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CNN Live Today

Interview With Charles Dutton

Aired October 15, 2003 - 10:49   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It was one year ago the greater Washington area was being terrorized by a serial sniper. The trial of suspect John Allen Muhammad is now under way for one of those killings.
And on Friday a movie about the case premiers on the USA Network. It's called "D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear." Playing the part of Montgomery Police Chief Charles Moose is veteran actor Charles Dutton joining us from New York to talk about the project. Good morning to you.

CHARLES DUTTON, ACTOR: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: We need to mention, of course, that this movie is not based on Chief Moose's book, nor was the chief involved in the production. I think that's important to point out.

DUTTON: Yes.

KAGAN: This is independent of that. Let me ask you, why? Why do we need a movie about something so terrifying and awful for so many people?

DUTTON: Well, no one approached it that way, that we needed a movie about it. It was -- when I was presented the script, what I saw -- and the only reason I decided to do it was a very tasteful and a very classily written film with a very good director that it wasn't exploitive at all. It really wasn't a rehash of what we saw. That it was a behind the scenes look at the investigation, tastefully done. And also, it just simply presented the facts where the alleged snipers are concerned.

But it was a look at the human being, and the human beings involved. We just know Chief Moose from what we saw of the man at the podium. This actually shows the vulnerability and the person under that kind of pressure in one of the most terrific and pressurized investigations in American history.

KAGAN: You're a really interesting choice to play the police chief. I know have you a lot of fans out there of your acting. I don't know how many people out there know that you actually served time in prison for killing a man and now you're playing the role of a police chief looking for men killing other people.

KAGAN: Well I don't really think that has anything to do with it at all. That's old news? I don't think it has anything to do with it all. Matter of fact, that's like 20 year news. I think everybody -- all my fans realize that, that I spent time in prison, and for manslaughter.

And what I bring to it is a good actor. I don't think my background has anything to do with it. If they thought they had a better actor to play the role, they would have definitely taken or chosen a better actor.

I think what I bring to the table is that I can touch on the vulnerability and the complications of Chief Moose, the fact that he's police and I'm not had nothing to do with it. If it was King Leer, I still would have done the job well, I think.

KAGAN: I in no way meant to try to minimize your role as an actor because I think you're tremendous. I just think when you're an actor, you bring all your stuff to the role and you happen to have some stuff that a lot of actors don't.

You're talking about the character of Chief Moose. We have a little clip. I want to take a look and well talk about that, OK? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUTTON: Today a line was crossed. Today it got down to the children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Charles, what about this man? I was in D.C. this time last year covering the story. He was a fascinating character to cover, an unlikely person to lead an investigation like this. It just kind of ended up that way because this is where the first murders took place. But what did you find most interesting about the man?

DUTTON: Well you know, like most Americans watching the investigation, you know, every time he came to the podium, you know, I just wondered -- or just thought about the amount of pressure that he was under. And what was he really going through instead of coming out and just making a statement.

And that's what intrigued me about it. I saw a complication in the man, and I thought -- I said this guy has got to be much more than what we see. And that was my attraction to the script, that it showed his vulnerabilities, albeit mostly private vulnerabilities. But that was some great stuff to play.

KAGAN: And I'm sure it was fascinating. We will look forward to watching it on television. Charles Dutton, thanks for stopping by.

DUTTON: Thank you.

KAGAN: Appreciate it, you're welcome any time.

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 October 15, 2003 - 10:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It was one year ago the greater Washington area was being terrorized by a serial sniper. The trial of suspect John Allen Muhammad is now under way for one of those killings.
And on Friday a movie about the case premiers on the USA Network. It's called "D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear." Playing the part of Montgomery Police Chief Charles Moose is veteran actor Charles Dutton joining us from New York to talk about the project. Good morning to you.

CHARLES DUTTON, ACTOR: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: We need to mention, of course, that this movie is not based on Chief Moose's book, nor was the chief involved in the production. I think that's important to point out.

DUTTON: Yes.

KAGAN: This is independent of that. Let me ask you, why? Why do we need a movie about something so terrifying and awful for so many people?

DUTTON: Well, no one approached it that way, that we needed a movie about it. It was -- when I was presented the script, what I saw -- and the only reason I decided to do it was a very tasteful and a very classily written film with a very good director that it wasn't exploitive at all. It really wasn't a rehash of what we saw. That it was a behind the scenes look at the investigation, tastefully done. And also, it just simply presented the facts where the alleged snipers are concerned.

But it was a look at the human being, and the human beings involved. We just know Chief Moose from what we saw of the man at the podium. This actually shows the vulnerability and the person under that kind of pressure in one of the most terrific and pressurized investigations in American history.

KAGAN: You're a really interesting choice to play the police chief. I know have you a lot of fans out there of your acting. I don't know how many people out there know that you actually served time in prison for killing a man and now you're playing the role of a police chief looking for men killing other people.

KAGAN: Well I don't really think that has anything to do with it at all. That's old news? I don't think it has anything to do with it all. Matter of fact, that's like 20 year news. I think everybody -- all my fans realize that, that I spent time in prison, and for manslaughter.

And what I bring to it is a good actor. I don't think my background has anything to do with it. If they thought they had a better actor to play the role, they would have definitely taken or chosen a better actor.

I think what I bring to the table is that I can touch on the vulnerability and the complications of Chief Moose, the fact that he's police and I'm not had nothing to do with it. If it was King Leer, I still would have done the job well, I think.

KAGAN: I in no way meant to try to minimize your role as an actor because I think you're tremendous. I just think when you're an actor, you bring all your stuff to the role and you happen to have some stuff that a lot of actors don't.

You're talking about the character of Chief Moose. We have a little clip. I want to take a look and well talk about that, OK? Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUTTON: Today a line was crossed. Today it got down to the children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Charles, what about this man? I was in D.C. this time last year covering the story. He was a fascinating character to cover, an unlikely person to lead an investigation like this. It just kind of ended up that way because this is where the first murders took place. But what did you find most interesting about the man?

DUTTON: Well you know, like most Americans watching the investigation, you know, every time he came to the podium, you know, I just wondered -- or just thought about the amount of pressure that he was under. And what was he really going through instead of coming out and just making a statement.

And that's what intrigued me about it. I saw a complication in the man, and I thought -- I said this guy has got to be much more than what we see. And that was my attraction to the script, that it showed his vulnerabilities, albeit mostly private vulnerabilities. But that was some great stuff to play.

KAGAN: And I'm sure it was fascinating. We will look forward to watching it on television. Charles Dutton, thanks for stopping by.

DUTTON: Thank you.

KAGAN: Appreciate it, you're welcome any time.

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