Ron Howard on "Frost/Nixon"
Ron Howard's latest film chronicles the interviews between British tv host David Frost and President Richard Nixon.
For years, Ron Howard was known as Opie from "The Andy Griffith Show" and then as Richie from "Happy Days." Now he's known as one of Hollywood's most renowned filmmakers. Howard has directed and produced more than 20 films and won an Academy Award for 2001's "A Beautiful Mind." His newest project, "Frost/Nixon," chronicles the interviews between British television host David Frost, played by Michael Sheen and President Richard Nixon, played by Frank Langella.
Bob Edwards talks with Ron Howard and Peter Morgan, who created the original stage play, and wrote the screenplay for the new film.
Howard says of the stage play by Morgan: "I was surprised when I read the play, how riveting and entertaining this piece was. The interviews had meant a lot to me in 1977 -- I'd been one of those 400 million people around the world ... really watching and caring, and the outcome mattered a lot to me. But I had no idea [what] all the behind-the-scenes machinations meant, and what Peter Morgan discovered was [a] rich drama that was full of suspense, and humor and emotion, along with recreating this remarkable event."
"It's two great characters in conflict, and everything about the story surprises, but underneath it is what makes great drama ... particularly the kind that yields fantastic performances, and as a director who really loves working with rich characters and the actors who can really maximize those characters, it was a field day for me. But everything about it is fresh, and original and really unexpected and that's harder and harder to come by."
Bob Edwards Weekend" is a two-hour interview showcase, in which celebrated host Bob Edwards highlights the life and work of interesting people, from newsmakers, historians, and authors to artists, actors, and regular folks too. The show is produced by XM Satellite Radio and distributed nationwide by PRI.
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