>> good evening. first up tonight, a conversation with kenneth prague. thanks in numerous films he has acted in and directed, starting this week he is out with something something decidedly different, "thor." ice-t has a new memoir called "ice." coming up right now. >> i know that his name is james and he needs help with his reading. yes. >> to everyone making a difference, you help us all live better.

>> nationwide supports tavis smiley. we are proud to join him in working to improve the plans to literacy and of removing the obstacles to economic empowerment one at a time. >> and from contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> we are pleased to welcome kenneth brannagh to this program. out this weekend with what promises to be one of the biggest films so far this year. natalie portman and chris hens worth, now here seen in "thor."

>> through your arrogance and stupidity you have brought these peaceful realms and innocent lives the horror and desolation of war. you are unworthy of these powers, unworthy of this title. you are unworthy. i take it from you in the name of my father and his father of four -- and his father before. i cast you out. >> we know you and celebrate she was a wonderful celebration shakespearean actor. how does that and formed this? >> you have anthony hopkins, a

fantastic shakespearean actor remain -- bringing tremendous brought the cost of the role of the open. -- of odin. when he says -- i cast you out -- you feel the high stakes. at the center of the story, a troubled royal family with the fates of many other people's dependent on how they get on, that little connection between the personal and public lives of a powerful people is a shakespearean theme. he was always fascinated by what goes on behind closed doors in the lives of the rich and powerful. to me it gave an lot of backbone to a story that had a lot of humor. it was well known, contemporary, direct and different. this bit of the story was a useful connection to me for something that was unfamiliar.

>> are there different parallels between what we appreciate about the work of shakespeare and the storyt line thehor"? >> when you look at the reckless use of the henry the fourth place, he drinks too much and stays out late, his judgment is suspect. in this story, all of that applies to thor. in henry rowe and five, the assumptions of responsible leadership are hard one. he has to lose friends and risk his life. also paralleled in thor. in those cases the investigation of what it takes to be a hero, those constituent marks on the outside of privilege,

entitlement, into being a fine warrior, but inside what it is that allows you to make that balance of judgment and decision -- this is wrapped up in our case in something trying to portray a pleasure and have fun. shakespeare was a man who was a shareholder in his own theater, an actor in his own theater. the records were well known in shakespeare and were often the story of how quickly they came off if they did not work. they had to move on. tavis: there are more things that i want to ask you about. i should stop for a second and let you topline what the story line here is, for those who are not familiar. of thor is the prince isasgard

asgard, son of odin, a family that runs the universe. in the beginning of the story he defies his father to prove himself willing and able to be king. his coronation is disrupted by an attack from the frost giants. thor defies his father to go see why they did it. in doing so he creates a kind of nuclear war. he defies his father once again and is banished to worth. without his powers. in the classic tale of odysseus, you go away, you lose your power, your friends, your family, and in this case he has to deal with the idea that it is trickier than he can imagine for god's to order coffee or find the easy acquired transport

in new mexico. these are challenges that we have fun with the fish out of water stuff, as well as their assessment of what he feels about all of these. is he worthy enough to return? prior to the illuminations of natalie portman, it is also a romantic. >> this notion of losing power and losing homes -- tavis: this notion of losing power, losing homes, so many americans understand what it is to lose power and losing means, but i thought about that what i wrestled with the film and thought about how many americans were in the same position as the comic book character in the movie. >> it makes sense. it is never an accident the

pictures like this get made at this kind of level. it is not just the specter collection and drama. in some way it winds up reflecting things that are going on, mirror in the work of a classic tales and archetypal stories. what you are hinting at is the sometimes enforced, painful, and difficult process of perhaps three evaluating wt you feel is important about who you are and what people think of you and their approval, parental approval, or your own approval, is that fundamental to rediscovering the removal of things? surface animals? things you thought you could not do without before? with a true sense of who you are you may not have all of the

food that you want, the income that you want, or a place to live, but you are stuck in that position with yourself and other people, acquiring respect, self- respect for others, although they will not necessarily put bread on the table, it may be a different way of looking at how things happen. tavis: without giving the story line away, what does it say about redemption? >> i think that it says good art, good entertainment in a way may say something different to you, telling people what to think, but you are kind enough to ask the question and in my view it talks to us about the freedom, if you like, the happiness and certainty of being able to understand a clear message.

that in order to help others it is a good and dominating team and he must sacrifice whatever needs to be sacrificed. certainly his own ego and vanity. and perhaps even his own life. i think that the nature of redemption mean that it is a very full in richmond. one of the glories of chris' performance is that you believe he has changed from someone who is entitled, arrogant, sometimes witty and aggressive, to someone who cares more about you, him, her, then himself. in doing so he accesses that selfless, unpublicized heroism, a genuinely redemptive power. tavis: the name of chris hens worth is going to be much better

known are around the globe -- the globe. he beats up his blood brother? [laughter] >> i do not know what his life was like on that evening, but these men get out for the same part in their tremendous careers. as our version of the script developed it all played into this letter maturity that chris has. in both cases they had fantastic physiques. chris was able to do the kind of work to produce a body that you and i have is a matter of course. working in a way that we will not do right now, taking the shirt off and letting the world know he has the body of a god.

