on larry king now meaning val kilmer the reluctant. by the reins i wanted i just never did it when i have an objective of being a sort of successful in business i just had very simple objectives as an actor taking on mark twain i'm just that his breath in between tragedy and comedy safety and danger truth in that and his being with the beloved betty white seven uf awards their love for accolades says to go in there and the pilate the system all next on larry king now. welcome to larry king our special guest one of my favorite actors valid kilmer you

know him from his unforgettable roles top gun batman forever the doors the saint among so many others now he's taking on the iconic character of mark twain in a one man show no stroll rather says and twain he wrote and directed it and stars it says in twain is that the douglas theater in los angeles from june twenty eighth to july twenty eighth and then moves to london's west end this fall now i have seen household broke to mark twain tonight many times in which everything he said was stuff that he between wrote or said he did it as if you do it differently right it's really differently explained well i years ago started writing a screenplay about mark twain i'm a baker eddy and founder of christian science write two. writers of the same period they were contemporaries and when i got the film far enough along which took quite

a long time they were amazing characters both geniuses and self-made and i found a story that really reflects my. ideas about america. what's valuable and in this and in order to create the character i wrote this play and the play's really character study so it's more about his spirit and a bit more personal subjective ideas about his character than how many consider him the greatest american writer you yes he's certainly the most quoted and what i love most about him really parallels what i love about america he says he's such a rascal who was a you know in just not obligated himself to history although a real student of everything and he so input ties as with every man in literally every man you know he would be friends with carnegie but he would know all the

names of the house keepers in the giant mansion that amul clements i was at his name yeah i would always say in the play i was born samuel clemens but i'm a must self mock twain that's what the twain's woman shouts out to the steamboat captain so we know it was easy in safe water see that reminds me of me i'm just that has brought out the between tragedy and comedy safety in danger truth and the look how did you get that sound that well i made it up because i have recordings of twenty that's right my theory is that he made it up he made he made up his name he made it his the life he traveled extensively and. really his great love was to be a steamboat captain which he was able to stoop down to this is that for a short time before the civil war great theater at the kirk douglas yeah yeah it's been a lot of fun to do it is you would

a bit of each before they as twain or as killed well both right now i'm calling them previews but they're workshops of figuring out the play what works and doesn't work so i ask you. what they like and don't like and you know there are questions about tombstone or you know acting questions but what happened one night was i just ran out of time for the meeting greet after my brother was with me backstage i said i'm going to do because we'll just take your makeup ponce off on stage and they will mind and i thought it was funny and didn't think about it any more than that i did but the audience really enjoys it it's a strangely take the makeup off yeah in our in our reality show world it's an unusual how long does a makeup take about an hour hour and a half now let's discuss other things we'll get back to mark twain and miss eddie in a minute we haven't seen onscreen much as she is well why i've been writing a movie about mark twain and. he. sounds funny but

for about a decade on and off it's hard when you get into you've had good luck like i've always had as an actor and able to do these big action movies and again a kind of recognition and popularity for a certain kind of acting it's hard to step away from it so i started saying no to kind of readdress my career because i always enjoyed writing where i did anything it turned down i don't i don't have regrets of the way i just made it regret face. but you know it's a business so there are jobs that come up at certain periods of time where if you do them the rest of your life is secure financially and i think that was their role in the past year or two that someone took to tell me who i was

a success story you said i should have done that no not in the last year or two but in the past probably if you actually you said you never had a person as an actor what do you mean. well a lot of my contemporaries that are. i guess you could say are superstars you know johnny depp and tom hanks and well that's pretty good too so yeah you never would even think of where with tom you sort of think of a flag waving behind his head of a mr america feeling but the mr america next door it's very real but it's a persona and it's something that he's cultivated and johnny depp is a rocker you know the jewelry in his hat and stuff that sort of pops into your mind those aren't accidents they're clever guys and they figured out their place in the business and things way of being calm didn't want that i think i want it i just

