well, good morning and happy new year to everybody. >> wow. >> wow. >> 2014. >> can you believe that? >> here we are. i'm going to write 2013 on my checks for about six months. >> new year's eve okay for you? >> amazing. i was up all night. >> i built this tower to make it look -- i was in florida, actually. this tower of pbr cans make it look like times square. midnight, i fell into it. i actually fell asleep at 9:00. >> we all hope you had a better new year's eve than both -- >> you know you're getting old when you celebrate going to bed before the new year. >> or you get excited that the fake one you do for the kids.

>> exactly. i agree completely. so what are we doing today? >> we have a lot to show you this morning, including interviews with former president bill clinton and bill gates. also, my interview with actor john stamos. why is it my interview? >> he put goop in your hair. remember, you kept making fun of his hair. he got even. that didn't turn out well. >> my roots are so bad. all right. anyhow, i want to start with success. a term that many women struggle to define. i hosted a conference called the third metric at arianna huffington's home. such a great turnout. we all went to bed together and interviewed each other. take a look. >> so what the [ bleep ] is a metric? >> you know, i don't really know. >> is this because she's european and does the metric system? >> she's greek. >> but they do the metric system. which never caught on. so why are we using it?

>> i have no idea, actually. but i love the conference. i mean, i guess it's a good point. >> how often do i get to be in arianna huffington's bed with mika pierzynski? >> every woman, susie, wants to be you. >> they don't want to be me. they want to be susie green. >> where's the [ bleep ] head? >> i don't know. >> the kid is home hysterical because her doll, judy, has been decapitated because you two s k sickos took the head for god knows what reason. >> my husband doesn't cheat on me, that i know of. >> could you please give me a little susie green? >> what the [ bleep ] do you want, mika? i'm in arianna huffington's bed. >> this is what my life has become. people just want me to tell them

to go [ bleep ] themselves. it's so bizarre. >> seriously, it's like the commercial where she's washing her hair and she's going, oh, oh, yes. it's amazing to watch you tell people off like that. >> but i'm not like that in real life. >> especially big, stupid men. i know you're not. >> you know what my fantasy is though? if we do another season, which really we should, larry. hello. >> come on, larry. >> i think susie needs to have the affairs, like with the pool boy, some really cute hot guy. jeff's having affairs left and right. me, i get nothing. >> exactly. >> it's not right. >> you know what? you know what people are thinking when they're watching "curb." that susie, everyone wants you to be, she's hot. >> that's the third metric. >> he's very mercurial, larry. he's unpredictable. >> is he needy? >> no, no. he's lovely. you've met him. >> i know. i have. >> he's the sweetest thing in the whole world.

i don't want to ruin his image now in public on morning television. but he's incredibly generous and loving and caring and that jerk larry on tv that doesn't care what anybody, you know, how anybody feels, larry is very sensitive to how he makes people feel. i'll bet he's a great lover. >> tell me about your opinion of men, like your husband. you like him a lot. you talk about him all the time. >> i like my husband. >> is he needy? >> no, that's one of the things i love about him. he's really secure and not needy. i will say this. he tells really long, boring stories, so basically i have to constantly say to him, glazing, which means my eyes are glazing over, which means he's boring the crap out of me. i'm a comic. punch line, punch line. he goes on and on. he allows me to say that to him. that's the beauty of my husband. >> that's so nice. >> i'm madly in love with him still, ten years later. >> that's a little susie to say glazing. >> yes, but it's in a kind susie -- i guess it is, isn't it?

glazing! yeah, it is. i'm going to try that. i >> i'm going to try and say that to joe. >> joe, shut the [ bleep ] up and let somebody else speak for a second. glazing, glazing, and glazinger. it's a new law firm. >> do you get enough sleep? >> you know what? here's my secret. i used to never get enough sleep. i was always sleep deprived. then george, my husband, got "good morning america," so we have to go to bed at 8:30 because he wakes up at 2:30. so the whole apartment, dogs, guinea pigs, kids, everybody's asleeped a 8:30. >> you look more rested these days. >> i do think sleep is the most integral part of our lives. i do. as much as eating kale smoothies. >> it's like sex for men.

