mr. whitaker. outstanding job. >> oh i have a beautiful wife too. [applause] and i want to recognize her co-workers which is her boss and nadia sinca and anthony -- i don't know where he is and i wanted to acknowledge them too. >> so we're going to have a little demonstration. >> yes. >> oh good. >> [inaudible] (bells ringing demonstration). [applause] champion cable car ringer. thank you and congratulations again. moving on i wanted to acknowledge part of -- you know our strategic plan for safety is the number one goal. we also have another goal in the plan is to strengthen the work force. the way we're trying to bring those two together and reinforce and strengthen the culture of safety in the department is by acknowledging and rewarding those parts of the organization for their safe performance, so at some point last year gerald williams, the head of industrial safety started a maintenance safety award and he looks at the safety statistics of all the different maintenance divisions in the mta and each quarter. whoever does best gets the award and

whitaker plays the white house butler. oprah his wife. >> now everybody just -- >> i'm sorry, mr. butler. i didn't make fun of your hero. >> you're slapping, punching, smoking. >> why do you think god brought us next to each other? >> god got nothing to do with this. >> i was not a smoker. i didn't smoke as a kid. i think it helped me get into character whenever i wanted to go there i'd start smoking. >> you didn't get addicted? >> no. i was smoking -- of course i inhaled. what's the point? and i've inhaled before. >> good, nice to know. >> not cigarettes but anyway. >> and if you think that's shocking, wait until you hear her exclusive lindsay lohan sitdown. >> lindsay is on track. >> you think so? >> yeah. est >> she's like the train -- >> no, no. everybody has their second chance and third chance. you get as many chances as you get. don't start that. >> well, how about we get this started? o's oscar campaign, a powerful performance. is there more in store? >> will you do more acting now? >> no. i'm busy. >> how busy can you be? >> i got my day job. >> and she has her new movie in theat

mr. butler, i didn't mean to make fun of your hero. >> everything you are and everything you have is because of that butler. >> i spoke at length to forest whitakerprah winfrey about the film and the trayvon martin case. here is the interview. you talk about this coming at an important time and there has been in the wake of the trayvon martin case a discuss about race in this country. i saw a gallup poll says this needs to be had. majority of whites says too much is being made of -- of this discussion of race. >> oh, i know. i know. i know. that's why i love the film in light of this discussion is because it brings context to the discussion. when you look at the film beginning with that lynching scene and ending with, you know, walking into obama's office, look at what has happened in the span of one man's lifetime in our country. >> this movie reminds us the circular motion working itself out is going on and we're looking at trayvon and oscar grant and all these situations and recognizing we have to move ourselves forward in this chain. in order for us to achieve potential or what we said we would do. >> the truth of the matter is emmet teal bec

whitaker back to "gma." great to have you here. all-star cast in lee daniel's "the butler." he's playing cecil on his first day of work as the white house butler. >> mre working with you here. >> please, don't do that. >> of course. >> and forest whitaker joins us now. thank you for coming in. that scene captures so much. you're there at the white house, as a butler to serve. see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing. >> the philosophy he has to follow to show the president he'll be there. and offer his service without intrusion. >> and this is based on a true story, the story of eugene allen, that served eight presidents. when they first came to you, you were actually intimidated by this role. why? >> he serves eight presidents. it goes over a long period of time. i knew i would have to age from my 30s into my 90s. and also to be able to take this history that was going on, all the things that happened with the presidents and the world that affected my family and carry that weight, so that the audience will be able to feel all of the experiences -- >> that's what i think is brilliant about the film. it tells the civil rights revolution, from eisenhower

mr. butler. >> everything you are and everything you have is because of that butler. joining me is lee daniels who directed the film, the and two stars, forest whitaker who plays the butler and oprah winfrey. welcome one and all. i'm pleased to have you here. you are at your creative best. congratulations. >> thank you. >> you, magnificent. >> thank you, sir. >> but you, sir, are just brilliant. this is an extraordinary performance over a span of years to capture this person, these ideas all that you have done you've really done an extraordinary achievement. >> thank you. thank you. >> rose: how difficult was it for you? >> it was a challenge. it was very challenging. i think because of the being able to communicate without words. the process of going through all these years and the aging process. trying to carry the experiences carried in the script by danny and lee to feel them and know them and understanding the history so i could take that tapestry and pull it together. but on the whole it's really -- it's a love story. so i guess trying to navigate the feeling that i have for my wife. >> hello. (laughter) and trying to make my life not to make h