Hollywood Libs Are FURIOUS About This Movie | Jon Voight & Michael Knowles

I don't want to take too much credit for things you know what I mean but that I was very proud of so it slipped out with Michael NES Michael nles can get anything out of an actor I love it that's an exclusive just for this uh interview I am joined Now by I think I can say without hyperbole my favorite actor not only for his work on the screen a man who needs no introduction an Academy Award winner but also I would say probably personally my favorite actor a man with whom I have had cigars and to whom I must give my Mayflower cigars that would be the one and only John voy John thank you for being here Michael I'd go anywhere for a cigar John I just saw you but you were not there I saw you at the Nashville premiere of the Reagan movie which was magnificent and your role typically was magnificent and you play a character I probably the most fictional character though he's a composite of historical people in the movie you play the KGB guy who's who's tracking Reagan for his whole life tell me a little bit I mean you know really this is not flattery at all you are like one of the great actors of our age uh and you're coming there as this Russian character you know bringing much more of a little bit of fiction and art to bear on it uh tell me a little bit about preparing for the role first of all the uh the piece when when presented to me I thought it was a great idea uh because the because Russia was very very I mean the Soviet Union which apart from Russia because the Soviet Union was something the evil empire you know and uh and Russia is very dear to my heart being an actor because it giv stanislavski and all the history of Art in that country you know and the people I love them but they were suffering under this tyranny but anyway they had uh the Soviets had their eye on many many people that could present problems with him in the future and this fellow who is an actor from Los Angeles was talking against communism from a very early time and then he started indicating a talent for the political and uh and his rise was being tracked by Russia but and and we have in this picture I'm the fellow who is the Soviet spy that is assigned to this work so it and and the detail with which I'm focused on him in this job that I'm doing would make it a perfect fellow to tell the story in some way tracking the most important moments for them throughout his career and uh and so it it worked out pretty good when I read it I said oh that's a good idea if we can make it real and uh and uh and present it in such a way that we care about his character as well it could work very well and I think it does work and you know tells the story of the film and and gives it a something else gives it a little touch of something else I think the uh the Intrigue and and the uh the Soviet system and the thinking of that I think it's it it melds perfectly because it leads to finally after breev and several others it leaves finally to to Gorbachev and and the uh and this meeting between the men at that time and creating the result that was so extraordinary I I love that point you make about the distinction between Russia and the Soviet Union especially as an actor because it just occurs to me as you mention it that modern acting really comes out of Russia and out of the Moscow Art Theater and stanislowski into the group theater and and on in in America and there's a Wonder there's this wonderful line from your character in the movie where you know the the younger spy says you know the th this was the fall of the motherland when the Soviet Union collapsed and and your character says no communism is not the motherland in in a way I guess it would be an aberration just that that tension even within Russia really is I think beautifully expressed in the movie yeah I I agree with you I loved saying that I think I came up with it actually did you I'm not surprised I I I I was when I when I I don't want to take too much credit for things you know what I mean but that I was very proud of so it slipped out with Michael noes Michael NOS could get anything out of an actor I love it that's an exclusive just for this interview no I did love saying that because I said to genv totoy yeah you know chov you know that's the motherland here is motherland it's it's a beautiful line and and really poignant so this movie uh has been in the works for I remember hearing about this movie at dinner in La Dennis Quaid showed up it was right when he signed on must have been six or eight years ago at this point I know uh Mark Joseph the producer had been working on this thing since I want to say 2010 2009 so what what was the the whole process of bringing bringing this film through through gestation to life well it was a very uh you're right it was talked about many years ago and it was the dream of Marx and and his partner John uh and it was like something akin to what happened with Gandhi I suppose you know uh long uh period before they finally got it to camera but uh but what happened here is very interesting because it was supposed to open uh a year and a half ago and but then Co interfered and that was and we were shooting right during the end of Co and we were because of the regulations at that time someone would get sick on the set we would wait 10 days for that person to recover we would close down the set and then come back to work for a couple of days and somebody else gets sick right that's and that's the way we were shooting you know was very difficult and uh finally too there was the actor strike and then there were certain things concerning the script they wanted to get just right U get the editing exactly right before they went to CGI and that took quite a long time and finally it was pushed to this date but now we it's opening now at this very interesting time that in some ways BEC because of the difficulty we're facing right now uh mirrors somewhat the same things that Reagan faced uh you know at at times in his career and uh and so I give you an example our film opens with the assassination attempt on Reagan's life and this was just happened several weeks ago with with Donald Trump