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CNN Larry King Live
Interview with Ben and Casey Affleck; Interview with Orlando Bloom and Sebastian Copeland
Aired November 02, 2007 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Ben Affleck -- pulling back the curtain on life as a tabloid target and letting us in on his private world and the family that's transformed him.
Director, actor, writer -- and could he add president to his resume?
Brad Pitt thinks so.
And one of Hollywood's hottest actors, Orlando Bloom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORLANDO BLOOM, ACTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST: It's not like anywhere in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Goes to the ends of the Earth for a real life cause -- global warming.
It's all next on LARRY KING LIVE.
It is always a great pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE the -- I must say it -- brilliant Ben Affleck -- not just an actor, but now an amazing director. He makes his directing debut with "Gone Baby Gone."
I saw the movie today. It is brilliant. He also co-wrote the screenplay. His younger brother, Casey, who will join us in a little while, is the star -- or one of the -- we call him the star -- of "Gone Baby Gone."
How did this project come about?
How did you come to direct it?
BEN AFFLECK, DIRECTOR, "GONE BABY GONE": Well, I initially -- you know, I read the book and I really liked the book and I thought -- this was, you know, in '02 or '03, and I thought maybe I would develop it and adapt it as a vehicle to act in.
And I was -- you know, started fooling around with it. And that -- with that in mind, and then slowly thought, you know, maybe I would like to direct something. And I had been working on that on the side. And I thought maybe I'll direct this. And so those two things kind of happened.
KING: But how did you put the whole pack -- did you finance it? Did you...
B. AFFLECK: No, no, no. I -- once I did that, I thought, well, you know, I can't -- I can't act in this and direct it at the same time. That would be too difficult. And, you know, so then I went to do, you know -- it's a story that is too long and boring and involved.
But basically what I did was I went to a company and said, you know, this is how I want to do it. And, you know, would you let me direct it and not be in it? And, you know, I ended up at Disney, at Miramax. And they said, you know, without any real reason, OK, we believe in you. We'll let you do it. And they said, OK. And so I put it together and, you know, started casting it.
KING: And the rest is history. The writer is Dennis Lehane.
B. AFFLECK: Dennis Lehane, yes, who...
KING: Who also wrote "Mystic River."
B. AFFLECK: He wrote "Mystic River." Yes.
KING: He's written a lot of successful books.
B. AFFLECK: He's a very successful guy. Yes. Just -- he wrote that and "Shutter Island," which I just, you know, is just being also made into a movie, I just saw today with some very successful...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: How did you come to write the screenplay?
B. AFFLECK: I wrote the screenplay with another excellent writer named Aaron Stockard. And we -- you know, it's a very complicated book.
KING: Very.
B. AFFLECK: It's a really smart book. It's a really good, you know, mystery/thriller...
KING: A lot of twists and turns.
B. AFFLECK: A lot of twists, yes. And it's also got this incredible kind of ending. And I always thought of it as like a kind of a moral philosophical kind of "Sixth Sense"...
KING: Boy.
B. AFFLECK: You know that thing, you know?
KING: Well, all right, well, tell the audience, when you watch this film, at the end of the movie, you will have to ask yourself, what would I have done? B. AFFLECK: Yes. And that was exactly what I wanted to do. I thought if I can pull this off correctly, you know, I'll have the audience walking out, you know, maybe if you're a husband, you know, arguing with your wife or your friends or who you went with...
KING: You will.
B. AFFLECK: ...and kind of left sort of surprised but also maybe, hopefully, a little bit shaken.
And, you know, this was Lehane's ending. And it was up to me to sort of execute that. And so you have to take the whole mystery and kind of break that down and make that work, but also the thematic aspects of it, so that the whole, you know, payoff works.
KING: Yes. A great performance out of your brother. And the cast, Ed Harris, who is over -- unbelievable.
B. AFFLECK: Yes. Ed is an amazing actor, obviously.
KING: How did you get Morgan Freeman to take this, because, basically, it's not a long part?
B. AFFLECK: Yes, it's a small part in screen time...
KING: Significant, but small.
B. AFFLECK: ...but nothing that Morgan Freeman does is small in work. You know, he's -- I worked with him before in a movie called "Sum of All Fears" as an actor. It was a Jack Ryan/Tom Clancy movie. And so I knew him. And I just kind of -- I used it because I had his phone number, basically...
(LAUGHTER)
B. AFFLECK: I used that to call him up. I had that entree. And I have to credit the book, really. The part was really interesting. And though it was small, it had a lot of kind of turns in it. And the character itself was kind of multilayered and...
KING: What...
B. AFFLECK: (INAUDIBLE) days.
KING: What do you think...
B. AFFLECK: (INAUDIBLE).
KING: I know.
What do you think, Ben, this does for you?
Because you've had some -- as we have admitted many times talking off the air and on -- ups and downs.
