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American Morning
Showbiz Today Reports: Halle Berry Discusses 'Swordfish' Role
Aired June 13, 2001 - 11:43 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.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Dallas radio station broadcast a false report last night that Brittany Spears had been killed. KEGL in Dallas-Fort Worth went on the air and said that Spears and *NSYNC boyfriend Justin Timberlake had died in a car accident in Los Angeles. The broadcast was apparently meant to be a joke, but news organizations from as far away as Moscow took it seriously.
"VARIETY" reports today that plans are moving forward to make a prequel to the hit film "Hannibal," itself a sequel to the Academy Award-winning "Silence of the Lambs." The trade paper says that director Brett Ratner and star Anthony Hopkins are in negotiations to participate in "Red Dragon," author Thomas Harris's first Hannibal Lecter book. That book, actually, was made into a film called "Manhunter." The new film will incorporate elements from the book not used in that film.
"Silence of the Lambs" was number five on the American Film Institute's list of the most thrilling movies of all time. Topping the list was, of course, the legendary Hitchcock film "Psycho." The list, made for a three-hour CBS special that aired last night, had "Jaws" as number two, "The Exorcist" a head-turning number three, and another Hitchcock classic, "North by Northwest," as number four.
"Swordfish" may someday make that list. The action thriller was number one at the box office last weekend. But a lot has been written about star Halle Berry's steamy nude love scene in the movie -- imagine that.
Bill Tush was just the man to go in and ask her about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: She says I'm a bank robber. Truth is that I'm worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Control, be advised that this is now an aerial pursuit. Hold on!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALLE BERRY, ACTOR: I read the script and I was thoroughly confused from start to finish, but I was turning the page, faster and faster and faster, and I thought this is great because it kept me guessing, it kept me interested. And in portraying the character, I still was guessing. We were always deciding, on a daily basis, who these characters were and what they were doing. It was a really wonderful way to work.
BILL TUSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of physical stuff in this movie?
BERRY: Action films are physically harder. I didn't have a lot of action. Ginger just kind of perches herself a lot, but action is just harder because it's physically more demanding, sure.
TUSH: Did you have see the movie last night for first time?
BERRY: First time.
TUSH: What did you think?
BERRY: I can tell today, but last night, everybody asked me. When I first see a movie, especially if I'm in it, I have no thoughts, I'm still stuck on stupid when I see myself for the first time. But after I slept on it last night, I was really impressed. I had no idea what all those action scenes would look like, and I loved all the action. I thought it had heart. People laughed. I thought this has got some humor to it. And it was also really cerebral; it wasn't like a dumb action movie -- you had to listen really to what was being said and try to follow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVOLTA: Take a look at this. What do you think?
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: No, I can't touch that.
TRAVOLTA: Marco, let's give him some incentive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUSH: I'm amazed that John Travolta, who can play the nicest guy in the world...
BERRY: Michael.
TUSH: Yes, right, Michael, the angel.
BERRY: Now he's Gabriel.
TUSH: I didn't think of that.
BERRY: That's the trick: He made you, like, the so-called bad guy, and to me, that's a star.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I'm not what you think I am. (END VIDEO CLIP)
TUSH: You show a lot in this movie.
BERRY: I do.
TUSH: Is that is a first?
BERRY: Absolutely a first, yes.
TUSH: It was good talking to you. Thank you very much. Enjoyed it. You did a great job.
BERRY: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SYDNEY: So will "Swordfish" spawn a whole line of Halle Berry action figures? When we come back, we will go to the licensing show and see, and we'll find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SYDNEY: I don't know if you know this or not, but in Hollywood, it's not just about the movie, it's also about the merchandising. Every year in New York, vendors show off that merchandising. Toy manufacturers in conjunction with movie companies and producers show off what will be hot this Christmas, including these things which are called -- and this is their name, not mine -- the Butt-Ugly Martians -- not Bill, the guys in the costume.
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