james gandolfini. it's hard not to get one of you to sit down for an interview but two of you together -- >> protection. >> reporter: is that what it is. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: for each other? >> yeah. >> reporter: it's actually everyone else that needs protection from them. both actors play hit men. >> put his light out tonight. >> reporter: hired to seek justice for the mob. so, i hear it took 40 -- what, 48 hours for you to sign on to this film, true? >> ah, no, 30 minutes. >> reporter: 30 minutes. why the quick sell? pitt says he was eager to work with andrew dominik again. >> walk into the bank just before noon. >> reporter: who directed him in "the assassination of jesse james." >> head back like so. >> reporter: the film was a box office disaster and dominik was having trouble finding another project. >> he was in, like, director's jail because "jesse james" wasn't considered a success. to me, it's the one i'm most proud of. >> reporter: so, when the director told him he was excited about a new

james gandolfini. it is hard enough to get one to sit down for an interview.t two together. >> protection. >> reporter: is that what it is, for each other? >> yes. >> reporter: for each other? actually everyone else need protection from them. both actors play hitmen hired to seek justice for the mob. when the director told him he was excited about a new story, pitt readily signed on as both star and producer. >> no [ bleep ], no more [ bleep ] booze, nothing. >> i don't take orders from [ bleep ] look you. >> reporter: in the movie they play old friends, hired to chase down a group of wannabe tough guys. stupid enough to knock over a mob-protected card game. the film its set in 2008 in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the great depression. actual news reports are woven into the story line to suggest the people running the mob and people running the country have a lot in common. >> you are a cynical -- you know that? >> reporter: politics aside those hoping for good old-fashioned mob movie violence will not be disappointed. >> action! >> reporter:

you see james gandolfini is it in it, ray liota.o see that face again. >> what if you want to stay home and watch movies at home? >> stocking stuffers maybe. >> "paranormal" is coming out for the kids. "men in black iii" with will smith, tommy lee jones and josh brolin. those are three good ones coming out on demand and dvd this weekend. >> okay. >> that's not weird or anything. >> no, no. >> what is happening? >> in music news, grammy nominations are coming out next week. >> normally they do this in los angeles. the first time they are going to hold it live in nashville. taylor swift will be hosting it with l.l. cool jay and maroon five is going to be performing with luke brian. they'll do all the major categories there and that's next wednesday. >> that is a real tip of the hat to nashville and country music. it's a huge force in the music world and i don't think they get enough credit. they have brilliant musicians. >> they are getting it more and more definitely with this change in location. >> moving on to television. "revenge.

. >> called "killing them softly" starring brad pitt and james gandolfini. a list.e of you like me who love the "sopranos," good to see him back on the screen. brad pitt stars. back up. three, not so bright guys decide to rob a mob-protected card game. that's when all the drama ensues. at that point. brad pitt plays a new orleans hit man hired to track them done to kind of restore order to the criminal economy here. corporate america overtones here. political overtones as well. an interesting movie. and brad pitt smelling like chanel no 5 throughout the thing. take a listen. >> i am going to drop a dime on a couple cops, who are going to take you back to where you are supposed to be. >> oh, yeah? >> no more booze, nothing. get yourself a shower. go to bed. i will get you up and tell you where to be. >> i don't take orders from you! >> 7:30. get some sleep. >> i miss the sopranos. only criticism i heard so far the themes are not handled subtly by the director. beats the point over the head a little bit. but brad pitt getting pretty good reviews for this one. >> i'll

james gandolfini, you just saw a moment ago. we have our chat.tly." he plays a brutally efficient, but squeamish mob hit man. and on the eve of the christmas holiday, we shared a laugh about the chanel ads and took a walk down memory lane. actor, producer, philanthropist and fourth of six, brad pitt is here to talk about his new film, "killing them softly." it opens this friday. good morning. good to have you here. >> good morning. how are you? >> i want to read you something a critic from "the guardian" wrote that hit it. this is an ensemble of middle management mobster incompetence. a world of weary hit guys, complaining of having to clean up the mess for far less money than they'd hoped for. >> that's pretty good. i like that. >> you are brutally efficient at your job. but you don't like feelings. let's look at a clip here. >> ever killed anyone? >> no. >> you get touchy-feely. >> touchy-feely? >> emotional. they cry. they beg. they plead. they call for their mothers. it's embarrassing. i like to kill them softly. >> it's business, you know? t