>> what? >> sleep. >> not my man. i don't know who you're sleeping with. sex is sex for my man. >> that's what i meant. sleep for women is like sex for men. >> oh, i would take sleep over sex any day of the week. i really would. >> oh, god. i love sleep. >> i put on my pajamas, and that's a message saying, i want to sleep. but i also think when i'm well rested, i do better work. i don't make mistakes. i think i'm a better wife, a better mom. across the board, i'm a better person. sleep deprivation leads to insanity. >> is that what it is? >> yes. >> okay. now it makes sense what people have been saying to me. while we're here, is george needy? what do we got here? >> is george needy? >> yes. >> show me a man that's not needy. he's my third child. he's a guy that calls me in the middle of the day and says, i had steak for lunch, so can we have fish for dinner? and i go, oh, okay, let me get

my reel and bucket and get you dinner. so, yes, i think he's needy. the needs of a man are different from a man. women put their needs out there. with men, you have to play a whole game. >> really? this is another thing where the tables are turned with men. everyone thinks men compartmentalize. they forget. we compartmentalize. >> and we multitask. george can't multitask. if i ask him a question while he's drive, he'll run a red light. what's your exercise regime? >> i sort of went over the top with that for a while. i was running like nine miles away. >> that's so time consuming. why do you have this weird -- you have this very female like, i'm not pretty enough. why do you have that? were you obese? >> no, i'm more on the other end of the spectrum with the eating disorders. i just wrote a book about it, actually. i'll get you one. >> but where did it come from? >> wanting to please people.

and i think living up to this thing that was imposed upon us where we're supposed to be perfect and we're supposed to make it look real easy. is that fair? >> that's fair. that's fair. >> i'm done with that. >> what is one thing that you say to your daughters, the one important message you give to your daughters? >> i love you. >> yeah. i say that all the time too. >> i learned a lot writing this book about food. i'm serious. that they're beautiful and i shouldn't try and impose all the issues i've had growing up with health and body image on them and just let them be. >> it's funny you say that because when you have daughters, your -- i'm very sensitive about issues about being pretty or too thin. i even get mad at george if he says, you look really cute in that skirt. >> no, george. well, this has been great. i mean, you know what?

you're really cool. >> you're cool too. >> it's great to have been in bed with you. >> i know. if i had a nickel every time i heard that. >> what was your last name again? >> it doesn't matter. i'll leave my number on the bedside table. >> i'm done. >> wow. that was interesting. >> i think it should be a regular segment. so much fun. people open up in bed. >> somebody that was not in bed when we conducted the interview, coming up next, tom brokaw and jane paulie. they hold a special reunion here onset. that was a nice moment between two people. >> super. >> such huge fans. it was great to have them on. >> you're watching "morning joe." we'll be right back. if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about trying or adding a biologic. this is humira, adalimumab. this is humira working to help relieve my pain. this is humira helping me through the twists and turns. this is humira helping to protect my joints

from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for over ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. for many adults, humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira , your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your doctor if humira can work for you. this is humira at work.

we're back once again, and -- sorry. occasionally we forget to put on the microphone. >> got to keep the equipment warm. >> not many of us these days get

a chance -- now, wait a minute. we'll be talking about his life as an actor and as a person because there is a difference. jane pauley is here too. >> and she is a person as well. >> i'm glad to have that certified. we all suspected that. nice of you to confirm. >> my pleasure. >> i think that people know she is jane pauley, through and through. she doesn't wear one mask in the morning or one mask in one interview and another in another. she is at the center just rock solid. >> a tribute to jane pauley when she signed off as co-host to the "today" show back in 1989. well, we had jane on for a very special reunion with tom brokaw, where the two discussed the ever-changing world of news. >> let's talk about this first. >> i love her. >> this is amazing. >> and you two together. >> tom also -- that was very kind what you said.

