>> rose: welcome to the program. tonight, robin williams, an appreciation. >> the improizational comedy of the improvisational theater came from failing that school and studying acting and going to juilliard, and not finding acting work and going into comedy, a kind of mental exercise. it was interesting. because i realized i could use all the chops i had from school but do it on stage. a lot of times i wouldn't do a mic. especially in a club where there was a two-drink minimum and they'd go, "you suck," and that was the owner. >> rose: robin williams in his own words tonight for the hour.

>> there's a saying around here: you stand behind what you say. around here, we don't make excuses, we make commitments. and when you can't live up to them, you own up and make it right. some people think the kind of accountability that thrives on so many streets in this country has gone missing in the places where it's needed most. but i know you'll still find it, when you know where to look. >> rose: additional funding provided by: >> and by bloomberg. a provider of multimedia news and information services worldwide. captioning sponsored by rose communications from our studios in new york city, this is charlie rose.

>> 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. simply stated, there was no one like him. in a league of giants-- think letterman and carson and so many more in television and stand-up and film-- he was a unique giant, so talented it took your breathe away. he was the guaranteed laugh, so smarpt, so quick, but impossible to define. if you're in journalism it is simply to state he was brilliant. he is the finest star to fall to aircraft and is now among the stars. officials will answer the question of how he died. the rest of us simply say thanks to coming to the table. we will never forget you. the first time he came to this table was 16 years ago, 1998 was the year. 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 kinds of things you are going to do? >> yeah. i love being a supporting part. for me a supporting role is extraordinary to me. two things too takes the pressure off, but it's also being part of an ensemble. a role like this, because-- i like to try to take a turn to do a movie like "flubber" no bones about it, and do something like this which is the other way. to play a character like this is-- has his own problems. it was a wonderfulling complex character. it balances it out. that's why i try to do as many different things as possible. >> rose: one, what's going on with your character, when this guy walks in the room. and then what happens in the relationship? what is it that sean finally gives will that make a difference? >> before the first time he walks in, it's like i've-- like

i said, i've-- my wife died a couple of years before. i'd be teaching at this place called bunker hill community college. i teach all different types of psychology classes. i've kind of withdrawn. i did go to m.i.t. with stellin's character. i chose-- he was a vietnam vet -- >> the genius who won prize. >> the fields medal winner. and basically he chose a life of working basically in boston, and working back with the people he grew up with. in a weird way, he's kind of like matt's character. he wanted to work with the people he knew, the community he grew up in. but he's got it. you know, he's been through a lot. what he offers matt's character is a perspective. it's like of saying-- like in the first time, when he presseses the buttons. when he starts to attack the more. of my wife, it pushes the butons i can't control myself and i

basically go for him and i violate the therapeutic relationship in that moment. it's no longer the therapeutic relationship. that next serkz the speech by the swan song is essentially saying you know who i am, and you messed with my life in a huge way, but i want to you know, i know who you are, and i know you need some help. and if you want to work on, that i'd love to help you. but it's up to you. and then it just begins, the process of the two of them just talking. the first couple of times they don't even talk. it's a standoff. he won't even say anything. and then it works to a point where finally we start-- i have to kind of tell him-- i ask him a few questions, and he tells things, and then he starts working and then i start sharing a little bit of myself for some reason with him. the reason probably is that in him, you see yourself. he sees in himself-- he sees-- >> well-- >> you know, i see the same mind going-- and i see where it could go. it's like that argument we have with stellin's character in the

bar he gives einstein thing, what would einstein have done? he didn't need anything hoop. he became this great mind. and there's another great minds who lived in montana, theodore kaczynski. he needs work. i know he's a genius. that's a given. that's not what i'm there to work on. i'm there to work on the other part of him empty other part is to reach his soul-- at the end i'm just saying to him, "what do you want to do? you can do anything," you know. it is father-son, but it has all sorts of other elements. >> rose: go ahead. >> i was going to say he's saying what you've chosen to exploit in my character is not a flaw. the relationship i had with this womans was not a character flaw. this was an amazing relationship i had and because i had it, i've really lived. and that's what he tells will. and essentially will's only comeback is why have you stopped. they were both stagnant when

they meet each other and because of this interaction they end up moving on in a healthy way. >> rose: when did you know that you wanted to at least to entertain, if not to be whatever you? ( laughter ). >> that time when i saw my mother -- >> come on! >> i think it was after high school. >> rose: really? >> yeah, the first year of college. i knew that, you know, there was kind of slight tendencies that way. >> rose: did you have tendencies. >> "what are you doing?" "just performing." "what is that about?" "nothing. better late than never." in college i took this improvisational explas something was so freeing about that i flunked out of my political science courses. >> rose: you seemed to have been born. >> yes, 'tis that thing i do well now. i have brought my mind hither. and my mind will flow thusly upon the question-- and, know my friend, in the end you must

