>> from our studios in new york city, this is "charlie rose." we remember robin williams this evening. he was my friend and he was a friend of this program. he came to this table often.

nobody on the planet could be so spontaneous, so improvisational, so smart as robin williams. there was no one like him. he wasleague of giants, a unique giant. so talented it took your breath away. he was the guaranteed laugh, so smart and so quick but impossible to define. if you are in journalism or instinct is simply to state he was brilliant. he was the brightest star who fell to earth and is now among the stars. officials will answer him the question -- answer the question as to how and why he died, the rest of us simply say thanks, we will never forget you. the first time he came to this table was 16 years ago. 1990 eight. he would win the academy award for his performance in "good will hunting." >> do you look for this kind of role because it gives some balance to the things you do?

>> i love being a supporting part. it is extraordinary for me because it takes the pressure off, being part of an ensemble. i like to try to do a movie like "flubber," then something like this which is the other way. andaracter that is tough has his own problems. it is a wonderful, complex character. it balances it out. i try to do as many types of things as possible. >> take me to two places. one of the what is going on with your character -- and what happens in your relationship. what is it that sean finally gives will that make the difference? --the first time he walks in my wife died a couple years

before, teaching at bunker hill, all different types of psychology classes. i have kind of withdrawn. -- basically,.i.t. he chose a life of working in boston and with the people he grew up with. he wanted to work with the people he knew, the community. but he is guarded. he has been through a lot. but matt's character has a time,ctive -- the first to attack the memory of my wife, he pushes the button that i can control myself. i violate the therapeutic relationship in that moment. session, it is

essentially saying, you know who i am -- you messed with my life in a huge way. i know you need some help. if you want to work i would love to help you. then it just begins, this process of the two of them just talking. they don't even talk, just standing. then it works to a point where finally he says, i have to tell him -- then i start sharing a little bit of myself. him you sees -- in yourself. i see the same mind. it is like that arguments that we have with the own characters -- what would einstein have done? he didn't need anything.

and there is another great mind -- it is that idea of, he needs work. he needs -- i know he is a genius, that is a given. i want to work on another part of him. end, i am- and at the saying, you can do anything. it has elements -- >> is saying that what you chose in my character is not a flaw. this relationship i have with this woman is not a character flaw, it is an amazing relationship. that is what he tells will. will's only comeback is then why aren't you doing that now. they're both kind of stagnant and they need each other. moving on in a healthy way. >> when did you know you wanted to entertain?

[laughter] -- it wasas a time after high school. i have those tendencies. "what are you doing?" "what is that about?" "nothing." where ired in college took a theater class and something was so familiar that i flunked out all of my political science courses. [laughter] "there's that thing that i do well now!" "i have brought to my mind hither!" "i know, my friend, but in the end--" >> yes, he does. >> that was the beginning.

it has been pretty much from then on doing this. >> is there one great thing you want to do? do you get more satisfaction from this kind of thing, or do you, in the end, get the most satisfaction when you are out there with the audience? it is likeual. comparing hang gliding and spelunking. how intimate this pieces -- and when it works and it reaches people, it is meaningful to me. performing live is different -- performing live is an extraordinary -- it is cheaper than prozac. it is an amazing film and =-- fulfillment. when you are reading and creating. "i've heard that one!"

there is something wonderful with creation. >> do you sit down and write the stuff that all? associate.ee associate?free raise your right hand, or your left, whatever you want to do. if it's not one thing, it's your mother." year 2000, robin williams had already appeared in more than 30 feature films. this conversation centered on the challenge of acting and improvisation. >> what you should do is combine shakespeare and stand up. >> "is this not a chicken that i have held? did not the two jews into the bar?" "drink the scotch, i shall know

thy name! all time outside the day the wall street crumbles! gates. open the windows of time -- gates doth open the windows of time!" yet yet notll, knowing why the intern has done, he has gone away." "the ties that bind -- until kenneth's star. shine -- doth shine." "charlie rose, the time is yours." [laughter] "for you, my lord!" >> i do like it! >> venice, california shakespeare! "shakespeare rules!"

"tight!" there was a great article in the los angeles magazine. notes to shakespeare. who is this character, yorick, and why do we need him? can we make the character more likable? does he have to die? can the ghost give less information? >> can we change the ending? >> kennedy happy? -- can it be happy? >> doesn't he need a girlfriend? >> does she have to die, too? >> that is why you are leaving this business temporarily. >> when i saw popeye remembered that an agent called me and said robin, can't you open your other eye? i said, no, he only has one. it is pop-eye. the character would be much more likable if you could open both eyes. i said no, pal.

