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What Will White House Shake-Up Bring?; Geoffrey Rush on Playing Peter Sellers

Aired November 15, 2004 - 11:31   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.


KAGAN: And we're just a minute past the half hour. Thanks for sticking with us, Everyone. I'm Daryn Kagan.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris, in today for Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening "Now in the News."

News of the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell is leaving his post as soon as a successor can be confirmed. Powell's resignation is one of four expected today in President Bush's cabinet. We're told the others include the energy, education and agriculture secretaries.

Doctors at the main American military hospital in Europe say the number of troops treated has doubled since the Falluja campaign began. Around 70 troops have been arriving daily, twice the usual number from Iraq.

A Senate panel opens hearings next hour on the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq. Audits show Saddam Hussein skimmed billions from the program. The U.S. is pressing the U.N. to turn over internal documents on the matter. But Secretary-General Kofi Annan is refusing.

And Miami-Dade police plan a news conference today to discuss its policy regarding the use of Tasers on children. Two children, one, a first grader, were jolted with the devices recently, causing an outcry in the community. Police initially justified the actions but now indicate disciplinary measures may be taken.

KAGAN: And, of course, our top story of the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell leading the list of four cabinet members announcing their resignation. Colin Powell, of course, being the biggest news. To get some perspective on that, we want to bring in Jamie Rubin. He served in the State Department under Madeleine Albright during the Clinton administrations, joining us in London to talk about Powell's departure and his legacy.

Jamie, thanks for sticking around.

JAMES RUBIN, FMR. ASST. SECY. OF STATE: Nice to be with you.

KAGAN: Yes. The news probably about an hour-and-a-half old right now, as it's seeping in, any other perspective you might have? Of course, not a complete surprise. We knew Colin Powell had expressed interest in moving on.

RUBIN: Well, I think there was a lot of speculation that he might stick around. I think it was probably wishful thinking. And I do think that it's an indication that the new administration's foreign policy is not really going to veer towards the center, so to speak, that many in America and around the world might have hoped.

Because let's face it, it will be very, very difficult to find any other individual who is in the so-called moderate realist foreign policy camp who will have the stature at home in terms of the enormous popularity Colin Powell had, and the respect internationally that he had. There really is no one else like that.

Now Colin Powell only had a limited ability to influence the administration. Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney made a formidable combination that tended to win of most of the internal battles on foreign affairs.

But his presence, I think, was reassurance to many Americans that, although they may disagree with some of the president's policies, that it was a senior leadership team who they had developed confidence in over the years.

And I just think it will be very hard to find anybody who will be able to stand up to Vice President Cheney, to Donald Rumsfeld as long as he's there, with the perspective that it is really important how our European allies view our policies in obtaining international support on policies like Iraq and engaging in the Middle East peace process, in working, for example, to -- today we learned the Iranians may make an agreement with the Europeans on stopping certain nuclear programs.

Well, Colin Powell would have been the voice in the administration saying that that is a pretty good deal, we should let it unfold and be supportive of it. While others, perhaps, Cheney, Rumsfeld, will be more skeptical. So without that voice in the administration, I think we're more likely to see less concern for the views of allies and more ideological, say, foreign policy than a realist foreign policy. And that may have its good and bad components, but I think that's the result of the departure of Colin Powell when it happens.

KAGAN: Jamie, let's talk about Colin Powell, the man, for a moment. You know what it's like to move on past a powerful job in Washington. He has already done so much. He has made it very clear he's not interested in running for president. He has already made a ton of money. What could be next for Colin Powell?

RUBIN: What does he do? Well, I think, first of all, no matter how you do the job of secretary of state, Colin Powell was in the job after 9/11. I think the pressures on a secretary of state probably multiplied at a time when our embassies were under threat, when Washington was under threat, when New York had been attacked and Washington attacked.

I think the stress level was particularly high. So I think a lot of this is getting out of the job and being able to spend more time with his family. I believe that. That was certainly true in my case. In addition, despite how much money he may have in the bank, he still may find it in his interest to give speeches, perhaps to write another book about foreign policy and the post-9/11 era or something to that effect or maybe work on his charity.

