Tony Goldwyn on his Broadway Hit "Network"

Steve Adubato goes One-on-One with Scandal's Tony Goldwyn, who stars in the new Broadway hit, Network.

12/17/18 #2186

Excerpt:

"Welcome to One on One. I'm Steve Adubato. Coming to you from the Tisch WNET Studio in the heart of Lincoln Center. It is our pleasure to welcome a gentleman, you recognize him, he's a talented guy. Tony Goldwyn. He's an actor... yeah, you know that! He's in Network right now. Let me ask you, before we talk about Network... by the way, the guy Bryan Cranston...? Cranston. He plays Howard Beale? Yeah. Is he any good? He's okay. [laughter] You know. He's just won too many Emmy Awards. That's my problem though. He's just, like, too good. [laughter] And you were in that other little show? I hate when people say little show. Yeah. You were the president? I was the President of the United States of America. In what series? For seven years in Scandal. How great was that experience? Yeah. Oh it was great. It was such a blast we had. And you worked with Kerry Washington. How awesome...? So much fun. Yeah. The best cast ever. How awesome was that? Kerry is the best. Yeah. Who's also on Broadway in an incredible play, American Son, which people have to go see. Tell us about Network. By the way, originally done in 1976, Paddy Chayefsky's...? Mm hmm. ...Network? Right? Correct. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Starring William Holden and Peter Finch and Faye Dunaway. What's the matter? You couldn't get a good cast? No... yeah! [laughter] Exactly. You know, it won multiple Academy Awards. Incredible. It's a great film. A classic. But this is a complete... completely different experience and yet, very faithful to the Oscar-winning screenplay of Paddy Chayefsky's. And you play? I play Max Schumacher, who William Holden... William Holden? ...played in the movie. And I am the head of the news division of a television network, and Bryan's characteris the longtime anchor. Howard Beale? The renowned anchor of the station, Howard Beale, who has been forced out, due to low ratings and some personal difficulties, and he tells his audience he's gonna commit suicide publicly on the show, and it creates a bit of a firestorm. And the network ultimately realizes they… "I'm mad as Hell?" ...they can make money off of a man who is, in fact, losing his mind. And so it took... you know, what was a satire in 1976, has, in many ways, come to pass in terms of our media... what our media culture's become, and reality TV, and news as... What are you trying to say? ...entertainment, as opposed to high-minded programs like yours. [laughter] I just want to clarify. You are not talking about... [laughter] No. ...public broadcasting? No I am not. You mean the other media? Public broadcasting is the one, you know, safe space. We're the bastion? Yeah. The bastion of integrity. Of decency and integrity? That's right..."