never did it i have an objective of being sort of successful in business i just had very simple objectives as an actor to try different things and challenge myself as often as i could and check out this clip from bows one man shows citizen twain the difference between brain in the casino in praying in church don't you. throw in a casino they really mean it. well. you know why the dollar lot a lot of the casino. because he loves to bet. i'm lucky i'm dead already on it's terrific to have this be such fun it is you know

it's a lot of fun that those aren't twain quotes are just joe of course you know the dalai lama but. to tell a joke on stage and get that immediate response because i'm not kidding when i'm laughing too i'm just laughing you know twain loved life and so it's in character mode relationship with mary baker eddy and on the christian science and it's the christian scientists right we don't take any medication right well it depends i think that's a big misnomer about the faith that you. there are some laws it's up to each person what there was no rule no no how what was the relationship between twenty minute he was not a christian scientist no but he studied it and i would say it's not too strong a word to say he was obsessed with her and we really read all the worries and i don't know i mean i'm calling my my film a love story because i think it's about love and kind of a coming of age story for america this period of time they lived in from the

eighteenth thirty's through the turn of the century all all the great changes that we're now living through and out of happened in their lifetimes and he. was very famous probably the most famous for some of his contentious quotes about religion or god old he was not here let us know the earth of if it were alive today there is one thing he would not be bad he is a christian. you know there are a lot of thoughts that he also had about mrs eddy and religion in general that were really. a positive and very very honorable but they're not maybe it's member of all the letters from the earth was like a gnostic or atheist yeah but i don't believe he was there were talks about top gun two as anyone approach you know when that writing the checks. i do it again

sure yeah that was a lot of fun it was a great camaraderie in the film and of course you know two of the three i say tom is the. you know ended up being the glue to the project that you know he wasn't that superstar yet but you know tony scott's gone and. jerry bruckheimer the most successful producer ever now but his partner is gone don simpson but i think i think it wouldn't be that difficult to maintain the spirit of if you like was cruise yeah it was fun you know. my guy didn't like him but. it was fun to not like him tony scott did that shock you that he would take his own yeah because he because tony it was the most

generous positive director of ever worked with in film you know he's not known as an. actor's director big because you so vivid stylist with the camera and with editing and developed a lot in new techniques that are now you know common. but he really love acting and getting the shot he turned once i was right behind his head on the aircraft carrier and we were filming the jets taking off and he turned to me once with tears in his eyes take. the take off getting a shot. it's very famous because it's in the eye of the trailer or one of the videos or something but the smoke kind of curls but it banked into the sunset and this was you know he hit a nerve on that forum and so yeah i was scrape last to everybody in the community

hey tell your i'm on a solid group of acting contemporary saw just give me quick thoughts some of the people you know in the world would depp very clever robert downey jr i don't know if i can do this and great thoughts what is downey jr his talent i think is elements of genius and i don't know if you like this or gray with me because he's so probably now the most successful actor in hollywood right with three does he have three or four of those. but a whole series. i don't think he's been tested yet i think what he just kind of throws out one is so fast. but he was loaded. no i mean obviously you one is able to do great work loaded you know talked about you know he would he used to during many many seminal performances and moments he can't remember you know denzel washington is very consistent is day to day lou is the

best of the lot. well daniel's now become as famous for how he creates a role almost i think it's the role that self so i call that like i've been working on this play for three years i call it my you know get my d.d.l. and get my day to day lewis. and he's probably now more. where we would just say method you know young good actors now i would say you know get in there lewis and you live on a ranch i know mexico i used to know a lot and now i live in malibu california you grew up in l.a. though right yes you still have affection for l.a. i don't know if i ever did. but i i do now my kids really love it. first see the i love new york so that's what i my standard but there's a lot of wonderful things about los angeles marla borden. i call the fellow who

makes up and i go to talk up next we'll talk politics and parenthood he stars in citizen twain and set the kirk douglas theatre from june twenty eighth to july twenty eighth on will be the hope you will too will be right that. time of the new alert animation scripts scare me a little bit. there is breaking news tonight and we are continuing to follow the breaking news. alexander's family cry tears and so why great things out there that. you had read dark at the core of what found online is a story made for

