Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Larry King Live
Interview with Donny and Marie Osmond
Aired December 26, 2008 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(MUSIC)
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, Donny and Marie on location in Las Vegas.
(MUSIC)
KING: They grew up in the public eye and survived private heartache.
(MUSIC)
KING: Leaning on each other through it all.
MARIE OSMOND: Well, hello, Larry.
DONNY OSMOND: Oh, hi, Larry.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Go behind-the-scenes with the world's most famous brother and sister act and hear what they have to say about their famous family, their careers, their comebacks and even some things Marie doesn't want you to know.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: I thought it was a little harsh the way you came onto my sister.
M. OSMOND: No.
D. OSMOND: Especially at a -- at a very difficult time.
M. OSMOND: Can I answer this question?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Donny and Marie are here right now, on LARRY KING LIVE.
(MUSIC)
KING: It's a great pleasure to welcome to LARRY KING LIVE two old friends, two frequent guests on this show. And, in fact, they should be here more.
Donny and Marie Osmond -- they're the new headliners at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. This is an all new, high energy show -- lots of music, singing and dancing. And you'll be seeing clips of it throughout this hour tonight, as we will get kind of exclusive rights to get backstage and front stage and show you a lot of scenes.
(MUSIC)
KING: Do you guys still get along?
M. OSMOND: No.
D. OSMOND: Not really.
KING: Oh. OK.
D. OSMOND: No.
KING: So we've settled that?
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: This is an act?
D. OSMOND: Actually, you know what, we do get along professionally. Sometimes not personally...
M. OSMOND: Not personally?
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: But when we hit the stage together, I don't know what it is, but we've worked together so many years, we depend on each other on stage. When we...
KING: Was that chemistry, going back, all automatic?
Did you have it then?
D. OSMOND: I think so. Yes.
M. OSMOND: You know, we have a unique chemistry being brother and sister.
KING: Right.
M. OSMOND: And I think that people can relate with that. But I do -- I think we're very different.
D. OSMOND: Do you remember before I joined The Osmond Brothers, I mean, you an I would go back in the back yard and just play all day long. So...
M. OSMOND: He played Barbies.
KING: What's the age difference?
D. OSMOND: You didn't have to disclose that.
M. OSMOND: I'm younger.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Baby Osmond.
D. OSMOND: I'm wiser.
KING: All right. You're doing six shows a week.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Ninety minute shows. And I understand this is a hectic show, right?
D. OSMOND: It is more than a hectic show. I mean, I'm just dripping with sweat after this show because the dance competition alone kills me.
M. OSMOND: I don't sweat.
D. OSMOND: Yes. Whatever.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You have dancing...
D. OSMOND: She's not working as hard as I am.
KING: You have the dancers, a big band...
D. OSMOND: A huge orchestra. That's one of the things that we wanted to do is go in there like traditional Las Vegas. I mean, we grew up with Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank -- you know, all these kinds of people. And that's the kind of show that they put on -- Elvis Presley, a huge orchestra. That's what we grew up with and that's what we wanted to do.
M. OSMOND: Well, it's not like this orchestra, either. I mean it's very -- there's a young eliminate of it. The show has a lot of dancing and fun. And most of the dancers are like 20 years old.
And I'm like what are we doing?
D. OSMOND: We're trying to keep up with them.
M. OSMOND: But there's -- there's something for every age group out there. But I love the room at The Flamingo. It's -- there's an intimacy there. You don't have to look across a football field, you know, to see somebody.
KING: All right...
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: Well, it's like traditional Vegas, where -- when we grew up.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: That's where Gladys Knight worked, that room.
D. OSMOND: There's the booze, the tables.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: It's a singer's room.
M. OSMOND: It is.
D. OSMOND: It is a singer's room.
KING: Yes. It's a great break for you. In the interests of fairness in reporting, your -- your manager is my father-in-law.
M. OSMOND: Right.
KING: Karl Engemann.
M. OSMOND: Right.
KING: How did he put -- how did this come together, this deal with The Flamingo?
M. OSMOND: Well...
KING: Give me a little history.
M. OSMOND: Remember "Dancing With The Stars?"
Well, when I passed out, I guess he had me sign a six month agreement.
D. OSMOND: Yes. I got her.
M. OSMOND: So when I woke up it was just there, so.
D. OSMOND: I got her.
KING: Now how did the deal come?
You're the businessman.
How did the deal come?
D. OSMOND: I will...
M. OSMOND: (INAUDIBLE).
D. OSMOND: I will go back and say "Dancing With The Stars" kind of catapulted Marie's career. And everything kind of followed suit. We had been talking to a lot of different hotels in Las Vegas about doing something like this -- you know, Donny and Marie coming back together. I think was inevitable. But when The Flamingo came in and Don Marrandino said come look at the room...
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND: And everything just felt right. You know, timing is everything in this business. You know that. And it just felt right to us at this point in time.
KING: It's Danny Gans' room, isn't it?
M. OSMOND: Yes. Right. Danny came -- well, he came and saw the show at the MGM. But...
D. OSMOND: Well, he's our producer. He's producing the show.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Yes.
D. OSMOND: Which is lightning (ph).
M. OSMOND: And so, you know, we talked about various things. The show will be a little different than that show. We -- that was kind of our kickoff. And it was a blast.
D. OSMOND: It was.
M. OSMOND: I mean we had so much fun. But truly, it is nice to know that the person there is -- is going to cover each other. You know, if somebody makes a mistake, they're there to cover you. And I tease him all the time and I mean it.
D. OSMOND: You think?
M. OSMOND: But...
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: Last night I was putting together -- and you've got to see this. There's a song we do, Alan Jackson's song...
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND (SINGING): Remember when...
And it's just a beautiful song.
M. OSMOND: He likes to sing.
D. OSMOND: And then -- of course I love to sing.
And behind us -- and before we start singing we say here's a -- here are some of the stars that we've been able to work with over the years. I mean it just goes from Groucho Marx to Bob Hope, Lucille Ball... M. OSMOND: Larry King.
D. OSMOND: And I've got to tell you, last night I put you in.
KING: I'm in the...