suppose that charlie rose knows. >> rose: yes, he does. >> that was the beginning, what really started to kick out. and it's been pretty much from then on doing this. >> rose: is there one great thing you want to do? i mean, is it this-- do you get more satisfaction from this kind of thing, or do you in the end get the most satisfaction when you're out there with an audience? >> it's-- it's equal in different ways. i mean, it's like comparing hanggliding and spalunking. the idea of how intimate this piece is, and when it works and it reaches people on an intimate level, it's just as meaningful to me as performing live. it's ditch but it gives me the same satisfaction. performing live is this extraordinary-- it's cheaper than prozac. ( laughter ) and it's this great release and this amazing kind of fulfillment of-- the one caveat is it's performing live, and when you're

really creating. like when you asked, "is this old stuff or new?" "that's an old line, my friend. i've heard that one." when you really find a new piece, there's something wonderful, the creation, the idea of when you create, that's extraordinary. >> rose: but do you sit down and write this stuff at all? >> no, i just-- it's basically -- >> fee association. >> yes. that sounds like a law firm. young, young, and free. free associations. raise your right hand or your left. whatever you want to do. >> rose: whatever your mother tells you to. >> if it's not one thing, it's your morg. stay with me. walk away, your mother will know you better. >> rose: by the year 2000, robin williams had already appeared in more than 30 feature films. this conversation centered on the challenges of acting and improvisation. what shudo is combine shakespeare and stand-up. >> we could. >> rose: we could. >> "is this not a chicken i have held. did not the two jews enter the

bar and on entering find it was theirs?" "one row, yet there sit, and at all time outside theidate wall street crumbles nasdaq like bungee rises." "tell bill gates doth open the windows of time and rome will be." "we will all be undone and yet simply find ourselves waiting for this, your time. oh, till bill, not knowing why the enterprise hath done a trick of tongue, but she hat gone away. the tie ties that bind he doth r for thee. till the moon above has gone. charlie rose, the time is yours." ( laughteyours."laugh. >> "for you, my lord, for you." shakespeare's only play.

so that's the way you like it. >> rose: shakespeare rules. >> that's a great venice, california, shakespeare. "shakespeare rules! dude! atitis! go with it. shakespeare rules." there was a great article i think in "los angeles magazine" the studio's notes to shakespeare. who is this character york, and why do we need him? can we make the character more likable? does his father have to die? can the ghost be less of a la looseination and more of a family friend. >> rose: can we change the ending. >> can the ending be happy? can't he wake up. >> rose: doesn't he need a girlfriend? >> and does she have to die, too? it's so bleak. >> rose: that's why you're leaving this business temporarily. >> temporarily. i get tired of those notes. when i saw "popeye" again i remember that an agent called me and said, "be robin, can't you open your other eye." "no, he only has one.

it's called pop-eye." he thought the character would be more likable if he had both eyes. no that's the way he's been ff 50 years. "can't we understand him?" "no, he mumbles." it's the business. maybe that's why stand-up rules. >> rose: is there a fear of failure? >> yes. you have to fail in order to find the new. that's what's been nice going into the clubs -- >> you have to fail to find the new. >> you have to take the chance of-- even bomb, i guess. but you really kind of let go and say it's-- because it kind of peels away. what happens is, it shakes you up, it scares you. and you go back and work harder. is it'slet same way on anything, you kick it out, it doesn't work, but you come back and your mind goes, "step two. go to phase two now. don't fall back. stay with me! we're going ahead.

we're going towards the comedy wasteland! you're standing on it, look. come on! go with me! fly through it!" and you find, you know, you go out and eventually smiew, something will kick in. that's why it takes a while, but if you have the courage you can do it. >> rose: 2002 was a year of change for both robin williams and myself. he was directed by mark rommenec in "one hour photo." it was his first psychological thriller. i was recuperating from heart surgery that would also become a target of many of our conversations. >> "come on now, son. i have a new heart, leave me alone." >> rose: a new valve. >> "why you wait? brrrr!" >> rose: we went down to the pig farm. >> "we got another one here for mr. rose. get me louise the good one." >> rose: is louise ready?

