i'll put that question to king lear himself, my friend and neighbor john lithgow.e is a constant and notable presence on stage, television and in the movies, a two-time oscar nominee, multiple tony and emmy winner, the author of books for kids, a memoir about acting and editor of a collection of poetry. his delightful and moving new film, "love is strange," opens august 22nd. john, welcome. >> thank you, bill. >> looking every inch the king. >> yes, yes, i have my king lear beard for you today. >> so what do you think? why is there such interest again in him? is he our contemporary? >> i think you're quite right. i mean, i find the process of reading the front page of "the new york times" every day deeply unsettling. i've almost stopped doing it, it's so upsetting. and i get on stage and speak those lines. i mean, to me, the most pointed line in the whole play is, "i have ta'en too little care of this." you know, we live fairly comfortable lives. and everyday you're reminded of the astonishing misery in the rest of the world. >> are you aware that you, lear, are sp

. ♪ >> john lithgow is here. he has won tony's and emmys and twice oscar-nominated.e is now playing one of the most demanding and challenging part ever written for this age. obviously, keenly are. it is in shakespeare in the park at the delacorte in new york's central park to august 17th. i'm very pleased to have john lithgow on the stage to talk about king lear and much more. how does the great john lythgoe and the great play, king lear -- john lithgow and king lear come together? >> i have been nagging oscar eustis to consider me for it. the first i mentioned it to him was probably long before i should have played it, but now i think i have just entered that interesting window of opportunity when you are young enough to play it because you still have the strength but old enough because you can bring authenticity, an old man losing his viability. >> you kept a diary of preparation. how did it start? >> well, sure i have lived a long 68-year-old life so i did age. that was my first preparation. i began working hard on it in march. i stopped shaving. this is a real be

how does the great john lythgoe -- john lithgow and king lear come together?> i have been nagging oscar eustace to consider me for it. the first i mentioned it to him was probably long before i should have played it, but now i think i have just entered that interesting window of opportunity when you are young enough to play it because you still have the strength but old enough because you can bring authenticity, an old man losing a little bit of his viability. >> you kept a diary of preparation. how did it start? >> well, sure i have lived a long 68-year-old life so i did age. that was my first preparation. i began working hard on it in march. i stopped shaving. this is a real beard, charlie. i hired a ucla grad student to sit with me and cue me on words. it went extremely fast. i've seen it so many times and i've played roles in college, but i figured it's going to be such a demanding part. the rehearsal period is going to be so tough, the last thing i want to do is go home and study words in the night so i learned it completely cold by the first day of or he

i am very pleased to have john lithgow on this program to talk about lear and much more. thank you for coming. >> great to be here, charlie. >> rose: how does the great john lithgow and 9 great play king lear come together in new york. >> well, the play is much greater than i am. i have been nagging oscar use 'tis for years and years to at least consider me for it. probably, the first i mentioned it to him was probably long before i should have played it. but now i think i've just entered that interesting window of opportunity for lear, when you're young enough to play it because you still have got the strength, but you're old enough to play it because you can bring a little bit of authenticity, an old man losing his viability. >> rose: you did an amazing thing, which is you kept a diary of preparation. how did the preparation start? >> well, i-- . >> rose: did it start a long time ago. >> for me it started, well, sure, i've lived a long 68-year-old life. so i did age. that was my first preparation. but i began working hard on it in march. i stopped shaving, of course. th

. yg÷j/wocococtxxyÑ1Ñó ♪ >>> this week on "moyers & company," award winning actor and writer, john lithgowng lear. >> this is an interesting moment. i just entered into that window where you can play lear. when you're old enough to play him, and you're young enough to play him. 'cause you have to have the strength to play the part, and yet you have to have some sense of impending old age. >> announcer: funding is provided by -- anne gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy. carnegie corporation of new york, supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security at carnegie.org. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. the herb alpert foundation, supporting organizations whose

institute --www.ncicap.org-- ♪ >>> this week on "moyers & company," award winning actor and writer, john lithgows king lear. >> this is an interesting moment. i just entered into that window where you can play lear. when you're old enough to play him, and you're young enough to play him. 'cause you have to have the strength to play the part, and yet you have to have some sense of impending old age. >> announcer: funding is provided by -- anne gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy. carnegie corporation of new york, supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security at carnegie.org. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. the herb alpert foundation, supporting organizations whose