And you know, anybody who is as involved at high policy as Colin Powell has been is going to be viewed as a perfect candidate for dozens and dozens of tasks and jobs in the political and nonpolitical sphere. But I think the first thing he'll probably do is just slow down the pace a bit.

KAGAN: And as you said, you know how that can be a relief after putting in 24/7 in Washington. Jamie Rubin in London, thank you.

RUBIN: It can be.

KAGAN: Yes.

HARRIS: Let's move on now to Capitol Hill where senators are taking a close look at how Saddam Hussein siphoned billions from the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program. CNN's senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is in Washington for today's hearings, which start next hour.

Hello, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Tony. Yes, another congressional hearing into the complicated and controversial U.N.-Iraq Oil-for-Food humanitarian program. Senator Norm Coleman co- leading a Senate investigations committee, is going to reveal a higher figure for the amount of corruption in the program.

And he is still not happy with the level of cooperation from the United Nations. Senator Coleman saying he had a phone call over the weekend with Secretary-General Annan. The U.N. wants to hold on to documents and access to officials. Coleman, as he told me last week, is still concerned about not getting enough cooperation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: The facts are we're not getting access to the documents we need. The facts are we're not getting access to individuals we need. And the facts are that the U.N. is proactively, proactively interfering with our ability to get information we need. That's not good for the United Nations, that's not good for the global community. And I can tell you as a member of the United States Senate -- and by the way, on a bipartisan basis, my colleagues on both sides of the aisles have deep concern about the kind of response that we're getting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Senator Coleman said the Oil-for-Food scandal is like an onion, trying to peel it, you get a new layer every time. He said this hearing is going to show how Saddam Hussein and his high level colleagues were personally were involved in Oil-for-Food corruption, for millions of dollars in kickbacks, through shoddy goods going through, to illegal surcharges on oil sales.

It's still an interim report. They say they will look next also at potential involvement by U.S. companies. Senate officials widely believe that countries such as France, Russia, the companies in those countries were implicated in this scandal. It is still an unfolding drama involving the United Nations and the U.S. And it's affecting the relationship, no doubt.

Tony, back to you.

HARRIS: Richard Roth, reporting for us live from Washington. Richard, thank you.

KAGAN: Well, still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, never mind your radio, soon you'll have to tune in your medicine bottle. We're going to explain in today's "Daily Dose."

HARRIS: But first, here's a look at "Money" magazine's 2004 list of great gifts for the holiday season.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This holiday season "Money" magazine suggested a few items for the athlete. If you're new to yoga, "Money" magazine suggests getting started the right way, the Go Fit Yoga Kit has all the essentials. It comes with a nonslip yoga mat, a durable foam block and carrying bag. It is also equipped with a strap for when you need a little help with those difficult poses.

If you're having a hard time maintaining your weight training program because of travel, there may be a solution. The portable Aquabell dumbbells provide up to 16 pounds of weight per dumbbell. "Money" magazine says it's easier to put together -- just fill the weights with water, attach it to the 13-inch bar, and you're ready to sweat.

And for joggers, there's the polar M-61 heart-rate monitor. Not only can it track your heart rate, but you can measure your fitness level and determine calories burned. The monitor also has normal features of an everyday wristwatch.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS; Tiny radio antennas placed under the labels of prescription drug bottles, "The New York Times" says it's a new way to fight fraud. The paper reports the Food and Drug Administration and many major drugmakers will announce the initiatives today. It is believed that the measure would help prevent the counterfeiting of popular drugs like Viagra. Antennas would send out a numeric code that could be picked up by allowing radio signal, allowing the drugs to be tracked. The "Times" says the tagged bottles will go out to distributors later this week.

Autism affects more than 400,000 children in America, and statistics indicate it's becoming increasingly more common, researchers say. A new study out could put scientists a step closer to discovering what causes autism.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now to explain.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, autism is such a sad, sad disease, and also such a mystery as to why some children are born with autism. And researchers have looked at all sorts of things to try to get to the cause. And now they think they might have an inkling, possibly as to what might cause autism. What the researchers did, was they looked at the brains of some folks who had died in car accidents who were autistic, and then they looked at the cerebral spinal fluid of some children who had autism.