D. OSMOND: You're in the...
M. OSMOND: Of course.
D. OSMOND: It's after we black out. But you're in.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: No. You're in -- you're in the piece. I put you in last night.
KING: Well, I'm -- I'm honored.
M. OSMOND: Well...
KING: Do you get paid for this?
No.
D. OSMOND: No.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: This show -- the amazing thing about this show is I don't remember ever a show being this successful before it opened. But you're like...
M. OSMOND: (INAUDIBLE) time.
KING: ...80 percent sold out.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
M. OSMOND: It's so fun. It's -- it's -- it's an honor. We're actually doing a meet and greet. We talked about maybe doing it, maybe not doing it. But it's been nice because we don't know if we'll do this again. This is one of those -- we love to -- it's like the 50th anniversary, you know, of the brothers. We did our final show. That will be the final. It won't be four years of the final tour. It is.
And we don't know how long we'll do this. But even that, just meeting those people and saying I grew up with you, you know, I watched you when I was 12 and blah, blah, blah, I mean it's really fun.
KING: By the way, if it's a roaring, roaring big success, they want to do another year.
Can you do your talk show at the same time, because your talk show debuts next year?
M. OSMOND: I know.
KING: Can you?
M. OSMOND: Well, there's a lot of logistics that we're looking at right now. I know that -- that it would be fun to do both. I don't know if I can do that. We'll -- we'll see. But let's just say...
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: She's really passing the question, Larry. You know that...
KING: Of course. She's ducking it.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: The why.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: (INAUDIBLE) out of Vegas?
D. OSMOND: I think she could do it both at the same time.
M. OSMOND: I'm still looking. Yes.
KING: You can.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Whey -- you finish -- you do your talk show...
D. OSMOND: You know, when something is so successful, you don't want to throw it away.
M. OSMOND: What would you do?
D. OSMOND: Be...
KING: Do the talk show and then go do your show. Come on.
D. OSMOND: Of course.
M. OSMOND: (INAUDIBLE).
D. OSMOND: You know, before we went on the air, I showed you a picture of The Flamingo building. They've put our faces all across the building. That's our billboard. You know, opportunities like that don't grow on trees. You know, they don't happen every day.
M. OSMOND: And do you know how much fun it is?
You can bring somebody on stage to do one number with you during the show and whatever. You tape it, you're showing the show. I mean there's so many fun things, from a production standpoint.
KING: Yes. Oh, you can do a lot. M. OSMOND: That would be incredible, you know?
D. OSMOND: Absolutely.
KING: By the way, we've been talking about it. You'll see clips throughout. But let's watch one right now. This from the new Donny and Marie show. You haven't seen this anywhere.
Watch.
(MUSIC)
KING: Donny and Marie have hit Vegas. More inside scoop on the big show right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
KING: We're back with Donny and Marie.
If you want tickets, contact The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. They are roaring hits. And they're booked for a year. And Marie's talk show will start next summer, I guess, right -- late summer?
M. OSMOND: It will start in the fall.
KING: Next fall.
M. OSMOND: Um-hmm.
KING: OK.
Are the -- are there any clips of other Osmond brothers?
D. OSMOND: In the show?
KING: Yes.
D. OSMOND: Oh, absolutely, because in this thing that we were talking about earlier, remember when, it's all about people that we've worked with. And, obviously, we've worked with The Osmond Brothers. They are the ones that paved the way for us. So you bet I put them in the show.
KING: Is Jerry Williams still leading the band?
M. OSMOND: He is. Yes. You know Jerry.
KING: Nothing changes.
M. OSMOND: No.
KING: Video screens a big part of the show?
D. OSMOND: Huge. I mean, nowadays, you've got to raise the bar. I mean you've got to give people production. You've got to give them the sizzle, the pizzazz and all that kind of stuff. But then again, as what we try to do, you've got to give them the personality. Again, going back to the days when we grew up with Sinatra and the rat pack and those kinds of people. They gave them the personality. That's what we want to do.
M. OSMOND: And so you'll see with the screens in the show...
KING: But they didn't need screens.
M. OSMOND: Well, but...
D. OSMOND: Well, they didn't have that technology.
KING: No.
M. OSMOND: One of the great things -- and our screens are -- I mean they're phenomenal. Wait until you see them. They move. They're very cool. There's three of them.
But what's fun is I don't think people have the video library that we have, because we've both been working like, you know, 45 years or so.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: Um-hmm.
M. OSMOND: And so the video -- it was really hard to decide what we could use, because we love so much. But when you see great clips -- I mean, good grief.
D. OSMOND: Well, and, also, not just the video aspect, but the lighting. Peter Morris, who designs all of the stadium shows...
M. OSMOND: He's amazing.
D. OSMOND: ...that he -- you just name it and he's designed it. He designed our lighting package, as well. So we've certainly put the money into the show.
M. OSMOND: And Barry Lather...
D. OSMOND: And again, like I said earlier...
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND: ...you know, you've got these opportunities, you give 110 percent when you have these opportunities.
KING: And it's your package, right?
You put the show together?
D. OSMOND: Well, we put a -- a lot of people -- a lot of smart people together around us to put the show together.
M. OSMOND: (INAUDIBLE). KING: Is there a lot of comedy as well as music?
D. OSMOND: I think the comedy is natural.
M. OSMOND: Well, I'm there.
D. OSMOND: Yes. There's the comedy right there.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: You want some good entertaining...
M. OSMOND: And here's the joke. Whoo!
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: See -- see what I put up with?
KING: So it's a burlesque show?
D. OSMOND: I put up with it.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: Why do I put up with this?
KING: The theater is good, the layout?
D. OSMOND: Yes, yes. It's -- the stage is fantastic. It's -- it's a little smaller than the MGM.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND: But the room is great because it's more intimate. There's a -- what they call a hero stage. It thrusts out into the audience. And we love to get out there in the crowd.
M. OSMOND: I think you...
D. OSMOND: It makes them feel a part of the show.
I was talking.
