Tom Hanks and Charlie Wilson Interview (page 2 of 4)

War, Film, and Charlie Wilson

RD: Before we discuss the war or the film, let's talk about Charlie Wilson.

Hanks: Let me tell you, Charlie has told more people than me that if you could drink or smoke it, he probably did at some point. And he came up for reelection every two years -- in a dry county in Texas, right?

Wilson: Absolutely. [I was] an acknowledged rogue.

Hanks: Charlie told me about one race in which his opponent was decrying his lack of morals and family values and faith. Charlie said, "I let my opponent say what he wants, but while I've been in this Congressional seat, we've done more for veterans, for seniors, for health care. We got the highway built. I'm an open book -- read me as you want, but make sure you see what the results are."

RD: You managed to secure billions of dollars for a secret war in a country most Americans couldn't locate on a map. Has anything like that happened before or since?

Wilson: Not that I know of. We weren't supposed to do any of this. On the other hand, we had a case in which there were no gray areas. Everything was black-and-white. I don't think there are any people in Congress, whether they're liberal or conservative, who are not patriots. We were able to make this work for years without partisanship and without a single damaging leak to the press. That's what's unheard-of. I did love to have a good time, and I did break all the rules. I got caught sometimes too. But I hated Communism because I hated tyranny of any kind. Still do.

RD: What's interesting about the movie is that the heroes aren't all good and the villains aren't all bad.

Wilson: Let's take the Soviets, the Communists, out of it. On our side, the villains truly weren't all bad. Our opponents were CIA people who had been doing things their way for 40 years and couldn't imagine doing them any other way. They were heroic guys in their own right, but they would say things like "We don't want to irritate the Soviet Union." I would hear that and not be able to breathe for a couple of minutes.

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The night before she was to attend a celebrity golf tournament, my friend Irene went to a party in honor of the event. Several of the famous athletes who were playing in the tournament were at the door greeting guests. Among them was Joe Montana, the pro football Hall of Fame quarterback and Super Bowl winner. Shaking my friend's hand, he said, "Hi! Joe Montana." She didn't know Joe Montana from Joe Six-Pack, so in all sincerity she extended her hand and said, "Irene. Minnesota."

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