And what they found is they the that immune system had been activated in a way that doesn't really happen in people who don't have autism. They found certain components of the immune system in their brains and in their spinal fluid, and they say that this is abnormal, this shouldn't be happening. Now where do you go from there? That's a good question. And we'll get to that in a minute.

But first, let's talk specifically, what they found is neuroinflammatory cells were overactive in autistic people, and that those produce some of the same brain-function chemicals as in diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. So they found some similarities with those two diseases.

So, again, this doesn't tell them what the cause is, but this gives them a pathway to go down to try to figure out the cause, and hopefully to try to find a treatment for this disease.

HARRIS: Well, Elizabeth, let's talk about treatment. Is there any news on the drug front that might be helpful in getting us closer to some kind of an answer here?

COHEN: At this point, no, there isn't anything on the front that would tell us about what to do about this disease. But this discovery may in years and years and years and study after study after study from now may help us in that direction.

Now it's interesting, one of the things you hear a lot about is childhood vaccines and autism. You hear, gee, all these childhood vaccines that our kids get, that's what's causing autism. And some people -- and this new discovery doesn't really have anything to do with that, but I think it's important to note, the Institute of Medicine, other groups have found that there is no connection to vaccines and autism, although many parents of autistic children still believe that that's the cause.

HARRIS: OK, Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

HARRIS: Daryn? KAGAN: And to get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com.

But there is more -- Peter Sellers has been called a comic genius. Up next, I'll have a chance to talk with Geoffrey Rush. He might not be your first choice to play Peter Sellers. He wasn't even the first choice to himself. We'll ask him why he agreed to take the role, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS")

GEOFFREY RUSH, ACTOR: Then I demand to speak to the person in charge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the person in charge, sir.

RUSH: Ah, then I demand to speak with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are speaking to me.

RUSH: Of course I'm speaking with you. What kind of a crazy stewardess thinks a passenger...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: OK. That's actually Peter Sellers as played by actor Geoffrey Rush. Rush portraying the charismatic character in the upcoming film, "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," which debuts on HBO in early December. Besides the movie makeover that gave him a similar appearance, Rush and Sellers also have several movies under their belt with accolades and awards going with them.

Geoffrey Rush, my guest now from Los Angeles to talk about becoming Peter Sellers. Good morning.

RUSH: Good morning, hi.

KAGAN: I'm doing great. You're talking to a huge long-time fan of your work here.

RUSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: I want to get to the good stuff behind you accepting this part, because As I've heard, when they came to you the first time and suggested it, you said, thank you but no.

RUSH: Yes. Through fear, I think, and a bit of vanity, I read the script, which I thought was extraordinary, because it has got so many playful imaginative levels to it. It's like a fable about a guy who's very famous for being in the movies, who photographed his own life. And it's like reading Chinese boxes or something. But when I was reading it, I felt very torn, very thin, and very old and very Australian. KAGAN: And not British.

RUSH: Yes. Which seemed to be all the wrong things for what Peter Sellers should have been. So I reluctantly said, no, I can't do this. And then they fortunately came back to me and I was shooting "Pirates of the Caribbean" at the time. And I think I felt a little more foolhardy and brave when I had that feather in my hat from (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Taking on the courage of a pirate there. Now we should explain that this isn't your typical biopic. That when they decided to do this life of Peter Sellers, he was a rather different type of man. They're trying to tell it as if he was telling his own life, which means that you not only do Peter Sellers, but as many as 40 different voices and take on different characters as well?

RUSH: Yes. Well, I think the writers picked up on the fact that Sellers is very famous in a majority of his own films for playing just for virtuosic display, I think, particularly in films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "The Mouse that Roared." He would play multiple characters. And they picked up on this element because his own life seemed to be filled with multiple aspects of his own very interchangeable personality. Because away from the celebrity and the legendary status that he has as a film performer, behind the scenes there was a very turbulent and troubled and rather sad kind of existence.

