>> good evening from los angeles. tonight a conversation with multiple oscar nominated actor, ed harris. he played american hero john glen to game changers. his performance as john mccain won him a golden globe. i'm glad you joined us. a conversation with four-time oscar nominee ed harris coming up right now.

>> and from contributions to your local pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> ed harris is one of the country's most respected actors. he is also an actor who is willing to take chances and deal with contemporary issues that many stars would rather ignore. his new film deals with a murder

on the border between mexico and arizona. we will take a look from the movie. >> sure that's the guy you saw standing over libby? >> yeah, that's him. >> well that's it. we've got our guy. >> what? >> i don't know. >> how many times you and i stood here and watched these boys lie through their teeth just so we would send them back across the line with a warning? >> a bunch. >> i know it's not much of a comfort and it ain't going to bring libby back but we got him and he's going to be punished. >> did you already have your boys go sweep? >> i'll let you set this up in just a second. i can't imagine a more propitious time for this film to come out. the subject matter is just topical. earlier this week, president obama decided he's going to

delay executive action on immigration. >> it is very -- it's a topic very much in the news for sure. when we shot this film about a year and a half ago in new mexico. michael berry grew up in southern arizona. it is a subject matter he wanted to deal with and i think he deals with it very well. it does not take sides, just deals with a situation that the country has right now. >> and the situation is what? >> michael pena goes to the states illegally. i'm a rancher who lives on the border. my wife gets killed. he's in the vicinity. he gets arrested for murdering my wife. which i'm not sure if that is

what happened. tried to find out the truth. his wife is eva longoria. she comes illegally, tries to see him and things keep going. it's a pretty interesting tale. there is a lot of stories going on but i think it's handled well. >> the movie doesn't take sides, which i think is a beautiful thing. projects that walk right up to the line. they may -- the movie may get chalk on its shoes but it doesn't step across the line. sometimes as a viewer, i am wishing that they would take that next step and go for it. don't be so cowardly in the presentation. there are other films like this one where i think not taking a side is a beautiful thing because what it allows or forces maybe a better word the viewer to do is to focus on the humanity of the characters. that's what i think happens here. >> i think that's what michael achieved. he wrote the characters, both the hispanic characters and the

anglo characters, i think, are full blooded people. and my character, for example, who is not that happy about the illegal crossings on his property but he doesn't really do anything about it. he's not a hard -- out there shooting them. he's unhappy that his wife rides her horse down there and he's worried about her. but he learns something during the course of this. in terms of the humanity of these people trying to make a better life for themselves, he actually gets it in a certain sense. and realizes the situation. and ultimately tries to be somewhat positive. >> tell me about whether or not you approach a character differently not just about getting us to revel in the humanity. but also there's a morality issue at play. this is about humanity and

morality. >> well, yeah. you have to -- in order for this character to develop or to see a development and to maybe open a couple human beings' eyes to the possibility of maybe their at constitute about undocumented workers coming into this country, maybe they could think about that a little bit. the character has to start from a place of some ambiguity about how he feels about this and grow to a place. so you have to be aware of that and you have to try to create some place, a foundation of who this man is to see him travel somewhere. >> yeah. since you were last here -- >> if that makes sense. >> yeah, that makes sense. since you were last here, i think you have done six or seven projects. >> i did a bunch of indy movies. about five or six in a row. >> that is what i was going to

get at. you have been on a pretty serious run of indy films of late. what's that all about? >> i don't know. it's just people asking me to be in their movie and i'm not making any money but playing some interesting characters. one of the things is called the adderall diaries. i worked with a first time director at the sundance film lab which i like to do in june where they work on scripts and stuff. michael is a first time director and he said ed, you got to do this. i wrote this for you and your wife. then i worked with liam niesson. you just mix it up and try to keep things interesting. >> so you mix it up and keep it interesting. but what's the take away for you when you're working on a project where you're not really making much cash? >> i enjoy acting. i appreciate the people who have passion about what they're doing and have a vision about the film

they're trying to make. if it's a young film maker and if i can -- if my name attached to it helps them raise the little bit of money they need to make a movie and it's a project working with actors that i respect, i'm willing to take a shot at it. you know? >> yeah. tell me about that sundance lab. tell me about what that is. >> i have been doing that off and on for years outside of provo. it's actually a resort area, a big time ski thing in the wintertime. but every summer they have the screen writing lab. they have a producer's lab and a film maker's lab. mostly first time feature film directors. some of them have made shorts. some of them have worked on videos and whatever, but they have -- most of the writer directors have written scripts that they want to direct. >> uh-huh. >> they go through a whole process with screen writing people and they come there for

four weeks in june. they have video crews. they bring in actors. they have editing facility. it's really great. it's all about the work. they bring eight people from all over the world working on these scripts. people like me come in for a week at a time as advisors and we work with the film makers trying to help them achieve what they're trying to achieve. they pick scenes that they want to work on because maybe they're the most difficult scenes or scenes they think they might have trouble with and we work on those scenes. they rehearse and film and cut them. get critiqued. it's really cool. it's just about the work. it's not about anything else other than trying to help these people have a good movie. >> we see the end product of your hard work once you have made a decision and done the filming. i want to back up a step and get your take on how you assess the stuff that you see coming across your desk these days.