B. AFFLECK: Absolutely. I think what it does for me, you know, is it gives me the opportunity to -- I hope, you know, going out directing the next times, you know, it makes it a little easier for me to knock on doors, hopefully, and get money and pitch my movie to actors -- although, you know, I had great actors this time around.
KING: So you want to direct again, then?
B. AFFLECK: Yes, I hope so. Yes, definitely. And I want to -- and hopefully it makes that easier. It definitely -- you know, making this movie was kind of a goal in and of itself for me, really. It wasn't completely, you know, something to get me somewhere else.
KING: Now you won an Oscar for writing before, right?
B. AFFLECK: Right.
KING: You and Matt for "Good Will Hunting," right?
B. AFFLECK: "Good Will Hunting." Yes, that's right.
KING: So you knew you could write.
B. AFFLECK: Well, I had a -- we had a good time writing that one.
KING: What does Matt think of this?
B. AFFLECK: Well, he tells me he likes it. I don't know what he tells other people.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: I mean, he's your lifelong friend. (INAUDIBLE)...
B. AFFLECK: Yes, Matt was very helpful, actually. You know, Matt -- you know, I kind of waited to show it to him until I was in the middle of cutting the movie, because you would only get, you know, one chance to show somebody something for the first time and get their first -- first impression, as they say. And he was very helpful. I had a few sort of decisions that I was agonizing over and I showed it to him. And he had some really good ideas, not surprisingly, a very smart guy, and he has been, you know, very supportive of the movie.
KING: Now you were on -- in March of 2004, you were here, not long after you and Jennifer Lopez went your separate ways.
Let's listen to what you had to say back then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, MARCH 2004)
B. AFFLECK: Sometimes it's as simple as one person breaking up with somebody else, and sometimes it's more complicated than that. And this was -- the latter was the case with this one.
KING: The latter, complicated?
B. AFFLECK: This was more complicated than being able to be distilled into saying one or the other. KING: Are you friends?
B. AFFLECK: We are friends. I speak to her frequently, you know. And, you know, I root for her. And I really -- I appreciate and admire Jen. I had before and I still do now, as somebody -- an enormously hard-working and talented woman who never had a single break, you know what I mean?
Wasn't somebody who grew up in a place or looking a way where people said oh, this person is destined for success. What she did, she did it on her own and on her talent and on her merit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Now has your happiness now -- you've found it, right?
B. AFFLECK: I'm happy now, yes.
KING: Is it hard to look at that?
Is it...
B. AFFLECK: Not at all. I just think when I watch that, that I spent too much time answering that question.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Yes, you could have said we're friends.
B. AFFLECK: Great. Terrific. We're friends.
The next question, Larry.
Especially since...
KING: No, but has...
B. AFFLECK: ...since I've learned a little bit about the media (INAUDIBLE).
KING: Has the happiness now added to the professional ability?
B. AFFLECK: Oh, you know, I think it's hard to tell, you know, whether or not things like that sort of happen simultaneously or whether they inform one another. You know, if you get to a point in your life where you think -- look, my personal life, I'm married and I'm really happy. And I, you know, that part of my life is really great.
And, look, at the same time, I'm in the best place I've ever been professionally.
And is that a coincidence or did those things happen simultaneously?
It's hard to know. I'm really glad that they're all happening at the same time. I try not to, you know, look too hard at any of those things, lest they go away.
KING: Our guest is Ben Affleck.
He's the director of "Gone Baby Gone."
Do not miss this movie.
We'll be right back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
MICHELLE MONAGHAN, ACTOR: Helene puts her to bed. She goes across to Dottie's (ph), then she comes home and Amanda is gone.
AMY RYAN, ACTOR: Who would take my little girl?
She never hurt anybody.
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: A 4-year-old child is on the street. If we don't catch the abductor by day one, only about 10 percent are ever solved. This is day three.
MONAGHAN: Do you know people in the neighborhood who don't talk to the police?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One or two.
MONAGHAN: We want to hire you to augment the investigation.
RYAN: I just want my daughter back.
CASEY AFFLECK, ACTOR: It's all right. We're going to find her.
RYAN: You have to promise me.
C. AFFLECK: I promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
FREEMAN: My only child was murdered. She was 12.
Didn't you hear about it?
What you probably didn't hear and I hope you never have to deal with is, Ms. Gennaro, is what that feels like, what I have to deal with, knowing that my little girl had to die crying out for me to come and save her, and I never did. I know what it feels like to lose a child. This child is all I care about. I'm going to bring her home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: The key aspect of "Gone Baby Gone" is a missing child. That weaves its way through the entire film. It's the concept of the movie. There are marked similarities in real life. Madeleine McCann...
B. AFFLECK: Madeleine McCann.
KING: ...in London.
Did you realize that that would add to the attraction and attention of this movie?
We're in an age now where this is -- everyday somebody is missing.
