tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with two-time oscar-winning actor and producer michael douglas. that's next time. we'll see you then. >> his name is james and he needs extra help with his reading. >> i'm james. >> yes. >> to everyone making a difference. >> thank you. >> you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. >>♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> charlie: welcome to the program. tonight, we explore the ideas in the mind of

: hi, i am tavis smiley.ext time with alice walker. >> there are so many things that walmart is looking forward to doing, like helping people live better. but mostly we're looking forward to helping build stronger communities and relationships, because with your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic 0ymñempowerment that comes with. >> ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- jó♪

. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. >> nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions by viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] >> i am delighted to have michael douglas today. you can catch his latest project called "solitary man." >> dad. >> don't call me that. and you, don't call me grandpa, not now. >> what should i call you? >> no, that is what i call my dad. >> where is this one? >> don't look, you will screw things up. she is checking me out. tavis: that you have on the program. >> thanks. tavis: "solitary man" is about? >> it is about a very successful, tristate car dealer who thinks he has a serious medical issue, but rather than really following it up, he says you know what, i am going to live each day like it is my last. he leaves his wife, susan sarandon, and gets together with his girlfriend, mary louise parker. it is beautifully written and very funny. tavis: this is very different. you have played some characters who come to mind now whose lives have disintegrated around them. what is it about disintegrated live

you help us all live better. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports "tavis smiley." tavis and nationwide insurance working to improve literacy and the economic power that comes with it. >> and from contributions from your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: please welcome dennis quaid to this program. the talented actor has been a powerful force in hollywood. in "breaking away" and the right stuff, and you can catch him in the new hbo film, "the special relationship." playing bill clinton. >> don't be surprised if you feel completely overwhelmed in office. all the time on the road to get that job, no one briefs you what to do when you get there. you seem a quick study, i think you will settle in fine. did anyone ask you about the moon rock? >> they did, actually. >> it's six billion years old, and sometimes when things are hectic, i hold the rock to chill. tavis: ok, how many big mac's did you have to eat to beef up? >> it was like the angus select. tavis: yeah, clinton is now the pillar of good health. >> i gained 35 pounds to play clinton. i could

. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. >> ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: bill richardson is serving his second term as governor of new mexico, following his tenure as u.s. ambassador to the un, joining us tonight from washington. good to have you back on this program, sir. >> good to be here. tavis: i have been seeing your comments everywhere. you are opposed to the law signed by your colleague governor brewer in arizona. the question for me is whether or not you support the boycott. is the boycott and effective way of protesting? >> i do not support the boycott necessarily. my worry is that boycotts, a tourism boycott conventions, they heard a lot of -- hurt a lot of little people. there're a lot of errors and into the -- arizona to do not agree. i would not i would par

that what stieg's done in many ways, if i had to think of an equivalent, i would take le carre's smiley sequences of novels in that they... each one adds something to your understanding of the previous one. >> rose: the idea that tinker, tailor, soldier, spy were going through a life experience. >> absolutely. and you learn more of him and the events he experienced from the earlier books you see another perspective on it. tell me about his life. stieg's life. he grew up >> he grew up in the north of sweden. >> rose: with his grandparents. >> yes, because his parents got him when they were really young, 17. they couldn't find jobs in the north, they couldn't find an apartment so they had to go to stockholm where they lived... you know, where you rent a room and so they couldn't bring stieg and they needed to make some money before coming home. so he grew up with his grandmother and grandfather the first years. and then when stieg's parents came back, actually grandparents wanted to keep him because they got so fond of him. and they lived quite near so they saw each other and then stieg m