M. OSMOND: I know. But if you've ever seen one of our shows, I'm interpreting. I'm -- OK.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: The thing that I think we both love to do is to really have that one-on-one connection with the audience. And that's one of the -- the other reason I love this room, is that you can see us. You can talk to us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: He's cute. That your man?
I didn't even ask you.
Come here, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi.
M. OSMOND: Hi, Randy.
Can I -- can I steal him for a second?
I didn't even ask you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can have him.
M. OSMOND: I can have him?
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: It's one of those moments. They may only see one show -- see us, you know, once in their whole life, but it has to have that personal (INAUDIBLE).
KING: Because every singer I've ever interviewed, from Sinatra; my wife, who opened for Don Rickles...
M. OSMOND: Right.
KING: ...to Danny Gans has said that -- Celine Dion. A big problem in Vegas is a desert voice -- the dryness.
D. OSMOND: The Vegas throat.
M. OSMOND: Um-hmm.
KING: The Vegas throat.
Are you concerned or is there any way to overcome it?
D. OSMOND: Well, you can become acclimated over time. But it is a concern, because it is a dry condition. And there's a lot of singing in this show. But you...
M. OSMOND: And there's some hard singing.
D. OSMOND: Yes. But you just have to -- you have to accept the good with the bad.
KING: Do you need some heat on the stage?
D. OSMOND: No. No.
KING: The humidity machines? Celine used a machine like a steam machine.
D. OSMOND: Celine, you put a lot of humidity on that stage.
KING: Yes.
M. OSMOND: I think the advantage that we have, though, is I mean I used to do 260 days a year on the road -- a different place every day -- a fair, a festival, honky tonk. I mean we -- we're kind of road warriors doing "Joseph," doing "King and I," "The Sound of Music," whatever. I did two years straight. I missed five shows in that two years and three of them I starred in. So you kind of learn your instrument, if that makes sense. And you just do what you have to do.
D. OSMOND: But, still, you've got to be careful.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND: I mean you can overdo it.
M. OSMOND: But you have to know what to do.
D. OSMOND: The nice thing that we have going for us is that we do something together, Marie takes over, I get about a 20 minute break.
KING: (INAUDIBLE) go on with you.
D. OSMOND: When I come on, I work a hard 20 minutes...
KING: Do you...
D. OSMOND: ...then she greats a break.
KING: Is it that -- do you limit the use of air conditioning?
M. OSMOND: No.
D. OSMOND: No.
KING: No?
D. OSMOND: In Vegas?
M. OSMOND: Are you kidding?
KING: I mean, you can't, right?
But that would help if you could?
M. OSMOND: I'm a hot older woman, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
I need it.
D. OSMOND: Was that an egotistical statement you were making or a... KING: Were you making a pitch?
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: No. I didn't mean it that way.
D. OSMOND: I'm a hot older woman?
M. OSMOND: I'm hot.
KING: A hot older woman.
D. OSMOND: I am a hot older woman.
M. OSMOND: I have my own private summers, OK?
KING: Let's -- let's analyze that one.
D. OSMOND: There is a spot that you can use. That's the commercial -- I am a hot older woman.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Right.
M. OSMOND: Really, Donny?
D. OSMOND: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You're an 80-year-old guy, single and...
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: You know what, you can just both leave now, OK?
KING: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Do you guys meet the fans?
D. OSMOND: Yes, we do. We...
KING: You have like a meet and greet?
M. OSMOND: Yes.
D. OSMOND: A meet and greet (INAUDIBLE)...
KING: How does it work?
M. OSMOND: It has been so sweet. They have been darlings. They come in, they're so polite. And sometimes they'll bring their old lunchboxes and, you know, their old record players -- the Donny and Marie ones. And it's so cute.
D. OSMOND: The way it works, though, is that they buy a VIP package that they -- they get front row seats. They get pictures with us backstage and in a meet and greet room a special -- special privileges or whatever -- and a souvenir of the show. And then -- because if -- if we had to meet every single person after each show, that's all we'd do.
M. OSMOND: You couldn't do it with your voice.
KING: Yes.
D. OSMOND: That's all we would do.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
KING: Who -- when this act begins and everything, what do I see?
Who sings first?
M. OSMOND: I do.
D. OSMOND: Well, I let Marie take over and then the real star comes out.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: No. We come out together at the beginning of the show. And we just wow them, hopefully, like crazy with dance numbers and production and everything. And I turn it over to her. And it's the highlight of Marie's career. And she does...
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: ...her hit. And she does a Broadway medley.
M. OSMOND: Hey, baby...
D. OSMOND: All these cuts that she...
M. OSMOND: ...I've had more number ones than you.
D. OSMOND: I don't think so.
M. OSMOND: I do.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: I don't think so.
But -- and then I come out and I do "Soldier of Love," which is a big comeback record for me in the '80s. And it just continues on. And at the end...
M. OSMOND: It's fun.
D. OSMOND: ...we come back together and just go like -- we go in the audience.
M. OSMOND: Well, one of the things I try to...
D. OSMOND: We run (INAUDIBLE).
M. OSMOND: We start with "Paper Roses" and I do, you know, some Broadway stuff, you know, pop. And I even do opera.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
M. OSMOND: You'll hear some opera. (INAUDIBLE) here, Larry.
D. OSMOND: That's when I leave the building.
M. OSMOND: It's fun.
KING: More fun when LARRY KING LIVE returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I drove 16 hours to come see you, Donny.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fantastic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Best show ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You better come and see it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You've got to come.
D. OSMOND: Awesome.
You guys are awesome.
M. OSMOND: We love you guys.
Love you. Love you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you, Donny and Marie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you Donny and Marie. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you look awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fabulous.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: We're back with Donny and Marie, the new headliners at The Flamingo Hotel in Los Angeles Vegas -- six nights a week, one show a night, a high energy show. You're seeing lots of clips of it.
They were last here, by the way, in the fall of 2007, celebrating the golden anniversary of the Osmonds in show business. And they keep on keeping on.
Are your families living in Vegas for this?
M. OSMOND: I am. I've moved to Vegas.
D. OSMOND: I can't. My kids are in high school right now and I just don't want to uproot them. So I commute back and forth.