. >> steve: in the new movie that opens on friday, you are in the movie with brad pitt, james gandolfini>> i'm not sure they're like mobsters, like mafia, but there is a bunch of bad guys. i run a card game that i once stole the money from and then so someone thinks, you know what? if we rob the card game again, they're going to think it's marky, my character. but this time it's not. and so brad pitt comes in because they have to get rid of me because they think i did it. it's couched around the economic crisis in 2004 and i guess even mobsters need money. >> steve: a metaphor for wall street. >> yeah. >> steve: when you're making the movie with brad pitt, is angelina and the kids there? >> they might have been. i didn't see them. >> gretchen: are you a good poker player in real life? >> no. i like doing it and we shot it in new orleans and right across the street was -- there is a casino, jara's. there were professional players. i was in there a lot. >> steve: method gambling. >> exactly. >> brian: and ray, did you watch the movie back yet? >> did i watch this back? yeah. >> brian: what

and they bring in james gandolfini because brad pitt's character doesn't like doing the hits anymorehappens. >> what was it like? >> i really didn't. it was -- he shoots me, but he shot me one day and i got shot two days later. >> did you get to talk to him at all? >> what was it like not working -- >> hold on a second. i'm setting this up. seems like a nice enough guy? >> very nice. >> did you have a chance in the short time you talked to him to ask him what the hell he was thinking when he did the chanel commercials? i mean, seriously. >> a question as opposed to just noting it. >> if it's okay. >> you made this movie you said was your third or fourth movie. joe was talking about thanksgiving, it's on television all the time. on some channel it's on everywhere because it's a classic, right? when you think back on the experience of doing that, what most stands out in your mind when you realize that you were making the movie that was going to be like a modern classic or did that not occur to you? >> not at all. >> it was only my fourth movie. my mother was really sick during the peri

since we're all saying it's the little guy, it's probably james gandolfini. >> the smoking man. >> how is he in this show? >> he's great. >> i never fully appreciated him until this program. man, he's good. >> i am telling you, man, that is -- he's one of my favorite characters. >> that scene where he goes to prison to deal with that woman. >> oh, my god. >> you missed that one. did you see that one? no -- >> forget it. >> it's very sad. >> thinking of doing sports for you, willie. >> blows his head right off the shoulders and you're thinking of -- >> the beard. >> it's just matted. >> football match-up between the chicago bears and the san francisco 49ers. >> mika's doing -- >> starting backup quarterbacks because their starters suffered concussions in week ten. in the first -- do you want to do sports? >> look at this collin, the second-year man floats one out there, kyle williams down the sideline, 57 yards, dragged down at the goal line. rolls out, there was a strike to the big fella, that was the first touchdown pass of his career. 243 yards and a pair of t.d.s. the other side of

. >> brad pitt, james gandolfini and richard jenkins. >> very good people.wn to visit my dad and every year we go up to disney world and we spend a couple of days at disney world and they just hang out with my dad. >> a gangster at disney world. >> wow, okay. >> there's the headline of the year right there. >> and there's a little homecoming for you. you did soap opera here. >> jimmy right there. >> wow, all these guys. >> like 35 years ago. >> he knows the guy. >> most importantly, thanks for taking part in this toy drive. we really appreciate it. >> and we should remind everybody that "killing me softly" hits theater on friday. >> ray will stick around to speak with kathie lee and hoda a little later on. >> we'll catch up with lessons of the stage and see julie andrews here. but first this is "today" on nbc. >> she is already a hollywood legend and now julie andrews is sharing her talent with a group of up and coming actors with a theater in connecticut nbc's erica hill had a chance to sit down with dame julie. erica, good morning. that must have been fun.