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Emma Myles and Lea DeLaria are Interviewed about the Strike; Alabama Woman Returns Home after Disappearance; Don Garber is Interviewed about Messi in the MLS. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired July 17, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: You're a kid, you have this idea, once I'm on something that people actually see, I'll be rich. And you'll look around after being on that hit show and you're like, wow, I'm still in the same one-bedroom apartment. Was this how it's supposed to be? Now Emma Myles and Lea DeLaria join me now.

Emma, can you explain to the audience -- first of all, what are residual checks, right? What are they supposed to be? And what does that financially look like for you once you've been on a show like "Orange is the New Black"?

EMMA MYLES, ACTOR, "ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK": OK. Well, in terms of how our business works, residuals typically are paid out for network, cable, movies. And they're basically a share of the profits that come from the revenue, from being on a network. So, there's a lot of advertisement, there's a lot of money that comes with that.

So, the residuals for network is -- they're a lot, a lot higher. Like much higher. And we have certain bases in our contract that say that they have to be at a certain percentage. They have to be calculated that way.

Now, in terms of residuals for "Orange," we were not based off of network and cable. We were off -- we were based off of this new thing called streaming, which basically didn't exist when we started the show. So, the contract that we had reflected like webisodes and web series and things that were on YouTube and promotional videos. And the way that those residuals are calculated, we are actually not sure because for the millions upon millions of dollars in revenue that these companies, these streaming companies, particularly, are raking in, there's not really much of a kickback for any of the people involved on the creative side. So, for something like an episode of "Law & Order: SVU" that you would have gotten like a good, like, several thousand dollars from it re-airing on television, there's - you'd get about, I don't know, $20 for people to be able to watch "Orange," all five seasons of "Orange," in perpetuity.

PHILLIP: Right.

MYLES: And that's a pretty big discrepancy. PHILLIP: Yes. Yes. I mean the number of people watching on streaming

services is sort of like a black box. The streamers don't necessarily want transparency about that.

But, Lea, you said that there was this accidental moment of clarity from Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, because he compared "Orange is the New Black," which was a groundbreaking show in so many ways, to the other hit show, "Game of Thrones." What did that tell you?

LEA DELARIA, ACTOR, "ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK": Well, we were all at a party when Ted said that, that we were bigger than "Game of Thrones." And we were all - it was a -- you know, we were a very tight-knit cast. We hung out a lot. And we were all kind of hanging out together, and he made that statement. And it was a complete aha moment for everyone at that party. We all just looked at each other. And, of course, give me the money! Where's the money? I'm still -- I'm still living in my Bushwick (ph) apartment! Where's the money?

PHILLIP: I mean, it's a really good question.

Look, the stars, Emma, of "Orange is the New Black" were -- they really did become famous. And as you noted in your comments to "The New Yorker," when you're famous and people are stopping you on the street and you go home and you pick up that check and it says $20, what does that feel like?

MYLES: I mean, it feels like crap.

DELARIA: Well, you know - yes. Yesterday - yesterday, I'm in my building here, and I'm going - I'm walking into the elevator to go do my laundry. So, you know, my hair's in curlers and I'm wearing a bathrobe and you know what I mean, and there's a couple of guys in the elevator that are fixing the elevator and they immediately -- and not in a first language, right, they immediately start screaming -- they scream like teenage girls, two elevator repairmen, because they wanted to get a picture -- they wanted to get a picture with me. They wanted to get a picture with me. So -- and I'd love to be -- I'm always gracious to my fans. So is Emma. You know, without our fans, we'd be nothing. But it's kind of rough when I -- my last residual check came in June. It was for $20.27. And, like, you know, every time I have to stop and get my picture taken, that's 20 times a day, you know? It seems like first-world problems, but that's how famous we are, and we're making $20.27.

MYLES: Yes, well, there's - there's -

[08:35:00]

PHILLIP: Go ahead, Emma.

MYLES: Well, there's also - there's also like an attitude that comes, this idea that like we -- like in terms of the fans that can be really aggressive, because Lea's right, the fans are amazing for the most part, but there are those fans that are very aggressive. And they can - they can be like, well, I pay your salary. Like, I watch - I watch your show, so I'm entitled to whatever time I want to take from you, or, like, or a picture. And I'm just like, if you're responsible for my salary, we have some - we have some talking to do.

PHILLIP: And so - so, Emma, let's -- I want to start with you on this one. What -- how do you see this strike ending? Both sides are really dug in. The streamers are saying -- and the studios are saying, we can't afford to pay more. How does this end, Emma?

MYLES: I mean, they can afford to pay more. That's completely -- they're saying two different things. They're telling all of the actors and all of the writers and all of the creators that they don't have the money and meanwhile they're telling all of their shareholders that they're making more money than they ever have been. So, both things can't be true at the same time.

