Producer (32 page)

I was in awe that this extraordinarily unusual man was not acting arrogantly or rudely, as his reputation dictated. Instead,
he was making everyone in the room feel comfortable as he walked around with no shoes. And in my opinion, he was badly in
need of a pedicure! To add to that, he had applied his own makeup, he looked pretty rough around the edges, and I made an
unusual decision to leave him exactly the way he was. If it were anyone else, I would have made sure his feet were covered
and that he looked reasonably well groomed, but in this case, I decided to just let it be. Marlon Brando was Marlon Brando,
with no help required from me.

In the end, I believe that one of the reasons this ninety-
minute show was so appealing was because it was so real. I gave no directives to “lose the cup” or “fix his makeup” or “straighten
his pants” or shoot from a different direction to eliminate a crotch shot. If Marlon Brando was willing to let it all hang
out, so was I, a decision that gratefully worked in our favor.

The interview began when Marlon said to Larry, “You can’t see my feet, can you? I forgot to put my shoes on.”

Larry answered, “That’s okay, that’s all right.”

From there it progressed into a mutual admiration exchange.

KING:
Explain what you did, don’t put me on, Marlon, you put your own makeup on today?

BRANDO:
I did because I wanted to look exactly like you and… This was my goal, that’s right.

KING:
And you believed…

BRANDO:
I wore some red suspenders in your honor. I did everything I could and then I’ve received some criticism from these people
[the makeup people] then.

KING:
They wanted to do you themselves?

BRANDO:
They wanted to do it.

KING:
I’m honored. Do you see my eyebrows that dark and that way and that sort of stark look?

BRANDO:
Yes, a little of the, what do you call it, who was that famous Italian guy, the big lover that played the Sheik, what was
his name?

KING:
Valentino.

A few minutes later, Larry asked Marlon a provocative question.

KING:
Why don’t you like being interviewed?

BRANDO:
Because I don’t like the idea of selling yourself for money. I—

KING:
You don’t like to go on to sell a book?

BRANDO:
I don’t.

KING:
Or sell a movie?

BRANDO:
I don’t. I’ve never sold a movie and this is the first time I’ve ever been beating the drum for some product. In this case,
it’s Random House’s book.

KING:
Because you promised them you would do one?

BRANDO:
It was unbeknownst to me that it was part of the contract and if I didn’t [do an interview], I would be in breach of contract.
But aside from that I’ve had pleasure talking to you. I’m fascinated with people, especially the kind of people—I wouldn’t
lump you with others because you are exceptional.

As the show went on, I watched them becoming more intimate in a way that Larry rarely allows. Some wonderful things came out
of that interview that surprised all of us. Mainly, we all learned that Marlon Brando did not act for the art of it alone.
One thinks of him as one of the most iconic actors who ever lived in such roles as Terry Malloy in
On the Waterfront,
or as Stanley Kowalski in
A Streetcar Named Desire.
Surely acting was under his skin and he did it for the art, not the money. But he had something different to say about that.

KING:
Why did you choose acting as a career? Why did you choose to be other people?

BRANDO:
It’s useful to make an observation that everybody here in this room is an actor. You’re an actor and the best performances
I’ve ever seen is when the director says, “CUT,” and the director says, “That was great.” That was wonderful. That was good.
But they said we had a little lighting problem. Let’s do it again. What he’s thinking is, Jesus Christ,
that’s so fucked—excuse me… It wasn’t done well, so we’ve got to do it over but everybody tried to handle it.

When you say, how do you do, how are you, you look fine, you’re doing two things at once. You’re reading the person’s real
intention. You’re trying to feel who he is and making an assessment and trying to ignore the mythology.

KING:
So when the director says, “Cut, but I didn’t like the lighting,” he’s acting… You chose it as a profession.

BRANDO:
Because there isn’t anything that pays you as much money as acting while you are deciding what the hell you’re going to do
with yourself.

KING:
So wait a minute, are you saying you’re still deciding?

BRANDO:
It took me a long time to decide. You know people who have never decided. I mean, most people—if you ask them what their dreams
are—give this guy a Kleenex.

The interview carried on from there as Brando ribbed Larry about perspiring too much. He called him a “darling man” and then
continued to discuss the art of acting and making money. He insisted that regrets were not part of his life, that they belonged
to the past. And then he asked once again if his bare feet would show up in the shot.

At the end of the interview, which had covered sundry topics including acting and his life in Tahiti, with mostly unexpected
answers from Brando, I watched Larry and his new best friend put their arms around each other and start singing. Brando’s
crotch was directly in the face of the camera, his legs and bare feet hanging out, a big bulge visible in the front of his
pants, and I did nothing. I gave the camera crew no directives and just watched as these two men, arms locked around each
other, turned face-to-face, staring into each other’s eyes while they sang. I was convinced there was a whole lot more than
coffee in Brando’s cup by the end of that ninety minutes as the two of them seemed to become lost in each other.

Just before we wrapped the interview, they leaned in and kissed on the lips. In my opinion, it seemed almost normal, as if
it would have been weird if they hadn’t kissed, they were so close. But apparently, my boss in Atlanta did not agree. The
moment the interview was over, I got a call from Tom Johnson saying, “Wendy, why did you let them kiss? How could you let
that happen?”

I said coolly, “Tom, you know, I actually forgot to tell them not to kiss. I forgot to say, ‘Oh, by the way, guys, at the
end of the interview when you feel like kissing each other on the lips, just don’t do it.’ ” That moment had made television
history.

