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Piers Morgan Live
Interview with Steven Seagal; Interview with Wilson Phillips; Interview with Jessica Alba
Aired April 08, 2012 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST: Tonight, all-American action hero Steven Seagal on law and order and the Trayvon Martin case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN SEAGAL, ACTOR: If he really did follow this guy after the dispatch said, you know, do not follow, and then started an altercation with him, I would arrest him in a heartbeat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: And standing his own ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: You still fight?
SEAGAL: Yes, I do.
MORGAN: You're still dangerous?
SEAGAL: Hmm --
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Plus, Jessica Alba from Hollywood to Washington, star and CEO, is turning heads.
(BEGIIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS: I feel lucky and fortunate that I'm given the opportunity to even do this for a living.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: And still holding on after more than 20 years.
Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips on life, love, and getting the band back together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHYNNA PHILLIPS, WILSON PHILLIPS: We never even dreamed that it can (INAUDIBLE) the second time around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Wilson Phillips, primetime exclusive.
This is PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
MORGAN: Good evening.
I'll get to my interview with Wilson Phillips in a moment. But, first, we'll hear from actor and lawman Steven Seagal on this week's big story. The outspoken actor takes on the Trayvon Martin tragedy and he's not holding back.
And then later, I'll talked to Hollywood star and now CEO, Jessica Alba, about movies, motherhood and the choices she's making to keep America great.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBA: You can invest in health care and you can invest in education, which at the end of the day, how can any society thrive if they're not healthy and if they're not educated? They won't be able to compete in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Steven Seagal isn't just an action movie star. He's also in law enforcement, working as a reserve deputy chief.
He's with us tonight to talk Hollywood life, keeping America great, Trayvon Martin and other issues.
Let's start, let's talk about Trayvon Martin briefly -- this case that sort of gripped America at the moment, this young black teenager, killed in the street, unarmed, under a law, which at the moment has protected the guy that killed him. It's called "Stand Your Ground."
Now you're a tough guy actor.
SEAGAL: Right.
MORGAN: You've stood your ground, toe to toe with the best of them. What do you think about this case?
SEAGAL: Well, I mean, unfortunately, I don't have all the details. I've been a police officer for over 20 years, and I've investigated murders and all kinds of different crimes. Originally, you know, I was told that this was a situation where this guy was a neighborhood watch person who saw somebody that he thought was sort of shady and suspicious.
He called it in and dispatch told him, do not follow him; leave him alone. And then the guy continued to follow him and came up on this porch and started an altercation with him.
Now, I'm being told none of that is true.
So if you can tell me what really happened, I can give you my opinion.
MORGAN: I mean, my feeling is that he should at least be arrested. The legal process has to at least start, isn't it? If mean somebody's dead --
SEAGAL: I mean --
MORGAN: -- like that, unarmed and dead?
SEAGAL: You know what I can tell you, any of the guys on my team, if they did that, they would be on suspension and possibly in jail.
MORGAN: This issue of "Stand Your Ground," Florida's one of the states -- quite a few states have it; it's 20 now that have this. But Florida has the most pronounced version of this law, the most generalized. And they've seen an explosion in cases of people using it to get off, effectively, killing people.
What do you think about the right to defend yourself? Where are the parameters? You've been on the law enforcement side.
SEAGAL: I think --
MORGAN: You have been in tough movies. What do you think?
SEAGAL: Everybody certainly has the right to defend themselves. That's not to say that they should defy common sense by avoiding or diffusing confrontation. And that's very, very important.
You know, in other words, if somebody comes up to me and calls me any name he wants to and talks about my mama, I'll say I'm happy you feel that way, and I'll turn around and walk away.
Conversely, if he starts swinging at me or pulling out a weapon, then stuff's going to change right away. And I think everybody really has to understand that.
This law doesn't say that you should look for altercations. What it really should say is you should do anything and everything you can to be able to avoid confrontation. However, as a last resort, if you're really indeed in fear for your life, you have the right to defend your life. That's what that law's -- that's the spirit of that law.
MORGAN: Let's talk movies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "UNDER SIEGE")
"WILLIAM STRANNIX": I got tired of coming up with last-minute desperate solutions to impossible problems created by other (EXPLETIVE DELETED) people.
"CASEY RYBACK": All your ridiculous, pitiful antics aren't going to change a thing. You and I, we're puppets in the same sick play. We serve the same master, and he's a lunatic and he's ungrateful. And there's nothing we can do about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: That was "Under Siege," a terrific action film. It grossed $160 million worldwide. It made Steven Seagal an international superstar.
You had this huge, huge hit. I think it's fair to say you haven't had one quite like that since. Do you -- do you care? I mean, once you've had a huge hit like that, is that enough for a movie star?