is the writing over the course of your career getting better? worse? about the same? >> you know, most of -- i think it's fairly obvious here. most of the best writing and most creative writing, most interesting, most out of the box kind of stuff is being done on cable and on the computer, whatever it is, amazon or netflix or something. they are just willing to take chances, you know? there's a market for it. >> uh-huh. >> more and more what's in the theaters is huge, big block buster movies. or wanting to be black buster films. how many of those people going to see? how many of them are going to be in the theater? >> uh-huh. >> so, as an actor, i learned a long time ago that the fulfillment in this business is the doing of it. you can't rely on anything.

we have worked on a picture about bone man for a solid year and the film came out in three theaters for two days or something. it's like what are you going to do? >> how do you process that when you have done all that you just laid out, done your best and it just doesn't. >> you're upset with the guys who put the money up because they don't want to spend more money on advertising, but you give it up. >> why have done knit in the fit place. >> the producers. why would they spend the money to do it and then not -- >> maybe they're having an argument with the director about the cut and the director says look, i insist that it be this way and they go, okay fine. it's just like a, you know, a personal vendetta sometimes. you know? and other times, you know, it's a company of investors that have

put money into a project, right? and somebody's responsible for investing their money in a film. maybe the screening, the test screenings aren't any good, or whatever. and they realize let's cut our losses. let's not spend x million dollars advertising this thing because nobody's going to see it. >> have you ever thought about walking away from the business because of the politics that you sometimes, as an actor, get caught up in? >> walking away? you know, i try to ignore the bulk part of my expression as much as possible. i really enjoy theater. but i haven't really thought about walking away from it. >> it must frustrate you sometimes, the politics of the business? >> like i said, you learn that the fulfilling part of it is doing it. you can't -- i don't count on anything else. >> uh-huh. >> you know, a film like

frontera, i don't know how many theaters it's going to be on. it's been on video on demand for a few weeks. that's the new thing. video on demand for a while. then open in the theaters. why don't you spend money on advertising? well, we don't have to because video on demand advertises that it's going to be in the theaters. and then in the theater, advertise video on demand and they don't spend a nickel. >> that takes me back to the fact that in your mind, television, cable is more willing to take risks than hollywood. why do you think that is? >> i don't know. i mean i guess obviously there is a market for it. these things have been successful, you know? distributors and the distribution of major motion pictures and the venues that are

accessible, they're not going to show true detective or whatever it is. first of all, it's a ten episode thing. so, it's an opportunity to really develop characters, to really dive into something. there's some really great stuff being done. pretty exciting. people see it. so -- >> there are a number of folk like you in this industry who we have come to know, respect and love as actors on the big screen who have decided to do television. cable. is that something that is on your -- >> well, i just -- you know, i just joined up on an hbo series based on the film westworld, 75? >> uh-huh. >> and it's a pretty trippy deal. chris nolan -- jonah nolan has written it with his wife, lisa.

and we're doing the pilot right now. anthony hopkins is in it. it's got a really good cast. and i'm playing the man in black, man. you know? it's kind of fun. we'll see how it goes. >> this western style -- looking at -- every time i have interviewed you. you have been on the show and you always come dressed like a cowboy. you got your boots on and whatever those jeans are. >> they are like vintage. >> i get the sense this is who you really are? >> i don't really -- >> you don't just play a rancher in frontero. >> i have a few suits. >> you have three suits? >> i have a few suits but i don't really have any slacks, you know what i mean? it's either jeans or a suit. you don't care. >> i love you either way. >> i got a question for you. >> go ahead.

>> i understand you're going to be on dancing with the stars? >> here you go. >> no, seriously. >> yeah, i am. >> that's pretty cool. when is that happening? >> when is today? thursday? the first episode is monday night, september 15. >> you been working with a coach and all of that? >> my dancing partner. we have been training like -- four to six hours a day. it's pretty intense. >> cool. >> i think everybody who has done the show have said the same thing. it's much harder than it looks. which it's true of acting. it's much harder than it looks. i'm about to turn 50 and i figured i would do one last foolish thing. >> congratulations. i'm really proud of you. i think it takes a lot of courage. >> courage or stupidity. >> good luck with it. >> we will find out. i want to come back to you to the jeans and boots only because i'm curious as to what you do when you're not on a film set.

how do you spend time? >> i have some property. i have a few acres so i like working on it whether it's cutting stuff down, cleaning stuff up, building steps or working with the concrete, you know? brick work. >> you're a carpenter? masonry? >> not technically. i dabble in all of that, you know? try to stay in shape. get some exercise. you know, i read a little bit. i play a little tennis. i have a buddy i play tennis with. i live in malibu and i have been there for years, you know, and i finally started to take a few surfing lessons. body surfing lessons. i haven't quite mastered the surfing thing. >> i'm dancing and you're surfing? >> it's actually pretty cool. >> are you better at surfing than i am at dancing? >> i hope not. if i am, you're in big trouble.