a movie is playing out in real life. is it possible to navigate the economy with all the details of his addiction misinformation and media hype will keep you up to date by decoding the mainstream headlines stating it's in your right. back with one of the great talents about calories stars in the one man performance that he wrote and directed citizen twain you've been politically outspoken in the past what do you make of this controversy about phone records and listening in on

us. wouldn't it be great if they actually just made an application to listening into pedophiles and perverts and criminals that they're planning awful things in the world i mean if you think of it in those terms where the objectives were to singularly identify. known criminals. we've all grown up knowing that that was done legally and illegally by the f.b.i. for criminals but also other over amazing characters where you can imagine like john lennon you know there are stacks of illegal wiretap you know what but you can feel if you just imagine that i've had my phone tapped i've been you know living at the beach and have cameras and boat so i have a real memory and

a vivid imagination about what it's like to be followed but it it adds to just being normal in the day imagine the pressure of a guy like john lennon being supersensitive and being listened to so i think there's a lot out of the other side to coin is as. maybe you could have prevented nine eleven by listening to well i think that's my point i think that there's a valid question of what we all understand is appropriate but we also know at the same breath we're human beings and someone working there an average guy wants to listen to and say we need joey to talk to your husband. and that's certainly not fair isn't the damn right did you know i don't long for governor will much ago i explore it i was encouraged by some

politicos in my state party democrat because i supported several bills and i got into some lobbying i felt quite a bit of work anonymous li in new mexico in other areas in africa for example. and so so what it makes good just to address this for one i did quite a lot of work behind the scenes to help governor. richardson and johnson done quite a lot of work on getting a incentive bill passed for a film and we went with johnson from three million dollars through governor richardson and present governor to four billion dollars in revenue for a film incentives i'm very proud of that but i didn't do it in the in a very public way but it's kind of an interesting fact is it's a little it's

a little daunting but every entertainer that's ever run for public office has one you're got wrestlers in minnesota in comedians and stripper and italy. so that's a good point that encouraged a lot of supporters is that. your children are sixteen and twenty and actually eighteen and twenty one so you have kind of adults living at home kind of i think that's an accurate description. of. the time of day or that me at home no no my daughter lives on her own and my son. he's on the road. it was the do i ses on the road it's not really he just stumbled into acting all really young coppola wrote movie based on the book james franco wrote called powell two stories are you good father. yeah i'm incredible and

anyone special i am too i'm very honest i'm very dedicated i mean i was proud of parenthood of all of them judged me till i have to say i i think i'm lucky because i am i to be really brutally honest i don't know if i would be this dedicated if they weren't so amazing but they're really extraordinary kids and. i have always take it very seriously and and what can we hope for but but that to be better than our parents you know is just someone in your life now on the romantic side. besides mark twain i do have a bone to pick with betty white as are on your wall out there speaking of romance need to be angry about it all because she wants to be with robin right up to now you know my grammy seven uf awards or love or accolades just to go in there and when you need manipulate the system or you want for us same thing we're in the same

category that's why she's so a lot of the why she and like i mean what we what did you do you know like betty white am i the only one but what were you up for what it's broken spoken word between no no it was was i don't want to say because it might diminish. the sympathy i may be gaining against anyway right. ok well i'm not like betty white though try it you have the only one. betty yeah she stole my grammy i am. no pun intended deathly afraid of it you you say you don't believe in it death. when you say you don't believe it i don't idle i'm afraid of it how do you feel about i don't believe in death well i mean i believe well if you just look at it physically for a moment we are we are literally physically one thing if you just pull back physically and look at the planet earth we're part of one organism this

is how i see the physical world and i accept that there are things in the physical world that that are not as we perceive them we all know since einstein on the things are you know to quote shakespeare there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so that how you look at it physical fact affects the facts it's relative einstein's concept it's a relative thought so this is a metaphysical thought as well that the people they do believe are of standing at that same precipice and they have this knowledge where the mysteries of life line up they give them comfort to feel like they're looking at the planet you know physically they believe they're going somewhere or like mrs a these thought was that they'd heaven is a state of mind it's consciousness that but i know i'm not going to we just.