we could replay that over and over again. that would be fine with me. but tom once was quoted in "the washington post" saying jane was very realistic about her deefficied deficiencies. but it was true. i'm a midwesterner. i'm very realistic about my deficiencies. as i have grown into my maturity and my boomerness, i'm also more realistic about my strength, of which i have a few. >> hold on. i have to ask jane a question here, tom. >> yeah, he's in charge. >> is tom realistic about his deficiencies? >> oh, god, no. >> tom has no deficiencies. >> that's why we got along. >> you just answered it. >> let's be real. that's it. >> she moved to new york and rented an apartment in the only building on the upper east side that was made of blue bricks. >> i had a little trouble with that blue. but you found it for me.

then he found me a boyfriend, who i later married. 30-something years ago. >> meredith said, you think gary's hanging around your office because he wants to be your pal a little more? no, it's all about jane. >> i think the miracle is that i have a more than 30-year career at nbc. i'm still here at nbc. though, i have to stop at the visitor's center and get a guest badge. but i'm still here at nbc. if you had told that 25-year-old jane that she would still at 62 be anywhere near a camera. >> how long did you two co-host together? >> five years. >> just five years. >> really? is that the breaking point? is that when you can't take it anymore? just wondering because we're at five years. >> i went 13. >> yeah, she stayed on. >> we're talking about with tom. >> oh, couldn't take me. had to leave. >> well, he abandoned me. >> is that what happens? >> we had a great run.

i must say, you know, everything evolves. in those days, from 1976 when we began until 1981 when we left, there was a lot going on in the world. ronald reagan and the pope got shot. >> now, i would move aside and i would occupy a little stool over in the corner to let tom do his thing. or if i was there, my role was to put a log on the fire because this is the best ad libber in the business. if he ran out of gas, i would just give him another log and off we go. >> it was a true team effort. we had jean shallot as well. it became a real family thing. we went through a difficult period. ratings went down for a while. we got back in first place. everything worked out fine. but it was kind of take on the world every morning. we had maybe a third of the staff they now have on the "today" show. we didn't have the backing of the network. it was a little chaotic at that time. we got through it, and we got

through it together because you were doing two hours every morning side by side. jane was married to gary at that point. my kids are growing up. so you go through a lot of experiences in life. i think the audience tunes into that. they kind of watch it. >> morning television is -- my friend, you were mentioning that i was going to be here yesterday. suddenly my text lights up. so evidently a lot of people in my demographic are watching you. which frankly is why, you know, we're doing the special. the whole point of it is that, you know, for a while advertisers kind of ignored us. we went off a cliff. 18 to 49 is the sweet spot. i think that was stretched to 18 to 54. i'm history with that. >> i remember my mom turned 40. she thought and everybody thought the world was coming to an end. things have changed so dramatically. you talk about the demos, 18 to 49.

phil griffin talks about this all the time. >> it's a shrinking demographic, joe. >> instead of 25 to 54, it should be 35 to 64. boomers are going to spend their money. >> but the 18 to 49 is -- the cbs network executive put it, who does research, 18 to 49 is a shrinking demographic. every year it is getting smaller. why would you deliberately pitch your programming to a demographic you know is shrinking? >> it used to be 40 was a benchmark for women that we didn't look forward to. i think that is extending for sure. >> well, get me back. i'm going to be 70s. 70 is pretty good. >> jane is not looking back. >> i'm 73 today. >> it's his birthday. >> we need a birthday cake. >> i was actually back with some high school friends a couple years ago in our hometown. we're all the same age. at the end of the evening, i said to them, who do we remember

when we were 18 in this community who was a 70-year-old male? we were all 70-plus. we could name one guy. everybody had died by the time they got to 65, 66. so this life extension is having an enormous impact. also, as we've been talking about this earlier, it does create the bulge in medicare and the social services that people have expectations for and what health concerns we have. that has to fit in. >> what isn't factored into that, and i'm not policy and i'm not an economist, but what i do know is that if boomers, those who are not being hammered by the recession. i know yesterday that's what you were talking about, which is a reality. but a lot of us are still engaged in the economy. we are still producers. we're not just takers. but we are still producing and contributing to the growth of an economy. i don't think that's kind of factored into people's expectations that we suddenly are going to start being, you know, plugged up to machines and