KING: How many kids do you have now?
D. OSMOND: Forty-seven?
M. OSMOND: Seven thousand.
How many do I have now?
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: You mean at -- like at home?
KING: You might have adopted one this morning (INAUDIBLE).
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: Well, I'll adopt you.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: I have six at home right now. My two oldest aren't at home. But, you know, it's -- it's an adjustment being a single mom. You can't commute. It's not as easy. You have to be there every night. You take them to school every morning. You know, you pick them up from school. And -- and I love it. So far it's been great.
D. OSMOND: Yes, wait until you become a grandparent. It's the best.
KING: You're a grandparent?
D. OSMOND: Twice. And that -- that was my little granddaughter that I (INAUDIBLE).
M. OSMOND: Oh, brother. Here we go.
D. OSMOND: There's my granddaughter. KING: Oh, she's very pretty.
D. OSMOND: That's little Emmy.
KING: How does it -- you -- you're little Donny Osmond?
D. OSMOND: Hey, I'm a grandpa. Time moves on, buddy. And it's -- it is the greatest.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: It's the greatest.
M. OSMOND: He's talking gramps.
KING: You don't look like a grandpa.
D. OSMOND: Well, thank you. I appreciate the compliment.
KING: You don't act like a grandpa.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You're still a child.
M. OSMOND: Yes, he is.
D. OSMOND: Well, I feel like a child. I really do. I play with my grandkids like I'm a teenager.
KING: Are you a doting father?
D. OSMOND: I am, actually. But...
M. OSMOND: He's a good father.
KING: Why do you like having so many kids?
Of course this was -- these weren't accidental kids. You adopted quite a few.
M. OSMOND: No accidents. No, I think -- I think God has a plan. And I know that I've spoken to a lot of women who have adopted. A lot of people -- my mother told me, she said, Marie, you will know when you're done. And I got to like number five and I'm like, I think she's pulling one over on me just to get more grandkids.
But when I -- when I had my last one in my arms, it was like wow, she's right. You know. Just that female intuition that God gives you. You just -- you know when you're complete. And I know I have all my kids here. So, yes. It's a good feeling.
KING: How many kids do you have?
D. OSMOND: Five. We have five boys, a grandson and we finally got the girl. KING: Hmmm.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Wow!
D. OSMOND: So the name goes on. The name will continue for a long time.
KING: This is -- is it very Mormon -- and Catholic, I guess -- to have many children?
D. OSMOND: I don't know what it is. It seems like it's either a Catholic or a Mormon thing to have large families.
M. OSMOND: Well, there's not much we can do, Larry, so.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: You know?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Ooh.
M. OSMOND: Don't use that.
D. OSMOND: She has...
M. OSMOND: Really don't.
D. OSMOND: She is just -- she is a loose cannon.
(LAUGHTER)
M. OSMOND: Do you know what?
We love families. It's -- it's a part of our beliefs.
KING: I got it.
M. OSMOND: And...
KING: Is there a lot of ad-libbing...
(CROSSTALK)
KING: ...in the show together?
I mean is that sort of built...
M. OSMOND: Is there what?
KING: Adlibbing in the show?
M. OSMOND: Oh, sure. Yes. KING: I was -- you two can't do everything straight.
D. OSMOND: Unfortunately. You know, we have a scripted show or a laid out show, I should say...
M. OSMOND: Structure.
D. OSMOND: It's got a structure to it. But within that structure, it's got be loose, otherwise it becomes too mechanical.
M. OSMOND: Well, and there's a part in the show that is totally loose. I mean, every night, you never know what's going to happen.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
M. OSMOND: It's a piece I do with the audience and so...
D. OSMOND: It's the worst music.
M. OSMOND: It's really fun for me. It also keeps things fresh. I love that.
D. OSMOND: I have to pull the reigns in every moment, every time when that thing comes in.
KING: And you're also versatile.
Would you do a game show again?
D. OSMOND: Absolutely. I'm looking at a few right now -- a hybrid game/variety...
KING: Really?
D. OSMOND: Yes. I'm looking at a few...
KING: You're very good at it.
D. OSMOND: Well, thank you.
KING: It's a unique quality to do a game show.
M. OSMOND: It is.
D. OSMOND: It is. And it's very difficult. You know, it's a whole different genre that you've got -- you're basically the conductor of a train. You've got to get out of the way and let it go down the track.
KING: Right.
D. OSMOND: And I'm looking a couple of formats right now -- hybrid...
M. OSMOND: (INAUDIBLE).
D. OSMOND: ...like I said, a hybrid of game and variety.
KING: And your talk show will be like, what, daytime?
M. OSMOND: You know, afternoon daytime. It's going to be a destination. I know as a mother, I'm a busy woman.
And so I want it to be -- if you're going to make an appointment for an hour, I think women need to laugh. They need to have fun. They need a place where they can receive information and feel good.
I'm kind of a -- a voice that's not out there right now. I'm a single mom with eight kids. And I work and all of that.
So I think it's a unique voice for right now. I think that I'm -- I love to laugh. I love to have fun. But it's going to be -- it's going to be fun. I really hope that it turns out the way that I envision it. But I'm looking forward to it. Our mothers had...
D. OSMOND: Are you going to invite me on the show?
M. OSMOND: No. It's going to be an hour. If you talked, it would be like way too long. But they...
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You guys did a great show together.
D. OSMOND: I'm not saying that I would accept it.
M. OSMOND: Yes. We have so much fun.
KING: Your show together...
M. OSMOND: Are you kidding?
KING: ...should never have gone off.
M. OSMOND: Of course I'm going to have you on.
D. OSMOND: The talk show?
KING: Never have gone off.
D. OSMOND: Larry, I think you're right. I think we had a good thing going.
KING: That was a big mistake.
D. OSMOND: It was a big mistake.
M. OSMOND: It was.
D. OSMOND: And the producers at the time, when they decided to pull the plug, afterward, they came to me -- I don't know if they came to you...
M. OSMOND: Yes, they came to me, too.
D. OSMOND: And they said we made a mistake. The Donny and Marie Talk Show...
KING: Dick Clark, right?