"i can't see!" of -- there are no rules. >> is there any fear of failure when you're out there? >> i guess you have to get over that and take a chance. you have to fail in order to find the new. sometimes-- >> you have to fail to find the new? >> you have to take a chance, even bomb, to let go. it peels away. it scares you and you go back and work harder. i guess it is the same way on anything. you kick it out, it doesn't work -- go to phase two. "don't fall back!" "stay with me!" "go ahead, go towards the wasteland!" "i don't need -- come on, go

with me! fight through it!" you go out and eventually, something will kick in. that is why takes a while but if you have the courage you can do it. >> 2002 was the year of change for both were robin williams and myself. it was his first psychological thriller. i was recuperating from heart surgery. that would also become a topic of many of our conversations. >> "come on, now, son, we got a new heart." waiting?"ou >> we went under the pig farm. [laughter] >> we got another hard here -- heart, here. "get me the good one!" "the pig valve!" she's got the biggest valve i have ever seen. "bring the big boy!"

will livere mr. rose a long time. >> don't bring me teddy. teddy smokes. [laughter] >> we want the young one, the big one. >you may these three movies in which you play the bad guys. was there some reason you wanted to go out and tackle things you hadn't done before? >> "i wanted people to understand. i never meant to hurt anybody. they shouldn't have been there, they shouldn't have look at me that way." >> i have these demons and i had to get them out. as an actor, as anthony h

opkins said, they are no longer bound by the law's ability. the character can be so, in this case, hyper-normal and banal in many ways, you no longer have to be charismatic. i went out of my way to take away all of that. mark designed the makeup to be totally opposite of who i am. i would not want to keep -- if you set on fire, even the fire would go, "no!" >> were you aware of the fact that people wanted to see robin williams? >> that is why it was great to have mark. he would say, -- it was great to have him. it is all the details and minutia. it's all part of it, it all fits in.

i was walking into walmart -- that is a great compliment. detail has been lovely and interesting to have. the more detailed you are in your work, the more universal it is. the behavior and all those little things that people -- people have come up to me and say i love your shoes. no, i mean in the movie. they like the squeakiness. that is a great thing. >> you have to put brakes on an instinct to improvise? >> no, we talked in the beginning where i would have moments -- if i got method, mark had to say, you were getting too into it. they would go, slow it up. veryback and be very free,

calm. there is a residual energy, which was great. think there is a lot of tension that is created because we know robin williams from talk shows and comedies and stand up, so we know that he has got this volcanic amount of energy. when he is playing this very repressed character we know he is repressing a volcano. that creates a lot of tension. keep that going -- you are charged up. you have the freedom to go off and come back and there is a thing where you're very much there and people would say they are registering when you're just watching something. that is very good, that is what we want. most of the time, it is just observing.

it is a delicate line to walk when you are looking at other people and you have to be this mixed bag of envy, anger -- not just one emotion, but many, as in life. lots of things are going on simultaneously. >> where are you and where do you want to go now in terms of -- >> i want to keep doing interesting movies like this. i am 51. i am getting towards walter brennan. i want to do interesting fills with interesting people. you get to a certain point in you say, what are you leaving behind? moments like this, i say -- things that have an effect, a half-life, that is a wonderful thing. it seems to affect people in a way. to have access to both is -- passports to many countries. a passports to do hbo and the

passport to do this. it takes people by surprise, but that is good. >> that would be one of robin williams's most prolific years. he started three feature films. after 16 years, he had returned to stand up. >> you would think that canadians may have a certain brand -- it is a tough love business. at the beginning everybody was hanging out at the clubs just watching. >> and then you have a shared pain. "dead men walking." "dead men talking." waysyou go your separate but you see people and go, oh, what is up? i saw a richard pryor a month wanted to see up, alcatraz. it was amazing. >> you took richard prior to alcatraz? >> and i got him off, too.

island."et me to the >> you know san francisco. you know willie, too. >> willie brown! honor. brown -- it is an willie brown working the room." it was so good to know him. robin winters came up -- his wedding anniversary is september 11. i took him to a giants game it was so great to have him. he had a good day. oing down rickles -- knowing don rickles -- like and uncle, the buddha. it is like being around a great. ugliness out the of her." you hang out with those guys and

you can't help but -- i got to know rob steiger. the stories -- you want to get this stuff on tape sometimes. all the stuff this guy -- these guys have gone through, meeting is such ale, there gift that they give you. this sense of history. the knowledge board of -- born of great history. >> walter matthau. >> in the battle of the bulge. oh, yeah. being in place and doing movies, and it is amazing, because all those guys came out of world war ii. steiger said he went to an acting class because he heard girls were there. >> i think a lot of actors got