How do I see this ending? I mean I want it to end well. I think that we're not going to stop fighting until we get certain protections in place so that what happened to us on "Orange" can't happen to any other cast ever again. I mean we should be fairly compensated. They are making billions of dollars off of work that is being kind of shoved out into - into the universe and - and no one can support their livelihoods. I don't have health insurance.

PHILLIP: And, of course, there are the issues related to artificial intelligence. These are deep, difficult problems, but I'm just glad that both of you are so famous that people stop you on the streets, still, and demand photographs.

Emma Myles and Lea DeLaria, thank you so much.

DELARIA: I've rather have - I'd rather have insurance! I'd rather have insurance!

MYLES: I'd rather have - I'd rather have a bathtub!

PHILLIP: Fair enough. Fair enough. Thank you both very much.

MATTINGLY: All right, well, an Alabama woman who went missing for most of the weekend is back home, but not before an intense manhunt was launched. The questions police still cannot answer after receiving a call from the woman before she fell off the radar. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:41:23]

PHILLIP: After a frenzied 48-hour search effort for Carlee Russell, police in Alabama say she has returned home. Russell called 911 on Thursday when she saw a child on the state of the interstate highway. Then she called a family member who lost contact with her while the line was still open. Police arrived to the scene and found her car and some belongings. They even offered a $25,000 reward for any information.

Let's bring in now CNN's Ryan Young.

So, Ryan, what's the latest on this? Have police gotten any closer to finding out what actually happened here?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Abby, they're still trying to focus on the parts of this investigation, but let's focus on the great part here. Carlee Russell was found safe and sound when she showed up back at her parent's home.

This really was a mystery that had that entire part of the state wondering what happened to this young lady. You think about her frantic call to 911 saying a toddler was on the side of the road. And, of course, they did find some of her belongings and that car. And for hours there was search efforts, people were trying to find her. And then on Saturday, she showed up at her parent's home.

Now, they released a statement that in part says, look, my husband and I want to make this statement again, as we did last night. It's nothing more to add or take away from how we are feeling right now. God is faithful and he answered our prayers. We are so grateful to each of you for all the acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion you have shown.

So you understand the family is just so excited about the fact that she has returned home. But there are other questions. And the police department did say they're waiting for her to go to the hospital, to get evaluated. And at some point they're going to try to sit down and interview her and figure out exactly what happened because, of course, a lot of people have questions about not only where she was, but also what happened to that toddler.

So, Abby, just a lot of questions. But at this point, the great part of this news is that she was found safe.

PHILLIP: Yes, it is good news. And, of course, that story really captivated a lot of people outside of Alabama even this weekend.

Ryan, thank you.

YOUNG: Absolutely. Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, he's one of the biggest athletes on the planet, maybe the biggest, and now he's play soccer in America. Lionel Messi is officially a member of Inter Miami. We'll ask the MLS commissioner what kind of impact the league and the city of Miami is already feeling from Messi's star power. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:47:42]

MATTINGLY: Well, it's official, arguably - you guys keep trying to hedge to say arguably. No, he is the greatest soccer player in history. I am unequivocal about that fact. I will die on this hill. Lionel Messi, the 36-year-old soccer player phenom, who led his native Argentina to the 2022 World Cup officially inked a deal over the weekend with the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. Thousands of fans packing the stadium last night to welcome to superstar. But the big unveiling also came with some technical issues and lots of rain. So it put a damper on at least some of the excitement.

And joining us now is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber.

I appreciate your time.

I want to start with just kind of what we saw last night, the enthusiasm we've seen since this was first announced. What does it mean to have Lionel Messi in the MLS?

DON GARBER, MLS COMMISSIONER: You know, the Major League Soccer has just been working for 25-plus years to make our league a league of choice for fans, for partners, for players. And when you can get the best player in the world to decide to move to the United States, move to Miami, put on the Inter Miami shirt and be unveiled to thousands of screaming fans last night, it was pretty awesome. In a monsoon rainstorm, and even with all of that, you know, DJs and Lionel coming out, you know, celebrated by folks here who are going to come support him when they play those games.

And what was really great about it is just his kids were running on the field and other players were there with their families. You know, it was just a great celebration and an indicator of what great moments are going to come over the next couple of years.

MATTINGLY: You know, the question I've had, it was stunning when this came together, particularly given Saudi's efforts on the other side of this to some degree, and Barcelona's efforts as well. But the thing that immediately pops into your head is, why is this moment different than when David Beckham came over or when Wayne Rooney came over? You know, there's been a kind of a constant evolution inside the league about bringing in big-name talent, maybe on the backside of their careers. Messi is clearly still elite, but why is this different than past years or past acquisitions?

GARBER: Well, it's really just the continuation of the momentum. I mean it's a really great story that - that when David came into the league, he really shocked the world.

[08:50:00]

I mean he came at the prime of his career. He was 31 years old, comes to the L.A. Galaxy. Our league is still young and fledgling. And even at that time David wanted to work - wanted to work hard to build the soccer nation that MLS is - has been working to try to create over all these careers.

