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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Robin Williams Dead at 63; Power Struggle in Baghdad; Ebola Outbreak Widening
Aired August 12, 2014 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Power struggle in Baghdad. A new prime minister named, but the old one -- he refuses to go. Nouri al Maliki digging in his heels as Islamic militants terrorized the streets of Iraq. We are live with the very latest.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Remembering Robin Williams. The comedian found dead at 63 in what investigates believe was a suicide. This morning, the world reeling from this legend gone too soon.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is 30 minutes past the hour.
We welcome all of our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.
Up first this morning, Hollywood and the nation coming to grips with the fact that Robin Williams is gone.
BERMAN: The Oscar winning actor, the hilarious comedian committed suicide in his northern California home on Monday. A spokesman says he had been battling severe depression.
Now, this man who made us laugh for so long left us all shaking our heads, wondering how and why this happened.
Our coverage of the remarkable life and tragic death of Robin Williams begins with film critic Richard Fitzwilliams. He joins us live from London.
Richard, thank you so much for being with us.
We look back on the decades that Robin Williams gave us. And he was so funny. I mean the humor was so extraordinary, yet he was also a very, very good actor.
RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, FILM CRITIC: Yes, John, you are absolutely right to mention the two aspects. First, you have this dazzling imagination and the ability to improvise, you have the wit, you have the stand-up comedian who it was almost impossible to follow on the stage, as Billy Crystal said, it was like topping the civil war.
And then you have someone who could be a serious, dramatic actor. And we saw it so well, for example, in "Dead Poets Society." ROMANS: Unbelievable, his range of talent. You know, when he was on
the stage or watching his friends on the stage, he was very well-known for being generous with his time, helping his friends raise money for their causes. I mean, I remember being at an event raising money for cancer and I'm thinking only Robin Williams can make cancer funny.
I mean, here is a guy who would give his time, so funny, even when the camera wasn't on him. He was brisling with improv, with jokes, one- liners. It's almost as if he couldn't turn it off. When I think about, when I saw him on "Mork and Mindy", my children know him from "Night at the Museum", this is a mom whose talents and his different project span more than 30 years.
FITZWILLIAMS: It is absolutely extraordinary. As you're saying, he gave of himself. We are now reading the personal pain behind the mask of the comedian. And I mean, so much comic relief, visiting troops abroad. Little question that there was so much self-sacrifice there and yet he drove himself.
I was reading a few minutes ago a piece where he was saying that there was always something within him which said he had to do more -- something that I wouldn't have believed, but he was so amazing. If you look at the deejay in "Good Morning, Vietnam," it was almost as though that was his personality come to life.
BERMAN: You said dazzling improvisation. You know, I see his comedy, his performance is described as near manic, almost uncontrollable in some cases. It makes you wonder if you can be as funny as him, if you can walk that line and sometimes cross it as he did, if there are almost inevitably deeper issues, some problems going on there.
FITZWILLIAMS: We now know he had so many difficulties personally. And as you say, you are looking at something, whether this very fine line where you have somebody who I will undoubtedly call a genius. Somebody who is unique and somebody whose performances sadly were unlike anyone else and you wonder how he lived with himself, how he prepared and how he was able to do this and how, also, the striving for a perfectionism and unique to him. And then you can, of course, tip over and you strive and tempt.
And, of course, we have a film like "Good Will Hunting", he actually plays a therapist. Nobody could be a therapist to Robin Williams, because he would have outtalked him and made so many jokes they would be in the aisle. Everyone is asking for best supporting actor, and, of course, he had three best actor nominations. "Good Will Hunting" was so amazing, because the therapist learns about himself while coaching and attempting to help a genius played by Matt Damon.
BERMAN: Understated performance from Robin Williams, too, which shows his genius as a performer. He was able to keep it all inside to a certain extent.
Richard Fitzwilliams, it's great to have you here with us this morning to share your thoughts on this really, really sad story.
ROMANS: You know, his talent was unique, depression is not. People from all walks of life, all -- you know, depression is something that is insidious and so many people deal with it. It's the sad part.