SEAGAL: For me, if God blessed me with that one great hit, I'm satisfied. But I've still got a lot in me, and I'd still like to get out there and tell a lot more stories cinematically. And God willing, I'll get the chance to do that.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: What do you think of your country right now? What do you make of what's happening to America?
SEAGAL: I think one of the biggest problems that we have right now is border security, and I think that, you know, it seems to me that there's certain administrations in Washington who are probably thinking that they may like to have open borders. And therefore a lot of what's going on in the borders, in my opinion, is under-publicized, to say it lightly.
MORGAN: Because you live in Arizona.
SEAGAL: Right.
And I think that there's well over 50,000 people that have been killed in the border wars in the recent past. That's more than Afghanistan and Iraq put together.
I work for Joe Arpaio who I think is a great sheriff and a great man, and I think that's what's happening down there is not at all racial. It's not an immigration problem. It's really a matter of national security, and our borders need to be checked and monitored.
I think that, you know, there --
MORGAN: Given that, who do you want to be president --
SEAGAL: Well, I mean --
MORGAN: -- come November?
SEAGAL: I mean, to be honest with you, I am kind of on the fence now, because even the people that are opposing Obama are not necessarily, you know, brilliant, in my opinion.
But right now, in my opinion, when you have cartel members coming in and recruiting children off of the playground, they're recruiting people who no longer have the tattoos, no longer have criminal records. They're people that are going to be undetectable to come and work for them, and you have them with their, you know -- they've been established all over the United States of America now.
It's a huge problem if -- you know, I'd like to be able to bring a panel in here, some of the great experts on what's really happening on the border, and let them tell you for your show, because it would -- it would --
MORGAN: It would be a fascinating show. It would be part of the problem with the whole debate is that anybody that argues in the way that you're arguing immediately gets labeled racist and so on. It becomes a different debate, doesn't it?
SEAGAL: In Maricopa County, you know, if somebody commits a crime -- like we get these high-risk warrants for murder, for rape, for armed robbery, whatever it is, we go after those people. When we arrest somebody in Maricopa County, we don't care if they're Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, French, Italian. If you commit a crime, we arrest you.
MORGAN: Your new project is called "True Justice." It starts on March the 30th, on the Reelz Channel. Tell me quickly about that.
SEAGAL: Well, I mean, I wanted to set up a situation where I could do kind of a show that would be based on things that I've seen in my career as a police officer, and my friends, and derive a lot of the stories that I thought were important, and create a police show that realistic and a little bit different than the average stuff that's going on.
MORGAN: Are you enjoying it?
SEAGAL: Yes. It's a lot of fun.
MORGAN: Well, what great ambition do you have left? What's the one thing -- if I had the power to give it to you, you'd take it?
SEAGAL: You know, I've been in Abu Dhabi for the last few months, working with them, very, very honorable people that have -- the people that I've been working with. They're talking about building a huge multimedia fund to make movies and television and different things, and television shows and different things like that.
I want to be able to work on a project that will give people around the world the chance to represent their own people, their own culture, their own stories, rather than just Hollywood -- really, you know, dominated Hollywood. And that's a dream of mine.
MORGAN: Do you still fight?
SEAGAL: Yes, I do.
MORGAN: You're still dangerous?
SEAGAL: Mmm --
(LAUGHTER)
SEAGAL: Let me tell you this. The guys that I'm training in UFC, you know, some of them have gotten their championship belts, world championship belts because they've attributed that to me and me teaching them. So I still know a thing or two.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: I've always imagined -- you're Steven Seagal -- every single bar you ever go into in the world, there will be some jackass in the corner who wants to come and try it on with you. Does that actually happen?
SEAGAL: Once or twice.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: And what happened to them?
SEAGAL: Bad things.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: For that reason, Steven Seagal, I'm wrapping up this interview and wishing you all the very best for your day, sir.
SEAGAL: Thank you very much.
MORGAN: Good to meet you.
Coming up, getting the band back together, lovely ladies of Wilson Phillips.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: That was "Bridesmaids" (INAUDIBLE) performance of "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips at the end of the film. There was 620 percent increase in sales.
And 20 years later their debut, the ladies of Wilson Phillips are reunited with their new album, "Dedicated."
Joining me now for primetime exclusive is Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips.
Welcome, ladies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
MORGAN: It is 19 years since I last interviewed you for a British newspaper, you don't look a day older. I however do.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: Are you all still friends? Is this all for show? Do you go and beat each other up the moment these interviews are over?
CARNEY WILSON, WILSON PHILLIPS: We're friends forever. Nothing could ever come between our friendship.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
PHILLIPS: Even if we wanted it to.
MORGAN: Has it been a rocky path?
PHILLIPS: What? The friendship?
