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Piers Morgan Live

Tom Brokaw Reveals He's Being Treated for Cancer; Interview with Ann Coulter; Interview with Bruce Dern

Aired February 11, 2014 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: This is Piers Morgan Live. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Breaking news tonight, Tom Brokaw reveals he's being treated for cancer. I'll talk to his former colleague Deborah Norville and Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

I'll spoke to him live at the White House where President Obama is hosting his first State dinner in almost two years of scandal played French President Francois Hollande.

Meanwhile, a woman who knows a thing or two about the scandal in the White House. Will Hillary Clinton's private thoughts about her husband Bill and Monica Lewinsky comeback to hunt her (ph) if she runs. I'll ask Ann Coulter.

Also, best actor nominee Bruce Dern.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE DERN: I'm going to Lincoln if it's the last thing I do. I don't care what you people think.

WILL FORTE: Listen to me. You didn't win anything. It's a complete scam so you've got to stop this, okay?

DERN: I'm running out of time.

(END VIDOE CLIP)

MORGAN: Movie "Nebraska" winning this first Oscar to more than 80 featured films.

Breaking news tonight, Tom Brokaw's cancer diagnosis. The former NBC news anchor has multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects the blood cells and bone marrow. NBC says doctors are "very encouraged with the progress he is making."

Well, joining me now is our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Deborah Norville, the host of Inside Edition and Tom Brokaw's former colleague at NBC news, also a member of the honorary board of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Also joining me Dr. Kristi Funk, Angelina Jolie's breast cancer surgeon and the founder of the Pink Lotus Breast Center. Welcome to all of you.

Let me start with you, if I may, Sanjay Gupta just to get a grasp of exactly what this is. What is multiple myeloma? DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well this a -- it's a type of cancer of cells within the bone marrow. The bone marrow is the area the body is responsible for producing all sorts of different cells, your red blood cells, your white blood cells. This is the type of white blood cell that just starts growing essentially out of control. And as a result, it's a type of cancer, but also crowds out to the other cells. So, people don't have enough red blood cells, they don't have enough white blood cells.

And that's why the problem -- a lot of times, what happens in this is that some may come and develop back pain. It could be the first thing and that's usually because of what you're looking at there on the screen. There are sort of punched out lesions. That's in somebody's skull, but that can develop just about anywhere in the body and that's often what takes people to the hospital on the first place.

MORGAN: Deborah Norville, and Tom's obviously, and he's legend in America and you're a colleague of his for a long time. And most surprising I guess to you are people to know him well, he just carried on working as if nothing is happening. He was diagnosed back in August last summer. What do you make of the way that he had responded to this?

DEBORAH NORVILLE, HOST, INSIDE EDITION: It's typical Brokaw, I mean, I think there's so many of us -- I'll put myself on the first of the list, people who are grateful to Tom. My crew wouldn't have advanced if Tom Brokaw had not been a champion of mine back in my NBC days. So, I send him a lot of love and my prayers and my best wishes. And I'm in this unusual position because I am on the honorary board of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. I've been a part of this organization since it's beginning in the 1998.

And my message to Tom and my message to anyone who has a family member or themselves are suffering from this particular form of cancer is, if you have to get cancer and if you have to get multiple myeloma, God bless you forgetting it today as opposed to 10 years ago. When I first got involved with this particular disease, diagnosis to death was estimated at max three years.

Today, thanks to the research that's been done by this organization. There are now six drugs that are being used to treat myeloma as opposed to zero drugs that were in existence 15 years ago. There is so much reason to believe that Tom Brokaw will do exactly what he pledged in his statement today and that is live a long and successful life despite having been diagnosed with this disease.

MORGAN: Well, we've got a statement here and Tom Brokaw's said this "With the exceptional support of my family, medical team and friends, I am very optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing my life, my work and adventures still to come. I remain the luckiest guy I know. I am very grateful for the interest in my condition but I also hope everyone understands I wish this to remain a private matter.

Sanjay, I mean, he's carried on working. Well, I see him regularly all over the place for NBC in the last six, seven months.

Is that how you would recommend someone to do with this or is that typical Tom Brokaw just testing himself down and getting on with it.

GUPTA: Probably a combination of both Piers, you know, I mean, certainly, it depends what stage cancer he has here. I mean, there's certainly people who can carry on pretty well especially if it's quite an early stage as Deborah was just alluding too. But, you know, the typical sort of symptoms besides the back pain which I mentioned or boney pain, people can often feel tired because they don't have enough red blood cells in the body as a result of this cancer. So, it's probably a combination of both he is certainly pretty dogged. He is pretty determined. But he -- this may be caught (ph) at an earlier stage which will be a very good prognosis for him, better prognosis.

MORGAN: And Deborah, for people who don't know Tom as well as you do, what kind of man is he?

NORVILLE: Oh God, he is the best. He is insatiably curious. So I'm sure the first thing Tom did when his doctor showed this diagnosis with him was turned into a reporter and learned everything he could about it. And I know he reached out to all the right people in the myeloma community and find out the good news that there is a lot going on with regard to treatment in this disease.