we've been fattening her up. >> "fattening her up story a weak. she's the biggest valve we've seen." >> rose: he's a big boy, he needs a big valve. >> "bring a big valve." >> rose: naik sure she's healthy, mr. rose wants to live a long, long time. >> "don't give me teddy." i saw that piggy smoking the other way. >> rose: that's not the one we want. we want the young one, the big one, the right one. >> yeah, you don't want smoked pork. >> rose: you made these three movies in which you play a bad guy. >> right. >> rose: was there some need in you-- was there some reason you wanted to go out and tackle things that you haven't done before? >> "i wanted people to understand myself that i never meant to hurt anybody that shouldn't have been there, that should never have looked at me that way." >> rose: i had these demons and i had to get them out. >> "my head was like a fish bowl, and the bublger was

broken." that was a bad one. my therapist will go, "ask him about that." as an actor wanting to play those characters, they're no longer bound by the laws of likability. you have a character that can be so, you know-- and in this case, hypernormal, and banal in many ways, that you no longer have to be charismatic. and we went out of our way to take away of all of that. and mark designed the makeup to be very much, totally opposite of who i am, thinning the layer, glasses, clothes eye would not want to keep a single item of those clothes. even if you set them on fire -- >> . >> rose: are you specifically aware of the fact you don't want people to see robin williams, you want them to see the character. >> very much. that's why it was great to have mark, he would monitor him and say that's not sy.

it's about once again, all the details, the minutia, everything in the sets is all part of it. someone said another thing one day i was walk, in a wal-mart and i disappeared. that's a great complement. it means -- >> they didn't see robin. >> but also they didn't see sy. he disappeared and became part of it. and that type of detail has been really lovely and interesting to have. and it's the thing that you seed-- the more detailed you are, the more universal it is. and the behavior and all those little things that people-- people have come up to me after and said, "i love your shoes." and i went, "thank you." and they said, "no, i mean in the movie." kind of the jeekiness. that's a great thing. >> rose: do you have to put brakes on an instinct to improvise? >> no, like we talked in the beginning, i would have moments to just blow the doors off. if i got method -- and sometimes

mark would say you're being too tense. and he'd go, "just ploa it up for a moment." and i'd blow it up and come back and be free and be kind of calm. there was a riswriddual energy afterwards which was great. >> i think there's a lot of tension that's created because we know robin williams from talk shows and the comedies and the stand-up, so we know that he's got this volcanic amount of, you know, energy. so when he's playing this very repressed, restrained character, we know he's repressing a volcano, and that creates a lot of tension. if another actor, we might suppress he's repressing a hiccup, it's not as tense. >> to keep that going-- you're charged up, but it helped to have that kind of freedom to go off, and then you come back, and then there's this thing where you're very much there and present sphp and people would say they're reg sterg when just watching someone. that's very good.

that's what we wanted. when you have a character most times you're just observing which is a delicate line to walk. you're looking at other people and you have to be with this mixed bag of envy, anger, all these different things going through, not just one emotion but many, like in life. lots of things are going on simultaneously which is great. >> rose: i don't know how to ask this question but i'm interested in the answer. where are you and where do you want to go? with what i'm doing? >> rose: yes. >> the same. i want to keep doing interesting movies like this. i'm 51, and getting towards walter brennan. i want to do interesting films and work with interesting people. you get to a certain point and and you think what are you leaving behind? if it's a movie like this, great, something that has an effect and a half-life. that's a wonderful thing. doing the stand-up is another thing. it seems to get-- it affects people in a way. to have access to both, it's like breck said, having

passports to many countries. i get the passport to do hbo, and then the passport to do this. people will keep guessing. >> rose: that year would be one of robin williams' most prolific, 2002, starring in three feature films and an hbo special. and after 16 years he returned to stand-up. i would think comedians have a certain friendship-- >> it's a tough love business. >> rose: and everybody was at the clubs watching iyou went through together -- >> a shared pain. >> oh, yeah, mutual. "dead men walking, dead men talking." and then you kind of go your separate ways and you see people and go, "oh! what's up?" it's very interesting. i sarichard pryor like a month ago. and he wanted to see-- not san quentin. he wanted to see alcatraz. and i took him to the island.

>> rose: you took richard pryor to alcatraz? >> and got him off, too. he wanted to go see it. >> rose: did he call and you say or did somebody said-- >> "robin, get me to the island." >> rose: you know san francisco, i know you do, brother. >> "take me to the island." "willy brown, hottest man in show business." "brother, please, i want to say it's an honor." "sister, please." "willy brown work the room." and jonathan winters it's weird thing for jonathan his wedding anniversary is september 11. >> rose: yeah. >> rough day. i took him to a giants game, and it was so great he and his wife-- he had a good day. for me meeting comedians like jonathan, donricle-- and you're -- >> there's a brotherhood. >> brother, but more like uncle. the master, the sensai, buddha. when around jonathan it's like being around the great one. a man was kissing a woman in

front of us and he was doing it for a long time and he leaned over and said, "he's suck the ugliness out of her." "not so loud, john." i got to know rod stieger before he died and for me the stories -- you wanted to get that stuff on tape sometimes so people could hear all the stuff these guys have gone through, like walter matthau. and meeting those people-- the once or twice i met billy wilder, it's such a gift, they give you this sense of history, but like a knowledge born of great, great history, like walter being in "battle of the bulge." >> rose: walter matthew was in "battle of the bulge?" >> big time. these guys will tellue you'll like it this-- they'll tell you being in plays-- it's an amazing thing because all thifies who came out of world war ii went into acting like this thing you did on the g.i. bill.