MORGAN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Well, there have been times where, you know, the three of us have been -- you know, well, obviously, we disbanded for a while and, obviously, there were some times where we weren't speaking. And, so, yes, there have been some rough patches. And, you know, the three of us learned a lot of lessons along the way.
MORGAN: What are the lessons?
PHILLIPS: Oh, gosh. Communication. Communication. Communication.
C. WILSON: And acceptance, that we all three are different people. We have different personalities. And, you know --
MORGAN: Because you're all quite feisty, aren't you?
I mean you're all --
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: Yes.
C. WILSON: We can be.
WENDY WILSON, WILSON PHILLIPS: In our own way.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
W. WILSON: And respect for each other --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
W. WILSON: -- for our differences.
C. WILSON: We fight when we're tired. We fight when we're stressed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
C. WILSON: It's like if you're at home, you know, your husband -- when do you fight? When you're tired and you're stressed. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: And performing and having hit records and touring and all that kind of thing, and all the press and the demands and the pressure, it is actually mentally and physically pretty exhausting, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's whoo.
MORGAN: And I can imagine that you reach a point when you just -- just don't want to be in the same room as each other --
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: You just want to stick needles in your eyes.
MORGAN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Yes. It's like you are at --
MORGAN: Or each other.
PHILLIPS: -- the end of your rope.
MORGAN: Yes.
PHILLIPS: You're so done. You're done. You're baked. You just can't even imagine doing one more show, one more interview one more day --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Because I -- I remember what --
PHILLIPS: You cannot hold on for one more day. You just can't.
(LAUGHTER)
C. WILSON: You cannot.
MORGAN: I was going to say that when I -- when I saw you in the early '90s, and you were at the end of a very long press day. And I could see it in your eyes. You were just done with it.
You were like if we have to do one more lousy interview --
PHILLIPS: But I think --
MORGAN: -- you know?
C. WILSON: Right.
MORGAN: And it was like, but I got it. I -- having spoken to many artists, it's so relentless when you have a big hit -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: -- and you go off --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: -- and you celebrate it. Everyone thinks it's so glamorous --
C. WILSON: Not so.
PHILLIPS: And then to add on top of that that your management is actually the -- I mean that your record company is actually managing you. That's a real conflict of interest.
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: That definitely drove us into the ground --
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: -- because nobody was looking out for us.
C. WILSON: But this time, you know, we're in our early '40s. We are -- we have nine children between us. And it's like, I think now, we come from a gratitude space. And we feel, we're lucky to be here doing this.
So why fight about little things? Just celebrate what we're so lucky to be doing --
MORGAN: When -- when "Bridesmaids" really popped and became this huge hit --
C. WILSON: Yes.
MORGAN: I mean it was fantastic for you guys, right? This is like the sort of thing you dream of, isn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- out of the sky.
MORGAN: And there are hundreds of millions of people around the world watching you perform.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It was really exciting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was fun.
W. WILSON: It was a huge blessing for us. We had no idea about the story line or anything. And we just took a chance and did a cameo.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. W. WILSON: And wow, what a great result we got.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: Amazing result.
W. WILSON: Yes.
MORGAN: I mean has it -- has it given you a completely new lease of life as a career?
C. WILSON: I feel like it has
PHILLIPS: Yes.
C. WILSON: -- in a way.
PHILLIPS: I mean in -- it's opened a ton of doors again for us. It kind of put us back on the map as, you know --
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: -- you might say. But we definitely feel like we still have our road cut out for us ahead of us, because we want to continue singing together and making more records --
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: -- and writing songs --
C. WILSON: And touring.
W. WILSON: Right.
PHILLIPS: And just because you were in a hit movie isn't necessarily going to guarantee that success, you know what I'm saying?
MORGAN: I mean, I think the point is the kind of role model element of that film. Did you have any -- any slight, when you watched it back going whoa? For your kids, maybe?
PHILLIPS: Yes. Yes, definitely, I did not want my kids seeing the movie. That's for sure. That was not going to happen.
C. WILSON: Well, judging by the -- they came to the theater and by the -- with the first scene, when she's like on top of him, I said, OK, out you go. That was it. And then they didn't see the rest --
(LAUGHTER)
C. WILSON: -- until the very end, when we walked out on the stage. It's not for children, I don't think.
W. WILSON: No. My kids didn't see it yet. And they won't.
MORGAN: Mine were -- I think two of my sons saw it. And I found it very disturbing that this was going to be their introduction to the female form.
(LAUGHTER)
C. WILSON: I just think it's that like edgy kind of "Saturday Night Live," like just edgy, anything goes women should do what they want and just have that edge, I don't know, you know?