He is also someone who is, you know, despite the fact that he's been a television anchorman for all these many years, he's not someone who likes to have the spotlight on him. It's one thing to be sitting on the news desk, as we all are right now, sharing information with other people. It's a service you do to other people. It wasn't about Tom being on the set being the famous guy that everybody knew from NBC News.

So, I think in that regard, he probably loads the fact that this has finally become public, all these months after he's been dealing with it privately. But he will do what he always does which is a soldier on. Be the graceful, elegant man who lives in gratitude as he expressed in that statement that you shared. And honestly, that's going to be really, really important for him as he goes through this treatment process.

There's every reason to believe that Tom will be able to beat this. There are so much good work being going on right now. And in fact, it was -- a few months ago, I was speaking to the head of our Scientific Committee at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation who said to me that he believes in the very near future, it is quite possible that myeloma will be regarded as a chronic disease and much the same way that diabetes is regarded as a chronic disease. So, that's certainly something that Tom Brokaw and anyone else who is facing this disease should take heart in hearing.

MORGAN: And Sanjay, I had some on this show not so long ago. He is an indomitable figure. Absolute legend of the news game and anyone like us who works in this business reveres him. And these facts on multiple myeloma, quite interesting, in the United States in 2014 to be 24,050 new cases, about 11,000 people who died from it in the last year. I guess obvious benefit to come out of all this and Tom will be as keenly aware of this as we are is that he will bring huge attention by revealing this to multiple myeloma and that will surely are the things Sanjay be helpful for other people.

GUPTA: Yeah. I think there's no question. Look, I mean, you can trace what the line when attention is drawn to a particular disease, the type of research funding, and the type awareness that comes as a result of that. And I think certainly, he will be no different. As again Deborah was just pointing out, even over the last few years, short (ph) of Tom Brokaw's attention to this.

There's been a lot of progress with multiple myeloma that sort of trick to this is to be able to kill those cells, those cancerous cells and recognize that some other cells are going to die as a result of that. The red blood cells, white blood cells that you need in your body, and then to be able to repopulate your bone marrow sort of taking out the bad stuff on your bone marrow and leaving in the good stuff and that's what some of these drugs have become much better at. They also do things like stem cell transplants as part of the treatment for multiple myeloma. And then maybe something that may be an option for him as well if he needs it.

MORGAN: Well, certainly everyone here of this show and every show in CNN wishes Tom all the very best for a full recovery.

Deborah, I want to point out, you're an honorary member of board of the directors to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, for more information on this, please go to www.themmrf.org which is it will show up as well. And Sanjay, always good to talk to you as well.

GUPTA: Right.

MORGAN: Thank you both very much indeed for joining me.

NORVILLE: Thank you.

GUPTA: Thank you Piers.

MORGAN: Coming up, the Hillary Papers, we'll have private talk (ph) to a friend damage for humans (ph) and plus to run in 2016. Well, Ann Coulter is here. She has a lot to say about the Soviet (ph) and I can imagine. There she is, looking almost normal at last.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: A big night to the white house tonight. The first state dinner in almost two years. This is one for French President Francois Hollande being greeted here by President Obama and the first lady, others at the dinner included Bradley Cooper, Stephen Colbert, star of the Colbert Report, and star of the Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The Entertainment Tonight, Ms. Mary Jane Blige, and proving the show goes on in Washington despite the scandal on President Hollande's personal life back home.

And speaking of scandals in the politics, movie scandals in the past return to hunt Hillary Clinton, if she decides to run again. Well, what was the Hillary Papers mean in 2016?

Joining me now to talk about all this is Ann Coulter, author of "Never Trust a Liberal Over 3-Especially a Republican," title always makes me smirk. Ann, welcome back.

ANN COULTER, AUTHOR, "NEVER TRUST A LIBERAL OVER 3-ESPECIALLY A REPUBLICAN": Thank you. Good to be here.

MORGAN: You're coming almost a regular guest.

COULTER: I know. You're not going to be able to get rid of me. I love to be in the Green Room.

MORGAN: You know, quite a scary to my staff now is when you first bounded in here. And let's talk about Hillary Clinton. So, these fascinating papers in many ways come out from Diane Blair, her great friend. Document is showing a lot about the relationship between Hillary and Bill at the time of Bill-Lewinsky scandal. What did you make of it?

COULTER: I was always surprised that liberals are being surprised. I mean, it seems so obvious from the beginning certainly to people like me when she was accusing a vast right wing conspiracy of being behind this whole thing. You know, I kept thinking that doesn't everyone see that she's lying? Doesn't everyone see that he's lying? And then enough of this already came out. I don't know that this is particularly revealing now other than to -- I don't know I guess a few more -- a few of the last die hard Clinton supporters, or people who had forgotten about it.

MORGAN: Well, that's the key think, I think, is that if she's going to run in 2016, everyone assumes she will. The big question becomes, does any of this stuff involving Bill and his indiscretions in the past, 16 years ago or more, does any of that have any real impact on her? Specifically now because Rand Paul thinks it does. He said this. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL, (R) KENTUCKY: If they want to take a position on women's rights by all means do. But you can't do it and take it from a guy who is using his position of authority to take advantage of young woman in the work place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Now, that's a very deliberate calculated position that Rand Paul has taken to say, right, I'm going to muddy the waters to Hillary Clinton now for the next two years by banging on and on and on about Bill-Monica Lewinsky and all that kind of thing. Is it a clever tactic?

