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CNN Live At Daybreak

Friend Remembers Jack Lemmon

Aired June 28, 2001 - 08:57   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: As you know by now, actor Jack Lemmon died last night in a Los Angeles hospital due to complications from cancer. We've been talking about his movie career all morning long, but we are about to bring into the fold here Robert Osborne, film historian and host for "Turner Classic Movies." In fact, we just dragged him out of a taping here to talk about his old friend, Jack Lemmon.

Robert, good morning. You knew the man. What was he like?

ROBERT OSBORNE, TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES: Well, he was a complicated man. I think one of the wonderful things about Jack was the fact that he was such a loose and kind of comedic actor. But he was able to cover the fact that in real life he was a complicated man. And I don't think life was always easy for him.

LIN: What was difficult?

OSBORNE: Well, I just think that he had certain demons and everything that maybe is what pulled him into acting in the first place and what maybe made him such a good, energetic actor.

He did have bouts with alcohol and other things like that. He was not the just kind of loose everyman that he appeared to be on screen. But I think that all those things added to Jack, the colors of Jack and what made him such a good actor.

LIN: Yes, especially with his dynamic with Walter Matthau. You know, all of Jack Lemmon's roles with Walter Matthau seemed to have an edge to them.

OSBORNE: Yes, they did because Matthau had an edge, too. Matthau was, you know, this kind of on-the-surface, cranky man but with this really delicious sense of humor. And Jack matched that so well. They were indeed an odd couple. But they were a perfect match as a team.

LIN: So what do you think Jack Lemmon would think of the -- or did he ever tell you what he thought of today's leading men, people like Jude Law and, you know, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck?

OSBORNE: Well, I think one of the great things about Jack was the fact that he did so love today. He didn't look back. He really -- he had this glorious career behind him, that he was always anxious to do new things. And I think it's quite to his -- you know, shows something of the man, the fact he started out almost as a star when he made his first film opposite Judy Holliday -- very soon after won the Academy Award for "Mr. Roberts."

But he always was out there pushing to be better and better, to do "Days of Wine and Roses," to do "Odd Couple," to do any new thing. The last thing, "Legend of Bagger Vance," he was working with Matt Damon and new people. And he loved that challenge.

LIN: It had to be a passion for his work to work right up until the end.

OSBORNE: Absolutely.

LIN: Thank you very much, Robert Osborne.

OSBORNE: Thank you.

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