B. AFFLECK: Well, it's hard to -- I mean, obviously, when we -- you know, the book was written in 1998. When we made the movie there was no -- that case didn't exist. And I certainly was aware of the fact that there was a few -- you know, it was -- when we made the movie, part of the way I would explain it to people was say like this case becomes as big as, you know, something like the JonBenet Ramsey case, just because we -- to use that kind of vocabulary so that the people we were making the movie with -- the actors -- would understand it.
I didn't think that, you know, one would come along where, you know, somebody looked like her -- the actress we had. Although, there are some similarities, it is also quite different, that case.
But, granted, I mean I know we live in a world where these kinds of cases happen all the time. And in some ways, that's what part of the book is about, the way that this kind of stuff happens. I mean it's an ugly fact of our lives -- and how the media operates and how we react and why we get obsessed with it.
KING: Now the women in the movie -- the mother, the girlfriend of your brother...
B. AFFLECK: Yes.
KING: Casting, though, where did you find them?
They're incredible.
B. AFFLECK: Well, Amy Ryan, you know, who plays the mother of the girl who is missing is just...
KING: Whoa.
She is a stage actress.
B. AFFLECK: She's astonishing. Yes. She's been nominated for a couple of Tonys. She's amazing in the movie. And she -- it's really made me really happy to see that she's been, you know, kind of recognized as the movie came out, because I think she's just incredible in the movie and she plays a really complicated role, because it turns out...
KING: And the twist is, the mother is not a nice person.
B. AFFLECK: Right. She's...
KING: And you don't have someone you're rooting for.
B. AFFLECK: Right. You expect her to be kind of this victim...
KING: Yes.
B. AFFLECK: ...and then you get there and...
KING: She isn't.
B. AFFLECK: ...she's not entirely sympathetic, which is a really hard part to play, because on one hand you think like, you know, as you say, you want to be sympathetic, but then it's hard to reconcile these conflicting emotions about how you want to deal with this character.
And that's a really challenging thing for an actress and she does it spectacularly. I think Amy is brilliant and I'm -- I'm really glad to see that people will get to see more of her.
And I just lucked out that she walked into the room. She read one scene in the audition and I like stopped and said, you're hired. Please do the movie.
KING: And I know her -- I've seen her, the girlfriend of your brother.
B. AFFLECK: Michelle Monaghan. Yes. She's wonderful.
KING: She's very good.
B. AFFLECK: Yes, she's terrific. She was -- you know, she was in "The Heartbreak Kid."
KING: My (INAUDIBLE).
B. AFFLECK: She was in "Mission: Impossible III." She's been all over the place. She's an erupting talent. You know, she's -- she's really wonderful.
KING: And what about the unheralded -- well, we say unheralded, he's been around so long -- Ed Harris.
B. AFFLECK: Yes, I mean, I think, on Ed Harris, as, you know, as great, if not better, as anybody going -- is one of the real, you know...
KING: Character actors.
B. AFFLECK: ... a great actor of American movies. I mean, he's just -- he's amazing. And for me getting to be up close and watch him work was, you know, as much an honor as anything else.
KING: What's it like for a still comparatively young guy -- and an actor -- to direct people like Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman? B. AFFLECK: Well, it's -- like you say, it's just an incredible -- it's two things. You know, on the one hand, you have the story and you have a movie and then you have an idea about the movie. And so, you know, you kind of go, here's where the story is and this is what I think the movie is about and this is how I want to accomplish it. And, on the other hand, you are going, I can't believe I'm standing next to this guy.
(LAUGHTER)
B. AFFLECK: This is incredible. And you're learning so much about acting while you're -- while you're sitting there doing it. Every time you watch them doing a take, you're just thinking, this -- this man is a spectacular talent, you know?
KING: You also think about parenting when you (INAUDIBLE) -- a lot of layers in this movie.
B. AFFLECK: Yes, it is, because part of what it's about is -- you know, I think Lehane wrote a book about, you know, asking subtextually how are we taking care of children in society, not just about abductions and the ones that grab the headlines and the ones that are famous, but about how are we taking care of the kids that are in the living room next to us or in the house across the street.
Are we just ignoring the fact that we know, you know, that we're not necessarily taking care of kids collectively as a society?
You know, without like, wagging a finger, I think it's a good question to ask, you know?
And if there are still kids who are, you know, poor and can't get enough to eat or can't get health care in this country, you know, that's also a form of child abuse, in a way.
KING: You were -- by the way, is directing harder?
The director is in charge, right?
It's his vehicle.
B. AFFLECK: That's the idea. Yes.
KING: It's your baby.
B. AFFLECK: Yes.
KING: Is it harder?
B. AFFLECK: Yes. It's harder than anything I've ever done. Yes, certainly. It's very difficult -- to do it well, I think. I mean, I suppose you could -- or to try to do it well. I mean, I suppose if you just wanted to kind of give up, you know, you could let it crash into a wall.