BERMAN: Addiction as well. He was sober for 20 years until 2003, he started drinking on the set of "Insomnia", which Richard just talked about, and then drink for three more years, and sober again, had open heart surgery.
ROMANS: Difficult.
All right. Friends, family members, fans, just simply devastated this morning by his loss. His battles of addiction were well chronicled. He spent time in rehab just last month.
His wife of three years, Susan Schneider, releasing this statement to "The New York Times". Quote, "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heart broken. As he is remembered, it is our time that -- it is our hope, rather, that the focus will not be on Robin's death, but in the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions."
BERMAN: You know, Robin Williams is a household name, as Christine was saying. You know, for decades, "Mork and Mindy" when we were kids, as our kids --
ROMANS: Teddy Roosevelt.
BERMAN: You know, or Aladdin.
As President Obama put it, "He was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, and professor and everything in between. He arrived in our lives as an alien. Mork was so funny. He touched every element of the human spirit."
Nischelle Turner has a look back at this remarkable career.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His high octane brand of comedy was his trade mark public persona. But Robin Williams proved himself for an Oscar winner with a strong philanthropic side. Born in 1951, it was in his 20s, Williams was unleashed first as an American TV star.
RON WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Mindy, run for your life! The emotions are coming.
TURNER: As Mork from the planet Ork in "Mork and Mindy", Williams became a household name. When the series ended after a four-year run in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh.
WILLIAMS: My name is TS Garp.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's TS stand for?
WILLIAMS: Terribly sexy.
TURNER: The Julliard schooled actor unveiled his dramatic side for the first time in 1982's "The World According to Garp."
WILLIAMS: So, I was trained as an actor, so it's not like they have to medicate me.
TURNER: That serious side earned him Oscar nominations for "The Fisher King".
WILLIAMS: Good morning, Vietnam.
TURNER: "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Dead Poet's Society."
WILLIAMS: He's the golden dude.
TURNER: He finally won his only Oscar statue in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting."
WILLIAMS: This one, yes. The others were just foreplay. It's extraordinary.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: But Williams never stopped being funny even when the topic seemed serious. He helped launch and co-hosted eight telethons over 20 years to help the homeless.
WILLIAMS: Men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them.
TURNER: Comic relief earned more than $50 million. And even when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor.
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE" HOST: You were drunk?
WILLIAMS: Well, that's nice of you to say that.
TURNER: He took two trips to rehab, most recently this summer. He talked about the process on "LARRY KING LIVE" in 2007.
WILLIAMS: What happens to people basically start the process of, you know, just saying no, and being among others. And learning that you're not alone and working on giving up.
KING: Do you lose your sense of humor in it?
WILLIAMS: No. You find it. You're there with people who have a great sense of humor.
KING: So, you're funny there too.
WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, you got to be.
TURNER: In 2009, the Williams was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to temporarily cancel his one-man show to undergo surgery. He talked about his recovery on "The Ellen" show.
WILLIAMS: You have you a heart surgery and they literally open you up. They crack the box. You are really vulnerable. Oh, a kitten, oh, God. It's -- the kitten -- and you get very, very emotional about everything. But I think that's a wonderful thing. It opens you up to everything.
TURNER: And with a new lease on life, Williams quickly spring back into action. In 2011, he made his Broadway acting debut, starring in Rajiv Joseph's "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." That same year, he would marry his third wife, graphic designer, Susan Schneider.
In 2013, Williams would return to the small screen, starring in the CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones", where he would reunite with his old friend Pam Dawber, better known as Mindy.
PAM DAWBER, ACTRESS: Never as screwy as you. You're like an alien.
TURNER: From stand-up to sitcoms and beyond, Williams would delight audiences with a whacky humor and joyful energy. He was the definition of full of life. And even now, his comic legend is destined to endure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: You know, his sitcom that aired last year was canceled. It wasn't picked up. You wonder if that had a role in this depression that had him check back into rehab very, very recently.
