htline." >> tonight, presidential belt. >> maybe make sure his pants weren't wet, i don't know. >> rubio! >> this war of words on the eveote for the democrats. >> how do you keep your energy level up? >> because i'm young, not old like you. >> we're behind the scenes with bernie sanders. will these crowds be enough to edge out the e in south carolina? journey to the oscars. brie larson's breakthrough role in "room." >> i want a different story! >> no, this is the story that you get! >> nominated for how playing in young mother echoed her own childhood. >>py my mom couldn't afford a happy meal.

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good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight the campaign whirlwind. some unexpected twists for republicans in the already season. for democrats the rising tide for the outsider candidate.

enough for bernicarolina tomorrow? our david wright spent one-on-one time today probing for secrets from sanders.orter: orange berg bark. home of the panthers and the lady panthers. for one night only, senator bernie sanders. >> you have the right tof discussion. >> reporter: we're with him backstage. >> how do you keep your energy level up? >> bus i'm young, i'm not old like you.r the country. we're doing great. these kinds of events really energize me, tell you the truth. >> reporter: down to the wire in the 2016 race for the white house. the primary season quickly coming to aespecially over on the republican side. >> marco rubio is a lightweight. >> he's not a strong guy. >> reporter: perhaps the biggest development today, a major the best person to beat hillary clinton in november on that stage last night is

and so i am thrilled to be here this morning to lend my>> reporter: new jersey governor chris christie endorsed donald trump. >> he's rewriting the playbook of american politics because he's providing strong leadership that's not dependent upon theo. >> reporter: that after a bruising performance last night at the tenth gop debate. >> donald, relax. >> i'm relaxed. you're the basket case. go ahead.on't get nervous. >> marco -- >> go ahead. i promise you -- >> reporter: ted cruz and marco rubio tag teamed donald trump.t to stop him. >> gentlemen, gentlemen -- >> reporter: today at their separate campaign events, the schoolyard brawl continued. with rubio calling trump a con artist. >> it's time to pull off so that people can see what we are dealing with here. >> reporter: trump calling rubio a choke artist. meltdowns.

i thought he was going to die. >> reporter: today donald trump mocked that moment during rubio's state response to the president's state of the union. >> it's rubio! >> reporter: today trump splashed water around as though sweat from rubio. for his part, rubio suggested trump may have peed his pants during last night's debate. aks he meltdown. mirror. i don't know, why the podium goes up to here. he wanted a full-length o make sure his pants weren't wet, i don't know. >> reporter: compared to that -- >> tearing people down is easy. building them up is what we need to be doingeporter: the democratic side seems downright tame. >> it feels like this time next week we could know who the nominees are. actually. nominee. trump's the republican nominee --

>> how do you take him on? >> a man whose ideas andd behavior so is divisive, which really becomes an embarrassment to the united states of america. i don't think that's going to be a tough race. >> reporter: both of them are drawing huge many first-time voters. both rail against a political system that they say is bought and sold by special interests. >> we the people are going to t that represents all of us, not just a handful of billionaires. >> reporter: one rails against e other insists his billions are what allow him to be his own man. >> i know the best people and i'm totally self-funding my an odd way you guys are flip sides of the same coin. >> no, i don't think so. >> talking about a broken system. tapping into people's no, one of us is tapping into hatred. one of us is tapping into a very positive agenda. >> imagining the day when you'reald trump

your strategy for taking him down? >> why would i tell you? he's probably watching your show.sanders' penultimate stop in the palmetto state and truth be told it's a disappointing crowd. abc's mary alice parkshe sanders campaign. >> this is probably one of the i've been to. >> is it youruth carolina off? >> it's a state they'd rather have in the rear-view mirror. >> reporter: sanders is putting in his time, but mostly he's put his focus on the states voting on tuesday and beyond. in wo democrats almost ran into each other. the orangeburg fish fry and oyster bake, hillary clinton's inside right now. here. >> reporter: all the reporters inton campaign. >> i've been to all the early states with her, this is clintonike her here. >> reporter: in south carolina, the democratic electorate is