started that way. >> what federal during? "hey!" "what show did you see, first or second?" >> i am very old. >> "i remember that from 1929!" >> do you ever -- i think about winners. somebody ought to be sitting with him and having a forever conversation about recording. i got a call last summer from a friend of mine saying, this happens to me and i don't have as much time to do it -- somebody said, i had the most amazing dinner last night. he has got the most fabulous stories about the beginning of hollywood. you have got to talk to the guy. won't go a mediums way -- i remember [radio

static], but you are here from -- it's like hearing the audition tape. "ah, line?" you want to hear all these things. they tell you stuff that is hysterical, but also powerful, coming through the depression, making movies -- people of the day. don rickles and all these people and it is an amazing interaction. i got to meaet brando. it was insane. "the love of this man..." there he is. "it's crazy." he is an amazing guy. all of these guys have so much to tell. >> put it on tape. didn't you get guys like you to help them?

>> it's not doing what you talked about. getting back and sharing what he knows. means."t know what that whoa, it is that buddha moment. >> moments in which you just say -- >> zen poem. days,usiness in those movies, weno were doing this in front of a cave wall." it helps to have people be a catalyst and letting them go. they want to tell you stuff and it is important. it is a verbal and visual record. they light up when you -- when i talk about it. >> they have an audience again. >> that combined with remembering it. >> science is an interest of

yours. >> my brother is an optical physicist and teaches science in memphis. [raspberry] i am always fascinated by it and the potential for it. working on -- "send in the cl ones." "what are you doing?" "nothing." "what are you doing?" "i developed a gene therapy for specific form of cancer." "i'm just having lunch." i'm fine. >> what do you do? >> i make noises. "i make faces. i like to make faces." >> where was that from?

that that wasm," in german. he did a monologue once in a television show, talking about -- "my head is like a fishbowl." "a wonderful monologue from 'psycho.'" >> what musical instruments you play? >> i try to play the saxophone once. this wonderful saxophone player once said, "don't hurt it. be kind to it. like a woman,ated not like you were trying to grab yourself. let it go." my favorite is you listen to those old blues records. going out to find all these great blues artists. hademember in 1927 -- i

gotten out of prison for the seventh time. i wrote this song called 'stay away from me.' i can't member all the other words. after a was written lovely evening with a woman who i found out later on was a man. we shared some wonderful love." greeted me with a happy surprise ♪ ♪

>> when robin returned to his table five years ago, the self-deprecating humor was still there. but now he was having health issues and my friends became a bit more reflective on both his career and his life. >> are you doing in "weapons of destruction?" >> everything, the heart surgery -- the valves they gave me, the choice they gave me a different valves. you can find truffles and a bovine valve, youc a can crap standing up." "how are you doing? do college kids to do over at night?"

you find yourself getting very emotional. instead of a valve, they gave me a tiny vagina. e-mail -- when did you know you are not doing so well? >> i was doing that to o -- a tour. this was more than exhausting, something else was going on. they looked at the valve, they did the angiogram. it was [raspberry] -- the leaking. "look at you with your french valve! we had to look a long way to find a nice valve! maintenant! these are the choices you have -- cow, pig, chicken heart -- lay a fresh egg! then you can be at the shore -- how proud will you be?"

it's crazy. all of that stuff has been part of the act. >> how do you feel today? >> wonderful. 98% there. [laughter] i think you went for a checkup and they said, you're going to an operation in an hour. "an hour?" >> i had a doctor in miami who wanted to operate the next day. there was an italian surgeron who said, "you may not go with a guy who wants to go on vacation." you get to pick. i finally found one who had done four dozen surgeries, all of them amazing. you don't want a guy who did six, but three didn't go so well. "ok everybody, let's try this!"

>> how long were you in recuperation? months.nk it was three >> do feel better today. i do, actually. >> that's the idea. >> i can get oxygen to my brain no! >> your member things. you appreciate the little things, like breath. i'm back, it's wonderful. >> you are at this table and i had my first valve transplant. >> good luck with that thing. >> people were looking at me and say -- [laughter] >> what you have? "i had a penile transplant."

"from a pig?" "nope." [horse whinnying] "charlie, you have to pull this carriage through the park!" "it's been great!" we have to stop every once in a while but that is all right. need twoe deal, i horseshoes. how's that mare? what do you mean, a stud fee? how old am i? [hoof clapping] "four?" "i feel good since i had that pig valve put in!" "michael on line two!"