>> i may be in big trouble. how have you found surfing so far? >> i have only gone three times. i haven't quite -- i have just gotten up for a couple of seconds. you can feel the power of the water and see why people get addicted to it. >> might you get addicted to it? >> i will start getting busy with work and leaving town. there is not much surfing in new orleans as far as i know. >> that's where your next gig is in new orleans? >> actually yeah, in the fall. >> yeah. i'm glad you raised that. i'm curious as to these days, i suspect this may have changed over the course of your career, maybe it hasn't. but at this point in your career, we talk about doing television. how are you making decisions about the stuff that you will do? opportunities that you will accept at this point in your career? is there something you're looking for that you haven't

done. >> what i'm really looking for is something to direct again. >> i thought that might be. >> and you know, somebody else has already got the rights to it. they're working on a script. i mean, you know, you have got it -- if you want to base a film on a book, you have got to get that book a year before it's published. i haven't at this point -- i should hire somebody to do that kind of work for me. things get bought up. but i don't know, part of it is financial at times. some of it is a great character and interesting project. sometimes it's a buddy trying to get something done and i can help him get it done and it's a decent project. >> regarding the directing, is there something specific that you're looking for? >> really great character driven

thing. it could be a western, it could be, you know, anything. it's got a lot of guts and energy to it and great characters and good story. good solid story. i'm not one of the guys who wakes up in the morning and writes every day. if i did have that discipline, i could probably come up with something but i'm not -- that's not how i'm made. not at the moment. i start things. i get a great idea that doesn't go anywhere. i get ten pages. >> i want to put you on the spot for a second. >> go ahead. >> we talk about great writing and the things you would like to direct. we talked about the screen writers lab. you look back on your career and give me three projects that you have starred in, that you have been in that you think really fit the bill of really good

stuff. top to bottom? >> i think polluck is a really good film. i think appaloosa is a really fine film. what else? >> i mentioned the right stuff earlier. >> right stuff, yeah. that was a long time ago. a lot of stuff i feel good about, you know? >> yeah. >> if i had to pick number three, i don't know what that would be. i think my work -- i actually, you know, when holland called me up and asked me to play beethoven in a film, i said what? are you kidding me? i worked my tail off and i think i did a decent job on that film. that was a good learning thing for me in terms of hey, man, just go for it. you know? it doesn't matter about success or failure but try it. what a challenge.

>> i think most of us -- i think most of us and i don't want to speak for all of america but most of us would put beethoven on the top of the list of the best composer that ever lived. what was your take away sfr. >> just that. unbelievable. i can listen to the ninth symphony over and over again. it is pretty amazing. the guy was just -- he was awesome, man. i'm not a huge classical music fan, but i listen to a lot of beethoven. >> beyond beethoven, what do you like to listen to? >> i listen to dylan a lot. >> enough said. and the classic category, don't get much better than beethoven.

>> my wife keeps up on what's happening and my daughter is currently in music. i'm not quite trying to be there. >> again, i repeat in the classical genre it doesn't get much better than beethoven. in the folk arena, dylan is about as good as it gets. >> he's a rocker, too. >> you have got two good ones. the movie is called fontero. wonderful cast. as we said earlier, it will allow you to not take a side but wrestle with the humanity of these characters. it has some twists and turns in it that you will find of interest. you keep working on surfing and i will work on the dancing thing. >> you work on the dancing. >> yeah yeah. good to see you. that's our show for tonight. thank you for watching and as always, keep the faith.

>> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. >> join me next time for a conversation with the incomparable quincy jones. that's next time. we'll see you then. >> is and by constitute bugss to your pbs station from viewers like you.

thank you. >> be more, pbs. >> be more, pbs.

tonight on quest: some people oppose nuclear energy for reasons of cost and safety. but others say that we can't reduce greenhouse gas emissions if nuclear isn't part of the equation. quest meets an engineer who's striving to make nuclear energy safer. and -- every year, more than 300 species of birds migrate through the bay area along the pacific flyway. what can shifts in the birds flight paths tell us about our environment? support for quest is provided by the s. d. bechtel, jr. foundation -- the david b. gold foundation -- the dirk and charlene kabcene