MORGAN: What -- what -- the second time around, when you have all this success again now, people will say to me, it's a lot sweeter, because when you stop it and it all goes away and you watch other people enjoying all the highs and the good stuff, you kind of miss it, even though it's been painful a lot of the time and horrible and you fall out and everything, actually, a part of you really misses it.
Is it nice to be able to recapture it?
PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Yes. Recapturing it has been a lot of fun. And we never even dreamed that it could be this good the second time around. I mean, Wendy used to say to me, I never in a million years thought we were going to sing together again. And --
(LAUGHTER)
W. WILSON: I thought it was over.
MORGAN: Really?
W. WILSON: We're back together. I'm surprised.
MORGAN: And that first time you all got together and began to sing, how did that feel?
C. WILSON: Oh, so when would that be?
Like when we --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When that first -- those first couple of shows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
C. WILSON: Oh. Well, we would look at each other on -- we actually couldn't look at each other on stage, because we would start tearing up --
W. WILSON: Tearing up.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Really?
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Yes.
W. WILSON: Yes.
C. WILSON: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: It was that emotional?
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: It's very mushy, but true.
W. WILSON FEMALE: But the funny thing is that we sounded exactly the same.
(CROSSTALK)
W. WILSON FEMALE: And it felt like the same dynamic.
C. WILSON: Yes.
W. WILSON: Ten years later.
C. WILSON: And we could like sing these songs in our sleep.
W. WILSON: Yes.
C. WILSON: You know what I mean, it's like just forever embedded.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
C. WILSON: You know, and --
MORGAN: I want to come back and I want to talk about this -- this album, because this is like a tribute, really, to your famous parents.
Now, everybody knows the background to this. This hasn't exactly been an easy path for any of you.
So I was struck by this -- we're going to have a short break and then come back and explore this album, "Dedicated" -- because you actually dedicated this album to: "our mamas and our papas, who are with us and not with us. We want you all to know how much these songs mean to us."
And you're recreating the magic of your parents and their era and stuff. But, as I say, it's been a tough journey. So let's -- let's come back after the break and talk about that, because it seems like a very redemptive exercise to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sounds good. Fabulous.
MORGAN: It does.
(CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Obviously, it's disappointing, but it is what it is and you are letting a lot of people down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will just reschedule for later in the year.
PHILLIPS: Wendy, she's your sister. Of course you are not going to be upset. There's three of us in Wilson Phillips. So, if Carnie can't do New Orleans, there's really nothing I can do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: I'm back with the women of Wilson Phillips.
And how appropriate still holding on, it's your new reality show on the TV Guide Network, because you are still holding on, in many ways, although very glamorously, I must say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
MORGAN: And I have to say, Carnie, you're wasting away.
(LAUGHTER)
MORGAN: What -- what --
PHILLIPS: She's the incredible, shrinking woman.
MORGAN: What is happening here?
C. WILSON: Coming off. I have made the --
MORGAN: You're disappearing before my very eyes.
C. WILSON: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: You've actually lost weight between segments.
C. WILSON: I know. She's keeps saying that I think you've lost weight from the beginning of the day to the end of the day here.
(LAUGHTER)
C. WILSON: It's so funny.
MORGAN: Tell me about it, because you -- you famously talked about this very openly over the years. You -- you've been up and down like a yoyo.
C. WILSON: Yes.
MORGAN: You look great.
C. WILSON: Thank you.
MORGAN: So tell me how you've got to this happy place.
C. WILSON: Well, for about two years, I really sort of let go of my focus on my health, really, just plain and simple. And I let a lot of old habits come back into the -- to the picture. And it was -- I wasn't feeling good and I actually really was getting scared about what it said on the scale and how I physically felt.
So I needed to reach out for help and I did. And I needed some more intervention. Never ashamed to talk about it, admit that I need help.
And I had a lap band put on over my -- my gastric bypass. And it's helping me feel full, you know.
But these two can like tell you how -- how I've made these changes. I mean my -- my choices, my habits are getting so much better. I'm eating no sugar and no white flour. I'm planning my meals.
I'm going for the long haul. I'm working on my inside, as well as the outside. I don't know if I did that last time.
It's been 13 years. I've had children. I've had a lot of personal and spiritual growth that I think is going to help me to maintain this forever. That's the goal.
MORGAN: You said this great quote -- I mean great in terms of it's very powerful. "I can't smoke a joint. I can't have a glass of wine. So I want 10 joints, 10 glasses of wine. That's my obsessive, compulsive and addictive behavior. I've really struggled since I've become sober."
And that seemed to me such an honest thing to say.
C. WILSON: I wouldn't say every day is a battle. I would say that, you know, for me, personally, with this -- my genetics and my -- my experience and the way that I can be obsessive with things, I just for -- for a few years, got into a really bad rut. And I decided that it's either, you know, if I want to have children, have a family and -- and live a long life, I've got to make some real, real serious changes.