sucking money out of the economy. >> well, that's why i think it's so smart that you're producing programming that appeals to a demographic that is important, powerful, rich and engaged. so my next question would be -- >> why high definition? >> no, what do you think of morning television? >> very dynamic. the "today" show that tom and i used to do, you know, they talk about new york being the city that never sleeps. yes, it did. we would arrive in a very quiet city. 30 rock, there was no one here. they maybe had polished the floors, but the floor polishers were gone. today it's so alive. segments are 3 1/2 minutes long. it's like riding a bike in rush-hour traffic on the fdr drive. i don't know how the stamina to

be a host on the morning shows -- it's very, very different. and it's a much bigger audience. americans are still the most productive on earth. we get up early, we go to work. you know, we work late. i think morning television has always been the freshest, most dynamic part of television. the fact that my friends tell me you're talking yesterday, you know, people are there. they're really watching. >> we were talking about it all morning. >> so many things have changed. i told them i had a crush on you growing up. >> i know, i heard that. >> so the thing is, everything's changed -- >> you saying you got over it? >> no, i never did. i'm sorry. do we have any tape from yesterday saying i got over my crush? >> he did not. i can confirm. >> but everything changes. we talk about how baby boomers are changing. it used to be advertisements say, you know what, we're not going to try to talk to anybody over 54 because they start saving money, their spending

habits don't change. that's totally changed. part of it has to do with who boomers are. boomers grew up believing they had a god-given right to get whatever the hell they wanted to get. that doesn't stop at 64. they're going to be spending money until the day they die. also, you talked about other habits too. it used to be my family would stop at 6:30 and would watch the evening news. people work through that now. and the biggest shock, we went to phil early on, we said, we can't do this 6:00 a.m. stuff anymore. it's garbage. phil threw the numbers out and goes, that's when the most people watch you. that's when the most influential people watch you. people get up so early now. they start working early. they work late. >> they work at home. >> all of these things we assumed we knew about boomers and about the economy just completely changed. >> and the news demographic has always been, you know, 50-plus. the news about that is that

there are just so many more of us, but we are getting our news. i love the newspaper. you know, tell me how much i have to pay you to keep delivering me a, you know, this. but i also get news all day long as everybody else does, you know, streaming. you keep checking. refresh, refresh, refresh. but we're the demographic that's eating that stuff up. but also, somewhat, my children have more in common with their parents than my generation had with their parents. >> that's the big change. we are so much closer to our children than we were to our parents. how we dress and how we see the world and what our interests and tastes are. and how they call you nine times a day about everything that's on their mind. the children calling the parents. meredith and i left home, we loved our parents, they were important to us. never called back to say, what do you think we should do about

ta buying a house or taking a job or having children. >> or your glasses. where'd you get them? >> coming up, our final interview with award-winning journalist michael hastings before his tragic and sudden death. that's straight ahead.    

michael's award-winning profile in "rolling stone"

magazine led to stanley mccrystal's resignation. he wasn't afraid. >> but he lost his life in june of this year. the world lost a story teller when that happened. here's our last interview with michael hastings. >> michael's out with a new e-book "panic 2012." the inside story of obama's final campaign. we understand you were almost kicked off the plane. there was a revolt. the peasants were coming after you. >> i do not get along too well with organized groups of journalists apparently. >> why is this? >> i try. >> what do you do? >> well, this time i was covering the obama campaign for buzz feed. during the last two months when everyone was kind of getting crazy about basically every little thing that went on, i wrote a story pointing out that president obama had shown up about a month earlier at a drink session with journalists. that's all i did, the fact he showed up, hanging out with