COULTER: Oh absolutely. And I think it's more than limited to just undermining Hillary. It's undermining this entire idea of the Republican war on women. I mean, it's not just Bill Clinton, though that was spectacular. There's Teddy Kennedy, there's John Edwards, there's this San Diego mayor that was just gotten rid of. There's Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner. I mean, it goes on and on. And then to turn around and say, "Oh, but because you Republicans don't support abortion rights you hate women?" Wait a second, can we look at your cast of characters here.

And moreover what I think is particularly revealing and thought so at the time about what Hillary Clinton and a lot of these feminists had to say about Bill Clinton, I mean, at the time Gloria Steinem wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times defending Bill Clinton for molesting Monica Lewinsky, on the grounds that -- sorry the Paula Jones case. Because when he dropped his pants and said "kiss it" in a hotel room, a smooth Carey grant move, he took no for an answer. So, you know, now the position of the National Organization of Women is you get one free grope and then oh well, if it doesn't go over well, as long as you back off. It shows that...

MORGAN: OK, Look, this is all very salacious. And this is what Rand Paul wants us to be thinking.

COULTER: I think he's isn't silly though as opposed...

MORGAN: No, no, I didn't say silly...

COULTER: OK.

MORGAN: ... I said it's salacious.

COULTER: Oh, salacious.

MORGAN: And Rand Paul wants us to think about Hillary and Bill as a doublette in a salacious, slightly sleazy way, right? I just wonder if the American people really want to go over all this. Bill Clinton's ratings have never been more popular. They all seem to have moved on. Could it not backfire for Rand Paul?

COULTER: I don't think so.

MORGAN: Come on, don't attack the woman through her husband.

COULTER: I don't think so. I mean, for one thing, I mean, it does show, I think the author aggressive hypocrisy and really tyranny of the feminist movement. So, in other words, you have all these rules for sexual harassment and workplace behavior. And if it's someone we don't like and he calls his secretary honey, oh then we are taking him to the cleaners. But if it's someone we like because he has protected abortion rights then that's -- well, that isn't a rule or that is just -- that is just a way of punishing your enemies. And I think it's worth pointing that out.

And the thinks Hillary said about Bob Packwood, a very liberal Republican sort that doesn't exist anymore, who did molesting girls on the hill for assistants and so on for years. And liberals had to slide because they needed his vote. There's a quote in these papers at first saying, "Oh, I don't care about all these whiny women, I need Packwood on healthcare.

This is your concern for woman? And ask forward, if the public are tired of this, people like to claim to be tired of it the same way, people want to claim they're watching the History Channel, I mean, they're really watching American Idol. What are we talking about here tonight?

MORGAN: And tell me this. How do the right deal with the inarguable fact that abortion levels are falling in America and the primary reason for this is increased awareness in use of contraception?

COULTER: I don't think that's true.

MORGAN: It is true. It's an undeniable fact.

COULTER: No. I mean, it could be happening simultaneously. But if you look at the more dramatic increase was when -- I mean million years ago.

MORGAN: But I'm talking about right now.

COULTER: No, no, no, but, please.

MORGAN: This is actually happening. This is an incontrovertible fact.

COULTER: You're talking about a correlation.

MORGAN: I wonder how do you do with ideologically.

COULTER: I don't think it's true.

MORGAN: It is true. The abortion rate is falling...

COULTER: No, you are...

MORGAN: ... and people in the expert areas around these, saves down to increased...

COULTER: But as a statistical matter.

MORGAN: ... awareness and use of contraceptives...

COULTER: They can say whatever they want to.

MORGAN: How do you on the right handle that situation?

COULTER: I'm going to explain why this is not true now. And it is not true because wonder pill was first introduced, suddenly abortions go through the roof. Illegitimate...

MORGAN: I'm not talking about decades ago. I'm talking about now.

COULTER: I know some tiny little increase or decrease it's also gone up with, you know...

MORGAN: No, no there is a genuine pattern somewhere (ph).

COULTER: No, it's gone...

MORGAN: And the two things that...

COULTER: It's gone down with the global warming.

MORGAN: The two things are linked in part of the reason why this is exception (ph) to the war of women from the right is the refusal to accept the bleeding obvious.

COULTER: It is so not because kids don't know how to put a condom on and oh, if they only had a free condom. It's the contrary...

MORGAN: No actually it is.

COULTER: No it isn't.

MORGAN: Actually it is. Where you can statistically prove that there's more awareness...

COULTER: You can't statistically prove it. You have some teeny little correlation

MORGAN: You can see that more contraception is being sold and being used. And he knows there are risk...

COULTER: Right, therefore...

MORGAN: ... abortion rates are coming down.

COULTER: No, no, no, but it is...

MORGAN: It is inarguable.

COULTER: It is -- no, it can inarguable. The truth ...

MORGAN: But you're pretending (ph) it's not true but it's different.

COULTER: ... or coming at the same time to claim that one caused the other, takes a lot more evidence than what you have. I mean, a lot of things -- maybe Obama being president has caused woman not to have abortions because they're so happy they love the first black president. There's no prove that one (inaudible) to the other.