And I'm really glad that I decided to make my health first. That's what it comes down to, is health. And mental health, because, you know, I -- I don't feel good when I'm stuffing it all down with something. And I feel like we all try to have something.
And so that's a challenge now -- what is that something? It has to come from inside of me.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Are you -- are you two proud of her --
PHILLIPS: Oh, we are proud --
MORGAN: -- for the way she's been battling this?
PHILLIPS: I was just going to say --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- supportive.
PHILLIPS: -- there's an emotional aspect to it, too.
C. WILSON: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Because we eat for a reason, you know what I mean?
C. WILSON: Right.
PHILLIPS: People do those types of things and those types of behaviors for a reason. It's not just because oh, you know, I want to stuff myself.
C. WILSON: Right.
PHILLIPS: There's an underlying subconscious reason for that behavior.
So I'm real proud of Carnie for --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Well, good for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uncovering and discovering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: Let's turn to parents, because you've got nine kids between you now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
MORGAN: And, famously, you come from very famous parents. We know all that. And it's never been easy for you. I mean your kids will also be the product of famous mothers.
How are you going to deal with that scenario, that issue? How are you going to avoid the traps that your parents fell into?
PHILLIPS: We just have to push them into the press (ph), you know?
(LAUGHTER)
PHILLIPS: We just have to make sure --
(CROSSTALK)
C. WILSON: That sounds horrific.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
W. WILSON: I -- honestly, I think that we need to keep them grounded, keep them down to earth and, you know, not let them have an inflated sense of self, you know, just because of their -- their family history, you know?
And just embrace their talents. And if it's -- and if that is going into the music industry? Great, I will support that, you know?
MORGAN: And how -- how is your relationship with your father now?
W. WILSON: It's a -- it's a little strained at the moment. But, no, I mean there's not --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: Do you guys -- do you have one?
W. WILSON: There's peace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's peace.
W. WILSON: There's peace there. But I mean --
MORGAN: But is there actually what you would call a relationship?
W. WILSON: Yes, somewhat of a relationship. And I wish it was more of a relationship.
MORGAN: How would you -- how would you describe it?
W. WILSON: Hmmm. I was shattered --
C. WILSON: No, God. Sensitive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
C. WILSON: There's a connection always. He's -- I mean, compare it to years ago, we hardly ever saw him. And his life has changed so much. And when we do see him, like I try to make him dinner at least a few times a year, come to his house. He's always traveling. That man has been on the road for 10 years straight and he hardly ever takes a break.
And I say, just slow down a little bit. You know, I tried to say slow down. And the times that we do really connect is during the holidays or when we do see him and we listen to music together, usually it's our music.
We're playing for him. He's playing us his music. And we sit together. And -- and he says, "I love you so much. You know how beautiful you are?"
And that's all a girl really wants to hear is her father --
MORGAN: Do you -- do you feel like --
C. WILSON: -- saying that to them.
MORGAN: But do you feel like he's your dad --
C. WILSON: Of course.
MORGAN: -- or is he like this sort of disjointed friend that you've got?
W. WILSON: I wouldn't say that he's like a father figure so much.
But I mean I -- I love him as a person. And he is our dad. Of course he's our dad. He's our blood.
C. WILSON: I think that, you know, when I see the pride in his eyes and I see how proud he is and that he has been able to express that to us, that that's -- that's good enough. He's never been the hands-on type father. He knows that and we know that.
And that's part of the growth and the acceptance of who we are as people. You know, he has given such a gift to the world and a gift to me and a gift to Wendy. And that's a mature thing. That's a -- to me, that's a healthy way of looking at it, because people aren't going to change --
MORGAN: Let me throw in a little clip here, because it's -- it's pertinent, I think. Let's watch this.
(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)
MORGAN: And that's one of the--
(CROSSTALK)
W. WILSON: Why did you play that?
MORGAN: Well, because it's --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a lot.
MORGAN: -- it's kind of perfect timing, wasn't it? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa.
MORGAN: For -- I mean it's -- it's making me feel quite emotional, because I've just had a little baby girl. And, you know, when you read those lyrics, "how can we be like enemies when we're only flesh and blood, what does it take to make your heart bleed, daddy? Aren't we enough?"
It's pretty heartbreaking stuff.
W. WILSON: Yes. A girl wants her father's attention and approval, you know? That's the -
C. WILSON: We wrote that song when he was involved with a doctor that really controlled his life. And had him under the reins and we didn't get to spend any time with him at all. And we missed him so much.