[laughter] tavis: no, we shall not. still, these big issues and themes, what does this say to us about the kind of leaders that we want? >> too many people watched the royal wedding. they are far too interested in lives that have a certain amount of privilege. gifts, history, unusual in several positions that have a certain out of touch-ness and inability to connect with as many people as we might freely. good will, youthfulness, non- cynical and warm heartedunderstf his life.

it is quite separate from what we often feel when we speak to our leaders. i think that we want the sort of rugged and robust engagement with politics and the issue that we know to be these days ever more complicated. we would love it to contain the ideas, the usefulness, the bright shining camelot-ian glory that the ceremony and ritual symbolizes. we would like them to be like us. able to stand up and be counted. but we want compassion, sensitivity, we want to have a lot. the burden on modern heroes and leaders is tremendous.

you have seen it in one of the great and unchallenged leaders of our time, nelson mandela. the celebration and admiration, even though he is as sully by politics as anyone could be, people wish to be inspired in that way. as "thor" as those questions about what it takes to be a leader and a hero, it is unquestionably tough and the toughest thing is starting with those in your questions -- how fit do you think that you are to deal with that? tavis: a lot of issues to wrestle with and a lot of entertainment to be had as well. the movie is called "thor,"

showing in just moments all over the country. up next, ice-t. stay with us. ice tea is a legendary hip-hop artist who has enjoyed it an acting career as well. he is out with a memoir about his unique and lively journey. it is called "ice: a memoir." ice-t, good to have you back on the program, brother. >> could hear from you. tavis: most of us know you as a west coast rapper. in your memoir we find out that it did not start on the west coast, but that it actually started in new jersey. >> i was born in new jersey.

my mother passed in the third grade, my father in the seventh. that is what i was shipped to los angeles. that is where the familiar story begins. tavis: that does not sound like you, it sounds like will smith of the fresh prince. >> absolutely. it was a nice area. but i made the decision to go to crenshaw high school, at the time of the toughest i schools in los angeles. that is what i wound of dealing with gangs, starting to make different decisions with my life. tavis: the they called fort crenshaw, that is how bad it was then. how did you get pulled into that? >> you will have to deal with

what the masses are doing. on the other side of crenshaw are the other kids and avenues coming to that high school. it is rough turf. you are either going to be with them or without them. in the book actually say that three guys from my neighborhood, we had to convince them that we had our own gang up in the hills just to keep people off of us. tavis: in the book you say that you never got caught up in the drinking and drugging. >> even today i will set socially, but as a kid i never drank. never did any weak or drugs. i felt it would compromise my position. i was an orphan. i had this feeling that if i hit the ground, i would never get

.uup tavis: it reminds me of the subtitle of your text, "memoir of a gangster life and redemption." is there redemption for everyday people that wind up not being a rapper? not being on "law and order"? kids wrestling with a gang culture, is there redemption for everyone? >> absolutely. absolutely. redemption just means that you make a change in your life and you start to do right against what you are doing -- what you were doing, which was wrong. people that get hooked on drugs, but allowed, they get over the addiction, they tried to talk to children in rehab centers. i was a full-blown street-cat. i thought that i would paso my

way to a mansion. i was doing my wallet -- doing pretty good but i did not realize there was no way to win that game. that music started to sink in and it saved my life after it came along. i told the story of the streets and it was my way out. now i talk to children in elementary schools, junior high, juvenile facilities. everyone wants to redeem themselves after they have done something that might be considered negative. no one wants to go to the grave-. tavis: do you have a thought on this? particularly after reading the book this time in wonder, are you more and planets -- and led more impressed with your transformation in life from banks or lifestyle, or the to

made an anthem of cop killer to play a detective on television? how did you pull that off? what do cops say when they see you? >> i have had a lot of experience with that the cops. when i was breaking the law, i did not hate the cops. they were just the opponents. i thought that i could beat them. i have no hatred for cops. i have hatred for racist, brutal people. not necessarily the cops. when it was time for me to play cop, i was worried how my fans would take it. they knew me as the original gangster. after 12 years of open quote law and order," i have no problem with it. even in my role on "law and

order," i am chasing child molesters and rapists. even criminals do not like them. tavis: with a song like cop killer, moving on to become a reported actor, i wonder if you have ever had to encounter an element of your former life that regards u.s. soft -- that regards you as soft? >> certain people will tell you that they're doing something they would not necessarily do. i really admire people like you, tavis. when you take over for larry king, interviewing politicians, and then i watch how you can kick it with me, a real player, there is no limit. it depends on who i am dealing

with. the cats that i admirer, they will always love my get down. suckers on the sideline will always have something to say. i look at people like you that are always moving out words -- always moving upwards, no matter how i play, you know where i m. tavis: was there anything that you talked about or did not talk about in the book that you wonder might one day boomerang on you? anything out there that you have concerns about? >> absolutely. absolutely. i want to know if the person i am shaking hands with is coming to kill me.

i kicked up some dust when i was young. you do not know. that is something you have to live with when you cross those lines. i have been on the right side for a long time now. 25 years in the rapping game, the film game. i do not worry about it at this point. i am just trying not to make any more problems. tavis: the other way to view that is that every day you wake up and have a chance to do some good and make the world a better chance -- better place. for those who are trying to find redemption, going through the system that will not let them redeem themselves, what is your message to letting the every day be used to redeem themselves? >> it goes on inside of you, in

your head. you wake up saying you are trying to do the right thing or the wrong thing. speaking on topics in different ways -- in a far cry from publicly correct, because i do not care about political views or what people say. my opinion will always make it controversial. but it is all in your heart. i think that you know when you are doing the wrong thing. for me, what i was doing the wrong thing, at the time i thought i was doing the right thing. if you were dealing with someone that was high on drugs, they can look back at it and say -- i was really destroying myself. during that time, they thought they were doing the right thing. you have to let the smoke cleared. i am in a position where i can look back on the whole thing.

tavis: for more on this conversation go to our website, "ice-ei memoir is andce- called t." good to see a period piece. until next time, good night from los angeles. keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavissmileypbs.org. tavis: next time join us with the in-. di -- ane nash. >> he needs help with his reading. making a difference helps us to

all the better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley and working to improve literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment one conversation at a time. nationwide is on your side. >> from your contributions to the pbs station like viewers from you. thank you.