But if you're -- like I tried to just work as hard as I possibly could all of the time, every day, with the idea being that, you know, this book and this story, with all of these great actors, required as much, if not more, than I could possibly give it.
KING: Before we meet Ben's brother, who is sensational in this movie, we'll touch a couple of other bases with Mr. Affleck, right after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And action.
FREEMAN: Amanda McCready was taken from her home some time between 8:00 and 8:30.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like that, yes. I keep one hand right here. You just (INAUDIBLE) so you don't move around that much. Just...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've got to take a side. If you beat a child, you're not on my side. If you see me coming, you'd better run, because I am going to lay you down.
FREEMAN: This child, that's all I care about. I'm going to bring her home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How much?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did you do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where I come from, you die when you see this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the kind of thing that if you do, Patrick, you want to be sure.
Are you sure?
C. AFFLECK: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We're back with Ben Affleck.
Who are you supporting for president?
B. AFFLECK: Well, I -- I will vote in the primary for Barack Obama.
KING: Why?
B. AFFLECK: That's a long and complicated story.
KING: Simplify it.
B. AFFLECK: I like Barack -- I mean I think probably because of the consistency in terms of the war issue more than anything else. I think the Democrats -- the top three candidates who are Democrats will probably be happy -- most Democrats would be happy with any of those three, by and large, if they were nominated. But to me, in terms of the issues that divide the three of those, with Obama, I think -- I think he's an extraordinary guy, but I also think the consistency on the war vote is the most important to me. And I kind of see that follow through all the way through the Kyl-Lieberman resolution recently.
And, you know -- although I will vote for -- obviously vote for the Democrat that is nominated.
KING: Brad Pitt said you should run.
B. AFFLECK: Brad Pitt was just trying to get out of answering the question himself, I think.
KING: Did you ever think of running?
B. AFFLECK: That's -- I like directing movies and acting in movies. It's easier than running.
KING: But you remain an activist politically.
B. AFFLECK: Yes. I like to get involved with things that think are -- will help people. But, you know, politics in and of itself and for its own sake is -- you know, is an ugly game. I like doing things that I think have actor-specific benefit for people, human beings. But just getting in like a, you know, a kicking fight on TV...
KING: Has this administration soured you on politics?
B. AFFLECK: No. I don't -- this administration hasn't soured me on politics. I mean, this administration, if nothing else, has demonstrated to me that I was probably right.
KING: In not supporting them?
B. AFFLECK: Well, you know, I certainly didn't -- don't think, well, hey, look, you know, if you didn't vote for -- you know, voting for John Kerry, I would have -- that that was making a mistake. I think that this administration has made a lot of mistakes and I wish they hadn't been elected in 2004.
But what soured me on -- I don't say I haven't soured on politics. I find the culture of politics and politicking and the endless arguing and backbiting and stuff gets separated from the stuff that is genuinely good for people, which is, you know, being active and helping people and working towards stuff with specific goals. And -- you know what I mean?
So I like to be sort of selective about that stuff. And I do think there is something to the idea of, you know, being specific about it rather than just kind of throwing yourself all over the place.
KING: How do you like fatherhood?
B. AFFLECK: I love it. It's great. It's beautiful.
KING: There's nothing like it, right?
B. AFFLECK: No. It's the best thing in the world.
KING: What is ever second is a distant second?
B. AFFLECK: What's that?
KING: What is ever second is a distant second.
B. AFFLECK: Yes. I mean, I can't imagine that anything would be close, certainly.
KING: Are you a good father?
B. AFFLECK: I hope so. I certainly try to be. I mean, that's a continuing goal. I don't know exactly what it is, you know, what the model for the perfect father is. I keep trying to figure it out and learn. And hope I am.
KING: It must be so great for you to have everything come together well, right?
B. AFFLECK: I'm very happy right now. And I'm very fortunate. I'm very grateful. I'm glad to be here talking to you.
KING: Still playing cards?
B. AFFLECK: Yes, a little bit with your old -- I don't get to see your old buddy very often.
KING: Ashton Danny (ph) said you're a very good card player.
B. AFFLECK: Ashton Dan (ph) is just being charitable.
KING: Did you ever consider entering a tournament in Vegas?
B. AFFLECK: Yes. I've played a few tournaments in Vegas. Yes, you know, from time to time. (LAUGHTER)
KING: That's a tough gig.
B. AFFLECK: Yes. It's not -- it's not -- no gig, no kind of a full-time gig at all.
KING: All right. We're going to take a break. And when we come back in our last segment with Ben Affleck, we'll be joined by Casey Affleck, the star of "Gone Baby Gone." And he is brilliant in a terrific movie. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should be proud of yourself. Most guys would have stayed outside.
C. AFFLECK: I don't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What don't you know?
C. AFFLECK: My priest says shame is god telling you what you did was wrong. Murder is a sin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It depends on who you do it to.
