Ed Asner speaks with CNN on Oscars and FDR...

[monmouth]

Wonderful interview I'm sure you will enjoy. I posted the end of the interview but so much more at the top..


http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/02/ed.asner.up/index.html?hpt=Sbin

CNN: FDR died when you were about 15, so he was president for all your childhood. Did influence stay with you into adulthood and sway your political views?

Asner: Oh, it certainly did. ... Through all those years, I never found any giant to compare to him and now, many, many years later, I wonder why is he not worshipped more in this country for what he did ... and many of his successors have tried to tear down what he has established for this country. He gave us the socialism that we have in this country now that all those tea-baggers can't recognize. And I would like to see how they felt about socialism if we removed Social Security, unemployment insurance, child-labor laws, old-age pensions and what have you -- how they would flail about without that safety net.

CNN: What kind of response are you seeing from the audience?

Asner: It's almost a letdown, because when they greet me afterward, it's primarily "How do you do it? How do you ..." Their praise is for my having achieved the mastery of all the lines. ...

The best compliment that I got was one of my first shows. A young lady who worked at the theater said, "When you began, I heard Roosevelt, but by the time you finished, I saw him." I couldn't ask for anything better than that.

[joeybee12]

1. I love Ed...wonderful man, wonderful actor...n/t

[niyad]

3. as do I--love the roles he plays these days--one of my favourites was "a walk in the woods"

[joeybee12]

6. I still recall when he won an Emmy for roots he made sure to thank

his wig maker...gotta find a photo of him in that.

[Cha]

2. Thanks, monmouth~

He is amazing and I haven't seen Up yet.

[Captain Hilts]

4. He'll be performing it at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Centre in Old Saybrook, CT -

also, the character in "Up," was modeled after Spencer Tracy in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

It was actually Old Saybrook resident, Art Carney, who did FDR's voice for the newsreels.

[joeybee12]

5. You know, now that you mention it, the character does resemble Spencer...n/t

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.