MORGAN: Do you think it's good that more American women are using contraceptive?

COULTER: There is proof.

MORGAN: Do you think it's good?

COULTER: There is proof that with the greater availability of contraception and the greater availability of abortion, there will be more illegitimacy. There will be more abortion.

MORGAN: Are you against...

COULTER: If you look at it over decades as opposed to one or two years.

MORGAN: Are you against then more American women using contraceptions in a responsible manner?

COULTER: I don't really care. I just don't want to pay for it.

MORGAN: You don't care?

COULTER: I mean, I don't know. I never really thought about it.

MORGAN: From the single biggest health issues women in the world, why wouldn't you care?

COULTER: Because I'm fascinated with the debt ceiling. And I haven't had time to think about contraceptives.

MORGAN: Yes. See, I've thought you know. You haven't really given us much thought. You're blabbing (ph) the way, your normal way.

COULTER: Well, I suppose...

MORGAN: Well now, I'm putting you on the spot, are you in favor of it or not?

COULTER: I'm opposed to promise you (ph) (inaudible) but you don't clarify that, so...

MORGAN: Just asked my question (ph).

COULTER: ... I'm assuming you're talking about marry (ph) a women here and I don't really care if they used contraception.

MORGAN: I didn't say marry (ph), I mean, women generally. Isn't a good thing for America that more women are using contraception in a responsible way?

COULTER: It's not that responsible. If we have a two million abortion a year...

MORGAN: If the abortion rate is falling at the same time.

COULTER: But is not connected. I've explained this eight billion times.

MORGAN: But the experts say it is connected.

COULTER: They can say whatever they want.

MORGAN: And I've explained that twice.

COULTER: The experts say that if I use, you now, hair spray, I'm going to warm-up the planet. A lot of experts are idiot.

MORGAN: So you simply don't believe that there's any...

COULTER: I have told you that the more significant evidence is when the pill was first introduced. That was massive contraception. I mean, women went from not being able to reliably prevent a pregnancy. And when the pill was introduced, illegitimacy rates more than quadrupled. You were talking about a fall of like 2 percent. That was a correlation, it's not causation to the extent there are...

MORGAN: Are you telling that any...

COULTER: ... statistics that can prove (inaudible).

MORGAN: You don't think that any fall is a good thing?

COULTER: I don't think what?

MORGAN: Any fall is a good thing.

COULTER: Fall?

MORGAN: In the number of abortions.

COULTER: I love falls. I prefer spring. I don't know what you mean.

MORGAN: (Inaudible) issues. Is a fall in the abortion...

COULTER: Oh, in abortion.

MORGAN: ... rates is always good thing. Why shouldn't you just...

COULTER: Of course, it is.

MORGAN: ... congratulate those responsible for bringing the numbers down? That's what you like.

COULTER: Look, how does you keep assuming facts not in evidence.

MORGAN: No, I am curious.

COULTER: It is not the case that the availability of condoms brought down the rate of abortion.

MORGAN: But I'm curious...

COULTER: It's not that hard to figure out how to use a condom.

MORGAN: I am curious about the ideological position that the right way would take. If it is a demonstrable fact that...

COULTER: But is it...

MORGAN: ... the rate of abortions is falling and the main reasons is that use of contraception is increasing.

COULTER: OK. I'm going to pull the camera man because I think they understand what I'm saying. How many times we have to go through this. You were assuming facts not an evidence. Listen...

MORGAN: But you said, you assume saw (ph) me eight million times is not true. I said three times.

(CROSSTALK)

COULTER: No, you have described a correlation not causation.

MORGAN: And what? I don't even understand what you just said.

COULTER: The cap (inaudible) and then the sun came up, therefore, the cap growing caused the godson (ph) to come up. No, that does not follow. I mean, if two things happen at the same time, it doesn't mean one caused to the other (ph).

MORGAN: But just have to clarify, you don't think there can be any link between the increased use of contraceptions and...

COULTER: ... overwhelming evidence lose (ph) the opposite.

MORGAN: ... the reduction in the rates of abortion.

COULTER: No, the evidence proves the exact opposite. You were looking at such tiny incremental...

MORGAN: And pretty the exact opposite, just to clarify.

COULTER: Yes, because if you look at it over decades as opposed to one year to one year...

MORGAN: OK.

COULTER: ... but a very slight decrease.

MORGAN: It freeze (ph) the exact opposite. On that note, it's been lovely to see you again. And see you again. So, you love (ph) shake hands, do you? Probably got wise on my (inaudible). Ann Coulter, always a delight.

Coming up next, legendary actor and current Oscar nominee, Bruce Dern. He is in the Green Room together with my next tonight, Bubba Watson. (Inaudible) even listening. They can't hear me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORTE: Why did you have us?

DERN: Because I like this girl and your mother is a catholic. So, you figured it out.

FORTE: So, you and mom never actually talked about whether you want kids or not?

DERN: Oh, I figured out if we kept on scrum (ph), we'd end up with a couple of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Legendary actor Bruce Dern, his Oscar nominated lead role in "Nebraska." Despite of his roles of 80 featured films, it wasn't until 35 years of his first Oscar nomination. Age of 77 when Bruce landed the role of a lifetime which has owned him, not just Oscar recognition, also nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, and Golden Globes as well. Bruce Dern is in the chair with me tonight. It's such an honor to be on so many movies that you're in. And there's this great phrase that your great friend Jack Nicholson used to, the Dernizons (ph) I think he calls it.