journalists. that's it. knocking back a sam adams. i'm not allowed to say that, but that's what he might have been doing. i'm not allowed to acknowledge the existence of it. however, i did. i wasn't up on all the necessarily niceties. >> you're supposed to lie about what the president did. >> that's what i was told afterwards. even though it's part of the white house policy. >> so the reporters, not the white house, got really angry with you. >> they did. i was lectured by the white house -- a guy who runs the white house correspondent association. sort of sat me down -- >> who's that? >> ed henry at fox news. nice guy. he's in a tough spot. he's dealing with reporters, dealing with the white house, dealing with people like me. >> that's not easy. >> i pity him. then they said, you know, if you continue to do this, you're not going to be welcome here. and that was one of the moments that, you know, i go into detail in the book, probably more detail than anyone needs to

know, but definitely check it out. it goes back and forth between this sort of crazy way that the white house is sort of treating journalists, plus the larger story of the last few months of the campaign. >> what was the big headline for you? what did you see that we didn't hear in the mainstream media? >> first, thank god for the first debate. what would journalists have done without the catastrophe in denver? in the book, i go through why that happened, who gave him the bad advice, the people i spoke to blamed david axelrod for telling obama to go big and to try to talk directly to the american people. it very clearly blamed mr. axelrod. there's another gentleman who advised the president to keep looking down at notes, who had been in the debate prep as well. then we go through -- >> who was that? >> michael sheehan. then we go through benghazi, inside the war room there, and end with the storm. >> what happened there with benghazi?

>> well, i think -- >> inside the war room. what were they trying to manage? >> i think what happened was that the white house itself was looking at benghazi as part of a larger con fla grags in the middle east. we sort of seized on benghazi and focused on that. when they're in the war room over the next week or two after, they're thinking the entire middle east to central asia could go up in smoke. that's what they're concentrating on. once they realize that the ambassador is missing and likely dead, all of the sudden you have what would have been a bad, horrible situation become this historic event. while that was happening, you have the politics side of it. i don't think they acted politically, you know, as politically as people would accuse them of, but i guarantee you there were advisers in the white house who saw the benghazi headlines and thought to themself jimmy carter. >> during the course of covering the campaign, do you encounter

because you come from buzz feed a sort of distance from the more, for lack of a better phrase, established national press? >> i had kind of the lindsey lohan "mean girls" treatment. everyone's getting along, then there's the realize, oh, this journalist is from buzz feed. he's doing something a little different. then the walls can go back up. >> and then having drinks with the president. >> where did you get that idea? >> apparently they asked him why he doesn't party more. he's fun to be around. >> they just don't want to report it. >> the funny thing about that, it's in the white house logs. you know, where the president flies to, where the president goes. it's a public record. so i don't understand the -- >> well, what it came down to, who controls the message. that's what it really was about, right. the white house and the other correspondents weren't mad at me

because of the substance. it was not really a big deal, but it was about, you know, how the campaign and how the press interacted and controlled the narrative that the campaign wants to put out there. any little infraction needs to be slammed down upon very, very quickly. >> there was a moment after the denver debate where the obama team really thought they might lose this thing? because we hear that they were cool, they looked at their data, you know, a lot of nerds said does not compute, will not lose. >> okay. after the 47% video, everybody within the campaign thought they had it locked up. after denver, we have a scene in a book where literally it's the most powerful scene. a senior obama official watching the campaign from chicago say, my god, we've been working for this guy for two years, and we always thought if he lost this it's because we let him down. obama let us down tonight. that was a real, real thing. they did panic. there was a sort of ten-day period of frantic panic that happened after that.

>> and the president understood that. we heard afterwards he went around apologizing to a lot of his top advisers. >> he had gone around apologizing. they had a meeting at the white house with his debate prep team where the debate prep team wrote a memo for him. he sat them down. he took the blame. he also pointed out some other people who might have deserved a little criticism for giving him bad advice. >> michael's last story was published by buzz feed 11 days before he died. he was just 33 years old. >> wow. what a sad story. coming up next, he's on the big screen playing the late anti-apartheid icon nelson mandela. >> the star of "mandela: long walk to freedom" stops by "morning joe." we'll be right back. [ simpson ] remember how simple life was when we were little?