and that just i can't do anything about it but it like woody allen said i'm not afraid of death i just don't want to be there when it happens. like that i can think of a mark twain went about death to i changed from cincinnati to australia if i die i want to die in australia because everything happens in ten years late. and we have social media we're going to answer devil absent social media questions for you gavin jesse gavin wants to know who your favorite batman is other than yourself other than myself you know what i'm thinking of with an idea i just don't think will fly now because they've gone so serious and are of the tone of not can't anymore but i thought it be fun to have me michael keaton and george clooney all the bad guys in the same. great idea thank you vs fan tweets

how many times a day do people call you iceman it depends on which airport damon at dino do give you a twitter wants to know if you've ever consider doing a television show i think i know i mean i just series actually i get to brag i mean i get to do a cameo in the spoils of babylon i think these guys are geniuses will ferrell and his partner all will fall stuff. so yes and will forte love i played the bad guy in the macgruber and got to know him and his gang at kristen wig and down to mary couple on start the facebook wants to know what motivates you and when you walk on the beach it is you wind which is you wind wonder where do you go with things i move to the willingness to be close to nature because it it tells me. be a better person i find things affected by. human

imagination inspire me so i. think i think the best thoughts in nature we play a little game here cause if you only knew was a little just quick guesses remember the first person you kissed. yes always a name tina hole you suppressed when i wanted to kiss actually is probably not accurate how old. ten where were you living and the batman brag about my son yeah i don't know if i'm in trouble it's magic johnson is bigger than me but my son's first kid one of magic's daughters really yes how can he not running me and i didn't see it will was that we were out much he said. and. i turned in the table next to me guys and i said what i said what kissing.

haven't been your first kiss i think i get most like to work with. well i think work with marlon brando and george she's got her to nero right now i mean i'd love to have an idea for a sequel to heat because my pitch. is remember natalie portman in it sure seemed a bit she was adopted daughter so she comes home and says daddy daddy i want you to meet my fiance and it's me because i retired and i come to chicago where he's retired back to and i'm going to torture him and then i'm going to kill him some of it's a mind game and then they gave michael mann directed i would like that i can't get made without him so i was actually like that if you love doing hate yet he michael is just like an actor when he works every single detail is crucial and he he loves being in the moment so much so that sometimes he won't let the moment end you

better when you work with a great actor sure everybody is here's it here's a test try and find someone on the other side of the camera with jack nicholson that where it isn't either their best show or they're just ok you can't do it everybody is really really great on the other side of camera because he shows a form. i love to work with jack. you know a that's a good us thank you my guess val kilmer for tickets and information about citizen to aim go to w w w dot ballad kilmer dot com and remember you can find me on twitter with kings things will see you next time. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so for langley you think you understand it and then you

glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm tom hartman welcome to the big picture. here is mitt romney trying to figure out the name of that thing that we americans call a donor. i'm sorry i'm just a guy who cares an awful lot of my country music stars are you know what kind of mind their terrorist cells in your neighborhood all want to give us a defeat terrorism the only poll and the crystal ball because you're really going to. you know folks are going to distract us from what you and i should care about because they're profit driven industry that sells the facials the garbage he calls

it breaking news i'm abby martin and we're going to break this that. let me let me i want we're going to let me ask you a point. here on this network it's where we're having the debate we have our night so. if you feel the slightest about staying there again we're in this race we're being talked about surveillance me.

that afternoon and welcome to prime interest i'm perry i'm boring and i'm bob english let's get since the day's headlines are the road scampering off the sinking ship the ship being the fed elizabeth two just rode her own pink slip yesterday in a surprising turn of events this is ahead of the expected departure of treatment that bernanke will likely not seek a third term this january all while the media is busy floating larry summers as bernanke is replacement so let's not forget he's the guy who helped tank the harvard endowment fine ignoring warnings from iris now that it was loaded with toxic derivatives so let's just put him in charge of the feds three trillion dollars balance sheets. and speaking of derivatives today was a critical deadline for an exemption to dodd frank was set to expire the likes of j.p. morgan to have been able to trade in.