stieger said he went to an acting class because he heard girls were there. "it's chicks. it's agrees crazy." >> rose: i think a lot of actors got started that way. >> and coijs, too. "what's that girl doing? hey! " what show did you see, first or second?" "yeah, that thing." that to me is a very great-- "i remember you from 1929." >> rose: the same thing can be said-- do you ever-- i think about like winters. somebody ought to be sitting with him and having a forever conversation about record ago i got a call last night from a friend of mine saying, "i just had--" this happens to me a little bit and i don't have time to do as much of it as i wanted to-- and somebody said,"i had the most amazing dinner last night." he named the guy he had dinner with and he has the most amazing stories about the beginning of hollywood and you have to talk

to the guy. >> you have to get it down in some medium that won't go away. something-- i remember ( static ) but you hear from all of them and they tell you stories that you're just going, "oh, my god." and, you know, it's like hearing the first it's audition tapes of jimmy stewart. "aw, line." you want to hear all these things. and they tell you stuff that's hysterical. but also powerful, coming through the depression, making movies and, you know, being in movies with, like, people they-- like bogart talking-- don rickles and all these people and there is this amazing interaction. and meeting brando. i knot to meet him once. >> rose: and? >> it was insane. it was wonderful to see him. "robin, this man." and i'm just going, oh, there he is. "i don't know. it's crazy. do you have any butter?" but he's an amazing guy. all of these guys have so much

to tell and teach. brando actually put together an acting class -- >> and put it on tape. you have seen the tape? >> no. >> rose: didn't he get guys like you to help him. >> yeah, people came and showed up. he's doing what you talked about, giving back, sharing what he knows. sometimes he'll ramble on, "i don't know what that means." but also sometimes he just says something and you go, whoa, it is that kind of buddhist moment. >> rose: you do have it. there are moments when you say-- >> there's zen cohen, and "show business in those days there was there were no movies. we were just doing this in front of a cave wall." all of this stuff that they tell you, yeah, i think you have to get it on tape. and it helps to have people being like a catalyst and letting them go because they'll tell you stuff. and they want to tell you stuff. and it's important because it's like the verbal record. or visual. verbal and visual both because they like lite up. you see them talk about it and

they just remember it, and it's like oh, yeah, baby. >> rose: to have an audience again. >> it's the audience again combined with-- yeah, and remembering it again. >> rose: science is an interest of yourself. >> i'm kind of fascinated by it. my brother started off as an optical physicist and teaches science in mesm fist. like what's that. i'm always fascinated by that, and the potential for tespecially when they talk about the human genome. ♪ send in the clones what are you doing, nothing? i met a nobel prize therapist. "i developed gene therapy for cancer and it will solve our problems for the next 20 years. what are you doing?" "just having lunch." >> rose: i'm thinking of howed brain things. i'll be back. >> "how are you doing?" "i'm fine."

>> rose: what do you do? >> "i make noises." "i like to make face. why don't they let me in. i never did anything wrong." >> rose: what is that from? >> he did a monologue once on a television show where he talked about, "my head is like a fish bowl and everyone sees inside of it." i can imagine ed sullivan, "that was peter laurie doing a monologue from 'psycho'." >> rose: what musical instruments do you play? >> i tried to play the saxophone once. and they had this wonderful player who said, "don't hurt it." ( laughter ) "you're hurting the instrument, you know." >> rose: be kind to it. >> "finger it like a woman, not like you're trying to grab yourself." my favorite you listen to the old blues records, oh, man.

when bonnie raitt is going out to find the great pluz artists. ♪ i remember 1927 i'd just gotten out of prison for the seventh time. ♪ i wrote this song called stay away from me. ♪ i can't remember all the other words but this song was written after a night of the a lovely evening with a woman who i found out later on was a man. but we had ourselveses some wonderful love. >> rose: before i found out-- ♪ that night i looked down at your thigh u.s. and greeted me with a happy surprise ♪ i would love to play the music but as peter cook said, "i'd love to be a lawyer but i never had the learning for that." >> rose: did you have the ear for it? >> spla. i didn't have the hand for it. >> rose: to do what you do-- >> there is musicality to it. >> rose: there is rhythm, there's musicality, and there's

a pitch. >> there is. some people are higher pitches. some people are pitched like that. some people pitch and catch. >> rose: do you paint? >> no, i wish, i -- >> do you create art at all other than what you do as a performer? >> i dance-- no, my mother used to sculpt but i never did gl but you read a lot? >> yes, that's my main thing, reading and sampling-- as my lovely wife says dust jacket literature. i'll be hamp way through and go, "that's enough." like reading about the crusays going, "okay. wait a minute. there's a bit of repetition going on here." and you start to read all about-- that gives me a sense of things repeating which is not good. and science, once again, of global warming. "the said the coyote accord." kyoto. that's a good car. no, latoya.