BRUCE DERN, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE FOR "NEBRASKA": Dernzies (ph)

MORGAN: Dernzies (ph). The Dernzies (ph) where you are basically steal every moment of your own.

DERN: Oh, you don't steal. You're trying embroidered to enhance the breath (ph) of the characters if you will.

MORGAN: You steal it. How do you feel, I mean, what a moment for you after 80 movies to finally get nominee for a lead role?

DERN: Well, the biggest when I've had in this whole process is that Alexander Payne invited me to come on down...

MORGAN: Right.

DERN: and play the role.

MORGAN: Right. Because it was nine years in the making.

DERN: Yeah. And 10 by now and he didn't want to make to wrote movies in a row, so he was starting side ways. So he made that. And just after I got the script, then he went made "The Descendants" in Hawaii and then he made this. And I think the two problems were basically I was kind of a mid range problem because now a lot of people wanted Bruce Lee (ph) from Connecticut to be in there and the other was black and white. Big, big problem getting it made black and white.

MORGAN: I could ask you, because in the movie there's a name checked (ph) Tom Brokaw. I mean, just discussed the revelation that he's come out where did he just got this cancer. You know Tom well. What was your reaction when you heard about this?

DERN: Well, he is a prince as far as I'm concerned. Always has been followed to the legends in a business in Huntley and Brinkley and his wife is a marathon runner and I talked to her a lot of time about, you know, what should he's going to do training, and everything like that. And Tom is kind of like you before you were doing what you're doing. He gets it all and he sees it all. And that's what you're brilliant at and that's what he's brilliant at.

MORGAN: Well, it's not.

DERN: When he comes into your home, he is not on view on your home. You guys come into our homes. That's a gift.

MORGAN: Yeah. And he is certainly one of the great news broadcasters, I would say. This is a strength to him and his personality and his character which I was thought came over not just in his broadcast but the pieces that he would do in vacation and almost everything he did. He has that stoppable (ph) authority which is good in a ray (ph) I think isn't it?

DERN: Well, the best I ever saw had done, and you know, he wasn't really a newscaster when I was young, was (inaudible)

MORGAN: Yeah.

DERN: I mean, he just made you think, you were in the covered wagons.

MORGAN: Yeah.

DERN: Or you were -- wherever you were and he was so graceful and it just had made us think he was interested in everything. And knew about everything and I never got to meet him but I watch on those every week he was on, you know.

MORGAN: And no surprise to you that surprise that Tom would just carry on working throughout all of this I guess. Is that very typical of the man that you know?

DERN: I'm sorry?

MORGAN: No surprise to you that Tom Brokaw has carried a on working despite having been diagnosed. He just carried on like nothing's happened.

DERN: Absolutely. I mean he'll ...

MORGAN: That's why (ph)?

DERN: He's just, you know, every now and then you're around across (inaudible) one.

MORGAN: The other very sad news today for everyone in Hollywood and movies. Shirley Temple died in her 80s had an extraordinary life and was child superstar but then there's so much more with her life helping people all around the world, did you ever meet Shirley? Did you know her at all?

DERN: No. I think I was in a room one time, I don't know why but one actress came to Hollywood, Ronald Reagan was -- had a screen actress with him and that was during the time that everything was trying to get residuals and there were no residuals. And she was very helpful in that era. I didn't meet her then, I think she was an ambassador by then and Shirley Temple Black was at that (inaudible) and just the fact that she could be as enormous as she was. And then go on around the world and share what she could do with everybody and try to bring folks like this that's cool.

MORGAN: Yeah, I saw someone tweeting today that it was just if ever the phrase "A life well lived was appropriate, Shirley Temple would a person that would qualify for that.

DERN: Absolutely.

MORGAN: A sad day but an amazing life. The first line in your IMD-BD bio says, Bruce Dern established himself as the movie premier heavy, play sociopath psychotics and just playing criminals. What did you feel about that?

DERN: I'll buy that? I'll just say, you know, I'm from Winnetka, Illinois went to high school (inaudible) which is outside of Chicago and when I became an actor, I became kind of persona non grata and I had artist in my family Archibald MacLeish is my uncles (inaudible) surprises a poet. My grandfather Dern was a the first non Mormon Governor of Utah and the secretary of war and Roosevelt's first governor ...

MORGAN: Yeah.

DERN: ... and I had to raise my hand ...

MORGAN: And you to a daughter that became actor as well?

DERN: Absolutely.

MORGAN: Laura, an Oscar nominee and fabulous actors.

DERN: Yeah.

MORGAN: So it runs in the family all this talent.

DERN: Well it runs in the family and my family but the family before mine didn't run quite so well. And therefore when I became -- from seven to 17 at my dinner table I have to raise my hand to be called on that's ...

MORGAN: You also, I think in your early acting career you've got that (inaudible) and sometimes you weren't even allowed out to do a final curtain call for the audience because anyone who kill (inaudible) the mystery of you still dead on stage, right?