And this was our way of reaching out to him. And the funniest thing ever, the classic was his response to that song. We said, how do you like that song, daddy? He goes, well, you either really love me or I'm just a piece of meat. That was his reaction. It was so classic. Brian, he's so funny.
MORGAN: Is he a good grandfather in any way? Is he a better grandfather than father?
W. WILSON: I just think that we need to spend more time with him. I want him to spend more time with his grandchildren. He has five kids at home, numerous dogs, a life on the road. We just have to spend more time together. When we are together, you see that love in his eyes. They sit on his lap for a minute. He kisses them. That's what we have. That's all we got right now. And I want it to be more.
MORGAN: So better than it was, but room for improvement, work in progress.
W. WILSON: Like any relationship, probably, if you really think about it.
MORGAN: It's true. Chynna, you're obviously part of the Baldwin dinner scene now. What is it like being with all those Baldwins?
PHILLIPS: They are hot. They're funny. They're smart. They are great dads. I love them.
MORGAN: Are they funny to be around?
PHILLIPS: Hysterical.
MORGAN: Stephen's very annoying, but he is quite funny.
PHILLIPS: Try going to dinner with Alec and Billy and Stephen and Daniel, and you will be doubled over in pain.
MORGAN: I can believe that. They are all funny. Alec, he is -- is he the leader of the pack, or not really when they get together?
PHILLIPS: Well, he's the oldest, so he thinks he knows what's right and what's the best thing to do. Sometimes he's right and sometimes he's wrong. But he's a fantastic guy and he's super generous really loving, a great brother, a good guy.
MORGAN: Wow, this is a really heart warming testimony to the Baldwin clan. No downsides?
PHILLIPS: Several. No, no, no. Come on, they have a temper. They -- let's just say that sometimes their egos can get a tad bit inflated.
MORGAN: No. Stephen?
PHILLIPS: A little bit. But you know what, that's human. We are all a little bit inflated from time to time. So I am not pointing fingers.
MORGAN: Given that you guys have collectively had to spend all your lives surrounded by fame, what is your view? Now you've got nine kids. It sort of changes your perspective on life. What have you learned about fame? Because it can be a very corrupting thing.
PHILLIPS: Fame, it's really basically like the enemy, because the minute you start to believe you are famous and you start to think you're famous is when you start having some real trouble and big problems emotionally. Because suddenly you can start to feel entitled. You can start to feel like this is what life is all about. This is my purpose in life.
Then you're only as good as your last project. It just -- it's evil and it just feeds on itself. So for me, I think that fame is 's just a bad word. I would rather be called an artist, you know, than famous.
MORGAN: Maybe you have to learn that, right? Fame can be very intoxicating when it first happens.
W. WILSON: I think it's an illusion. I think it's not real. And I think hat people want to believe that it's real because it makes them feel better and it makes them want to connect to something.
MORGAN: Let's end on that. It's a terrific album. I love the spirit behind it. I love the fact you can go back and celebrate what were some of the great songs in the history of America, and you can do it now without, perhaps, the pain you would have to have done it a few years ago. So thank you, ladies.
(CROSS TALK)
MORGAN: Your reality show, "Still Holding On," airs Sundays on the TV Guide Channel. The new album, "Dedicated," Is out now. Here it is. Chynna Phillips, Connie Wilson and Wendy Wilson, thank you all very much.
Coming up next, trust me, she's much more than just a pretty face. She's now a CEO, Jessica Alba.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA ALBA, ACTRESS: We want to ensure every child gets everything they need for an education.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Including clean drinking water.
ALBA: Are you really going to do it like that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? I take caffeine pills. Not normally, but I did today.
ALBA: You shouldn't take those anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What, no. It's not to show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's this? I wanted a piano, not a soccer ball, man. Come on. Guys, I requested a piano. Where's the piano.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you get him a piano? It's John Legend.
ALBA: You have no respect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Jessica Alba is one of Hollywood's triple threats. She's an actor, a mother and an activist. That was her and Matt Damon having a bit of fun for a campaign that calls on world leaders to provide safe, quality and free education to women and girls around the world. Jessica joins me now, part of Keeping America Great section.
The reason you are keeping America great is that since I last interviewed you, not for this show, you have become this chief executive officer of a new brand, diapers.
ALBA: Yes. I'm -- I'm not the CEO, technically. I'm the inspiration officer, but I am a founder.
MORGAN: That's a brilliant title. You are the chief inspiration officer.
ALBA: And I have a desk and a business card. It's really crazy.
MORGAN: Tell me about this, because obviously everyone knows you as the one that always wins most beautiful woman in the galaxy in all these polls .
ALBA: Oh, wow, in the galaxy. That's the first time I've heard that.
