♪ so the first question is, who is making the good stuff? who is making the cookies while you are talking about the film? >> i have partners holding it down for me while i am on the press tour. tavis: i want to jump right and because these stories are fascinating to me how something comes together so organically.

and it ends up being such a success that it winds at sundance, and it's all kind of a claim that -- acclaim at cannes. it is your first time acting. corvan jenee wallace. the little girl, her first time acting. the director, his first feature at 29 years of age. and all of this goodness has come out. >> for me, personally, living in the new orleans area, living in the region, we have to go through these things. we used to always have to go through the possibility of evacuating, the possibility of losing their homes, loved ones, business. we show our resiliency, and the

same type of resiliency that these people have. they refused to leave the things that they love more than a thing in life. i brought a certain rayless from the movie being from that area. they tried to bring in outside professional actors to do this part, but it didn't feel right because they never went through these things that we go through living in that region. that was one of the things that helped the director choose me because i go through a lot of these things living in the region. >> how did this happen for you? take your time telling the story. >> it is a long story. first i hold a bakery called henri's bakery right across the street from the studio where court 13 did the casting. all the people, the producer,

they used to come to the bakery every morning, get done let's and breakfast. if anybody wants to come audition for an upcoming feature film, what number and give us a call. i actually put that up there for my customers, but one day, we were in the bakery and i decided to go over there to cast. he'd leave me a script and he gave an actress a script. i went back and forth with the dialogue and i did it well. i said, steel later, michael. i went back to the victory. michael called me back a couple weeks later for another reason. the director of what he saw, and he wants you to do another read. i went back, i said, see you later, michael. never thought i was going to get the part. never thought i was going to get

it. and within that time, i have moved my bakery from that location to a bigger location. they were looking for me to give me the part but nobody knew where i was sad. they were asking the neighbors in the neighborhood, my landlord. nobody knew where mr. henry is that. >> next time you move, let people know where you're going to be. >> after i opened my new location, i renamed it to buttermilk drive and i moved it to a the other location. mr. henry, you got the part. i was flattered, but thank you. i have to move out of town and do all these different things. i am sorry, i am flattered. i just opened up my new

business. he can't just walk away from it like that. a little time before you start shooting, which will give you time to work things out of the bakery. he came back a couple weeks later, still didn't have anything worked out. to make a long story short, i turned them down three times, i was flattered and wanted to take apart, but i wouldn't sacrifice the business that i opened up the pass on to my kids. i would not sacrifice that for a possible acting career. they see some things in me that i did not see in myself, and they came to me the last time, they came with all three producers, they even brought their accountant with them. they sat me down and the accountant said this is the maximum we can give you to do this part. they had so much to believe in

me and confidence in me. i was able to do a film and it has done wonderful ever cents. tavis: i will fast forward and we will come back and a second. from that humble beginning where the story started, you are shooting a film right now, with somebody named brad pitt. just thought i would throw that in there for good measure. the guy who didn't want to do it is hanging out with brad pitt on the seven other film that he has to when he is done talking to me. after going through all of that, there is such a beautiful response in such a claim on this project? >> is a deep and meaningful film that means something and people can relate to people that are resilient and people that love

the things that they love. they can really relate to it. it is something that people can attach themselves to and love. your whole family can see it and enjoy. tavis: my producer came to me in preparation for this conversation with a copy to watch at home. chris sought a first and said to me, i want to warn you, you're going the love the film, but it is tough to watch. he had a hard time processing the way that people live in that kind of extreme poverty. there are so many people in the new orleans area that are struggling every day trying to put their lives back on line and can be tough for certain people to watch. what gets the viewer through it is reveling in the humanity of

these people. and what he said, they love what they do and they love their lives. the struggle is hard for some people. >> and being from new orleans, we are not like a lot of other places in the united states. we are different in our resiliency. the more things that we go through, the tougher we get. and when a hurricane comes, we have a party. wire of a party in during this? is the resiliency that we have to show the storm that we are not going to let you change or lives. we were party in before you decided to interrupt our lives and we will continue doing this. how certain resiliency that we have. >> when you first go and, they give the sides.