M. OSMOND: It's the only show in history...
D. OSMOND: Well, Dick was our executive producer.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Right.
D. OSMOND: He's not the one that pulled the plug, but we had a well- oiled machine.
KING: I thought so.
M. OSMOND: But it was funny because it was the only show in history that, after it was canceled, kept growing in ratings.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: They loved it now that you're not on.
M. OSMOND: That was funny.
D. OSMOND: Exactly.
M. OSMOND: Exactly.
KING: You're doing a duet album?
D. OSMOND: We're looking at one possibly by Valentine's...
M. OSMOND: Time is the enemy.
D. OSMOND: I think when we're in Vegas and things get underway and it gets a little easier and easier over time, we'll be able to get an album out. But I think by Valentine's.
KING: Standards?
M. OSMOND: I think some original and, you know, it's...
D. OSMOND: Yes.
M. OSMOND: ...I've got some ideas, he's got some ideas.
D. OSMOND: There is a producer...
M. OSMOND: I'll win.
D. OSMOND: I don't -- I don't know if you -- no, we haven't talked about this producer. But we'll come back and tell you the kind -- the producer that we're thinking about for that.
M. OSMOND: There's some really cool ideas floating around (INAUDIBLE). It'll be fun.
D. OSMOND: Some unexpected twists and turns. That's what we like to do.
KING: Still doing your dolls?
M. OSMOND: Absolutely. As a matter...
KING: On QVC?
M. OSMOND: Oh, I had some to show you. Oh, I've got the cutest doll.
D. OSMOND: Don't tell me you did a Larry King doll?
KING: We can get one.
M. OSMOND: You can?
KING: Yes. If they're here.
M. OSMOND: I've got the curtest dolls.
KING: You know, we break...
M. OSMOND: Yes, they're sitting right out in the box.
KING: We break and then we can get one.
M. OSMOND: OK. Oh, I'll show you.
KING: How long you been in the business?
M. OSMOND: Eighteen years.
KING: Well, we can get one if you have it here.
M. OSMOND: Eighteen years in the business. Isn't that crazy?
KING: OK...
M. OSMOND: I'm -- I was just -- the...
(LAUGHTER)
KING: I meant how long have you been in show business that you don't know if we can get one?
M. OSMOND: Oh!
(LAUGHTER)
D. OSMOND: She's new. She's new.
M. OSMOND: I was doing an edit for you.
KING: We'll be back with Donny and a new act, Marie Osmond. You're going to love them.
M. OSMOND: Eighteen years.
KING: Give her a shot.
Donny and Marie at The Flamingo Hotel.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Back with Donny and Marie, they're at the Flamingo. They're busting all records. Originally signed for six months and before they even opened, extended for another six months.
D. OSMOND: We'll be there for the rest of our lives.
KING: You have a solo album coming out?
M. OSMOND: I do.
KING: Christmas or just ...
M. OSMOND: No. I had a Christmas one last year.
KING: That was a big hit.
M. OSMOND: It was. As a matter of fact, I guess Wal-Mart just reordered it. But I have a new one coming out too.
KING: All right. You did "Beauty and the Beast."
D. OSMOND: I did.
KING: Right.
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
D. OSMOND: Six years.
KING: You do country, you do pop, you've done Broadway, you've done Broadway. Is it difficult to sing many styles?
D. OSMOND: No.
KING: Not difficult?
D. OSMOND: No, it's not.
Because when you look back at "The Donny and Marie Show", we did every single style you can imagine. What was popular at the time. We went back to the '30s, '40s and '50s. Did songs like that. It was great training ground for both of us to get out there and do variety. I mean, that's what variety is. When you come see the show in Vegas, you'll see all different styles of music. Rock, pop, '40s, the zoot suit number that we do. It's just everything.
KING: And as an audience member, I was surprised to see you in "The King and I" sing some of those numbers that I thought were like Broadway, high Broadway. You did not have any difficulty with it?
M. OSMOND: No. When he said it's not difficult, I think it's how you start your singing. If you start trained, then I think it would be difficult to step back and do natural voice. But once you have your natural voice down, then you can start doing the training. Like I said, when you come, I'll be doing Piejou (ph), which is the opera piece. And then I think you'll hear some even higher notes.
KING: OK. Even though you've been on TV your entire life, the moment people will always talk about happened on "Dancing with the Stars."
Let's take one more look, maybe the 7,450th look at this. Watch.
M. OSMOND: In case nobody saw it, right?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before we get to the judges, let's get the recognition.
M. OSMOND: Is that enough for you Bruno?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to get this elusive bounce, action going. And of course you've got to show the gaiety and fun of the samba.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, we're going to take a commercial break. We'll be right back after this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Do you believe that helped make your career?
M. OSMOND: Well, I hope it did.
KING: The reemergence of the career?
M. OSMOND: I think it was like one of the year spots, the end of the year and it went all over the world. But yeah, I think it brought some attention definitely. If you'll notice I was jumping there at the end. I could tell something was wrong right at the top of the dance.
D. OSMOND: I've got to say you acted so well. It was believable. I believed it. I believed ...
M. OSMOND: That I did? That I passed out?
D. OSMOND: Yeah.
M. OSMOND: Thank you for sharing.
D. OSMOND: Very good acting.
KING: Did you think it was phony when you watched it?
D. OSMOND: Of course it's a phony. It's all a farce.
M. OSMOND: Uh-huh, yeah, that's my brother.
KING: Was it ever -- Did a doctor look at you?
M. OSMOND: Oh sure. Absolutely.
D. OSMOND: I know it's real because it happened in times past when we were in Vegas.
M. OSMOND: Yeah.
D. OSMOND: She passed out a couple times.
M. OSMOND: It is not for the wimpy and, I mean, we both know tough. And it was -- on top of all the physical things, my dad passed away, there were lots of issues going on at the time. So in a strange way, it was kind of good therapy for me because it kept my endorphins buzzing even when I didn't feel like doing it, so ...
KING: Are you still upset you didn't win or were you upset you didn't win?