C. AFFLECK: That isn't how it works. It is what it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a war, man.
C. AFFLECK: Are we winning?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GONE BABY GONE," COURTESY MIRAMAX FILMS)
RYAN: I just want my daughter back. I swear to god, I won't do no drugs no more. I won't even go out (INAUDIBLE) cross my heart.
C. AFFLECK: It's all right, we're going to find her (INAUDIBLE).
RYAN: (INAUDIBLE).
You promise?
C. AFFLECK: Yes, I'll try. I will.
RYAN: Promise. You have to promise me.
C. AFFLECK: I promise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Ben Affleck remains with us, the Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor and the feature film directing debut with "Gone Baby Gone," in which he also co-wrote.
And joining us in Los Angeles is Casey Affleck, one of the stars of "Gone Baby Gone" -- I guess he is the star. He's Ben's younger brother. Also, by the way, earning critical acclaim for his performance in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Casey plays the coward Robert Ford. Brad Pitt plays Jesse James.
All right, Casey, what was it like to be directed by him?
C. AFFLECK: Well, it was -- I would like to say something disparaging, but it was pretty easy. I think Ben did a great job. And, you know, we got along -- we got along, really, like we always have. You know, we fought some and we didn't fight some. And -- but we mostly kind of have the same taste in things and movies and performances and stuff like that.
So it went pretty well, I think.
KING: How did you like directing him, Ben?
B. AFFLECK: You know, I think directing Casey was like a real pleasure. I mean, directing any -- for me, and I have only directed one movie, but I was really lucky because all of the actors were great. And particularly Casey.
When you have an actor that is really good, you just feel happy and lucky because they keep making your movie better all of the time. I know it sounds sort of like -- I don't know, like I'm making it up because I'm on TV. But I'm really not.
If you see the movie, you will see that he is terrific in the movie.
(CROSSTALK)
C. AFFLECK: Everything else he has said on TV has been made-up. So -- but that...
KING: Casey, did you like this part? Did you like this kind of -- the role, the whole thing?
C. AFFLECK: Yes. I liked it. I thought it was very well- written and it was clear that Ben was doing a really good job making it. So that was exciting. You know, it is not always fun, to be honest, making a movie. Kind of -- it is not sort of my favorite way to spend my time.
But it is satisfying and in the end, if it turns out well, then it is really satisfying.
KING: You don't like acting that much?
C. AFFLECK: Well, it is just not always a lot of fun. It is not that I don't like it, but it is something that I kind of I need to do if I haven't done it in a while. But I never really have a great time, you know, on set, unless it is kind of -- I don't know, a comedy, maybe, or something that is kind of easy and silly.
But most of the time, it is kind of hard work, and -- yes.
B. AFFLECK: I think what he is saying is that it is hard work making a movie. And it is -- there -- you know.
KING: Well, he makes it look easy.
B. AFFLECK: He does make it look easy. He makes it look very easy, you know. But it isn't easy. It is tough.
KING: All right. Did you like your character, Casey?
C. AFFLECK: Yes. I did like him. I mean, I liked playing it a little bit. I thought that he was interesting. I liked the way that he -- the place that where he begins, kind of conflicted about his neighborhood and his place in that. And I think that he goes through -- over the course of the movie he kind of is humbled and he makes a bunch of different discoveries and he is a different person at the end of the movie.
And that was interesting and kind of -- that was fun to kind of chart with Ben and to talk about kind of playing where the character was going to go.
KING: By the way, what is that you are wearing on your shirt -- what is that on your shirt?
C. AFFLECK: This is a -- well, it is a hand in the symbol -- making a peace sign. It is also the shape of Africa. It is an -- OmniPeace makes these shirts and the proceeds -- most of the proceeds go to an organization called Millennium Promise which is -- Jeffrey Sachs founded. And so they work to end poverty and malaria, disease in Africa and around the world, in impoverished places.
KING: So like your brother, you are an activist.
C. AFFLECK: Well, not really. I mean, I would like to do more. But there is some stuff I get involved in. Brad Pitt was -- I worked with and he kind of got me -- he told me a little bit about this organization and the work that Jeffrey Sachs does.
So he kind of turned me on to it and I think they do a lot of great work. But Ben has been to Africa and he somehow finds the time to do a lot more than I do.
KING: Was your brother the first one you thought of for this part?
B. AFFLECK: My brother is the only person I can imagine really to play this role. You know, originally it was an older part. In the book, the part is older.
KING: Oh, really?
B. AFFLECK: Yes. He is an older guy. This is the fourth book in a series. So for a long time it was -- the incarnation of the part was older and that was really difficult to get together for a number of reasons. And it didn't really work to start the movie as a fourth book and he was older. As soon as the part became younger, as you can -- you know, not only did the kind of story, I think, work better, but immediately the only guy I could think of to play the part and the kind of obvious choice was Casey.