KAGAN: As is the case with a lot of people who are funny for a living. Peter Sellers, when he was asked about if someone should do a movie of his life, said to see him on the screen would be a rather dull experience.

RUSH: Yes. I know a lot of actors who feel like that. It's a strange sort of job to be in, to be able to sit at the end of the day and watch objectively what you've been involved in. It's a little bit like most people's reaction when they hear themselves on tape.

KAGAN: For the first time.

RUSH: For the first time. They go, do I sound like that? I go well, yes, you do. That's what we love about you.

KAGAN: Some of the women you get to work with in this movie, we see Emily Watson on the screen there, Charlize Theron, no shortage of Academy Award winners.

RUSH: Well, it was a cast from heaven. And just by the logistical timetabling of it, we had the Emily Watson block and then we had the Charlize Theron block and John Lithgow. And for me it was really like participating in some extraordinary international master class because they were all so extraordinary, you know, just great talent.

KAGAN: Not a bad day at the office. And I'm sure they would say the same for having the chance to work with you. Geoffrey Rush, thanks for stopping by. RUSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good luck. It debuts Sunday, December 5, 9 p.m., "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers." Thank you.

RUSH: Thanks so much.

HARRIS: I'll be there.

KAGAN: You'll be there, you'll be tuned in.

HARRIS: He's good. He is really good.

KAGAN: Very talented. We're going to check in on Wall Street, we still have time to do that. We'll have details on that on the other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Thanks for sitting in today for Rick Sanchez.

HARRIS: You've been a wonderful host, thank you.

KAGAN: Appreciate it, breaking news for you.

HARRIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: But that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan, for Tony Harris, I'll see you tomorrow, and Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn. Thanks very much, Daryn and Tony.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired November 15, 2004 - 11:31   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KAGAN: And we're just a minute past the half hour. Thanks for sticking with us, Everyone. I'm Daryn Kagan.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris, in today for Rick Sanchez. Here's what's happening "Now in the News."

News of the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell is leaving his post as soon as a successor can be confirmed. Powell's resignation is one of four expected today in President Bush's cabinet. We're told the others include the energy, education and agriculture secretaries.

Doctors at the main American military hospital in Europe say the number of troops treated has doubled since the Falluja campaign began. Around 70 troops have been arriving daily, twice the usual number from Iraq.

A Senate panel opens hearings next hour on the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq. Audits show Saddam Hussein skimmed billions from the program. The U.S. is pressing the U.N. to turn over internal documents on the matter. But Secretary-General Kofi Annan is refusing.

And Miami-Dade police plan a news conference today to discuss its policy regarding the use of Tasers on children. Two children, one, a first grader, were jolted with the devices recently, causing an outcry in the community. Police initially justified the actions but now indicate disciplinary measures may be taken.

KAGAN: And, of course, our top story of the day, Secretary of State Colin Powell leading the list of four cabinet members announcing their resignation. Colin Powell, of course, being the biggest news. To get some perspective on that, we want to bring in Jamie Rubin. He served in the State Department under Madeleine Albright during the Clinton administrations, joining us in London to talk about Powell's departure and his legacy.

Jamie, thanks for sticking around.

JAMES RUBIN, FMR. ASST. SECY. OF STATE: Nice to be with you.

KAGAN: Yes. The news probably about an hour-and-a-half old right now, as it's seeping in, any other perspective you might have? Of course, not a complete surprise. We knew Colin Powell had expressed interest in moving on.

RUBIN: Well, I think there was a lot of speculation that he might stick around. I think it was probably wishful thinking. And I do think that it's an indication that the new administration's foreign policy is not really going to veer towards the center, so to speak, that many in America and around the world might have hoped.

Because let's face it, it will be very, very difficult to find any other individual who is in the so-called moderate realist foreign policy camp who will have the stature at home in terms of the enormous popularity Colin Powell had, and the respect internationally that he had. There really is no one else like that.