M. OSMOND: I won, I hit my head so hard, I won, right? Didn't I?
D. OSMOND: She's on another planet.
KING: Don't tell her.
D. OSMOND: I won't say a word.
KING: You were a gracious winner, too.
M. OSMOND: Thank you.
D. OSMOND: You should see her trophy.
KING: Look how it spiraled your career. Even though many people didn't think you win, if people think of that "Dancing with the Stars" you're the winner. Who was the winner?
M. OSMOND: I did.
KING: Um.
M. OSMOND: I did.
KING: Who? Elio Casternovas (ph) who won. We'll be back and meet one of the dolls right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Before we meet the doll and get back with the Osmonds, we'll ask Donny, our spies tell us you just bought a Smart car.
D. OSMOND: How did you know that?
KING: I have spies everywhere.
D. OSMOND: I love my Smart car.
KING: What kind?
M. OSMOND: The only problem is he drives it.
D. OSMOND: And it's so cool because it feels like I'm green. I'm doing something for the environment.
KING: Get good mileage?
D. OSMOND: Forty-five, 50, something like that.
M. OSMOND: But he's in a Smart car.
D. OSMOND: It's so funny because I'm driving down the street the other day and I see this group of teenagers next to me and they're pointing, and I'm thinking, Donny Osmond, yeah. "That's the new Smart car." They could care less about Donny Osmond.
KING: Is that big in Provo?
D. OSMOND: Oh, it's big.
M. OSMOND: The only one in Provo.
D. OSMOND: No, I'm starting to see them around.
M. OSMOND: I doubt it.
KING: What's the story of this doll?
M. OSMOND: This is Adora Belle. She is one of our top, top dolls. We do a holiday one every year. She'll be out next month on QVC and Adora Belle is going to become a movie star. We're doing videos. She has a boyfriend named Adora Beau. Because she's Adora Belle.
KING: Do you design them all?
M. OSMOND: Uh-huh. I sculpted her, anyone that carries the dot, I do. They have an Automo (ph) Belle. It's a whole series.
KING: You sell them on QVC, right?
M. OSMOND: And retail. We have them all over the place.
KING: Do you go to doll conventions?
M. OSMOND: I do. Eighteen years of it.
KING: How did that start?
M. OSMOND: I was a collector with my mother and it just -- your passion evolves. I believe if you do anything with passion, there is a success behind it. Also, it's not just dolls but we have huge conventions and all kinds of things for our collectors. It's about ...
KING: Why are you laughing? Is this funny to you?
D. OSMOND: I'm just not a doll collector. I'm coming out with a line of tools.
M. OSMOND: Hey, I did a Donny doll.
D. OSMOND: The Donny Osmond screwdriver, that's what I want. Look at the design, I designed it myself. It's got a Phillips, and a straight edge. I've got Allen wrenches coming out.
M. OSMOND: Who are you?
KING: What's the little one?
M. OSMOND: This is Boo Hoo, and that's what she thinks of Donny's humor. If you go to the Web site, you don't understand, okay? Will you please take my baby?
KING: Speaking of the environment, do either of you get into politics?
D. OSMOND: Personally I do, but I don't use my entertainment platform to ...
KING: You don't publicly endorse anyone.
D. OSMOND: I don't publicly ...
M. OSMOND: Do you?
KING: No. I got a show to run.
M. OSMOND: Right.
D. OSMOND: I love Obama.
M. OSMOND: He's so committed to convictions.
D. OSMOND: I think Obama can do great stuff for our nation. He's talking about change and we definitely need some change, particularly from the current administration. But by persuasion I'm a Republican but I don't vote straight Republican. I vote for the person.
M. OSMOND: I'm concerned over taxes how he's going to be taxing everything and I think that's a little scary.
D. OSMOND: But I love the fact that he's going to change things up.
KING: OK. You had a best seller with "Behind the Smile, My Journey out of Postpartum Depression." Now you're writing another book?
M. OSMOND: I am.
KING: About?
M. OSMOND: It's called "You Might as Well Laugh about It Now." My house burnt down and all of the journals that I had kept for years and years and years and I thought, oh my goodness. Well, I still remember, I need to write some of the things that I want my children to have. Well, the gal who writes with me, Marsha, she sent them in to William Morris and the guy was falling on the floor. And that's how the book happened.
KING: It's a funny book?
M. OSMOND: It has a lot of different types of elements. Tragedy plus time equals humor and that's how I always say, you might as well laugh about it now. It's just insightful things, whatever. He says it was kind of like an Irma Bombeck and there isn't one today.
You know, I have a strange take on things. I think when you have a big family that happens.
KING: What was the cause of the fire?
M. OSMOND: Maybe a child in the garage. They're not quite sure but maybe.
KING: You don't want to blame the child?
M. OSMOND: I don't think there's any good in blaming anybody. I think the blame is who was watching him at the time.
KING: Nobody was hurt?
M. OSMOND: Nobody was hurt.
KING: Was it over when you got home?
M. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: So you didn't see it.
M. OSMOND: No, I saw it on the news.
KING: How long did it take before you got a new house?
M. OSMOND: A year. We rebuilt it.
KING: Right where it was before?
M. OSMOND: Yeah. But it had a beautiful view of the mountains.
KING: So you still have the view?
M. OSMOND: Yeah, the whole left side of the house was gone.
KING: That's funny.
D. OSMOND: You've got to find humor in everything.
M. OSMOND: It had a drive through.
KING: They'll show films during the show at the Flamingo.
D. OSMOND: No we won't. Not if I have anything to say about it.
KING: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Last time you were here, I want to get over this, I caught Marie off guard by asking about her son Michael going to rehab. There were reports you were both mad about that. So let's go on record.
M. OSMOND: Oh. Absolutely not. No, no, no.
D. OSMOND: I was. I'll go on record saying I was very upset at the situation and I apologize on the air that I said some things about you. So I'm sorry.
KING: I meant nothing wrong.
D. OSMOND: But I thought it was a little harsh the way you came on to my sister ...
M. OSMOND: No.
D. OSMOND: ... especially at a very difficult time in her life I thought it was a little harsh and a little abrupt. I know that's your position, you ask the hard questions.