. ♪ >>> this week on "moyers & company," award winning actor and writer, john lithgow as king lear. >this is an interesting moment. i just entered into that window where you can play lear. when you're old enough to play him, and you're young enough to play him. 'cause you have to have the strength to play the part, and yet you have to have some sense of impending old age. >> announcer: funding is provided by -- anne gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy. carnegie corporation of new york, supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security at carnegie.org. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide.

. ♪ >>> this week on "moyers & company," award winning actor and writer, john lithgow as king lear. >his is an interesting moment. i just entered into that window where you can play lear. when you're old enough to play him, and you're young enough to play him. 'cause you have to have the strength to play the part, and yet you have to have some sense of impending old age. >> announcer: funding is provided by -- anne gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy. carnegie corporation of new york, supporting innovations in education, democratic engagement, and the advancement of international peace and security at carnegie.org. the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. the herb alpert foundation, supporting organ

. >> i think john lithgow was probably the right age. it is probably imagined.being close to 80 and still being able to memorize all that ,nd create that sense of rage he is sort of hamlet's heir. here is someone who looks at the world with clear eyes for the first time and says, i did not sign up for this. in new york, the play that is fabulous is by stephen alli atley gerkins. it is called "sweet riverside and crazy." lyingthe best play about and how it is an essential part of our lives. it is terrific. it stars stephen mckinley henderson, a staple of all of his productions. it is beautiful. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. back in a moment. stay with us. novel firstr" is a published in 1993. it follows a boy as he learns the truth about the world he lives in. the book has sold over 11 million copies worldwide. in 1994, it won the newberry medal, the most is tedious prize for literature in the united states. it has also been on the top of the american library ned andtion's list of ban challenged books. it is now a movie. here is the trailer. >> from great s

>> yes, and i think john lithgow was probably the right age. imagine being close to 80 and still being able to memorize all that and create that kind of sense of rage. he is sort of hamlet's heir and here's someone who looks at the world finally with clear eyes and goes, i didn't sign up for this. >> charlie: what we should see in new york on broadway? >> "between riverside and crazy" at the atlantic theater company, it's the best play about lying and how lying is an essential part of our lives that i've ever seen. it's terrific. so that i recommend. stars stephen mckinley henderson which is a stable of williams productions. beautiful in this. >> charlie: thank you. thank you so much. >> charlie: ben brantley, theater critic for the "new york times" on hamlet. back in a minute. stay with us. >> charlie: "the giver" first published in 1993 by lois lowry, follows a boy as he learns the truth about the world he lives in. sold over 11 million copies worldwide. in 1994 won the newberry medal, also been at the top of the american lobbyist association

. >> i think the script is -- you know, john lithgow was already in and people respond z to the storyhen marisa in the middle, then a young boy asking questions about love for the first time. so i think it's a human film. >> so it was the director but also the story and the issues it grapples with. i know they're important to you not just in this film but life as well. >> yes. well, i mean, it celebrates and talks about love in a very -- how have you been saying it? >> it's human. i think to me there's issues around same-sex marriage, but that's the starting point. >> it is hard to articulate it. it is about same-sex marriage but really about love. >> it's a couple that's been together for 39 years. it's just in the subtleties of that relationship you see how deeply they know each other so well. >> i think what's rare for these actors is to actually be the lead in a story about an older couple. same-sex or not, there's not that many films out there where they're given the opportunity. i had the advantage of working with these incredible comic actors. i couldn't have imagined we could