Now Colin Powell only had a limited ability to influence the administration. Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney made a formidable combination that tended to win of most of the internal battles on foreign affairs.

But his presence, I think, was reassurance to many Americans that, although they may disagree with some of the president's policies, that it was a senior leadership team who they had developed confidence in over the years.

And I just think it will be very hard to find anybody who will be able to stand up to Vice President Cheney, to Donald Rumsfeld as long as he's there, with the perspective that it is really important how our European allies view our policies in obtaining international support on policies like Iraq and engaging in the Middle East peace process, in working, for example, to -- today we learned the Iranians may make an agreement with the Europeans on stopping certain nuclear programs.

Well, Colin Powell would have been the voice in the administration saying that that is a pretty good deal, we should let it unfold and be supportive of it. While others, perhaps, Cheney, Rumsfeld, will be more skeptical. So without that voice in the administration, I think we're more likely to see less concern for the views of allies and more ideological, say, foreign policy than a realist foreign policy. And that may have its good and bad components, but I think that's the result of the departure of Colin Powell when it happens.

KAGAN: Jamie, let's talk about Colin Powell, the man, for a moment. You know what it's like to move on past a powerful job in Washington. He has already done so much. He has made it very clear he's not interested in running for president. He has already made a ton of money. What could be next for Colin Powell?

RUBIN: What does he do? Well, I think, first of all, no matter how you do the job of secretary of state, Colin Powell was in the job after 9/11. I think the pressures on a secretary of state probably multiplied at a time when our embassies were under threat, when Washington was under threat, when New York had been attacked and Washington attacked.

I think the stress level was particularly high. So I think a lot of this is getting out of the job and being able to spend more time with his family. I believe that. That was certainly true in my case. In addition, despite how much money he may have in the bank, he still may find it in his interest to give speeches, perhaps to write another book about foreign policy and the post-9/11 era or something to that effect or maybe work on his charity.

And you know, anybody who is as involved at high policy as Colin Powell has been is going to be viewed as a perfect candidate for dozens and dozens of tasks and jobs in the political and nonpolitical sphere. But I think the first thing he'll probably do is just slow down the pace a bit.

KAGAN: And as you said, you know how that can be a relief after putting in 24/7 in Washington. Jamie Rubin in London, thank you.

RUBIN: It can be.

KAGAN: Yes.

HARRIS: Let's move on now to Capitol Hill where senators are taking a close look at how Saddam Hussein siphoned billions from the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program. CNN's senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth, is in Washington for today's hearings, which start next hour.

Hello, Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, CNN SR. U.N. CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Tony. Yes, another congressional hearing into the complicated and controversial U.N.-Iraq Oil-for-Food humanitarian program. Senator Norm Coleman co- leading a Senate investigations committee, is going to reveal a higher figure for the amount of corruption in the program.

And he is still not happy with the level of cooperation from the United Nations. Senator Coleman saying he had a phone call over the weekend with Secretary-General Annan. The U.N. wants to hold on to documents and access to officials. Coleman, as he told me last week, is still concerned about not getting enough cooperation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. NORM COLEMAN (R), MINNESOTA: The facts are we're not getting access to the documents we need. The facts are we're not getting access to individuals we need. And the facts are that the U.N. is proactively, proactively interfering with our ability to get information we need. That's not good for the United Nations, that's not good for the global community. And I can tell you as a member of the United States Senate -- and by the way, on a bipartisan basis, my colleagues on both sides of the aisles have deep concern about the kind of response that we're getting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Senator Coleman said the Oil-for-Food scandal is like an onion, trying to peel it, you get a new layer every time. He said this hearing is going to show how Saddam Hussein and his high level colleagues were personally were involved in Oil-for-Food corruption, for millions of dollars in kickbacks, through shoddy goods going through, to illegal surcharges on oil sales.

It's still an interim report. They say they will look next also at potential involvement by U.S. companies. Senate officials widely believe that countries such as France, Russia, the companies in those countries were implicated in this scandal. It is still an unfolding drama involving the United Nations and the U.S. And it's affecting the relationship, no doubt.