And it worked out in a great way, both because Casey turned in a terrific performance and also because, you know, as you know from seeing the movie, it created this really good dynamic between him and the cops, because they became much more antagonistic the whole time, where they are sort of at each other -- or they are at him all the time and he is having to defend himself much more.
KING: What -- how did you like working with Harris and Freeman?
C. AFFLECK: Well, they were great, they were fantastic. I had seen Ed Harris ever since I was a little kid and just loved him in movies. And so it is always interesting, you know, to get to see how somebody works that you have seen only in performances, only in movies.
And then you kind of get to see how it is put together. And that was great. And he is very intense, very hard-working, very serious. And I think he kind of makes other people in the scenes better. So that was nice. I like to be made better.
And you know, Morgan was fantastic. He is Morgan Freeman. You know, he -- I showed up on the first day of -- when Morgan Freeman was there, the first day he came to work, and you know, everyone is a little on edge because Morgan was coming and it was -- you know, it was a big week. It was his four days that he worked or something.
And I guess they brought in Morgan a little bit early. You know, they thought he might need a hair cut or something. And -- but the first A.D., the person who kind of gets people to come to set tells them what time they have to be there, you know, he brought him in early, but Morgan didn't need a haircut.
So he was sitting in his trailer for half an hour, waiting for everyone else to show up. And so when I got there, you know, Morgan had been told that he waiting there because I was late.
No one wanted to admit that they had brought him in early. So I went up to Morgan -- Morgan's trailer, and knocked on the door. And I thought like, I'm going to introduce myself to Morgan Freeman.
And he came out and gave me a lecture for 15 minutes about being late and being professional. And so I had live with that.
KING: Great story. Casey, you are wonderful. I wish you nothing but the best of luck. I wouldn't be surprised if you get a lot of awards out of this movie. And, Ben, congratulations on...
B. AFFLECK: Thanks very much.
C. AFFLECK: Thanks, Larry. KING: Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, and the film is "Gone Baby Gone" and it is terrific. And when we come back, actor Orlando Bloom. Why did the movie star go to the end of the Earth and brave a sub-zero wilderness. You will find out next on LARRY KING LIVE.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORLANDO BLOOM, ACTOR: We got to the top and it was just, it was breathtakingly quiet and the view was phenomenal. You could see from what felt like the edge of the Earth.
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KING: Welcome back to LARRY KING LIVE. It's now a great pleasure to welcome Orlando Bloom. He's in Los Angeles. A noted actor, who by the way, traveled to Antarctica. That's our subject for the remainder of the show tonight. He went there earlier this year to examine the effects of global warming first hand.
And here in New York is Sebastian Copeland, the acclaimed photographer and environmental advocate who serves on the board of directors of Global Green USA. His photographs are seen in the stunning new book, "Antarctica" -- there you see, it's cover --"The Global Warning". He's also, by the way, Orlando Bloom's cousin. That adds fire to the fire here, if there is such an expression.
This book, by the way, will get its official opening at the United Nations. What --how did -- what lead to this Sebastian?
SEBASTIAN COPELAND, PHOTOGRAPHER, ENVIRONMENT ACTIVIST: Well, I've been working with an organization called Global Green USA for about a decade now. And we -- I took a trip to the Arctic in 2005 to raise awareness on behalf of the Inuit, and essentially put a face to climate change. And on that trip we, you know, we created an image which was an aerial image utilizing thousand of Inuit kids, and positioned them on the ice so that their bodies would spell a message. And my friend John Quigley who is an aerial artists put that together. And we decided to echo the message that we created in the north, to the south.
KING: When you went did you know there would be a book?
COPELAND: No, absolutely not. I went down to Antarctica to create another image, essentially by taking the crew members from the ship and putting them on an iceberg and using their bodies to spell the letters SOS and shooting it from the sky or from the mast of the ship. And the experience that I had while I was down there, shooting, was so incredible. And as a photographer I kept shooting and I came back with work that I thought was interesting enough to go back.
KING: Extraordinary. We're showing pages of it to the viewers. The forward, by the way, to this book is by Mikhail Gorbachev and the preface by Leonardo DeCaprio.
Orlando, what drew you to this?
ORLANDO BLOOM, ACTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST: I'm sorry, say that again, Larry?
KING: What drew you to this project?
BLOOM: Oh, to be honest, I've -- my cousin has been a great activist for the environment for many years. And for about six years now he's been -- we've been talking about it. And he was going on this trip down to Antarctica and I was fascinated to go down and see this majestic environment for myself. And really see first hand what was at stake. You know, when we talk about the environment I think it can feel so far away from all of us. And I wanted to be there first hand to see exactly what was going on.
KING: What surprised you?