no, she's a singer. work with me. >> rose: when robin returned to this table five years ago, the quick wit and self-deprecating humor was still there but now he was having health issues and my friend became a bit more reflective on both his career and his life. what are you doing in "weapons of destruction?" >> "self-destruction?" >> talking about everything that happened, the heart surgery, the valves they gave me, the. the swine valve, which is good, and the bovine valve is great because you can crap standing up. more stubborn. >> rose: and play in the dirt. >> how you doing. in college kids tip you over at night. after the heart surgery you find yourself getting very emotional. i got so emotional i thought instead of a valve they gave me a tiny vavina. it sounds like an elton john

song. ♪ tiny vagina >> rose: when did you know you were not doing so well jiefs out on the road doing the tour and i would finish shows and be burned. this is more than exhaustion. something else is going on. you get that really rundown thing. and when they went and they looked at the valve, they did the angio gram. it was kind of weird and it was just like-- pffft. the leaking. you know -- >> yes. >> look at you, charlie rose with your french valve. we had to look a long way to find a noois piece. bring the nice piece for charles. charlie, these are the choices you have here. look around, cow, pig, chicken heart if you want. small but you lay a good, plump, fresh egg. >> rose: big horse. >> and then you can hang out of the shorts. how proud will you be then? it's crazy. all of that stuff has been part of the act. >> rose: but how do you feel today? >> wonderful. i'm, like, 98% there, i think.

letterman when i talked to him-- and he's had quintuple bypass. >> rose: i know. he really almost went down with the count. within hours. >> come in-- he said it took a year. >> rose: i think he went for a checkup and they said you're going to an operation in an hour. >> i had a doctor in miami who wanted to operate the next day and there was a wonderful italian surgeon saying, "you may not want to go with a guy who wants to go on vacation." you get to pick. i had the luxury of being able to look for the best doctors. >> rose: i did, too. >> i found one that did 4,000 surgeries all amazing. >> rose: all successful. >> yeah, you don't want, six, three didn't go so well. like a vegas dealer-- "okay, everybody, let's try this." >> rose: how long were you in recuperation? >> i think three months until i was ready to go back out again. >> rose: but you feel better today?

>> >> i do, actually. >> rose: i do, too, much better. >> that's the idea. >> rose: i'm getting a lot of oxygen to my brain. oh, i remember things. >> you appreciate the little things like breath. yes, i feel it. i'm back. it's wonderful. >> rose: you were here at this table when i had my first valve transplant. here it is. >> good luck with that thing. >> rose: you know what happens to me, i walk around on the street, and people will look at me and say-- >> that's nice. it's better than people going. ( laughter ) charlie! "what do you have?" "i had a penile transplant." "what did you do?" ( laughter ) "what are you doing?" "come over here, robin, you are

to pull that carriage through the park. since i had the transplant, he pulls the caecialg through the park." >> rose: doctor, could i get another appointment. >> another appointment. with the what's happened?" "i don't know. here's the deal-- i need two horseshoes. and how's that mare. what do you mean a stud fee? how old am i?" >> rose: four. >> four. "bobby, how you doing?" eventually going, "i feel good since i had that pig valve put in. a lot of people said it hasn't affected me. charlie says i should get a pig valve." "robin, hi, it's michael on line two." "what are you doing?" "nobody knows." "this is my boy, gill." ever since that genetic research has come through and the botox is working and the kids are

happening. how you feel? you feel better since the elephant hormone? what are you doing? that's the next step. you know people now, you see people get those contact lenses with the goat eyes. "how you doing?" "great party." >> rose: thank you. >> thanks, charlie. >> rose: that was good. >> that was fun. >> rose: that was one of the best. that was a wild riff, as they say. that was free range. i love when you go open field-- charlie gives you open field. >> rose: he does. >> you can go full tilt with charlie. >> rose: show him what you can do. >> bring out everything. throw everything in the mix. >> rose: he's going to like it. >> "charles has a valve." people do come up to you and say, "way to go." you are better now. he who runs like a horse will have a great day. charles is good. he is now happy. the brain is back online."