KING: No, what I want ...
D. OSMOND: But as a brother I came to her ...
KING: I was told it was coming out in tabloids and other places and I wanted it to come out in a place friendly to her.
D. OSMOND: Yeah, but I thought you could have stated it a little more friendly.
M. OSMOND: I have to tell you this, that I was grateful that it was you. And I thought that you were just matter of fact about it. There wasn't any intent in it. I didn't take anything offensive. When you go through those kinds of things, I forget which university that came out with the statistic that 80 percent of our children suffer from drug, alcohol, selling it, whatever, 80 percent. And it's one of those topics that I can understand why you would ask it.
You know how they talk about plagues of the last days? I swear it's the plague of this generation. Is it's something every family is dealing with. So the fact you did that I think shut down a lot of other stories that could have come out which would have been very hurtful to my son.
And so I appreciate ...
KING: How is he doing?
M. OSMOND: He's doing fantastic.
KING: He is.
Do you see him?
D. OSMOND: Yeah, I saw him just the other day. He looks great.
M. OSMOND: You know what I love is that he's 17, and we kind of nipped it in the bud before it got into those statistics. And I think that's the most important thing as a parent is not to be afraid if your kids are doing things but to be very aware and to love them and educate them.
D. OSMOND: Right there, what she just said, be aware of your children. If you're going to have children, know what they're up to. Get to know them. Be a family. Be a good father. Be a good mother.
KING: We'll be back with the Osmonds. They are starring at the Flamingo Hotel.
M. OSMOND: And I love you.
KING: And I love you too. And you ...
D. OSMOND: I love you. I kissed you on the lips. I better love you.
KING: He did.
M. OSMOND: I know, it's sick.
KING: Only two people have ever kissed me on the lips.
M. OSMOND: Do we have the music for "Brokeback Mountain" here?
KING: Marlon Brando ...
D. OSMOND: But I want you to know, I've had my shots, I'm OK.
KING: Donnie and I are going to star in a musical version of "Brokeback" and take it on the road. What are they going to do to me.
M. OSMOND: Oh my gosh.
KING: Stick around, coming back after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Erica Hill. Tonight on 360, dramatic new details about the Christmas Eve massacre in California. Police say the man who dressed up as Santa Claus and claimed nine lives was planning to flee the country but his plans went wrong. It is a story that just keeps getting more bizarre.
And retailers tonight in the red after a disappointing holiday sales season and now they may be going after your money in a different way, by asking for a bailout from the federal government. It is more money, your future. So what could it mean for you? We'll tackle that.
Plus, the search for the presidential pooch is still on. Tonight, we'll tell you if the Obamas are actually any closer to finding the first dog. Those stories and more coming up on 360 right here at the top of the hour.
KING: Donny, and Marie have the book about post partum. You suffered from social anxiety.
D. OSMOND: I did back in the '90s.
KING: Still have it at all?
D. OSMOND: No, I don't. I was able to get over it. A lot of great therapy. Jeralyn Ross (ph) was the lady who got me through it, out of Washington, DC.
KING: How long did it take?
D. OSMOND: It too me several years to get over it.
You would think somebody who is raised in show business on a stage all their life, that's the last thing that they would have is stage fright or social anxiety. But it comes from trying to be perfect. Everything has got to be perfect. And then if you're not, you beat yourself up.
KING: At its height, could you not go on?
D. OSMOND: Couldn't go on stage.
I remember in Minneapolis one show I just could not go on stage. I think I told you this before, but my wife, bless her heart, gave me the best advice ever that night. I was sweating, shaking. She said why don't you go on tonight and do an average job. And it was the best show I ever did out of the six years of doing "Joseph."
Because I gave myself license to just do an average -- make a mistake. Don't worry about it. When you do worry about things, you become natural. When you're natural, you're comfortable.
KING: Well said. How did you lose all the weight? M. OSMOND: Well, I did Nutrisystem. And of course, dancing, "Dancing with the Stars." But mostly I did it, Larry, because I guess my children got together and told my oldest son to come talk to mom, that, you know, heart disease is the number one killer of women and it was kind of just this legacy in my family, genetics, it is what eventually took my mother and my father and my grandmother and her mother.
And I was just 40 pounds overweight and I could feel all those things and he said mom, we want you around for your grand kids and it was just one of those big wakeup calls, you know what? I will do it for him but I switched over to do it for me.
And I think with everything going on in my life, I just wanted to feel good again. And as a woman, you start thinking, if I'm in my 40s, you start to feel worse and worse. You don't have to. I feel better now than I did when I was in my 30s and it's just a matter of choosing to be healthy, to eat right, to exercise, but be smart about it. It's not about dieting. I didn't -- Nutrisystem taught me how to eat sensibly.
D. OSMOND: But come on. A good Haagen-Dazs is pretty darn good.
KING: How did you let it happen?
M. OSMOND: That is the interesting thing.
I think that women are caregivers and as my mom got sick, and as my dad got sick, I had any children and my businesses and everything else, I was doing my charity, it happens five pounds every year. And it would be I would run to the hospital and I'd take the late shift from midnight until 6:00 in the morning with my mom. We all took shifts and you do that 3:00 a.m. milk shake or whatever it was and it's amazing as we get to that stage in our life where we care take everyone, we so don't take care of ourselves.
And that's the biggest thing I learned is that you have to. So much is dependent on mama to hold everything together and I just made a choice.
D. OSMOND: But you and I are kind of lucky now that we have got this show in Vegas because it is a workout. It seriously is a workout. I could eat milk shakes all day and not have to worry about it.
M. OSMOND: I lost weight the first week I got there. I have to actually force myself to eat.
KING: This is the same show you did at the MGM?
M. OSMOND: Correct. Yeah.
D. OSMOND: Yes.
KING: Do the girls still scream?
When I saw you work, I couldn't believe that. They run down to the front of the stage.
D. OSMOND: They do. I call them the Donny Dotcomers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: I love you too, baby, I love you too. What?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I have your towel?
D. OSMOND: No, you can't have any towel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: They love to reminisce when they go back to the old songs. "Go Away Little Girl", "Puppy Love", of course.