>> all of that movie terminology. tavis: at some point, you see the entire script and you got a chance to see what the story line was. when you saw the script, what did it say to you? what turned you lot about what this movie was going to be? >> i wanted people around the world to understand some of the difficulties that we go through living in that region. a lot of the things that we go through, we don't have to go through. a lot of the thing, like the island we shot the movie on, the levees protect everything but that particular island, certain things like that are man-made problems and they don't build that to protect the whole area, just certain areas. the first day of shooting, the bp oil spill happened and we had

to move a lot of the votes. and we had to move them because of another man-made problem that happened in the gulf of mexico. i hope it creates an awareness around the water and people understand some of the things we are going through down there. tavis: since he is not here, were you concerned about putting your theatrical future in the hands of a first-time feature film director? this is a kid, he is 29. >> he put his career -- it was vice versa. even when it -- we put it in each other's hands. it worked out very well. tavis: i want to meet this little girl, but tell me about miss wallace.

>> she is a great young actress with a bright future ahead of her. she is very smart, very talented. i would love to work with her again, and she has been amazing. she was 5 years old when she auditioned for this movie, six when she was started shooting. to see a 6-year-old girl to some of the things she has done in this film is amazing. she lives at home. >> this project now, i referenced earlier you were doing something with brad pitt. are you going to give the bakery out? >> i am about to open up another bakery. naming it after my character. we located in the central business district in new orleans character.

i am developing a location called the hush puppies. tavis: you are a smart man. i love how you're working that out. you are going to stick with it? >> i am riding the wave right now, wherever it takes me. we have some many productions going on in louisiana, so it is not really necessary for me to move out of town to be able to do another role. it is shot in louisiana, some of the plantations in the area. 30 minutes away, i can shoot back and forth. it is not like i have to pack my bags and move the hollywood. >> what did you make of the experience? i raise that, because while this

film depicts life in the region, what i love about new orleans, they are authentic and unnatural. they are as advertised. when you see is what you get. acting requires you to do this for, 5, 6, seven or eight times to give the director what he wants. what did you make of this experience having to create this? >> when i first found that i got the film, he did his interviews, he told people, and he saw some natural things in may. people go to school for three, four, five years. but he saw some natural things in the back, you know, did not require me to be able the have to go to learn the school to learn the things i needed to be

able to do. but they brought acting coaches and to work with me at night at the bakery. we try to work during the course of the day and work on different techniques and skills. but they had a hard time catching up with me because i was tired from baking and they would try to catch up with me in the morning. they brought the acting coaches, while i am making an donuts, baking bread, working on different acting techniques. the learning how i need to change emotions. tavis: did your respect for actors go up? >> did dead. it is tremendously high. i thought i had an easy job, but the job is not easy. acting is harder than baking bread. it requires a lotof

concentration, focus, determination. if you want to work on your craft and do it right and be professional, it takes a lot of focus and concentration. >> they are cool people. how do you stay cool when you end up in a brad pitt film? >> i keep myself grounded, keep myself focused. it is a tremendous experience going from the movie that i just did. and to be able to do a film on that same level, it is amazing because a lot of times, actors have to start at the bottom. for me to get brought into a film that got all of the praise that this one has gotten,

working with steve mcqueen, and brad pitt, who is taking it to another level and it is amazing that is happening to me. tavis: when did you first see the movie when it was completed? >> of the first time was the sundance film festival because the directors didn't want me to watch dailies. he didn't want me to critique myself. he didn't want me to look at myself on the screen, i need to do this different. he loved the way i did everything so he didn't want me to watch that. some first time seeing it was at the sundance film festival. there are 1500 people an audience, it is packed, i am nervous. i don't know how people are going to react to the film is the first time we are showing it to anybody. people are looking and i am

nervous. when the film got over, 1500 people stood up and clapped for about 10 minutes. they would not sit down, they whistled and shouted, people were crying, they had tissue paper everywhere. it was a tissue paper moment, unbelievable. the response that we got from the sun dance audience was amazing. i had to catch myself from getting emotional because it was great. then we got an even bigger response at cannes. the audience and there is a tough audience. how they will walk out on you. they don't like american films too well. i am not knowing what to expect again.