MORGAN: You know, it's a galactic beauty and that kind of thing. Now you have become this mom and you have really taken this seriously. I like this story, because I have four children. My little one is four months old. You just have this moment of awakening about baby products. Tell me about that moment.
ALBA: When I was pregnant, I obviously was seeking out the safest and healthiest products for my new little baby that I was bringing into this world. And I had an allergic reaction to this detergent that's geared towards babies specifically. And I was like, how can this be safe for babies? That's crazy. So I looked at the ingredients and there were lots that I didn't understand and fragrances and what not. And then I just happened to read this book called "Healthy Child, Healthy World," that Christopher Gavigan (ph) wrote. And it really exposes all of these toxic chemicals that are in everyday products, household products and in specifically baby products.
MORGAN: The key thing you found was that all of the sort of healthiest stuff was only available for the rich.
ALBA: So then when I -- yes, so then when I was like OK, I have to avoid this -- I threw everything out of my house, and I wanted only the best products. I found that it was so expensive. It was nuts. I was like getting stuff from Europe. I was getting stuff from Australia. They have higher standards and regulation than we do in this country, and so they have superior products.
I just thought there is a huge social injustice here that you have to make a certain amount of money, be in a certain tax bracket to give your family a healthier and safer life.
MORGAN: All this stuff is very, very healthy. I mean, I know absolutely nothing about it, other than I can change a diaper and I have been. I want to make that quite clear. But it's all very healthy. What I like about it is you do everything online and you are actually in there mixing it up with the staff and occasionally taking calls from customers. Is that right?
ALBA: I have a desk. And every day -- I have certainly taken a few customer service calls.
MORGAN: This is the biggest sales pitch I have ever heard. People watching this, what are the chances -- if they ring, what are the chances of getting straight through to Jessica Alba?
ALBA: The chances are good. I'm there.
MORGAN: This is a brilliant promotional tool.
ALBA: No, it's like -- it's something that I created and that I am very passionate about. As so, you know, if a parent has a question or a concern, and it's something that I can be helpful or useful on, I'm absolutely there for them.
MORGAN: How has being a mother changed you? Because I was only half joking. You went through the early 2000s and the late '90s being this absolute goddess that used to appear on every cover, every magazine, win every poll. I have laughed with you about this before. I know that inside you, there was this kind of -- I always sensed an ongoing dilemma that you were wrestling with, which is it was great business. It was great for the old brand, if you like.
But actually, what you really wanted to be was a great actress and also a great mother. How have you been dealing with that dilemma, as you have now moved into child number two? ALBA: Well, I never really sort of think of it so much as a dilemma as much as I feel very lucky and fortunate that I am given the opportunity to even do this for a living. And I'm given -- I'm afforded a platform where I can talk about this and create this company and get amazing partners and surround myself with the experts that I have been able to do, that I probably wouldn't have been able to do if I didn't have the exposure the way that I did early in my career.
So I am very grateful for that. But yes, .like I'm more mature now and it would be nice. I have actually, since I have had my kids, taken a different approach to my career. And I am not always going after the big paycheck like I used to. It was more about commerce and, you know, being relevant and all of that.
Now it's just about really working with them who are exciting, inspire me. I want to be pushed creatively. So whether it's a big movie or small movie, I don't really care. So it's just a different thing.
MORGAN: Let's take a little break, come back and talk about the new Jessica Alba. I like the sound of this, though I don't want it to go too far the other way. Have some covers.
ALBA: All right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: They were the days, weren't they, Jessica? "Sin City." You have done 20 films since then, in which you've grossed over a billion dollars in the box office worldwide. That's pretty incredible, a billion dollars.
ALBA: It's nuts. I have been very lucky, very fortunate.
MORGAN: What do you put this luck down to, because it can't just be luck. You have always been very hardworking. How much of this do you get from your parents? Tell me about your parents.
ALBA: My parents. Well, they always instilled an incredible sense of -- like a go get them, go for it, anything is possible kind of attitude. And giving 200 percent was mandatory.
You always finish everything that you start. And so I think just the work ethic, and always staying very humble and always respecting your elders.
MORGAN: You have been in the business which is notoriously fickle. It creates paranoia, insecurity. It can be very corrupting, fame, can't it, the kind of level that you've enjoyed. How do you keep on the straight and narrow? And if one of your kids wanted to be an actress, would you feel uncomfortable, given what you've been through?
ALBA: You know, after my kids get a college education, I will support them in whatever they want to do, for sure. The more life experience you have, the better you are going to be in any art that you choose to do. So acting being one of them. I think if you can imagine yourself doing anything else, you should be doing anything else, because, like you said, it's tough.
It's tough on your spirit. It's -- physically, it's tough. You know, the days are very long. People only see the glamorous side of it, which is actually like one percent of it. You get to go to a premiere and get dolled up.