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[ male announcer ] this is the story of the little room over the pizza place at 315 chestnut street. the modest first floor bedroom in tallinn, estonia

and the dusty basement at 1406 35th street. it is the story of the old dining room table at 25th and hoffman avenue. the southbound bus barreling down i-95. ...and the second floor above the strip mall at roble and el camino. ♪ this magic moment it is the story of where every great idea begins. ♪ so different and so new where those with endless vision and an equal amount of audaciousness believed they had the power to do more. time and time again. ♪ and then, it happened at dell, we're honored to be part of some of the world's great stories. stories that began much the same way ours did. in a little dorm room -- # 2713. ♪ this magic moment ♪

by the gun. there comes a time when the life of every nation when there remains two choices. submit or fight! >> with the passing of nelson mandela, we sat down with a man who had the honor of playing the south african leader on the big screen, idris elba. he joined the set for his role in "mandela: long walk to freedom." >> how do you prepare for this role? >> honestly, the first thing that was really important to me was to go to south africa and

just understand south africans, south africa. i had a prejudice before i went to south africa because, you know, i was sort of really disgusted by apartheid as a young man. what i needed to understand was how mandela, what he meant to the people of south africa. that was my first stage of preparation. once i could understand that, then i could sort of tackle the -- >> was it daunting? >> absolutely, yeah. i told justin -- >> a big responsibility. >> everyone loves mandela. he's a worldwide citizen. to lay that on a filmmaker's shoulders, it's daunting. >> so justin, how did you come to the realization that he was the only one that could play mandela? >> right from the beginning, he was my first choice. >> you knew? >> i knew. i'm from manchester, england. i went there, lived there for a year and talked to people who

knew mandela intimately. he was the star when he walked into the room. he had an aura around him. i had a feeling that idris, who always inhabits a role, he's so subtle and has such grace as an actor. that was it from the very beginning. because he's a brave man that takes on mandela's shoes. particularly in the way we were making it. these are real people. >> i think that was what was so compelling. you actually did it. they didn't know it was a movie, and you have the real people there. but idris, you talked about how you went and spent the night in a jail cell. they wouldn't let you stay in mandela's cell, but a cell in the same prison, and it was styled -- it was fashioned right as mandela's cell was. you actually put yourself in the mind of nelson mandela.

>> well, i mean, you know, one night compared to 19 years is no comparison, but i really needed to get some context about what it is to have your freedom taken away. robin island, way before it was a prison, was an island with history. it was a place where they left people with lep a si. i just needed to understand what it was like to be there. just give me some context. give me a little perspective. a lot of the film is in prison. we didn't want to do prison acting. we didn't want to portray this as some sort of film. i needed to have a real sort of understanding of it. >> when people play icons and people have been glorified for good reason, kennedy, i can think of others, often the leadership part of it and the impact on the world is something you can find as an actor.

you can go to south africa and see how he made people feel, what he meant to them. but what about the other, more human attributes? the imperfections. the fact he's a man. >> that was right from the beginning that he is a man. it's the cost of that man. his life is a virtually 100-year history of apartheid. we wanted to study him as a father, as a man. what he gave up makes this journey even more extraordinaty. it was important to study him as a flesh and blood man, and a flawed man as well. >> we had -- naomi harris and i had dinner with winnie mandela. it was amazing. winnie, i seen her today on the memorial. she looked so sad. when i met her, she was so happy

to see me. she gave me a big hug, kissed me on my lips, and said, my husband! it was a real moment. >> well, now. >> i said, well, there's my research. she said to me, look, you know, there's been films about my husband. there's been films about my family. that's the first time it struck me, you know, this is a family. this is a real -- you know, the mandelas happen to be this worldwide name, almost a brand, but this is their family. i remember her looking me in the eye and saying, portray him as a real human being, as a man, you know. everyone sees this great saint, but he was stern. he had flaws. >> did she share? >> yeah, she did. >> wow. >> she absolutely was reallynao. she was really impactful to our early stages. >> you were with his daughters when you found out about the

