>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.

WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF "MIKE NICHOLS: A LIFE," MARK

HARRIS.

TO TRY TO DRIVE HOME WHAT A WUNDTER KIND HE WAS, HE WAS A

CHILD IN GERMANY BEFORE THE WAR, THIS IS HIS FIRST MOVIE IS

"WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF?" THAT'S W WHAT HE COMES OUT OF TH

GATE WITH, AND HE FOLLOWS IT UP WITH A LITTLE THING CALLED "THE

GRADUATE."

WHAT DROVE HIM?

DO YOU HAVE SOME THEORY AS TO WHY HE WAS SO PROLIFIC OR WHY HE

WAS ALWAYS CREATING?

>> I THINK ONE REALLY INTERESTING THING ABOUT MIKE IS

THAT DIRECTING WASN'T HIS FIRST CHOICE FOR A CAREER.

THROUGH HIS 20s, HE WAS A PERFORMER, AND THEN HIS

PARTNERSHIP WITH ELAINE MAY ENDED, AND HE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW

WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH HIS LIFE.

AND HE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE MINUTE HE STEPPED INTO THE

REHEARSAL ROOM FOR HIS FIRST PLAY AND THE MINUTE HE STEPPED

ON TO THE SET OF A MOVIE FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE KNEW THAT

DIRECTING WAS WHAT HE WANTED TO DO.

AND SO, IN SOME WAYS, HE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE HE HAD A MINUTE TO

LOSE AFTER MAKING THAT DISCOVERY.

>> Stephen: THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO CHOOSE FROM, BUT FOR

PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH HIS WORK,

WHAT'S YOUR INTRODUCTION-- WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN

INTRODUCTION TO MIKE NICHOLS?

>> WELL, I'D SAY IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A MIKE NICHOLS MOVIE, START

WITH "THE GRADUATE."

I MEAN, THAT'S A FANTASTIC, FUNNY, FASCINATING, MOVING

MOVIE, NO MATTER WHAT PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE YOU'RE IN, WHETHER

YOU'RE THE SAME AGE AS THE YOUNG PROTAGONIST OR MRS. ROBINSON.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN "THE GRADUATE," I THINK THERE ARE ALL OTHER

KINDS OF DOORS FROM "SILKWOOD," TO "ANGELS IN AMERICA," I'LL

GIVE A PLUG FOR THE HOME TEAM.

TO "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF?"

AND ALSO THAT ALBUM THAT YOU SHOWED.

I MEAN, "AN EVENING WITH MIKE NICHOLS AND ELAINE MAY," YOU GET

A FANTASTIC SENSE OF WHAT THEY WERE LIKE AS A COMEDY DUO, AND

IT'S STILL REALLY FUNNY.

>> Stephen: MIKE NICHOLS MADE A JOKE THAT HIS BIOGRAPHY, IF HE

COULD NAME IT, IT SHOULD BE CALLED "THE WRONG YOU."

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS?

>> MIKE, LATE IN HIS LIFE, WAS ORIGINALLY CAST IN WHAT TURNED

OUT TO BE A CRUCIAL EPISODE OF "THE SOPRANOS."

HE WAS GOING TO PLAY THE PSYCHIATRIST WHO CARMELA GOES

TO, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT TONY AND HER MARRIAGE, AND THE

PSYCHIATRIST IS KIND OF THIS OLD-STYLE TALMUDIC, OLD

TESTAMENT GUY WHO SAYS, "YOUR HUSBAND IS A CRIMINAL, AND IF

YOU STAY WITH HIM, YOU'RE COMPLICEIT, LEAVE HIM.

AND TAKE THE KIDS."

AND MIKE DID ABOUT A DAY OF WORK ON IT, AND THEN TOLD DAVID

CHASE, "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG JEW.

I'M NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF JEW FOR THIS PART.

AND SOMEONE ELSE PLAYED IT.

>> Stephen: "MIKE NICHOLS: A LIFE" IS AVAILABLE NOW.

MARK HARRIS, EVERYBODY.

THANKS, MARK.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪ ♪ ♪