>> rose: exactly. and he can breathe and he can sleep and he can walk and talk. >> all of those things. >> rose: all of those things. makes a great difference. >> yeah, huge. >> rose: how much of this is simply natural comedic talent? >> i mean, i think lenny bruce said it best. you start off trying to win the attention of your mother just for one of these-- is this thing on? and then you work from there -- >> i'm thirsty, mother. >> please. >> rose: laugh at me. i'm so thirsty. >> "that was funny." good luck. i think as it goes along it becomes something you learn and you work on. but the moments if you do get the open filed, like you saw the other thing, sometimes you just get a gift and you go with it. >> rose: but that's a gift. i don't know-- >> some would say "touched." arthur sax said it was voluntaryatureets. i think when you look at joe biden and joe says things even people with tourettes say, no,

joe! it's a nice combination of the two. >> rose: there are few people that can do what you do. >> you mean that are out of institutions. >> rose: yes. >> there are a few and there are older ones like jonathan winters, and people who are free. and they can go anywhere with it, which is kind of wonderful. >> rose: jonathan was your hero. >> big time. still is. whifer hang with him -- >> where does he live? >> he lives in santa barbara. and it's great you see him, he'll talk to people -- >> in character? >> not really in character once. many characters. hard to pick one. he once parked in a handicapped parking spot and a woman said, "you're not handicapped." and he said, "madam, you can see in my mind?" to hang with him is the best because he just goes. >> rose: is he ever on television? >> he does a lot of different things. i think he'd prefer he do more

but seeing him is the best. for me he's the buddha. he's the one-- the gift i got from him. >> rose: when need a recharge. >> big time glu go see him. >> or call him. "who is it? i'm sitting in a hot tub full of indian head nickels. i'm trying to wash them off. hello mwilson. robin wilson. i love him. send me money." he always makes you laugh. and that's the kind of thing i go to him and say cool. and i got to hang out with mort saul, the best. >> rose: when you went film "good morning vietnam" was it a sense of coming home for you. that's what you were trained to do at juilliard. you weren't trained to do stand-up at juilliard. >> no. doing television-- television was more like stand-up. >> rose: acting. >> when i finally did movies, that's how i was trained -- >> that came easy to you when you made the transition?

>> no, not easily. first when you are doing film-- for example, when i did "the world according to garp." >> rose: who directed that. >> george roy hill. and i improvised a line and he made a face like this. "not good?" "no." "just say the lines and commit to that." "okay." and that was first grade lesson. second grade lesson came from peter weir. you have great power listening. that's the second part of the equation. when you listen to someone, it's kite fascinating. and stillness is very powerful." and i went "second grade lesson." and third grade lesson is always find out whereicatering is. and the idea of really listening and the idea of what it means to be engaged in listening. and the other great gift was jeff bridges who said whf there's an accident in terms of filming-- not in terms of

something falling down-- but a line gets flubbed and goes off, that's a gift because it forces you to be in the moment and deal with it. rather than improvising and creating that, it's something that happens -- >> respond to it-- >> respond to what is going on immediately. it was another kind of oh, cool. don't be afraid to try those things. >> rose: i think he has a very good movie out getting enormous attention. >> he is one of the great american actors. >> rose: i couldn't agree more. >> and he's underappreciated. he's so natural. people think that's just him. each and every one of his performances is different and iconic. the great lo bowsky. >> rose: what does iconic mean? >> i think it means something that really stand-- that it is-- for me, if someone is doing an impression, that becomes iconic. "like chris walken is iconic and beyond." it's something that just stands on the own.

>> rose: i love talking to him, don't you? >> because "punctuation is gone." a friend once saw him, he was standing in a puddle with everything in his socks. and he said, "what are you doing?" "today, i'm an alligator." and they asked him, "chris, if you could have anything i want, what would you want?" "a tail, because then you'd know if i was happy my tail would be up, and it would always move according to your emotions. i'm surprise-- question mark-- punctuation. great, now, maybe." >> rose: that's good. who else do you do who you love? >> nickel son's the best because he's so out there. he does things-- i love the fact everybody in "the departed" is doing hard-core boston accents. he's going, "i'm not going there. i'm out on my own. this is who i am." when he won his third academy award, i was standing with him,

i had just won mine and he was standing next to me and he said, "robo, i've got one for ever decade. what a great night for me, yeah." >> rose: have you bought there's a connection between tragly-- >> tragic life and comedic talent. comedic talent and survival mechanism, i buy that. you become that. they went through it and it's part of how they got through it. rieched pryor said he had to be the funniest guy around just to not get the crap kicked out of him and him dealing with the childhood of his mother working in a whore house, and the comedy-- when he really found characters -- richard pryor when he started did like cosby, and he found this other side of him and it tapped into the anger and all the other things but he was funny with it so he could get out. >> rose: he's one everybody honors now. >> big time. i used to see him performing at the comedy store get, ready for

his stand-up and it was the most amazing thing. people would want him to do mud bone. "you people! you do it." you could see him become possessed by these characters and it was amazing too see him do and go free-range with it. and as soon as it was over, you could see is the katharthsis of it. he would get out the demons. >> rose: did you have to get out demons. >> i don't know where they are. "you know where there are, robo. we hang right here. we live with you, boy." "tell charlie about the demons!" "hey, charlie. charlie, where are we going?" "we're going to a strip club on valentine's day. come ooit will be fun. it will play well with the wife." they're spirit, in the glass.