But yeah, most of the time it's -- you know, it's a real job. It's -- it's a dream. It's amazing. It's creative. But it --
MORGAN: It's hard work.
ALBA: It is hard work, actually. Yeah.
MORGAN: What do you think of what's happening in America now, particularly economically and politically? There's a big election coming. You have 8.8 percent of Americans unemployed, a lot of people suffering. What do you make of what's happening to America?
ALBA: I mean, the fact that our middle class is kind of going away completely and you're either like very rich or very poor, that's a huge problem. I think that so many things just need to change.
I believe in capitalism for sure. That's what we are in this country. That's what we're founded on. But I also believe that social services gets such a bad rap in this country. And we need to take care of our people. And so if there's a way to kind of combine those two ideas, that would be great.
I feel like most people are kind of living in the middle now. They're, you know -- they're not completely conservative and they're not completely liberal.
MORGAN: The problem is anyone that sort of takes part in what I call social caring is branded a socialist.
ALBA: And -- yeah.
MORGAN: They're different things.
ALBA: Yes, it is different.
MORGAN: You can care about people in a social way --
ALBA: And you can also --
MORGAN: -- without being a socialist.
ALBA: And you can invest in health care and you can invest in education, which at the end of the day, how can any society thrive if they're not healthy and if they're not educated? They won't be able to compete in the world. And we now live in like really a global -- it's a global economy. It's not just, you know, our country and we're, you know, isolated from the rest of the world. And so --
MORGAN: Will you be voting for Obama?
ALBA: I -- I'd rather keep that private for right now.
MORGAN: I don't have you down as a Romney or Santorum?
ALBA: I'm definitely not one of those -- one of those girls. Definitely not. Without a doubt. Hands down, definitely not.
MORGAN: So it's either nothing or Obama?
ALBA: No, I'm going to vote. I think it's actually irresponsible to not exercise your right to vote. So yes, I probably, most definitely will be voting on that side. But then again, you know, it's not like I completely and totally agree with everything that goes on. I think, you know, there is a lot of room for improvement.
And I think that the more that we as citizens get behind issues that we care about and we vote on them and we put pressure on our politicians, then --
MORGAN: You have been up there to D.C.
ALBA: I have.
MORGAN: You have been meeting some of these guys. The view from outside of Washington is they just don't get it. They don't get.
MORGAN: You know what they get? They get votes. They get that if you care about something and if that means that they'll get re- elected, by voting on the side of the people, they'll definitely listen up. And so that's something that I feel like a lot of Americans don't know that they actually do have that power.
And it is very, very powerful. I went -- I have gone to D.C. a few times advocating for comprehensive health care and then recently for the Safer Chemicals Act. And it's -- you know, it's a bipartisan issue. We have support on both sides. It's just a matter of when it gets prioritized to gets voted on.
But it's basically just to, you know, get more regulation around chemicals in our country. Really, there's only nine that are banned out of over 80,000 that are in the market right now. And like Europe has a ban on 1,100. So --
MORGAN: We're just more civilized in Europe. It's been a real pleasure. A quick reminder, April 22 is Earth Day. For more information on that, check out Honest.com, a great website.
ALBA: Yes, Honest.com.
MORGAN: How did you get that?
ALBA: I mean, well, it was --
MORGAN: Hadn't already been taken?
ALBA: No, I mean -- no, not for a business. No. Thank God.
MORGAN: Good for you.
ALBA: Honest.com.
MORGAN: It's been honestly very nice to see you again.
ALBA: Thank you. You too.
MORGAN: Jessica Alba. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAN BROCK, CNN HERO: All right, take care of these numbers. They represent several hundred dollars worth of medical care.
The first people arrived yesterday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live with constant pain, I mean like every day.
BROCK: They spend the night in their cars. Some of them pitched tents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have lumps in my breasts. I have been here a long time, but it's worth here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thirty five.
BROCK: I understand what it's like to be penniless, homeless and uninsured .
My name's Stan Brock. I'm the founder of Remote Area Medical. We provide free care for the underserved. In the beginning, it was an airborne operation in the overseas areas. Today, I would say at least 60 percent of our work is here in the United States.
How many people are here to see the dentist? About 85 percent of all of the people that come are really looking for dentistry and vision. We don't ask you whether you have insurance or whether you have a job or are you a citizen of the United States. The only requirement is that you have to show up early.
Remote Area Medical has seen over half a million people, free. This is number 663 of these expeditions, as we call them. Well, you've got a pair of glasses, huh?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. It really does -- it really does matter.
BROCK: Well, I'm delighted.
The patients are marvelous. They're so grateful for what we're able to do for them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big improvement. BROCK: There's just no feeling like that, knowing that you helped someone, it's just great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