And the you have Cherysh Henry, you have (INAUDIBLE), you have some of the best players really that have ever played. But this is sort of a dimension that goes way beyond that. And we were literally competing against Saudi Arabia, that's become a real force in sports. And the idea of him going back home to the team that he went to when he was 16 years old and then, you know, the stars aligned and things all came together where, you know, we hear and Lionel just decided, you know what, it's going to be the United States, it's going to be MLS. And I think this will continue this transformation process that will lead up to the World Cup in 2026 that, you know, the United States is a soccer nation. Major League Soccer is driving a lot of that momentum. Fans and global energy will now come look at what it is that we have here with this project. And you have Copa America coming here next year, the FIFA club World Cup in '25, World Cup in '26. I mean there's going to be enormous energy around our league, our the sport. And I think Lionel is going to be a big part of that.

MATTINGLY: Can I ask if you've been following the -- my favorite part of the last couple of weeks is the Leo sightings on social media, including his like every man at Publix, which mandatorily you have to do when you're in Florida. You know, there's a boater who kind of like ran into him on a dock at one point. What's that tell you about kind of his adjustment to life in the United States?

GARBER: You know, I'm happy for him and happy for his family. I mean that story of him going to Publix was really pretty - pretty funny. You know, he's there. People have no idea that this is the guy that's shopping. They turn around and said, you know, I think that's Lionel Messi.

And then, you know, he says to his wife, you know, can you give me the car keys, and he just walks out and he hops into his car. I mean, anybody, I don't care how big a star you are, you ought to be able to have some semblance of normalcy in your life. And I think he's going to see some of that.

I think one of the great moments for me last night was - was after all of the celebration, I was talking to him and he was just standing there walking out and looking at his kids kicking the ball with, by the way, Sergio Busquets' children, who are also the same age, the great Barcelona former captain also was unveiled last night. I mean this is fantastic to true (ph) - to see that this sport can provide players not only a great opportunity to perform at the highest level, but also have some ability to have a semblance of normalcy in their life. And I think you're going to see a lot of that. I think it will be a lot of fun.

MATTINGLY: Yes, no question about it.

Don Garber, big night last night. Much more to come on that front as well. Thanks so much for your time.

GARBER: Thank you. Have a good day.

PHILLIP: And speaking of another great, he just won Wimbledon and he's only 20 years old. Something Carlos Alcaraz did not let Novak Djokovic forget.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLOS ALCARAZ, 2023 WIMBLEDON GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES CHAMPION: I started playing tennis watching you. I mean, since I -- since I -- I was born, you know, I -- you -- you already was winning tournaments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: He's the newly crowned king of centre court. And we spoke to him this morning. We will show you part of that conversation, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:57:59]

MATTINGLY: I love this stat. In the 20 years Carlos Alcaraz has been alive, there have only been four Wimbledon men's champion, Rodger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. The four most dominant players in men's tennis this century, ever to some degree. On Sunday, Alcaraz broke that 20-plus year streak and etched his name into the history books.

(VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: That was Alcaraz winning the title in a five-set marathon thriller, taking down Djokovic, who was trying to win his fifth straight Wimbledon championship. The entire match, again, lasted nearly five hours.

PHILLIP: And just last month Alcaraz lost to Djokovic in the French Open. And earlier this morning we asked him about that and we spoke to him about what he learned from that loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLOS ALCAREZ, 2023 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: Yesterday was totally different. You know, I prepared mentally totally different before the match. And, you know, during - during the match I - I deal with the pressure so much better than - than I did during French Open. It was just about mentally. You know, I know that physically I'm -- I'm really well - I'm prepared, you know, to - to play this kind of matches, this kind of marathon.

I'm really, really proud to - to be able to play at this level, even if I thought it was against a legend. And, you know, it's something that, yes, I -- I learn a lot from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: So, of course, before we ended our conversation, we had to ask to show us that trophy. It was sitting right next to him during the interview, and it almost ended up on the floor. Luckily it didn't, and now we know that he has great reflexes in addition to being an incredible tennis player.

MATTINGLY: Not just on the court. Also very quick hands. Also a great guy.

PHILLIP: Yes, that as well. He's also our best friend, as you can tell.

Next month he will return to New York to compete in the U.S. Open, where he won his first major title last year.

[09:00:02]

And to no one's surprise, he and Djokovic are two of the favorites in that tournament.

MATTINGLY: And we're going to make him come on set -

PHILLIP: I was going to say, will you be there, Phil?

MATTINGLY: With us, along with Chris Eubanks, because we're just using that -- the set in New York to hang out.

PHILLIP: We're just going to - we're going to take over.

MATTINGLY: We appreciate Carlos and his time. We appreciate Abby. Thanks for hanging out.

PHILLIP: Yes, good to see you. Be with you all week.

MATTINGLY: See you again tomorrow.

"CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.