dr. jekyll, mr. jack daniel's. you know, an optimist sees the glass half full air, pessimist sees it half empty, and the alcoholic goes, "where's the bottle." thanks for the vodka, charlie. >> rose: you're okay today? >> totally. well, okay? i'm better, and also i feel great. and that's kind of wonderful. >> rose: but did you go through a certain kind of whatever. >> yes, i went through a certain kind of whatever, three years of heavy drinking. whatever. what are you doing? welcome to the whatever center. "hi, my name is robin and i have a pb with whatever." that's a nice vague way. >> rose: is that the way they actually do it, you have to stand up and say, "i'm robin, and i have a problem with whatever." >> ," whatever--." >> rose: you're look at whatever. i'm whatever. "did you do a lot of whatever?" "yeah."

what's your name? >> rose: that's my valve. >> i love you, baby! yeah, there was a problem with that. and then i went to rehab, in wine country just to keep my options open but i came out of the other side and i'm like, yeah, i'm better. >> rose: how were you different when you came out the other side? >> dry. i think a lot drier, and sober and able to experience life-- it's amazing-- before the heart surgery, one of the most sobering moments of going life is extraordinary. i don't want to miss it. >> rose: oh, man. >> it's a gift. and to spend most of the time ( slurring words ) where were you? i don't remember. to come back from that is echo oh, look. and you realize you have family friend and people and you go, "i appreciate you. and now i can remember what we were talking about." how cool is that. that's kind of the gicht. those are the things you use,

gratitude. the simple gratitude of, yeah, it's good. as one guy said, every day above ground." much nicer. it's all of those things. really, i appreciate them. >> rose: does stand-up make you a better actor? >> stand-ups are fearless in that way. you have to be. because you have to put it out there. acting gives you the concentration. you see a lot of stand-ups when they act, they're not afraid to be and be warts and all and that's what comedy stoo. noose what's interesting. pat oswald is in a movie "big fan." he's fears, and not funny but playing this wonderful nebbishy, awkward guy. and as a stand-up he's not afraid to talk about anything. and i think that helps the acting. also the idea you don't always have to be likable. this guy is a nebbish. like when i saw the movie, "the serious man." did you see it?

>> rose: yes. >> that's such a nebbishy character, and at the end you feel such sympathy, "wake up! meshugy, wake up." >> rose: i'm struck by the fact jerry seinfeld wanted to go back to stand-up, and you wanted to go back. back. >> you get the joy from it. i can say-- is it a drug? there is a fix you get. chris rock said it best. it's like being a boxer. you have to go out and have enough material to go the distance, especially if you're doing an hour, hour and a half, you have to be ready for it. >> rose: some who have written about the tour said it is more confessional. >> almost. it means confessional-- yeah, i think i many thing i come away from the operation is, just the

same thing again, gratitude. >> rose: me, too, oh, man. >> it's gratitude, and appreciating life warts and all and whatever. and coming out the other side of whatever, and being able to do, yeah, man, i got all this. and looking at it all. and in a weird way, the country, going through this transition. are we going to make it? yeah, i think we are. i think it's going to be a tightening period and i think we're going to come through it. >> rose: i do, too. >> we bitch about it and get angry and come through but okay, when it comes down to it, we do work together. we sometimes don't play well with others. but i think we can. for me, confessional? yeah, a little wit bit. as close as anyone can be to a professional as a 58-year-old moth. i didn't grow up with that kind. "your mother and i are so happy." my mother was a christian

scientist who had plastic surgery. >> rose: it worked for her, didn't it? >> it worked for her. >> i believe in mary baker eddy. yes, baby, sure, baby. >> rose: got will take care of it. >> but the wrirchgies, i need help. >> rose: god haz a good surgeon, you'll be fine. like the lady on the botox. merry visit, darling, i wish i could express how happy i am. merry, merry christmas. ♪ it's a wonderful botox christmas almost smiling now. ♪ gathering around with friend and family. ♪ that's all i can feel >> rose: is your son, zach, funny? >> big time. he's funny. cody is funny. cody does a great chris walken. >> rose: add good as yours. >> much better. >> rose: seriously. >> he hasn't uncorked it for me. i think he's waiting for the