Tony, back to you.

HARRIS: Richard Roth, reporting for us live from Washington. Richard, thank you.

KAGAN: Well, still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, never mind your radio, soon you'll have to tune in your medicine bottle. We're going to explain in today's "Daily Dose."

HARRIS: But first, here's a look at "Money" magazine's 2004 list of great gifts for the holiday season.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This holiday season "Money" magazine suggested a few items for the athlete. If you're new to yoga, "Money" magazine suggests getting started the right way, the Go Fit Yoga Kit has all the essentials. It comes with a nonslip yoga mat, a durable foam block and carrying bag. It is also equipped with a strap for when you need a little help with those difficult poses.

If you're having a hard time maintaining your weight training program because of travel, there may be a solution. The portable Aquabell dumbbells provide up to 16 pounds of weight per dumbbell. "Money" magazine says it's easier to put together -- just fill the weights with water, attach it to the 13-inch bar, and you're ready to sweat.

And for joggers, there's the polar M-61 heart-rate monitor. Not only can it track your heart rate, but you can measure your fitness level and determine calories burned. The monitor also has normal features of an everyday wristwatch.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS; Tiny radio antennas placed under the labels of prescription drug bottles, "The New York Times" says it's a new way to fight fraud. The paper reports the Food and Drug Administration and many major drugmakers will announce the initiatives today. It is believed that the measure would help prevent the counterfeiting of popular drugs like Viagra. Antennas would send out a numeric code that could be picked up by allowing radio signal, allowing the drugs to be tracked. The "Times" says the tagged bottles will go out to distributors later this week.

Autism affects more than 400,000 children in America, and statistics indicate it's becoming increasingly more common, researchers say. A new study out could put scientists a step closer to discovering what causes autism.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now to explain.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, autism is such a sad, sad disease, and also such a mystery as to why some children are born with autism. And researchers have looked at all sorts of things to try to get to the cause. And now they think they might have an inkling, possibly as to what might cause autism. What the researchers did, was they looked at the brains of some folks who had died in car accidents who were autistic, and then they looked at the cerebral spinal fluid of some children who had autism.

And what they found is they the that immune system had been activated in a way that doesn't really happen in people who don't have autism. They found certain components of the immune system in their brains and in their spinal fluid, and they say that this is abnormal, this shouldn't be happening. Now where do you go from there? That's a good question. And we'll get to that in a minute.

But first, let's talk specifically, what they found is neuroinflammatory cells were overactive in autistic people, and that those produce some of the same brain-function chemicals as in diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. So they found some similarities with those two diseases.

So, again, this doesn't tell them what the cause is, but this gives them a pathway to go down to try to figure out the cause, and hopefully to try to find a treatment for this disease.

HARRIS: Well, Elizabeth, let's talk about treatment. Is there any news on the drug front that might be helpful in getting us closer to some kind of an answer here?

COHEN: At this point, no, there isn't anything on the front that would tell us about what to do about this disease. But this discovery may in years and years and years and study after study after study from now may help us in that direction.

Now it's interesting, one of the things you hear a lot about is childhood vaccines and autism. You hear, gee, all these childhood vaccines that our kids get, that's what's causing autism. And some people -- and this new discovery doesn't really have anything to do with that, but I think it's important to note, the Institute of Medicine, other groups have found that there is no connection to vaccines and autism, although many parents of autistic children still believe that that's the cause.

HARRIS: OK, Elizabeth, appreciate it. Thank you.

COHEN: Thanks.

HARRIS: Daryn? KAGAN: And to get your daily dose of health news online, log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com.

But there is more -- Peter Sellers has been called a comic genius. Up next, I'll have a chance to talk with Geoffrey Rush. He might not be your first choice to play Peter Sellers. He wasn't even the first choice to himself. We'll ask him why he agreed to take the role, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS")

GEOFFREY RUSH, ACTOR: Then I demand to speak to the person in charge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the person in charge, sir.

RUSH: Ah, then I demand to speak with you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are speaking to me.