death last week. >> at the premiere in london. another bittersweet moment. >> you can watch "mandela: long walk to freedom" in theaters now. >> and he's come a long way since the tanners in "full house." we'll be right back. ♪ should not all those presents make the cut ♪ ♪ no need to chuck, donate or burn them ♪ ♪ just pack them in our flat rate box ♪ ♪ we'll come to your door and return them ♪ ♪ gifts you bought but never gave away ♪ ♪ or said you liked but thought were cheesy ♪ ♪ you don't even need to leave your house ♪ ♪ we'll come and take them, easy-peasy ♪ [ female announcer ] no one returns the holidays like the u.s. postal service. with improved priority mail flat rate, just print a label, schedule a pickup, and return those gifts at a same low flat rate.

he became a household name playing uncle jesse on the hit comedy "full house." remember that? >> oh, yeah. >> with the olson twins. >> that's pretty good. >> actor john stamos hasn't slowed down since. he joined "morning joe" to talk about -- >> what he's been up to. he's a nice guy too. >> super nice. >> we mahad a lot of fun with ts guy. you actually found out something about john stamos. >> what's that? >> that house wives in westchester county love him. your phone was ringing off the hook. get a hose. hose yourself down. but seriously, so many people came up to you. we interview everybody, but john stamos. >> stamos, really? >> oh, stop. he was a really nice guy. >> he's nice.

>> anyhow. >> you bring back something that insults both of us, maybe you have a deal. okay? good-bye. sorry. you have my undivided attention. >> was that guy on mute the whole time? >> all right. joining us now, actor john stamos, co-star of "necessary roughness." very good to have you. what? >> what? >> you don't like us? >> the new guys i sort of like a little better. >> standard. >> just immediately. it's a gut thing? >> you look more handsome in person, joe. >> i have people that come up to me so much and say, you look really good. how bad do i look on tv? i swear to god, everybody comes up to me and goes, oh, my good, you look younger and you're so good looking and you're talkinger. >> now you're going overboard. >> you complimented the first thousand times you hear it. >> he just kept going with his own compliment. i didn't say anything about tall. i didn't say anything about

young. i just said you look good in person. thanks for having me. i really like your show. i watch it. >> he's a beach boy. did you know he's a beach boy? how was that gig? that had to be pretty damn exciting. who gave you the call that said, play with the band? >> it started in '85, actually. they're my dream. the ultimate. i knew one of the guys. i got to play in '85. one of the first times i played was at the washington monument for the fourth of july. it was one of the last times in '85, i think. then i put them on some of my television shows. they asked me to come tour with them. >> which one did you know the best? >> i knew an ancillary guitar player and became close with the rest of the guys. >> carl was still playing. >> carl was playing. i got to play with brian a few times. i wouldn't call my beach boy by any means. >> i said that to make you feel uncomfortable. >> i played 50, 70 shows a year. we just played the -- i think

that's a sports -- cincinnati reds. i'm so bad at sports. we have to talk about "necessary roughness." >> oh, we will. >> okay. >> this is a three-hour show, my friend. we can talk about whatever we want. your favorite beach boys album. we can go forever. so you're playing in cincinnati. >> yeah, a couple weeks ago after the reds game. this is how little i know about sports. but i know there's nine innings, right. so they said, we're in the fourth inning. it's 5-0. come over here because it's going to be a fast game. i get there and they tie it up in the ninth. i said, okay, let's go play the show. no, no, no. they got to play another inning. another inning? slowly, you know, 60,000 people kind of went 60, 50, 40. k but it was still a great show. >> so the arc of your career now goes from "full house" to "necessary roughness." >> well, i started on "general hospital." >> if you're going to do the arc of the career, don't forget