KING: Are they going to do when you and Marie are on stage together?
D. OSMOND: Do what, scream?
KING: Run down?
D. OSMOND: If they do. Absolutely, because that's the kind of show we want to put on. Just enjoy yourselves as an audience because we're enjoying ourselves on stage.
M. OSMOND: I tell you what was hysterical, too, was when we were at the 02 in London ...
D. OSMOND: The arena.
M. OSMOND: And the arena, Wembley, I think in the total of those two nights, how many thousands of people?
It was like these women that were in their late 40s, they were all acting like they were 12.
KING: I saw that in Vegas.
M. OSMOND: And it was so cute because they had their daughters next to them and they were raging. And I think just go and have a good time.
KING: Is Marie dating anyone? We'll ask after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: Well, we can't leave you without singing this song. May tomorrow be a perfect day.
M. OSMOND: May you find love and laughter along way.
D. OSMOND: May God keep you in his tender care.
M. OSMOND: Till he brings us together again
OSMONDS: Good night, everybody.
D. OSMOND: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: They're at the Flamingo six nights a week. What's the dark night?
D. OSMOND: Sunday and Monday.
M. OSMOND: Actually five nights.
KING: It's five nights.
D. OSMOND: Two shows on Saturday.
KING: Oh, you do two shows. So there are six shows a week.
M. OSMOND: I kind of wanted to have the two nights off. It's nice.
KING: So the two shows on Saturday what are they 7:00 and 9:00?
D. OSMOND: No, there's -- It's a matinee.
M. OSMOND: It's a matinee.
D. OSMOND: Check the Web site. Go to the Web site. I don't want to give any wrong information here.
M. OSMOND: Donny and Marie - what is it?
D. OSMOND: Donnyandmarie.com.
KING: Donnyandmarie.com. OK.
Who are you dating?
M. OSMOND: No one.
KING: No one?
M. OSMOND: You know, with the schedule I have and with my life and my kids, it's really hard to find time to do that. And, you know, I have been asked out and I mean, I have gone to a couple of dinners and things like that. But no.
D. OSMOND: How do you date Marie Osmond, though?
KING: I know. Intimidated.
M. OSMOND: Hey, call me on my cell phone.
D. OSMOND: 555 ...
KING: When you started young, and you look at people, what do you guys think of the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus?
D. OSMOND: I think they're fantastic. As a matter of fact, my son came to me yesterday, he said, Dad, can you invite the Jonas Brothers to your show in Vegas so I can meet them?
And it's like, sure, so I made the call. It's Christopher. He's 17.
KING: Miley Cyrus, do you like her?
M. OSMOND: My children do, very much.
D. OSMOND: Do you like her?
M. OSMOND: You know, I do. Of course, I know her dad. I worked with her dad when he had his big hits back in the, what was that, late '80s.
KING: He's a good singer.
D. OSMOND: Yeah.
M. OSMOND: And he's a darling person too. And so it's nice, I think to answer your question, because I mean we debuted Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and people like that on our talk show and musically, we're very, we love to stay in touch with what's going on.
But I think support is like the most important thing when you're on your own. It was nice to have a brother and sister during those times.
D. OSMOND: I like Miley. I really like Miley Cyrus. I think it's amazing what she's done in her career and I think she's got a long ways to go, too.
M. OSMOND: And like I say, if you've got that support group with you, and I think her dad has been around enough to be that, then I think it really helps.
KING: Is it true you turned down the role of Sandy in "Grease"?
M. OSMOND: I did.
KING: The one that Olivia Newton John got.
M. OSMOND: Yeah.
KING: Alan Carr produced.
M. OSMOND: Yeah.
KING: Why did you turn that down?
M. OSMOND: Well, the script got a lot softer for her than it was originally. And there were just originally Sandy got kind of sandy. And so I didn't ...
KING: The music didn't change.
M. OSMOND: No, the music is fabulous. Are you kidding? Yeah.
KING: You'd have been terrific in that. Play with Travolta.
M. OSMOND: Yeah, it was ...
KING: you don't think you made a mistake?
D. OSMOND: Uh-huh.
M. OSMOND: Did I make a mistake? No.
D. OSMOND: I thought you made a mistake. I thought it would have been a great role.
M. OSMOND: Can I answer the question?
D. OSMOND: They could have softened the script. Now you know how it feels, baby.
M. OSMOND: I asked if they would soften the ending.
KING: In what way, soften?
M. OSMOND: To the way you saw it on air. That was not the script I saw. And when I asked that, he said no. And so then I passed. So obviously -- Olivia had more clout than me.
D. OSMOND: You make decisions in your life and you pass on certain things.
M. OSMOND: Oh, sure, hit songs, number one records.
D. OSMOND: You look at things like "Star Wars." How many studios passed on "Star Wars"? And you look at J.K. Rowling's success. How many people passed on her book?
M. OSMOND: And you know the song "Save the Best for Last" which was a big hit for ...
KING: Vanessa Williams.
M. OSMOND: Vanessa Williams.
KING: Vanessa Williams.
M. OSMOND: Yeah. That song was passed on like, what, 15 times.
D. OSMOND: Yeah.
There's been a lot of things that both of us have passed on that we wish, should have done it. But you never know, Larry.
M. OSMOND: Did you pass on anything you wish you would have? KING: I know a fool who invented a soft drink and he called it "One- Up." And he tried Two-Up, Three-Up, Four-Up, Five-Up, Six-Up and gave up.
D. OSMOND: Oh, cut it out.
KING: That's a joke.
M. OSMOND: Ba-doom-doom. Thank you.
D. OSMOND: And I'm like this. I mean, I believed you.
KING: OK. Donny ...
D. OSMOND: I'm so gullible.
KING: Donny and Marie. They're at the Flamingo. Go see them. Five days a week, two on Saturday.
Check their Web site, donnyandmarie.com or check with the Flamingo Hotel. As always check with our Web site, cnn.com/larryking. We've got our quick votes and the podcast. Our blog and guest list, guest commentaries and more. cnn.com/larryking.
See you next time. It's time for AC 360.