>> we need you. >> yes, i'll be there for and hillary clinton have been canvassing the state making 22 stops here this past week alone. sanders has made a handful.nroads in the black community. >> wake up, south carolina! >> reporter: including a new endorsement and radio ad from director spike lee. >> when bernie gets in he will do the right thing. >> i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. >> reporter: clinton has plenty of celebrity endorsements too, including two ads from celebrated voices in america. actor morgan freeman -- >> she understands that our country can't reach its potential unless we all do. voters at this barbershop told us they'll make up their own minds. >> that's just like politicians go to our churches when it's election time them no other time. again, you're going to have the uneducated that's going to fall for it.

that's not lly salts us, makes us not want to be in your camp. >> are you only saying that because you want our vote? or are you really sincere? the real question is will we ever really know?nton and sanders have almost the same number of pledge delegates. >> how are you? >> reporter: it looks like she's about to get a big boost here in south carolina.as a massive lead among so-called superdelegates. party grandees who get a sayntion regardless of the outcomes of the primaries. >> the political establishment supports hillary clinton, end of discussion. if we do well and we start winning a whole lot of states and if the polls continue i am a stronger candidate, i think a lot of these superdelegates think, maybe i'm not crazy about bernie sanders, but what is most important to us is defeating theidate. >> donald trump! >> reporter: barring a big surprise tuesday night on the republican night, it's looking

gop candidate will beh new york billionaire. the republican race seems like it's beginning to wrap up. the democratic race, a lot of people are expecting it to as well. sanders says he's not going anywhere, he's in this thing to the finish. he insists he sees a pathway to the democratic nomination. >> what we're trying to do is literally will be one of the great political upsets in american history. do i think we have a path to victory? i do. >> are you in this all the way up to the convention?ely, no, no. california obviously is 20% of the delegates from california, 20%. >> you're not going anywhere? >> we're going to california! we're off to the west coast, orter: win or lose big tomorrow, he's settling in for the long haul. i'm david wright for "nightline" in orangeburg, south carolina., brie larson is the new a-lister in the spotlight.

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brie larson has been a successful supporting player in tv and film for two decades but this year she found her sweet spot. her breakthrough role in "room" earning her an oscar for best actress. why her turn as ma gave closure to a very difficult chapter in her life. here's abc's robin in the intensely

mother is held captive with her 5-year-old son in a garden shed. >> t's the only world her son has ever known. the mother is played by a remarkable young actress named brie larson whose career has been forever changed performance. >> the world is so big. it's so big you wouldn't even believe it. and room is just one stinking part of it. >> room's not n't believe in your stinky world! >> reporter: as a young girl brie moved to los angeles with her newly single mother. and they shared a cramped studio apartment. brie would draw upon her rience for her character in "room." a young mother fiercely protecting her child. >> what i forgot up until was waking up in the middle of the night with me and my sister and my mom all in the

hearing my mom like covering her trying to not make a sound for us to hear. it wasn't until i was prepping "room" where i realizednt was the crack. thinking, my kids are asleep, i can release. where else is she going to go? my mom was a very small space with two children and being sure to not put any of it on us. you realize how hard she tried. and you see it from thishat you couldn't as a kid. we lived in a studio a room with a bed that came out of the wall. my mom couldn't afford even a happy meal. we ate top ramen. i had no toys. and i had like twof jeans. and that was it.

and i remember it being the i was really, really shy. painfullily shy. so the idea of me wanting to do something that's extremelyted just seemed bizarre and unnatural. being an actor hasn't been easy. you're given mostly "no." there's these sayings, just keep on the corner! i was like, this is the longest block ever. it's like 20 years walking on one block, waiting for the corner to turn.uccessful as a supporting player in both tv and film, brie was searchinging for that role that would show her true talents. and then she read the screenplayll independent film called "room." and something inside her clicked. >> good morning, ng, tv. good morning, sink. >> you're 5 now? you're 5 and you're old enough

you have to have to understand. we can't keep living like this. you need to help me. >> reporter: the character allowed her to create an homagend to connect more deeply with her costar. >> this is a mothering role. i had to really create the sense of companionship with this boy. want to just give everything you have to that brilliant little kid? he's the best. i felt so much responsibility. i knew from being an actor at the same age jake was and how badly i really wanted to be respected and i wanted to do a good job. and i saw that in jake right away.as in it for real. i understood that he wanted to be respected and so i was always going to make sure that he felt like a creative force. >> you saved me.etter now?