"gh." >> actually, at school that i went to, don't make fun of me, they'd stop for lunch and watch "gh." when laura got married to luke again. were you on during those years? >> i was. right after that and i got to work with elizabeth taylor and sammy davis jr. i was 18. it was my first job in '81 or '82. >> pretty good for a first job. i was just kind of making fun of the uncle jesse part of it. >> go ahead. >> why would you make fun of that? >> i don't know. >> it was great stuff. >> he doesn't like me. why bother to try? >> no, no, i like you. >> no, it's okay. so "necessary roughness," tell us about it. i don't watch television. i say that to everybody who comes on. so why -- what would draw me to watch the show? >> me. >> oh, god. he just goes there, doesn't he? >> the show is about this woman who plays a psychologist who -- >> she seems cool. >> super cool.

there's a true story. it was a psychologist who helped the jets, i think it was. she came on the show and was helping the football team. i think they thought the show got a little closed up after a few years, so the third year they opened it up. this season i'm the ceo of a big company called v-3. i wear the same suit i'm wearing today, which is weird. what happens is i hire her to come work with my clients. so it opens up the show. she's not just with sports figures. she works with -- like, there's a lindsey lohan character. we can get into baseball. we can get into basketball. there's a self-help guy she works with. within the ten episodes, there's a mystery that sort of goes on. i kind of play a duplicitous guy. you don't know if he's good or bad. >> are you like a jerry mcguire type? >> not quite. he's sort of calmer and very much in control.

he does have an end game. i'll be reading the script like, how am i going to get out of this? he charms his way out or figures a way out at the end. it's been a really great experience. i'm proud. i really like the show. >> so have you dealt with agencies like the one that you're now in charge of on "necessary roughness"? how much of that informed your character? >> well, i used to be with -- brad gray was a manager. he's now at paramount. i looked at him. the crazier it got, the calmer he got. i use a little bit of that. >> so what's the difference between crazy sports agents and crazy entertainment agents? >> well, i played both. it's sort of a combination of

img and caa. we have sports, entertainment, fashion. that's the way they sort of opened up the show. >> that's a nice, hot mess. >> there's a lot going on there. >> what are we going to see in season three? >> throughout the ten episodes, there's a mystery that happens. slowly each week, it kind of up peels. again, you don't know if i'm a good guy or bad guy. there is nefarious activity that goes on. each week is really smart. i sort of assign her to a new client. one of my clients to be helped. >> you know one thing. >> what's that? >> he's much better looking in person. >> he's all right. >> doesn't translate on tv, but he's a very good-looking guy. that hair. >> you guys are funnier than i thought too. >> than we look on tv. you've never seen our show before, have you? >> what show is this? >> exactly. >> the hair, i love -- >> go there. >> i don't like -- honestly -- >> she's done it to trump's

hair. >> set it and forget it. >> set it and forget it. he goes like this. >> you'll be the envy of america. >> a lot of gel. i'm sorry. stamos, seriously. you don't need to do that. >> by the way, i got me a career out of this hair, 30 years. >> there's something about a man who spends more time in front of the mirror than i do. >> he doesn't. he just wakes up. it comes naturally. >> set it and forget it. >> i like that. >> coming up, our interviews with bill clinton, bill gates, elliott spitzer, and so much more. that elliott spitzer interview, mika, that you did, one of the best of the year. >> all right. we'll be right back with that. ♪ love... in the nation, what's precious to you is precious to us. ♪ love is strange so when coverage really counts, count on nationwide insurance. we put members first.

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welcome back to "morning joe." two politicians who had a lot of problems before sought political redemption. anthony weiner's bid for new york city mayor imploded, but elliott spitzer had a different campaign for comptroller. we sat down for a revealing conversation. mika, at the end of that conversation, especially, you and elliott had a really, i thought, touching moment. >> here's a look at that interview. >> first of all, why did you decide to get back into politics given everything? >> it's tough. >> have you seen the front pages of the papers this morning? >> sure.