RUSH: Of course I'm speaking with you. What kind of a crazy stewardess thinks a passenger...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: OK. That's actually Peter Sellers as played by actor Geoffrey Rush. Rush portraying the charismatic character in the upcoming film, "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers," which debuts on HBO in early December. Besides the movie makeover that gave him a similar appearance, Rush and Sellers also have several movies under their belt with accolades and awards going with them.

Geoffrey Rush, my guest now from Los Angeles to talk about becoming Peter Sellers. Good morning.

RUSH: Good morning, hi.

KAGAN: I'm doing great. You're talking to a huge long-time fan of your work here.

RUSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: I want to get to the good stuff behind you accepting this part, because As I've heard, when they came to you the first time and suggested it, you said, thank you but no.

RUSH: Yes. Through fear, I think, and a bit of vanity, I read the script, which I thought was extraordinary, because it has got so many playful imaginative levels to it. It's like a fable about a guy who's very famous for being in the movies, who photographed his own life. And it's like reading Chinese boxes or something. But when I was reading it, I felt very torn, very thin, and very old and very Australian. KAGAN: And not British.

RUSH: Yes. Which seemed to be all the wrong things for what Peter Sellers should have been. So I reluctantly said, no, I can't do this. And then they fortunately came back to me and I was shooting "Pirates of the Caribbean" at the time. And I think I felt a little more foolhardy and brave when I had that feather in my hat from (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KAGAN: Taking on the courage of a pirate there. Now we should explain that this isn't your typical biopic. That when they decided to do this life of Peter Sellers, he was a rather different type of man. They're trying to tell it as if he was telling his own life, which means that you not only do Peter Sellers, but as many as 40 different voices and take on different characters as well?

RUSH: Yes. Well, I think the writers picked up on the fact that Sellers is very famous in a majority of his own films for playing just for virtuosic display, I think, particularly in films like "Dr. Strangelove" and "The Mouse that Roared." He would play multiple characters. And they picked up on this element because his own life seemed to be filled with multiple aspects of his own very interchangeable personality. Because away from the celebrity and the legendary status that he has as a film performer, behind the scenes there was a very turbulent and troubled and rather sad kind of existence.

KAGAN: As is the case with a lot of people who are funny for a living. Peter Sellers, when he was asked about if someone should do a movie of his life, said to see him on the screen would be a rather dull experience.

RUSH: Yes. I know a lot of actors who feel like that. It's a strange sort of job to be in, to be able to sit at the end of the day and watch objectively what you've been involved in. It's a little bit like most people's reaction when they hear themselves on tape.

KAGAN: For the first time.

RUSH: For the first time. They go, do I sound like that? I go well, yes, you do. That's what we love about you.

KAGAN: Some of the women you get to work with in this movie, we see Emily Watson on the screen there, Charlize Theron, no shortage of Academy Award winners.

RUSH: Well, it was a cast from heaven. And just by the logistical timetabling of it, we had the Emily Watson block and then we had the Charlize Theron block and John Lithgow. And for me it was really like participating in some extraordinary international master class because they were all so extraordinary, you know, just great talent.

KAGAN: Not a bad day at the office. And I'm sure they would say the same for having the chance to work with you. Geoffrey Rush, thanks for stopping by. RUSH: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good luck. It debuts Sunday, December 5, 9 p.m., "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers." Thank you.

RUSH: Thanks so much.

HARRIS: I'll be there.

KAGAN: You'll be there, you'll be tuned in.

HARRIS: He's good. He is really good.

KAGAN: Very talented. We're going to check in on Wall Street, we still have time to do that. We'll have details on that on the other side of this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

KAGAN: Thanks for sitting in today for Rick Sanchez.

HARRIS: You've been a wonderful host, thank you.

KAGAN: Appreciate it, breaking news for you.

HARRIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: But that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan, for Tony Harris, I'll see you tomorrow, and Wolf Blitzer takes over from Washington, D.C.

Hi, Wolf.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Daryn. Thanks very much, Daryn and Tony.

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