"how's my boy?" "i don't know..." "ever since that genetic research is come through -- how do you feel? do you feel better since the elephant hormones?" [elephant noises] you see people get to contact lenses with the eyes -- "how are you doing?" [affected voice] "great party!" >> that was good. that was fun. >> a while risk. -- wild risk. charlie.ll till with >> how much of this is simply natural, comedic talent? >> lenny bruce said it best. you start off trying to win the

attention of your mother. "is this thing on?" menu work from there -- then you work from there. [laughter] as it goes along it's become something you learn and work on. but if you do get the open field, sometimes you get a gift and you go with it. "touched." voluntary tourette's. you look at joe biden, and even people with touerret's saette's, "no, joe! joe!" it is a nice combination of the two. >> there are few people that can do what you do. >> that are out of institutions? patton jonathan winters,

oswald, people who are free -- they can go anywhere with it which is wonderful. >> where's jonathan live? >> he lives in santa barbara. he will talk to people -- >> in character? >> many characters. hard to pick one. he once parked in a handicapped parking zone. "madame, can you see inside my mind?" he's amazing. to hang with him is the best. >> is he ever on television question mark does he do anything anymore? >> seeing him is always the best. for me he is the buddha. he is the gift. call him. "sitting in a hot tub full of indian head nickles. trying to wash them all.

robert wilson, send me money." [laughter] >he always makes me laugh. i got to hang out with mort saul. >> when you went in television and then into film with "good morning vietnam," was it a sense of coming home? was that what you were -- you were trained to do that at juilliard. >> no, i mean -- doing television, it was more like acting. when i finally did movies it was like, that is what i was training to. >> became easy? -- it came easy? >> no, not easy. i was doing "the world according i improvise the line. and he made a face like this -- "not good?" "no." "say the lines and commit."

"ok." and that was the first great lesson. "you have great power of listening. that is the second part of the equation. when you listen to someone it is quite fascinating." second grade lesson. third is always find out where catering is. the idea of really listening and what it means to be engaged. the other great gift is -- whenever there is an accident in terms of filming, the line may be flubbed -- that is a gift because it forces you to be in the moment. it is something that happened and everybody is responding. respond to what is going on immediately. don't be afraid to try those things. that forces everyone to engage

with the media moment. >> he had a very good movie out. >> one of the great american actors, and underappreciated. each and every one of his performances as iconic. "the great lebowski" -- the dude is one of the great stoner characters. >> what is iconic mean? if someone is doing an iconic, it is a comic. [chris walken accent] "chris walken -- iconic and beyond!" gone!"ation -- is -- a friend was standing in his socks, and he said, "today -- i'm -- an alligator!"

if you could have anything, what would you want? "a tail!" "then i would know -- if i was happy -- would always move according -- to your emotions -- question mark -- punctuation!" >> who else do you do that you love? >> nicholson is the best. he is so out there. " hasbody in "the departed a hard-core boston accent, but he -- "i'm not going there." when he won the third academy award, he stood up and said, "robbo, i've got one for every decade." "what a great night for me!" >> have you ever bought that there is some connection between -- >> comedic talent is the way -- it is a survival mechanism.

they went through it and it was part of how they got through. richard pryor said you had to be the funniest guy around. ealing with -- da the childhood of his mother working in a whore house -- when he found characters, one night it snapped and he said i am not doing this. he found this other side of him and tapped into all the anger. >> he is one of those that everybody honors. >> i used to see him performing ready for standup. it is one of the most amazing things. people wanted him to do much dbone. "you do it!" they become possessed by these characters. it's amazing to see him go free range with it. and as soon as it was over, he

you could see that she was totally free on stage. >> did you have to get out demons? >> "you know where we are, robbo!" "we hang right here!" "charlie, where we going?" "it'll be fun!" "it will play well with the wife!" there more like spirits. [laughter] dr. jekyll and mr. jack daniels! full, aist sees it half pessimist sees it half empty, an alcoholic-- [slurring] >> you are ok today? >> totally.

ok? i'm better. i feel great. >> did you go through a certain kind of whatever? >> i went through a certain kind of whatever. "welcome to do whatever center." " you may have a problem with whatever." >> do you have to stand up and say, "i have a problem with whatever?" whatever." to " did you do a lot of whatever?" >> whatever gets you down? >> what's your name? [bleating] that's my valve! country. rehab in wine came out the other side. >> how were you different when

you came out? >> dry. sober. also able to experience life. before the heart surgery one of the most sobering moments was going, life is extraordinary and i don't want to miss it. spending most of the time -- [slurring] coming back was going, oh, look. "i appreciat eyou, and -- appreciate you, and now i can her member what we were talking about." gratitude. simple gratitude of -- it's good. every day above ground. is all those things. >> that stand that make you a better actor? >> standup is so fearless because you have to put it out there. acting gives you the