DERN: The first play I was ever in was directed Mr. (inaudible) and it was called The Shadow of a Gunman it was on Sean O'Casey on Broadway and the first time the act of studio ever did a play on Broadway. And I undergone under contract to Mr. Kazan, he had kind of five us, he had Rip Torn, Pat Engel, (inaudible) and myself and I was kind of like the kid in the group.

And then the play, I have a little scene in the play and then I'm not in the second act and the night that we were going to open (inaudible) to leave that, you know, "You didn't stage a curtain call." and he says "Oh my God, OK, you come out, you come out." As soon as he went around to everybody and at the end, he hadn't said anything to me. And I said, "Mr. (inaudible), you didn't call my name." He said, "This is correct for us (ph) because you'll die in the play." And when they go home on the subway or in their cars, or on the bus, "I want them to think -- I want they should think that you'll really die".

MORGAN: Since you win the Oscar, will you think of that guy? When, you know, you didn't get the curtain call then and now you're going to win an Oscar, I mean a good moment, right?

DERN: Fabulous. MORGAN: Let's take a short break, when we come back and talk, you know everybody in Hollywood Jack Nicholson is one of your great friends and you've worked with all the greats. I want to talk about movies and Hollywood greats with you.

DERN: OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You miserable (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Load (ph) up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop. You son of a (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go to hell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn around. I want you to see this coming. I said stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Bruce Dern in the 72 film The Cowboys when he famously and killed John Wayne's character.

Bruce Dern is back and In The Chair. What a moment for you. Is it true, John Wayne said to you, they're going to hate you for this?

DERN: He said to me about four inches in the wild (inaudible) one on one and about eight in the morning. That he leaned in me because he never had bullet vest put on before because no one had shot him but now he had to have that look like bullets for that. And he leaned in me and he just on the -- the big -- he was the only guy ever on the cover of playboy and then just until 18 inch magazine article about him, where he trashed everything in America just everything he could. And so he leaned into me and he said "How they're going to hate you for this"

MORGAN: And did they?

DERN: and I said -- maybe and we got in Berkley I'm a GD (ph) hero.

MORGAN: And when you went out in the streets afterwards after he was ...

DERN: And still today.

MORGAN: Even now?

DERN: Even in England when we went there and Gatsby was shot a lot of it I mean the Gatsby we were in and we shot a lot time with it and I run everyday. So I would run and I would go over and run at the police barracks, there were banister and chat (ph) away broke the foreman ... MORGAN: Right. Right, I know it well.

DERN: ... was the Paddington.

MORGAN: Paddington, yes.

DERN: Paddington (inaudible).

MORGAN: Yeah.

DERN: And I would run there and even --there a guy who'd come after me and he says, "You know, worst in American, you killed our buddy?" You know, I said, "Hey bud listen, listen. Get over it. He died of cancer from smoking too many cigarettes. Don't blame it on me." They didn't want to get over it.

MORGAN: Now, you are (inaudible) for Jack Nicholson, all right. This is fame list and yet you have never had an alcohol drink or even a coffee in your life, is that true?

DERN: I've never had a cigarette, never had a cup of coffee, never had a drink, however, I did miss a decade to Vicodin.

MORGAN: To Vicodin?.

DERN: I miss the 90s. I mean ...

MORGAN: So you were the Dr. House really in the movie ...

DERN: I ran everyday. Well I had -- I had two shoulders that were torn rotator cuffs and I'm not going to throw (ph) 100 miles an hour ever so I did never have them fixed and it hurt.

So, I've build up to a really insane amount of Vicodin a day for a decade.

MORGAN: I proper addition.

DERN: At the end I stopped, yeah.

MORGAN: Did you watch House? The TV show with a doctor who was addicted to Vicodin?

DERN: No. I don't.

MORGAN: Huge Laurie?

DERN: No. I know who it is. The guy with the cane.

MORGAN: Right. He was addicted to Vicodin too.

DERN: Yeah. He was a good actor or he was.

MORGAN: But he's still a good actor really he isn't at House anymore.

You would. Its amazing listers Kurt Douglas, Robert Redford, Jason Robards, Sinatra, Peter Fonda, Charlton Heston, Clint Eastwood, Walter Mathau, Ryan O'Niel and Jack, as I've said there. Who was the best? Who was the greatest actor? The one you personally thought.

DERN: Jack Nicholson.

MORGAN: Yeah. He's my favorite. Why from your perspective?

DERN: The immediacy of his response time and I have always thought one thing that I insist on and if the actors won't do it, you just find a way to get them to do it by the way you talk to them and deal with them in the scene immediately. An actor has got to look me in the eye.

Jack Nicholson looked me in the eye like that and we've got a bond. And he just have a little bling in my pocket that he gave me last Tuesday for good luck for this year that I carry on with me. It's a solid gold coin.

And he is cool. And he just -- we always got it we've done. I don't know now, 53 years ago there is something like that. And I got him one day on something. I just come back from Gatsby and I'm going back to England. It was the year that Sunderland won the cup.

MORGAN: Wow. It's the fact that you know so much about soccer.

DERN: But weren't they a fourth division team?

MORGAN: Yeah. But they were like second division but they should never who won the cup.