BLOOM: You know the size, the majestic kind of quality of that environment, and yet, the fragility of it, really. It felt incredibly fragile. I mean, this is an environment that it's full of life. You know, in the water -- we were on a science research boat. There were like 47 of us. And it was a very close quarters kind of environment on the boat, but around us this incredible environment full of life. Teeming with, you know, whether it was penguins or seals, or whales, it was an incredible environment. And yet it just felt so fragile, you know. When you look at specifically what's happening in the world today, it felt incredibly dangerous, you know, in terms of where it could go from now. It could be gone.
KING: Anything, Orlando, like the terrain of say, New Zealand, when you did "Lord of The Rings"?
BLOOM: No, I can't say I can compare it to any landscape I've ever been before, Larry. No, it was something unlike anything I've ever experienced. I feel incredibly blessed to have been there really. You know, it's not like anywhere in the world.
KING: What was it like for you Sebastian? Is it like anywhere else for you?
COPELAND: No, it's completely unique. I mean, Antarctica yields a landscape that is so otherworldly. And it's really extraordinary because humans have never been -- there has never been any indigenous population in Antarctica. And when you enter this environment that is so vast and so powerful you really get to understand the relationship of humans, humanity to nature. And that is that we're just one part of it. You know, we're part -- we're one in 30 million species on this planet. And it sort of puts everything in perspective a little bit.
KING: How do you get there?
COPELAND: By ship. You could get by -- you could get there by Army planes, but most people get there by ship. And that can be a pretty daunting experience. It has to be for the everted (ph).
KING: You sailed out of where? COPELAND: We sailed out of Ushuaia, in the southern tip of Patagonia. You can sail from New Zealand as well, or South Africa. But typically most of tourist come through Ushuaia. And you come across the Drake Passage, which is pretty wretched body of water.
KING: We'll be right back with Orlando Bloom and Sebastian Copeland. The book is "Antarctica". Now available. Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLOOM: When we arrived in Antarctica I was awed by its beauty and scale.
COPELAND: Nature has a strong way of speaking to one if one listens. It's a very meditative and real communion relationship with the environment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN HOST: I'm Soledad O'Brien in New York. Tonight on 360, Hurricane Noel lashing at the United States, the storm won't make a direct hit but it will cause more trouble up and down the East Coast this weekend. We'll have that forecast.
Also we'll show you the incredible damage and flooding in Mexico. Hundreds of thousands of people are forced to flee. Many others are trapped.
Plus presidential hopeful Ron Paul. He is low in the polls but he's generating huge amounts of support. We'll ask him why that disconnect and if he thinks his ideas are catching on.
All that is coming up on 360 right at the top of the hour.
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KING: We're back with Orlando Bloom and Sebastian Copeland. Orlando in L.A., Sebastian here in New York. The book is "Antarctica", just published. The subtitle is "The Global Warning".
Did this have an effect on you, this trip, Orlando?
BLOOM: Yes, I have to say it was -- I was on this search science research ship for about three weeks and it -- it was -- it was truly a breathtaking experience. I mean, there was no communication with the outside world for three weeks, which is something that, in itself is quite crazy in today's world of technology. But you know, when we -- I mean, there was, we would all have a role to play on the boat. Mine was I was the zodiac driver.
Basically when we would make landfall, so when the boat would come up to a port down -- or somewhere we would stop to go to the land, I would drive the zodiac. I would be ferrying the passengers and people across to the land. And it was just being part of a crew and part of a team of people who felt like breaking new borders and you know, looking at the environment in a way which, you know, I've never experienced before.
KING: What were the, Sebastian, photographic challenges?
COPELAND: Well, the photographic challenge is that you are constantly on a moving vessel and that in itself can be antonymous to landscape photography, which is typically very studied and, you know, you stand there with a tripod, waiting for the perfect light. And in Antarctica there is an ever-changing weather and you're always moving on a ship and you can never control exactly your position. So, you never know whether the chart that you're taking, to begin with is going to yield a better result than the last. Because you're always, you know, out of control. You're not walking.
KING: How cold did it get?
COPELAND: Not so cold in the summer months. I mean, the peninsula has a fairly temperate weather. The temperatures rarely drop below -- below zero, wind chill factor, give or take another 5 or 10 degrees. But in the summer months it's not too bad, and very often above freezing.
KING: Evidences, Orlando, of damage to the environment? Could you see it?
BLOOM: Well, obviously, not having been down to that part of the world before I wouldn't have anything to compare it with. But what really was apparent was what was at stake, you know. It was sort of -- myself and Sebastian would talk about, you know it kind of -- the ice pack, you know, the North and South Pole, they're kind of like the refrigerator of the earth. And you need that to survive. You know, you need your refrigerator at home to keep you, you know, to store food so you can survive. And really that's what you're dealing with here in sort of a layman's terms.