>> "room" was really making it all about him. making it about and it allowed me to really feel mom in a deeper way.oing the escape sequence. i always saw it as what's on the page. it's a mom giving up her son. she thinks that he'sut she's going to die. i always assumed it was about that. when we started doing it and i would remember just holing on to jacob in that rug and i felt gut-wrenching feeling of not wanting it to go -- and i realized that was me letting go of a 7-year-old. that's me letting go of my inner child. and letting go of thatt knowing if i'm going to get it back. >> reporter: brie's breakthroughost powerful

and gave her closure with the little girl she used to be. >> it's such a powerfule now. it trips me out that this movie is the thing that's giving me that experience. >> i'll say bye-bye to good-bye to the 7-year-old that was in the studio apartment.unaware and also so hopeful of what was going to happen. saying good-bye to my old normal. ma hasg in a bigger, more complicated world, and that's what i have to do as well. >> you're going to love it. >> what? >> the world.hank you, robin. be sure to watch the 88th academy awards this sunday night at 8:30 right here on abc.

but how will chris rock confront the controversy this year? is out, bro. what's that, broheim? i switched to geico and got more. more savings on car insurance? yeah bro-fessor, and more. like renters insurance.to save. nice, bro-tato chip. that's not all, bro-tein shake. geico has motorcycle and rv insurance, too. oh, that's a lot more. about more, teddy brosevelt. geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. ck. be good. text mom. boys have been really good today. send.is own cell phone. nice. brad could use a new bike. send. [google] message. you decide. they're your kids. why are you guys texting grandma? . it was him. app-connect. from the newly

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finally tonight, the buildup to the oscars has beenighly controversial. who will dress the best, who will snatch the golden statues for best actor and actress, how will chris rock address the elephant in the k watt. >> reporter: ever since the lily white nominations were announced, chris rock has canceled all interviews.

youy #blackout. jada pinkett smith, will smith, spike lee are boycotting. not rock. he's hosting with millions eyeballs upon ou can expect from chris rock this oscar sunday is that he is going to go there. >> reporter: we know he will address the oscars, so why one black acting nominee. on twitter he already joked, the oscars are just white b.e.t. t for this evening, chris rock! >> reporter: this was last time he hosted in 2005. >> it's a great night tonight, we have like four black nominees so great, it's kind of like the def oscar jam tonight. >> reporter: with every hollywood mover and shaker in the room, 40 million plus of us watching at if you get off on the wrong foot, it's a real hard hole to dig yourself out of. >> i think he might relish that challenge.

didn't want to do the show. i'm only here because ellen said no. >> reporter: other clues from his last time hosting, he will probably get political. >> bush did someever get away with at your job. >> reporter: he will definitely get personal. wield that sword. >> toby ey maguire is just a boy in>> reporter: from the tv promos -- >> i might curse. >> reporter: he won't, we hope. we like to keep it clean at abc. but -- >> he is a safe you want to see how far he's going to take things, what he's going to say. >> black movies don't have real names. you get names like at's not a name, that's a location. >> reporter: rock is publicly proud of hosting a very fast show last time. fast, furious, and funny. expect that. >> reporter: i'm nick watt for "nightline" in hollywood. >> thank you! >> it was english actor and

yusanov who said, comedy is simply a funny way of being we wish chris rock serious success sunday night. thank you for watching. tune into gma monday morning. as on our "nightline" facebook page

almost "comics unleashed" with your host, byron allen. tonight, byron welcomes brett ernst.s rainey, patty vasquez, and matt person. and now a man who thinks sextingending six messages at a time, byron allen! >> yeah!yeah. that's right.