DERN: No. I don't want to take that and he said "I was looking at you while you watch soccer all the time. You're a Chelsea fan." He says, "I been to London". He says, "They're not staying in the Chelsea hotel or in the village ... he'd say, "... if he flew back." So it's Chelsea like that was the town named after that hotel and I said, "No." but and he wondered where Sunderland was and I said, "Well, it's way in West Iowa."

MORGAN: When you with your daughter who is a fabulous actress.

DERN: Yes, she is.

MORGAN: Do you talk movies? The craft of making movies, the technique?

DERN: Since she was nine years old. Actually, her mother Diann Ladd and my self and Laura are the only family in the history of the business that all have stars on Hollywood Boulevard that mother, father, and child, other families they're not mother, father, child.

And so Laura was brought up and my wife Andrea is a fabulous movie buff from 1928 to 1950. There is not I mean, you know, she'll give you -- we started playing trivia and not just very well with the folks that really know how do it and she started to tell, "We'll give me three (inaudible) moment."

My God, it's just ...

MORGAN: Well, your romantic history is (inaudible) because you were married for the first time for two years, second time for nine years, third marriage 43 years so you would say from the law of statistics. You slowly worked it out.

DERN: Well, let's put at this way. My wife is from North Dakota. I went over one time to meet a guy in your country named John Fells (ph) because I run long, long distances. John Fells (ph) was a sheep herder and he live in the Lake District and he used to run, you know, all day long and so I went over to meet him and talk to him and something like that.

He was crazy. And I'm crazy. I mean, you know, we started running long stuff and I went over in 1968 and to run a long (inaudible) and somebody said, "Well that's a pretty flat course."

MORGAN: For 60 Miles.

DERN: Yeah, around 52 anyway. So you started Elephant and Castle and we run all the way down and they said, "Well, it's a flat course." but it wasn't flat. But when I remembered David Lynch (ph) and he's a friend of mine who was a great first assistance in England and it was David Lynch's first assistance. And as we approach right, we went around past the garage and on the garage is a worst graffiti I've ever seen my life.

And when David rode the course with me later on and I said, "What is up with this. This is the worst I've seen." He said, "What do you mean what's up with it. Look at the name of the garage." I said, "Bernetti's (ph) garage." He said, "He left three goals in against Germany and Mexico City." And he is a guy I've had replaced Gordon Banks.

MORGAN: He was the England goal keeper. He was ...

DERN: And Chelsea was ...

MORGAN: Only you and I are probably still enjoying this anecdote because we're football fans.

DERN: We love it, you know why? The world cup is opera.

MORGAN: Yeah. It is.

DERN: And it is opera because the first round is, you know, actually ...

MORGAN: We should go to a game. We should watch a game. We'll watch a game together.

DERN: I'm in there.

MORGAN: I'll watch the World Cup with you, how about that?

DERN: I'm there. Bruce, I can talk to you all night. You're a fascinating guy. I'm so thrilled you've got this great accolade.

DERN: Thank you.

MORGAN: I wish you all the very best at the Oscars

DERN: Thank you.

MORGAN: I'm doing the Red Carpet here at CNN so I'll see you on the day.

DERN: Absolutely.

MORGAN: And we'll have a chat. And best of luck. Lovely to see you.

DERN: Thank you Piers. You're wonderful on what you do.

MORGAN: I appreciate you come in. It's a great honor for me. Thank you.

Coming up, one of today's greatest golfers. Remember that quote "What will Bubba Watson will say?". He is a pretty naughty boy and he's here next. There he is trying to behave himself. It wouldn't last.

DERN: You mean, I was sitting next to Bubba Watson?

MORGAN: Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: So, here's a question for you. Who was the last man to win the green jacket in the Master's before at Augusta National opened his doors to female and men? The answer? 2012 Master Champion Bubba Watson. And his with me now and the great thing about this is you're not here to plug anything you're just here because you want to be here.

BUBBA WATSON, MASTER CHAMPION: I'm just a huge fan of yours.

MORGAN: The other great thing about you is that you've been sitting in that green room for about half an hour earlier with Bruce Dern. Now, he is the one most famous movies stars in history. You're one of the most famous golfers in America. You both sat there for 30 minutes without having a clue who each of you were. And in fact Bruce as he left and saw you walking he went, "Not that Bubba Watson."

Because you just said you were called Bubba right? And you have no idea it was Bruce Dern. So how do you feel now you know you were next to this legend?

WATSON: Well, now I feel great, you know, I got to met him so but, you know, when hearing the story and listen to you all talk back there, I mean you learn a lot about a person and you could see that he was a big sports fan.

MORGAN: Right.

WATSON: For me, it's hard to be of sports fan like that is pretty neat.

MORGAN: Are you into movies, the Oscar's? When you were in Hollywood at the moment it's like everyone's talking about this event coming.

WATSON: I'm being into action and comedies, you know, I love the comedy and but I like your show I love comedies and I ...

MORGAN: It's not a comedy show, Bubba.

WATSON: Sorry.

MORGAN: It's serious program.

WATSON: All right. I thought that's I was here.

MORGAN: How many laughs are you getting out of all this?

WATSON: Pretty, pretty good I think the first couple of segments were very good.

MORGAN: Well, Ann Coulter's comedy actually.

