Interview Qa Format

Q: How do you feel about your new look and the prospect of growing your hair back? [00:00:15]

Interviewee: I don't know why I shaved it off at first, but as soon as some friends saw it, they said I looked younger, so that was it. As for the Afro I had in the 70s, that was a wig. It’s destroying your childhood dreams, I know!

Q: At age 87, do you feel like you get wiser, or does that peak at a certain age? [00:00:46]

Interviewee: I think it just taps out, probably right around 80. Then you start on a downward slope. Memory is the first thing to go—short-term and long-term. I tell people I suffer from "CRS" (Can't Remember Stuff).

Q: As someone who has lived through many decades, do you feel like we are in particularly dangerous times? [00:02:16]

Interviewee: To tell you the truth, I think we are living in the most dangerous times since we were attacked in 1941.

Q: You have narrated videos for Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Does this mean you really want a female president? [00:02:51]

Interviewee: I really do. Don't think I'm racist—I'm not—but I think it’s time we moved on from old white men running the country. That would be a nice change.

Q: Who was the first president you met in person? [00:04:13]

Interviewee: George H.W. Bush. I met him at the White House.

Q: You have played so many high-ranking political figures on screen. Have real politicians ever approached you to comment on those roles? [00:06:15]

Interviewee: No, they never do. I don't think of myself as a politician, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Q: Did you know The Shawshank Redemption was going to be a great movie when you read the script? [00:06:48]

Interviewee: No, you never know. An outstanding script is only the start; it also depends on who you work with, the cinematographer, the director, and how well you handle yourself.

Q: Is it true that you suggested Tim Robbins for his role in The Shawshank Redemption? [00:07:23]

Interviewee: Yes. I spoke to the producers, and then they told the director, "These are the guys you’ve got."

Q: Do prisoners respond well to your portrayal of Andy Dufresne's friend in The Shawshank Redemption? [00:07:54]

Interviewee: I’ve been in a lot of prisons for one reason or another, and I always get a good response from inmates. They’ll say, "Yeah, my man."