right moment. >> zelda is-- cody is 18, zelda is 20, and zach is 25. >> rose: they're all going to be in show business? >> no! no! zelda's an actress. zach was kind of -- >> well, that's one. >> one. zach, i don't know. he has all sorts of different things he's dabbling in. >> rose: he might or not. >> i don't think so. >> rose: what does he want to do. >> he wants to go to harvard business school. >> rose: he wants to run things. >> bingo. god bless. >> rose: he wants to run google. >> oh, please, netanyahu, and cody, i think, will be a writer. ever since he's been 10 he's writing really interesting fiction. >> rose: you see yourself in each of them? >> totally, but i see someone totally different and it's wonderful. i see a little of myself, and then a combination, a combination of masha and myself and something that is just then

which is magnificent. thraef all turned out to be just great human beings and really, you know, zelda acting. there's more than just acting. when people said she's a very sweet and kind woman. i went that's as great a compliment as saying she's a great actress. when people say your kid is a wonderful people you know you've done something wrong. >> rose: robin williams did mention things right. he made us laugh and cry and think and feel. he lives on especially in his survivors, wife, brother, three children, and two stepchildren. a giant among us. robin williams dead at 63. the great thing about having robin william at the table you never knew what was going to happen. take a look and you'll see what i mean. robin william is here, the only

child of a ford executive, who grew up with mostly his imagination to keep him company. he later found an audience for his comic talent and frenetic injury-- >> frenetic glj sphwj? that happened when i was 12. >> rose: let's start again. >> tape 2, charlie rose. >> rose: robin williams is here. the only chiestled a ford motor company executive. he grew up with mostly his imagination to keep him company. he later found an audience for his comic stallents and frenetic energies as a stand-up comedian in the 1970s. he first came to national attention in the television series "mork & mindy." >> yes, sir. >> rose: he went on to a feature film career, a feature film career-- >> thank you, sir. >> rose: that produced a string of critical and commercial successes. >> both. thank you, sir, once again. i feel like also going-- ( imitating auctioneer ).

>> oh, man, thank you. this has been fun. and good luck with that thing. >> rose: i walk around the street and people look at me and they'll say... >> that's nice. >> it's better than if people go... ( laughter ) when you go like-- charlie! >> rose: you're right. >> "what douf?" what did i have? i had a penile transplant." what did you do? "what are you doing?" "come over here, robin. you have to pull this carriage through the part. i told him since i had the transplant highs been pulling my carriage through the park. it's been so great. he has to stop once in a while. that's all right." >> rose: "doctor, could i get another appointment." >> "what happened? i don't know. here's the deal. i need two horseshoes.

and how is that mare? what do you mean a stud fee? how old am i?" >> rose: four! >> four, yeah. "bobby, how you doing. welcome to the genetic thing. i feel good since i have that pig valve put in. a lot of people say it hasn't affected me. charlie said i should get a big valve. "roin, hi, it's michael on line 2. what are you doing?" "i don't know." this is my boy gill. bob, ever since that genetic research comes through. and the botox is working. and the kids are happening. "you feel bette better since the elephant hormone? what are you doing in? that would be amazing-- that's the next step. you know people-- you see people get those little contact lenses with the goat eyes. "how you doing?" "great party."

( hissing ). >> thanks, charlie. >> rose: i am pleased to have robin williams back at this table. welcome back. >> thanks. >> rose: here's my question-- >> oh. >> rose: oh, my god, this is the question. >> eight inches? oh! oh-- "what i like to do for a fishing pole. lead out eight inches when you're fly fishing, send it out there and let the bass hook it and pull on it. either that or a piece of c4. you see the bass fishermen. i don't always have the thing where you put it out there and the bass are like hmmm." >> rose: robin williams for the hour. >> charlie rose. charlie rose. that's my man. i remember charlie rose, gentle charlie with the two valves. i said, "charlie, where did you get that parisian valve." and now he can sing.

♪ love charlie rose that's all for today, ladies and gentlemen. >> rose: thank you and good night. >> good night. >> rose: i'm just going to let the camera keep rolling. >> "little charlie, charlie rose. it's a good thing. i remember young charlie rose." ( laughter ) "i said, charlie-- charlie even as a child was doing interviews with his bear. he would line up all the liltd animals at the table, and he had a little tiny table 'what are you up to, teddi'?" he looked at the questions, 'teddy, how long you have been stuffed'?" and the bear was there, and then he would turn and the other animals would look at him-- as a rabbit, do you feel fear?"

( laughter ) "do you feel fear near the small stuffed animal?" we'll be right back. ( laughter ) captioning sponsored by rose communications captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

announcer: production funding for this program provided in part by generous donations to yosemite conservancy. additional production funding provided by delaware north companies, innovators of the greenpath initiative. [birds chirping] [hoofbeats] [footsteps]