|
CNN WITH ANDERSON COOPER |
||
 ANDERSON: You know, A.J., when I sat down with Rob Lowe, I asked him if he had any desire to be in politics. And you might be surprised at what he had to say. But first we talked about his role in the movie Thank You for Smoking and why he has had it with political correctness. ANDERSON: You play a Hollywood super agent. Actuality biggest agent in Hollywood in this film. And in working with the tobacco companies you come up with this outrageous scenario. Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta Jones lying naked in a space station lighting up, smoking cigarettes. ROB LOWE, ACTOR: After getting it on. ANDERSON: Right, of course. But is that scenario really so farfetched for Hollywood? LOWE: Listen. I`ve been in this business for a long time. I don`t put anything past anybody. ANDERSON: Right. LOWE: No way. ANDERSON: Well you probably get more scripts than you know what to do with thrown at you. What are some of the most outrageous things that you`ve read that people have pitched? LOWE: Oh, gosh. Somebody just pitched me the other day a TV series where everybody wanted to rob me. Actually me. Being robbed at the end of the season. So . . . ANDERSON: Numerous times by numerous people? LOWE: One can only guess. Believe me. I`ve had more bad ideas. More good ideas. Not sure maybe great. But I`ve seen it all pretty much. ANDERSON: So you have to really sift through them. Is there one that you can remember that you just thought, they got to be kidding me. LOWE: Let me see. You know, I guess I`ve been sort of fortunate in that there hasn`t been a complete utter, they got to be kidding me moment. But yeah, there`s still time. ANDERSON: This film is about big tobacco. And how it tries to influence people to smoke. Were you ever uncomfortable with the scenario? LOWE: Well you know, really to me the movie`s about -- It is about that. But it`s really about how I`m so sick of political correctness. ANDERSON: What specifically do you really hate? LOWE: Oh. What do I -- you know what, that list is so long. ANDERSON: There have been books written about this. LOWE: And there`ll be more. ANDERSON: That`s right. That`s right. LOWE: And there will be more. I just think people, I think people know the truth when they hear it. And they know it when they see it. And one of the things I love about the movie is it`s really about being a free thinker and an independent thinker. And that`s sort of where I`m at. So when this came my way, I just really liked what it had to say. Very quick story. I have an actor friend of mine playing a man convicted of being a mass murderer and going to the gas chamber. And he wanted - the actor wanted to smoke in the scene as a last wish. The network wouldn`t let him do it. ANDERSON: Really? LOWE: OK to be a mass murderer. Not okay to smoke. Weird. ANDERSON: It is. Strange dichotomy there. LOWE: PC. |
 LOWE: When the West Wing was in its heyday in the first four years and there was The Sopranos. There was the West Wing. 24 had just come out. Six Feet Under was on. Sex and the City. A lot of those are gone now. We`re in a cycle now where those shows are not a lot of people are particularly interested in. Other than 24 which is great. But it all changes. It`s all about timing. We are living in the American Idol age. ANDERSON: We are. Do you watch American Idol? LOWE: I do. ANDERSON: You do. LOWE: I do. ANDERSON: So you`re a fan just like . . . LOWE: I am a fan. It`s great. Addicting. It`s a great show. ANDERSON: Speaking of politics with the West Wing. Celebrities recently have been speaking out about their own political views. Particularly against President Bush at times. LOWE: Right. ANDERSON: Do you think celebrities have an obligation because their following to stand up for what they believe in? Because they can make a difference if they want to. LOWE: Listen, I think it`s a great American tradition to stand up for what you believe in. And I always respect people who do it. The only caveat I think is that you have to be careful that it doesn`t effect your audiences` ability to see the art that you make for what it is. And that`s the fine line that I think you have to walk. ANDERSON: Any aspirations for political office yourself, ever, you think? LOWE: Oh, my wife would kick me out of the house so fast. ANDERSON: You are a good speaker. I can see it. LOWE: She would -- it would be divorce Hollywood style if I ever said honey, I`m thinking about running for something. ANDERSON: Does your wife wear the pants in the family? LOWE: Listen. That`s the key to a successful marriage. Come on. Let`s just call a spade a spade. ANDERSON: What is the key to success in addition to that? Because you guys have been married what -- 15 years? LOWE: It`ll be 15 years. Yeah. ANDERSON: Yeah. You don`t see that very often in Hollywood. LOWE: No. And I don`t think you see it very often anywhere. I mean, you know, it`s tough. Marriage is tough. I mean I have no answers. It`s up and down and it`s wonderful. And it`s a struggle and it`s all of these things that we all know. You know? But I love it. And if I have an answer, I would bottle it and sell it and I would retire. ANDERSON: And make billions. LOWE: Billions. ANDERSON: Probably. | |