I hung up the phone, thinking that the interview had been magical. It seemed that Mr. Brando was quite happy about it, too,
as he proceeded to bring out several iced bottles of fine champagne and some chicken salad sandwiches. And then, once again,
he skipped over Larry and the producers as he personally handed every crew member a glass of champagne and toasted with them.
He posed for pictures with the cable people, the sound crew, and the camera crew, while Larry and I watched. It seemed that
although he was a well-established recluse at this point in his life, Mr. Brando had enjoyed the experience a great deal and
he was making sure everyone could feel his appreciation.

He made his way around the room, and although he posed for pictures with anyone who wanted them, he stopped short of signing
autographs. He didn’t believe in it. But he looked sincerely happy to have been on the show, once he got into it, and he was
not shy about expressing his gratitude. At the same time, it was clear that he was interested in taking care of the
people behind the scenes first. If someone didn’t like it, well, he obviously didn’t care.

When the entire crew had sipped champagne and it was our turn, he walked over to Larry and me to toast with us. “That was
quite a kiss,” Larry said to Marlon. “Kiss my producer like you just kissed me.”

I stared at him for a moment and closed my eyes as Marlon Brando took me in his arms. As he placed his lips on mine, gone
were bare feet, dirty toes, coffee cups, overweight bellies, and perspiration. It was Stanley Kowalski, Terry Malloy, Fletcher
Christian, you name it. It was
that
man kissing me like I had never been kissed before.

For weeks afterward, Larry walked around the set saying, “You know, after I kissed Marlon Brando, I just can’t stop thinking
about him.”

I silently nodded my head. He wasn’t the only one.

TREAT ALL PEOPLE LIKE THE “BIG PEOPLE”

Al Gore was on our set recently, and I watched him walk from one side of the room to the other, shaking hands and greeting
each and every person there, from the highest level executives to the entry-level secretary. Just like Marlon Brando did.
And on the other side of the coin, we recently had a huge guest who was a severe disappointment. He and his publicist were
so disrespectful to the entire crew, we all felt very let down.

Treating everyone the same says so much about who you are in your heart. Have you ever been with someone who was rude to the
waiter, nasty to the grocery checker, or impatient with the sales clerk? How does it make you feel about your friend? Maybe
he or she is not the great person you thought they were.

Treating others like you want to be treated is a universal spiritual concept because, in spiritual terms, we are all connected.
It’s that simple. It’s not about making someone else like you or say nice things about you. It’s all about how you feel on
the inside and how much respect and love you radiate to the people around you. Energy is constantly moving, and we live in
a universe where “what goes around, comes around,” and “you reap what you sow.” Regardless of how you say it, when you act
negatively toward someone else and disrespect them, the bad karma will come back to you, just like a boomerang!

Some of the most profound lessons in life are extremely simple and are not at all new or revolutionary. Treating everyone
as an equal is one of those simple lessons. I will always remember Jackie Onassis’s habit of looking me in the eye when she
spoke with me, a private secretary to one of her family members. You just never know who these wonderful people will be, the
ones who walk into a room and treat everyone the same. Just because someone gets paid a higher salary or has more power in
their field does not make them a better human being.

Being kind to others is the same Golden Rule that we learned from our grandmothers, our mothers, and now we are passing it
on to the next generation. If everyone
treated people the way they wanted to be treated, there would be no violence or wars. I am not suggesting you become a doormat
or a yes-man, but there is usually a kinder and gentler way of stating what you want that includes considering the feelings
and desires of the other person.

People who treat everyone with respect know that we are all equal, that we were all born naked, and we will all die the same.
No matter who we are. So if you are in a higher position than someone else and you take the time to treat them with respect,
it will absolutely make their day! And it will make yours.

O
n Monday, June 28, 2010, I called Bill Maher’s office and spoke to his assistant. “Sarah,” I said, “I need to speak to Bill
privately. I’m sorry I can’t tell you what it’s about, but it’s very important.”

Now, Bill is not a guy who’s just sitting around waiting for people to call him. In fact, he’s very hard to book on the show
because he’s so incredibly busy with his own show, his books, his stand-ups, his documentaries—his everything. And he prepares
endlessly before he comes on
Larry King Live
because, at heart, he is a perfectionist. That makes it tough to get him to commit to a specific date for our show. So I
really wasn’t sure he would call me back since I couldn’t leave a detailed message.

But an hour later, when I was in the car driving to Los Angeles and stressing, my cell phone rang. The voice at the other
end said, “Hi, Wendy, it’s Bill Maher.”

“Thanks so much for calling me back,” I said. “I have to share something with you that only a handful of people know
about. My staff doesn’t even know yet, but I’m taking you into my confidence. I need you to say not a word. Pinky promise?”

Pinky promise? I couldn’t believe those words just came out of my mouth, and I was mortified. But I moved on as if my stupid
twin had said that. “Tomorrow night,” I continued, “Larry is going to make a very important announcement, and I want him to
be with someone who really cares about him. That would be you. I know this is really short notice, but is there any way you’d
consider doing this for him?”

“I take it this has something to do with his future?” asked Bill.

“Yes, but no one knows that.”

“Well, I’m supposed to be shooting a pilot for a show tomorrow night. I don’t think I can do it, but let me see. I just doubt
I can move everything around.”