and when the film got over, it was unbelievable, the tremendous response that we got from the french audience. i am not exaggerating, for 15 minutes they stood up, applauded, whistled, shouted, through balloons in the air with amazement and joy. >> you have these different audiences that you just described. what do you think that all of these human beings have in common? >> and they relate to love, resiliency, toughness. camaraderie. how these people stick together under the worst circumstances. anybody around the world can relate to these things. they love the strength that these people have. tavis: and you have kids? how do your acting chops come

and -- you would do anything for your baby in the film. you would do anything for her, but you are tough on her. she is only six, how did you get into character in terms of their relationship with this girl i assume is nothing like the relationship you have your kids. >> i have a 7-year-old daughter, my daughter was 7. a lot of things that i relate to with my daughter as far as loving her, everything that i do in life right now, the bakery, the business interests i have, i am doing that to pass on to my kids. to have a future for my kids so that when i am dead i can let down and say that i had something to pass on to my kids. that is the same energy have brought to the movie, that she is the most important person in

the world to me. she doesn't have her mother and she lives in a region that is violent and dangerous and her daddy is dying so she has to know how to do a lot of things and take care of herself because i know i am dying in the movie. my ultimate passion in that movie is to teach her how to survive. i try to tell her these things with urgency because it is urgent in the movie that you know had to do these things because your daddy is not going be here much longer. i am not being mean to her, but i am passionately trying to emphasize with urgency that you know how do these things because your daddy is not going to be here that long. if you have a child and you were dying, the most important thing in the world for you would be to make sure your daughter would be ok.

[unintelligible] howell -- tavis: how is he treated on the streets of new orleans? >> people know me now because i am in these magazines and newspapers and they see me in the film. everybody knows me now. mr. henry, we see you in the paper and on tv. tavis: is it good for business? >> is good for business. that is the only reason i am opening up another one, to capitalize on the public city. he we don't want anyone to forget about links bakery. tavis: this is a great story, i get a chance to talk to a lot of great people, but you get a story like this -- >> you always have to believe in

the underdog. people didn't expect it to do as well as it did. we got to pull for a heartfelt underdog story like that. that is just natural for our people the pool for the underdog. tavis: run out and see it as soon as you can because your friends will be talking about beast of the southern while starring the white henry. if you get to new orleans, check out the bottom of a bakery and cafe and winks and bakery and bistro coming soon. some food at your list as if you need that when you go in new orleans. congratulations. it is our show for tonight, as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with

to-time oscar winner kevin costner on his new history channel miniseries. see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: the tucson gunman accused of killing six and wounding 13 people, including former congresswoman gabrielle giffords last year, will spend his life in prison. good evening. i'm judy woodruff. >> brown: and i'm jeffrey brown. on the newshour tonight, we have the latest on jared lee loughner's appearance in court today, and how he convinced a judge he was now competent to plead guilty. >> woodruff: then we follow the campaign money trail, who's raised what and from whom, and what are the presidential candidates spending it on? >> brown: ray suarez begins a special series about the impact of natural gas and oil surpluses in america. tonight he's in a north dakota town trying to cope with its

sudden prosperity. >> woodruff: track and field heats up at the london olympics as gymnastics winds down. we get the latest from christine brennan of "u.s.a. today." >> brown: and we remember robert hughes and judith crist, two legendary critics of the arts whose deaths remind us of another era. >> warner: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: moving our economy for 160 years. bnsf, the en t