We are going to bring you reaction to this all morning on CNN.
ROMANS: All right. Turning now to the struggle for control of Iraq. The country's government is chaos. Iraq's president appointing a new prime minister, Haider al-Abadi -- a move the White House has been hoping to see for months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Under the Iraqi constitution, this is an important step toward forming a new government to unite Iraq's different communities. Earlier today, Vice President Biden and I called Dr. Abadi to congratulate him and to urge him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Now, that won't be easy. Iraq's prime minister, that guy, Nouri al Maliki, is refusing to step down. He calls the appointment of al Abadi to replace him a constitutional violation. He's threatening to use force to stay in place.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military has conducted its fifth air drop of food and water for thousands of Iraqi citizens trapped by the terrorist group ISIS on mount Sinjar.
I want to bring in Nick Paton Walsh, live from the ground.
I don't know, Nick. I'm here, you are there, but it looks like, politically, it's a mess. It looks like for the people who are still on Mount Sinjar, it's a mess. Bring us up to speed about what's going on in Iraq.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The issue is what exactly does Nouri al Maliki see in the days ahead. Now, he is clearly in the eyes of the West (INAUDIBLE) Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and John Kerry all referring to Haider al-Abadi as (INAUDIBLE) they wanted to see him away from Nouri al Maliki. (INAUDIBLE) constant man, a new government it wants be inclusive here may allow him to bolster military aid that Iraq's government here (INAUDIBLE) the American military can solve by itself.
(INAUDIBLE) Nouri al Maliki is talking ability constitutional challenges. It's not clear where the law lies on the issue. The issue is going to be simply a matter of power with the greatest sense of authority in the days ahead.
Nouri al Maliki who people just here may have enough sway for the hold on power, (INAUDIBLE) on the streets just yet. Or will he step back, given the fact that many in his ruling bloc, many of his former allies turning their back on him and particularly the obstacle getting more in the fight against ISIS rather than someone who can actually drag of this chaos -- Christine.
ROMANS: All right. Nick Paton Walsh for us, with the real good point, the next move is Nouri al Maliki's. All right. Thanks.
BERMAN: Forty-two minutes after the hour right now.
Police and demonstrators facing off on the streets overnight, angry crowds protesting the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. We have dramatic new video and what the teen's mother is now saying. That's next.
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ROMANS: We are getting reaction this morning from every corner of the country to the shocking death of Oscar winning actor, Robin Williams. He died of an apparent suicide at this northern California on Monday.
Listen to actor Henry Winkler remembering his friend from the show "Happy Days."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HENRY WINKLER, ACTOR: We started practicing and I realized I was in the presence of greatness. That hands down, this is not hyperbole, that I just realized my only job is to keep a straight face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: It's a tough act to follow. No question.
Mork was on "Happy Days," once.
BERMAN: Mork was a spin off, for say, on "Happy Days." Yes, Mork made an appearance on "Happy Days" and launched into his own series, which if you watch today, it's hysterical still. Such a silly concept, you would think it would be silly. He makes it so brilliant the way he did it.
ROMANS: All right. Stay with CNN all morning for continuing coverage of the passing of Robin Williams.
BERMAN: Forty-six minutes half the hour.
Another violent night in the suburbs of St. Louis following the shooting death of a black teenager by police. Ferguson police chief Thomas Johnson says shots were heard in the area and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd of 300 people, several arrests were made. We have not seen the looting that shook the community 24 hours. Michael Brown's parents held an emotional news conference Monday, rejecting suggestions by police that the teenager went off after the officers gun before he was fatally shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESLEY MCSPADDEN, VICTIM'S MOTHER: He just graduated on his way to college. We can't even celebrate. We got to plan a funeral.
BENJAMIN CRUMP, BROWN FAMILY ATTORNEY: Trayvon was shot once. But as we understand from these witnesses, this child was shot multiple times and left on the ground like a dog. So, that's where I think people are reacting to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Thirty-two people were arrested Monday in connection with Sunday night's violence. They face charges of theft, assault and burglary.
ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money this Tuesday morning. European shares lower, Asian shares end the day mixed. Geopolitical risks, they still are haunting the market.
U.S. stock futures pointing higher though to two days of gains, easing concerns about a much anticipated correction. That would be a 10 percent dip, something stocks haven't done since maybe 2011.
One stock soaring this morning, Chiquita, the banana company. Two Brazilian companies promised $600 million in cash to buy the banana producer. That sent shares climbing 30 percent. But Chiquita says it wasn't impressed. The company suggested it will stick to its plan to merge with an Irish company to avoid U.S. taxes through a controversial tactic known as inversion.
BERMAN: There's money in that banana. There's an arrested development reference to all of you.
ROMANS: Oh, sorry.
BERMAN: Forty-eight minutes after the hour.
Breaking overnight, the Ebola outbreak widening. More deaths reported as health officials warn they have run out of the experimental serum that some people say could be the only cure. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: So many people this morning trying to come to grips with the passing of a beloved entertainer. Actor and comedian Robin Williams found dead in his northern California home on Monday. He was battling depression. And the coroner office suspects suicide.
Fellow actor and comedian Chevy Chase weighing in this morning, saying, "Robin and I were great friends suffering from the same little known disease, depression. I'm overwhelmed with grief. What a wonderful man/boy and what a tremendous talent in the most important art of anytime, comedy. I loved him."
BERMAN: A wonderful man/boy.
Fifty-three minutes after the hour.
I want to bring in now the latest on the global effort to combat Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The drug that treated two Americans and a Spanish priest who contracted the deadly virus has now been shipped to two West African nations to treat infected doctors. The supply of ZMapp is now exhausted. The company that makes it is working with the U.S. government to try to increase production.
The death toll from Ebola keeps rising. More than 1,000 people in four West African countries has died. And the total number of confirmed or suspected cases is nearing 2,000.
Three missionaries who worked with Ebola victims in Liberia are now back in the U.S. this morning. They do not have the virus but they will be kept in quarantine in Charlotte for three weeks. That's just as a precaution.
ROMANS: All right. Coming up, the average American driver shells out about $2,200 a year, just to own and operate your car. But guess what? There's one place where it costs a whole more than anywhere else. And you might be surprised to find out which one it is. Maybe it's your state, Berman.
BERMAN: I don't want to live there. I hope I don't live there.
ROMANS: An early check of your money, next.
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ROMANS: Welcome back. Let's get an EARLY START on your money today.
European shares lower right now. U.S. stock futures are pointing higher. You know, the global turmoil, the latest edition of that today is a Ukraine vote to restrict oil and gas flow through Ukraine to Europe. That's going to be important to watch.
Look, we've also been talking about these concerns about a much anticipated correction, a 10 percent dip in stocks. Stocks haven't fallen that much since 2011. But, again, stocks futures up a little bit this morning. All right. Taxis and car services like Uber and Lyft are battling for
riders and the war just got ugly. Lyft tells CNN Money that Uber employees ordered and canceled 5,000 rides since October. That limits available cars, it wastes the drivers time and money.
Lyft says it's not just a few rogue employers but almost 200 people. Lyft tells us, when rival employees don't cancel, the ride turns into a short trip to recruit the Lyft driver to work for Uber.
All right. Where is the most expensive place to own a car? Bankrate ranks state based on, you know, gas prices, insurance repairs, the national average, cost of ownership about, $2,200 a year . But in Wyoming, the most expensive state for car owners, they spent 2,700 bucks a year because drivers log more miles. They have to buy more gas. The cheapest place to own a car, the Midwest. Everybody is happier in the Midwest. They don't have to pay much.
Drivers in Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois pay less than $2,000 a year.
BERMAN: So, Wyoming, I guess the bad news you just spent so much more in your car. The good news is the beach front property.
ROMANS: The good news is, you live in Wyoming.
BERMAN: I'll take your word for that.
EARLY START continues right now.
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