever series of reasons, a human made a decision that turned out to make him a legendary figure in history. This is, I think, what we're exploring.

HARRIS: Gentlemen, I've got to thank you for coming in and talking with us. We have got to move on. We've had so much breaking news that we had to squeeze in. We didn't have enough time.

GRAMMER: Thanks.

HARRIS: Hopefully, we'll have more time next time.

GRAMMER: Watch the movie.

HARRIS: We will. Maybe we can talk about it afterwards.

GRAMMER: Thanks.

HARRIS: Kelsey Grammer, Aidan Quinn, good luck to both of you. Talk to you down the road.

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