Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer On ‘Wizard of Lies,’ Bernie Madoff Scandal

NEED IT. CHECK OUT OUR FRIENDS AT THE
WEATHER CHANNEL ON CABLE. MATT?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>> IN 2008, UP WITH OF THE MOST
TRUSTED MEN ON WALL STREET, BERNIE MADOFF, ADMITTED HE WAS
BEHIND THE LARGEST HISTORY.
HE WAS SENTENCED FOR 1 YEARS FOR HIS PONZI SCHEME.
WHILE HIS WIFE, RUTH, AND SONS FACED FINANCIAL RUIN AND
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY KNEW ABOUT THE SCANDAL.
THIS IS THE SUBJECT OF A GRIPPING NEW HBO MOVIE, STARRING
ROBERT DE NIRO AS BERNIE MADOFF AND MICHELLE PFEIFFER AS RUTH.
>> I WAS YOUR BOOKKEEPER. >> YOU WEREN'T MY BOOKKEEPER.
>> I DID MAINTAIN THE RECORDS THE FIRST YEAR.
>> THAT WAS 1960. YOU WEREN'T A BOOKKEEPER.
>> DON'T MAKE IT SEEM LIKE I DIDN'T PITCH IN.
>> AND WE HIRED A REAL BOOKKEEPER.
WE HIRED A REAL BOOKKEEPER. >> RIGHT.
WHY ARE THEY MAKING IT SEEM LIKE I AM INVOLVED?
>> THEY'RE OUT FOR BLOOD. HONEY, THAT'S WHY.
THEY WANT TO -- ANYBODY IN THE KNOW KNOWS YOU WEREN'T THE
MASTERMIND. THAT'S NONSENSE.
>> ROBERT AND MICHELLE, GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING. >> DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST
TIME YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS SCANDAL, WHEN THE HEADLINES
BROKE? WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE SKOEM
OF THIS AND WHAT THIS GUY MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE?
>> IT WAS AROUND CHRISTMAS, JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
>> IT WAS. >> IT WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS.
EVERYBODY WAS PRETTY -- -- YOU COULDN'T AVOID BEING AWARE OF
IT. >> HE WASN'T THE FIRST GUY WHO
BILKED PEOPLE OUT OF A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS STORY THAT CAPTURED ALL OF
OUR ATTENTION. $65 BILLION WORTH OF ATTENTION.
>> RIGHT. >> SO MUCH WAS WRITTEN ABOUT IT.
SO MUCH WAS SAID ABOUT IT. MICHELLE, WHAT NEW DID YOU WANT
TO COME OUT IN THIS MOVIE? >> WELL, I THINK THE COURT OF
PUBLIC OPINION BELIEVES THAT RUTH AND THE BOYS WERE INVOLVED.
AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, AS SHE SAYS, SOMEHOW SHE RIDICULOUSLY
MASTERMINDED THE WHOLE THING. AND IT COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM
THE TRUTH. AND I THINK FOR ALL OF US, I
THINK IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEIR STORY BE TOLD BECAUSE
ANYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN ANY WAY, ANYBODY WHO HAD WRITTEN
ABOUT IT, WHO HAD RESEARCHED IT, WHO KNEW THEM, WHO -- THERE
WASN'T ONE PERSON WHO BELIEVED THAT THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT
IT. >> I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
THAT'S THE QUESTION I HEAR MORE THAN ANY OTHER QUESTION.
YOU MET RUTH. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN INTERESTING
MEETING. I UNDERSTAND SHE WAS NOT ALL
THAT HAPPY ABOUT THIS MOVIE BEING MADE.
WHAT WAS THE TIME WITH HER LIKE? >> SHE WAS GUARDED,
UNDERSTANDABLY SO. BUT INCREDIBLY GRACIOUS.
I WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY WILLING TO MEET ME.
AND I JUST SPENT TIME WITH HER. I DIDN'T -- YOU KNOW, MY INTENT
WASN'T TO SORT OF PRESENT HER
WITH ANY PROBING QUESTIONS OR I FELT LIKE SHE HAD BEEN
VICTIMIZED ENOUGH BY THE MEDIA. I CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT TO ADD
TO HER TORTURE. SO, I JUST WANTED TO OBSERVE
HER. AND WE JUST SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR
TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO GET A
SENSE OF HER. >> AND COMING AWAY FROM THAT, AS
YOU SAID, YOU HAVE NO DOUBT IN YOUR MIND, THAT SHE KNEW NOTHING
ABOUT THE FRAUD HER HUSBAND
PERPETUATED. >> WE DIDN'T GET INTO THAT
CONVERSATION. BUT EVERYTHING I HAD READ, THERE
HAVE BEEN BOOKS WRITTEN ON IT. TRUST ME, THEY WANTED TO INDICT
RUTH AND HER BOYS. IF THEY HAD ANY OUNCE OF
INCRIMINATING INFORMATION, THEY WOULD HAVE.
>> BY THE WAY, NEVER FORGET THE VICTIMS OF HIS FRAUD.
BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS FAMILY.
I MEAN, BERNIE MADOFF LOST EVERYTHING.
HIS LIFE, HIS -- >> THE FAMILY WAS ALSO VICTIMS
OF THE FALLOUT. >> EXACTLY.
HE HAD A SON WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE.
ANOTHER SON THAT DIED OF A DISEASE THAT HAD TO BE
COMPLICATED OF THE STRESS CARRYING OUT THE MADOFF NAME.
>> IT WAS IN REMISSION. AND I'M SURE THE STRESS HELPED
TO BRING THAT BACK. >> AND RUTH MADOFF FOR A WHILE,
IT'S DEPICTED IN THE SCENE TO THE START.
SHE STOOD BY HIM AT THE BEGINNING.
AS A RESULT, PAID A HUGE PRICE WITH HER SONS.
>> CORRECT. >> SHE WAS ESTRANGED.
>> SHE WAS 14 WHEN THEY MET. HE WAS HER FIRST AND ONLY LOVE.
AND THERE'S A LINE IN THE FILM WHEN SWHEN SHE SAYS, YOU'RE MY
LIFE -- HER MEMORIES WERE ALL OF HIM.
AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU LOVE SOMEONE THAT DEEPLY, IT
DOESN'T JUST END, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.
>> I REMEMBER, WE DID AN INTERVIEW ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE
AT THE TIME YOU WERE SHOOTING THIS.
YOU SHAVED THAT HAIR BACK. IT'S UNCANNY HOW MUCH YOU SEEM
TO LOOK LIKE HIM. >> THERE'S SOME SEENS IN THE
MOVIE, I WAS SELLING HIM, I HAVE TO DO A DOUBLE-TAKE BECAUSE DID
THEY USE REAL FOOTAGE? HE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE HIM.
>> WHEN YOU DO THE SHAVING. I DID THE SHAVING OF THE HEAD,
BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT -- >> A BALL CAP.
>> A BALL CAP. YOU KNOW IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY,
THE FOREHEAD IS HEIGHTENED, EVER SO MUCH.
YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TO GET THE EFFECT.
>> I DID THIS FOR A MOVIE.

Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer On ‘Wizard of Lies,’ Bernie Madoff Scandal | TODAY

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