concentration. they are not afraid to be, warts and all, which is what comedy is. that's the same thing -- "big is fearless, not funny, playing this awkward guy. he is not afraid to talk about anything. for me, the standup gives you -- aboutn't have to worry being likable. this character is not likable. "serious man" -- have you cnet? -- seen that? sympathy and you want to go, "wake up!" go -- smack! to but standup? i like both. >> jerry seinfeld wanted to go

back. you wanted to go back. >> i think it is more personal. economical. there is a fix you get. >> it is like being a boxer, you have to get out and have enough material to go the distance. you have to be ready. >> some about the store have said it is more professional. >-- confessional. >> some of it. -- it's gratitude. appreciating life, warts and all. coming out the other side of whatever and being able to go, " -- the country was going through

this transition. i think we're going to make it. i think we are going to come through it. it, we bitch about it but we do work together. we sometimes don't play well together but we do and we can. for me, confessional, yes. as close as i can be as a wasp.r-old "your mother and i were so happy..." [laughter] how confessional is that? "darling?" >> god will take care. >> god will take care.

>> you'll be fine. christmas, darling. i wish i could express how happy i am!" a wonderful botox christmas ♪ ♪ gathering around with friends and family ♪ ♪ that's all i can feel ♪ >> your son is funny. >> very funny. he does a great chris walken. he hasn't uncorked it for me. he has been hanging back, waiting for the right moment. my daughter has been acting. >> how old are they? >> 20, and 25. >> they will all be in show business? >> no. no! one is an actress. know, he has

also said things you has been dabbling in. i don't think so. he wants to go to harvard business school. >> he wants to run things. run google. >> oh, please, and yahoo! -- netanyahu. he has been writing really interesting fiction. i see someone totally different. i see a little bit of myself and this other combination of marsha and myself. they all turned out really wonderful. they have all turned out to be just great human beings. zelda acting -- but it is more than just acting. she is a very sweet and kind woman. greatergreater -- is as

compliment as you can get. your kids are wonderful people. you must've done something right. >> robin williams did many things right. he made us laugh and cry and think and feel. he lives on, especially in the hearts of the survivors, his wife, his brother, three children, and two stepchildren. a giant among us. robin williams dead at 62. >> the great thing about having robin williams at the table was that you never knew what was going to happen. take a look and you will see what i mean. >> robin williams is here, the only child of ord executive. -- ford executive, with only his imagination to keep them company. [laughter] >> phonetic injury? that happened when i was 12. >> let's start over.

keep the tape rolling. robin williams is here, the only child of a ford motor company executive with only his imagination -- he later found an audience for his comedy as a standup comedian in the late 1970's. he first came to national attention in "mork and monke indy." he went on to do a feature film career, critical and commercial successes. critical and commercial successes! ♪ good luck with that. >> people look at me and say, nice. [laughter]

"i had a penile transplant." "from a pig?" "nope." [horse whinnying] "what are you doing?" "pull this carriage through the park!" "ever since he had the transplant, he has been pulling my carriage the park." >> doctor, could i have another appointment? >> i needed to horseshoes. -- two horseshoes. "how's that mare?" "what do you mean, a stud fee?" "how old am i?" [horsof clapping] "i feel good since i had that

pig valve put in." [laughter] two!"el on line "bob, genetic research has come through. botox is working. how do you feel? do you feel better since the elephant hormones?" [elephant noises] get those contact lenses with the goat eyes -- "great party!" [laughter] i am pleased to have robin williams back at this table. here's my question. >> oh, my god.

"what i would like to do for a fishing pole. lean in. let the bass hook it and pull. either that or a piece of c4." out there -- "little c4." charlie rose. "that's my man." "charlie with the two valves." "where'd you get that parisian valve?" "la vie en charlie!" french] in that's all for today, ladies and gentlemen. good night. >> i will let the camera keep

rolling. >> "charlie rose..." "good thing i remember young charlie rose." child, wasven as a doing interviews with his bare. -- his bear. he would line up all the animals at a table. questionsook at the -- 'teddy, how long have you been stuffed?'" "he would turn and the other animals will look at him -- 'as fear?'", do you feel "we'll be right back!" ♪

>> this is "taking stock" for tuesday, august 19, 2014. i'm pimm fox. today's theme is moving. there is movement in missouri. to write the wrongs of the shooting death of the 18-year-old michael round. we have a live report. the militarization of u.s. police forces. the market version of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. a marketalk to strategist who believhe