It was, you know, we made one, we made one trip, landfall trip, where we climbed this glacier in Port Foyne (ph), and it was an incredible trek up. You know, I mean, there are crevasses you have to navigate around that can be anything from 20 feet to 200 feet deep. And we got to the top and it was just -- it was breathtakingly quiet. And the view was phenomenal. You could see for what felt like the edge of the Earth. And you know, it just -- when you're standing at the top of a glacier like this, you just feel so humbled and so human and so little in this great landscape. And when you think about what's -- how easy it is for us to overlook the importance of that place and what it's doing for our life, to live in.
I mean, you know, there's fires raging in L.A. right now, and in London last year there was a hurricane that took out four houses in North London. We don't get tornadoes in North London -- it was a tornado, I'm sorry. And I know that there's a water crisis happening in Atlanta right now, as well, which is all happening. And easy for us to sort of sit back and think well somebody else will take care of it.
But really just the little things that we can each do, each of us do, to make a step in that direction, the direction of being aware socially and consciously aware of the environment whether it's, you know, a small as, you know, turning off your mobile phone chargers or using energy efficient light bulbs or just thinking about -- just making that one step to living a more -- a greener, thinking in a greener way. In a way, I think anything can help.
KING: How, Sebastian, did you get Mikhail Gorbachev and Leonardo di Caprio, diverse people ...
COPELAND: Yes.
KING: ... to be involved in this?
COPELAND: Well, Mikhail Gorbachev is a fan of Green Cross International. Global Green USA is the U.S. affiliate to Green Cross International. So I've met President Gorbachev on multiple occasions and he comes and visits the U.S. once or twice a year. So, I approached him through the organization. And he was kind enough to lend it support. Obviously, he's been committed to this issue for a very long time.
And Leonardo is actually a fellow board member of Global Green as well. So we've done quite a bit of work together. We started working doing a pre-Oscar party, about five years ago, for Global Green and Leo was an early supporter of it. So, he's obviously, you know, very well respected in this space, for his commitment.
KING: The book is "Antarctica", back with our remaining moments with Orland Bloom and the brilliant photographer, Sebastian Copeland, right after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COPELAND: If you examine how society functions, we really function on - we use power to operate in a cycle that is ultimately not natural.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back.
Orlando, I have to ask, I know you were involved some sort of car crash scene in Los Angeles. Has that been cleared up?
BLOOM: Right.
KING: Were the paparazzi involved in that?
BLOOM: Yeah, it wasn't a very pleasant situation. But yeah, it is all being resolved. And thankfully, you know, everyone involved is safe and making swift recovery. The police and emergency services came remarkably quickly, we were very lucky. Very lucky indeed.
KING: Do you think, Sebastian, we're winning the fight against global warming, or losing? COPELAND: Well, that's a complex question. We're -- obviously, we're entering the dawn of a new awareness, is how I like to define it. We've been very, very reluctant to be accountable for our actions. I mean, we've been taking carbon out of the earth for the last 150 years and pouring 70 million tons of carbon into the air, every 24 hours. And we've done that uncheck for a very long time.
KING: So, you're pessimistic, it would sound.
COPELAND: I think that it's going to take a couple of generations to turn this around. It's a very, very daunting task. But it is really an individual responsibility. And the bottom line is that we all are responsible and we all have to change our ways.
KING: Orlando, what do you think of the book?
BLOOM: Oh, I'm so proud of my cousin. I'm so proud of my cousin. I was just blown away. I was there with him. He was up all the hours, you know, literally, I think he had about four hours sleep a night, because he was up to get the first light, to get the last light, and in the middle of the night. It was, you know, I was there as much as I could to support. But I'm so proud of him. He's created an incredible book. And I think it is one of hope.
You know, I think those images are really full of hope and encouragement. I think that its easy to think of the environment as all doom and gloom and that what can we do, it's too late. And the polar bears are gone and everything is gone. But really just the little steps that we can make, as individuals, make a big difference. And it's really changing consciousness. And thinking, just each of us taking responsibility in a little way. You know, it's -- it's -- I'm so proud of him and I was very happy to be there and be a part of that adventure.
KING: It is, by the way, for our people tuning in, a brilliant book. It's available now. Sebastian Copeland, forward by Gorbachev, preface by DeCaprio, "Antarctica". When you take a picture, do you know what you're going to get? Or do you need to see it developed?
COPELAND: No, typically, well there's a discovery process, of course. Sometimes you discover the pictures when you come home. Even though we're in the age of digital now, you get to enjoy and immediate image of what you have, but it's really --
KING: You know what you're getting most of the time.
COPELAND: Typically, yes. You do. Yes.
KING: Orlando, thank you very much. Continued good fortune.
Sebastian, nothing but the best of luck with this brilliant book.
COPELAND: Thank you, sir.
KING: Sebastian Copeland, Orlando Bloom. A reminder to check out our Web site, CNN.com/larryking. You can download our newest podcast, Eric Clapton. Or e-mail and upcoming guest.
You'll also find quick votes, Web extras and a Bo Derek guest commentary, too. All at CNN.com/larryking.
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