WATSON: Yes, exactly. So -- but no, you know, the action movies really get me and keeps that me focused on what I'm supposed to be doing at the movies, you know, watch the movie as I fall asleep so.

MORGAN: How has being the master's champion changed your life?

WATSON: It's wild, you know.

MORGAN: Does it change everything?

WATSON: It changed everything, you know, when you step on the golf course now people expect you to play good. There's a bigger crowds around your group. But you know the charity dollars you can raise is really what changes your platform, goes up a level or couple of levels. And you can raise some charity dollars if you really put your mind to it.

MORGAN: Any down sides to the fame that's come with it for you?

WATSON: Yeah, everybody expects you to play good so that's means ...

MORGAN: So that's like an extra pressure.

WATSON: Right. So you can go both ways. When you're playing good you're always on the press. And when you're playing bad you're always in the press too I guess but yes so there's always pressure. And you expect more out of yourself you want to up there around the lead going into Sunday and all the tournaments now and so you have to learn that it's not going to happen every week. So you have to learn to deal with that a little bit.

MORGAN: No wins since the master's in 2012 but ...

WATSON: Thank you. Thank you for that. MORGAN: I just want you to remind of that.

WATSON: Yeah.

MORGAN: And so close to the Super Bowl Sunday at the Phoenix Waste Management Open, one of the great titles in world sport and how do you feel when you (inaudible) when someone called the waste management open?

WATSON: Well, I feel like I have a chance if everybody else is getting wasted like that.

MORGAN: But you lost at the 18th hole to Kevin Stadler but it's quite a nice little twist to this because the fact that he won means that he and Craig Stadler will be the first son and father to play in the master's together which is quite special.

WATSON: Yeah, it's pretty neat. You know, knowing them I know both of them quite well, I've been around them a lot, and getting to see that, getting to be part of that, getting to watch that and the rumor is that his dad is going to step away from the master's after this event because it's them two playing together.

MORGAN: Amazing moment.

WATSON: Yeah, that be amazing thing to see.

MORGAN: And talking of fathers and sons. We got a bit of footage here of young Caleb Watson. Who wasn't even born when I first to interviewed you ...

WATSON: Go ahead.

MORGAN: He's going to be two next week and here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Nice. Yehey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Is that swing better than yours or is that?

MORGAN: I've slightly worried he's got a more natural rhythm to his swing, yeah. He looks like he can hold of a club there?

WATSON: Yeah for, you know, just watching me on TV and stuff and I've never said anything to him he just grabs the club and swings. It started with a broom in the house and now he's moved to golf club. It's fun.

MORGAN: Do you ever wish you've done anything else in life or you just still love getting up and playing golf all day?

WATSON: I loved playing golf because it's always different it always something new and I just won my club championship last week in Scottsville so, you know, I still playing in the club tournaments at home. So it's just fun for me. I just loved it.

MORGAN: Let's take a short break and when we come back I want to know if you're making room in your closet for a second green jacket. And if so, how are you going to win it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: I'm back with the 2012 Masters Champion Bubba Watson is playing in the Northern Trust Open this weekend in Southern California.

So come on, when are you going to win again? And I have invested all my support in you. I'm imagining you're going to be the great new Tiger Woods threat that's going to just charge around winning every major.

WATSON: Well, I want other people to have a chance to see what it feels like that's what I'm going with. You know, I want everybody put that green jacket on and see how it feels.

MORGAN: Do you watch the Olympics? Are you into the Sochi stuff at the moment?

WATSON: I've watched a few things but it's so political. It used to be about athletes and great athletes. I don't care what race, what background, I don't care what they do, just let it be about sports and now it's about politics which is sad.

MORGAN: What do you make of the debate over the young college football player who's come out as gay and already the reaction from many people in the NFL has being quite "Oh dear" you know, "I don't want to have to be having a shower with him." kind of none sense? What do you think of that?

WATSON: You know, it's sad that somebody has to feel they have to come out, like just be who you are. If that's what you want to do if -- then be who you are. Why do you have to have a big parade or stage and come out? Like, I don't understand it. But again, I've never been gay so I don't know what it feels like. I don't know what the pressure is.

MORGAN: Yeah, but Boy George, I've had him last night, was similar about that. He actually felt the same. That people should if they want to but if they don't really want to, no one should feel compelled to come out.

WATSON: Right. I don't believe you should. I mean, but again, I've never had that feeling so I don't know what it feels like but, yeah, I don't see why we were putting them on a pedestal and an inspiration when they're just people like me and you, you know, trying to make a dollar and have a good living here on earth, you know, so ...

MORGAN: Unfortunately, you're making more dollars than me.

WATSON: Well, we can switch jobs. It'd be more fun for me.

MORGAN: I would love to play golf.

WATSON: I wouldn't be as nervous in your chair than I am making a three-foot play.

MORGAN: Bubba, it's great to see you. Best of luck in the Masters in a couple months of time, I'll be willing you on as always. Great that it just popped in to say that I really appreciate it.

WATSON: Well, thank you for having me. Thank you.

MORGAN: Send Kelly (ph) my best and he's looking a very promising prospect for the future. Bubba Watson, always good to have him.

That's all for us tonight.

Anderson Copper starts right now.