right so it's like things are is very relevant the the his going to confront the students at the University is reflective still as things are happening today at universities um many many things are quite the same so uh it it gives you a different idea of how somebody body else uh took on those problems and uh and anyway I think it's a relevant movie but it's also a very beautiful love story that's that's one of the things about the movie that that's quite uh unique is the story of of the relationship of Ronnie and Nancy it's a very beautiful Portrait by these two by Dennis Quaid and Penelope andne Miller really lovely and uh and that becomes a very moving part of it um and I have to say that my colleagues did a wonderful job in this in every way and and certainly the editors I'm very aware of how they came to play with it and Mark and John stayed with this thing for all this time every day on it so so it's nice to see the movie coming forth in this full bloom and people are appreciating it so much and as you say the timing is quite providential it it hit me at the premiere I thought had this thing really come out two years ago three years ago 5 years ago whenever it it it wouldn't have hit as it does today it seems as though you know in God's Providence things happen you know for a purpose and so it's coming out now in this extraordinarily fraught uh political moment and John you are one of the few in Hollywood not only who speaks out and is openly conservative and and kind of cuts against the the tide in Hollywood but who has managed to survive that who has continued to work constantly and remained in the good grace of people who who uh probably detest your politics so I I would be remiss if I didn't ask you before I let you go how you're feeling about the next whatever it is 65 days or so until the election well there's a lot of work to do still there's been a lot of work by many many people we're we're fighting against some very bad behavior uh and we have to make sure that as Stalin said it's not who votes it's who counts the votes said Stalin you see well somebody seems to be taking that quite seriously and we have to make sure that the votes are counted uh many many things are going on and but of course I look at this and I see things tides are changing there are many heroic people out there Michael your team are are some of them uh the uh uh they're doing a great job in many different areas I I look look at the women who go and confront the school boards and stuff to fight for their own children's freedoms and and uh and health and I I see so many people who are heroic in at this time and then I see some blessings coming our way which I didn't anticipate you know out of out of nowhere of course this film have had that journey I have to say this God's hand in this in some way at least it's an answer to my prayers that it turns out to be a good film and comes at the right time and has some relevance and maybe lifts our Spirits uh then there's these indications of things happening uh you know the most recent thing being RFK you know Bobby Kennedy coming coming over this is a big blessing this is a big movement you know and uh more to come I think but anyway we have to uh just keep our keep our focus and work hard right till the last vote is counted to see if we can turn the tide here of course there's a a famous line in Reagan's life which appears in the movie it really launched his political career he was giving a speech on behalf of Goldwater who everyone knew was going to lose anyway but it helped launch Reagan and and he said that when great forces are on the Move in the world we learn we're Spirits not animals and uh wonderful oh yes and he he concludes with it he says you know there's something going on in time and space and Beyond time and space which whether we know it or not spells Destiny he says you and I have a rendevu with Destiny that was that was the phrase that really launched him and and watching watching the movie one one feels that resonate even today uh John I I know that you are on a blitz of a media tour and I even in this short conversation I've already held you I think double the time so glad I was so glad that that they said Michael nolles would like to spend a moment with the I said really I would say that's it that's my buddy Michael that's it that's anyway you're GNA make me blush Sean you're going to make me blush uh next time you are here or I am in La I will be sure to bring you a box of Mayflower cigars one of many ways to celebrate the Reagan movie which is out now go right go to see the movie and right away take your best buddies out to have a Mayflower cigar I'm going to clip that that's going to be the biggest commercial for John thank you very much excellent as always to see you great Michael God bless God bless to your life there's nothing a retired Governor can do but a president now he can do a thing or two Everybody Wants to Rule the World I will be frank with you that as a citizen I would not like to see any political party outlawed on the basis of its ideology but cuz I still believe Mr chairman that democracy can handle it I was a brand new KB officer given my first intelligence assignment a certain actor and Union Leader Dutch there is a purpose for you l you can run from a bully for so long but after a while you're going to have to stand up to him my boy there's about to be another War right here in Hollywood the commies on one side the mob on and the other and you're right in the middle son if you put as much work into your career as you do making your speeches you'd have an Oscar by now hello I'm Nancy Davis hello Nancy Davis I'm Ron Reagan I'm curious Ron what would you say is the issue of our time no question about it communism and the Soviet Union get in the game run for office it's you I'm running for governor and I would like your vote I forgot your name do his initials help are R honey Roy Rogers is here and he's running for governor Ronnie remember when we met you told me that you wanted to make a difference in this world you know what you have to do Governor rean again typically is against such a proposal there you go again he was not afraid to take us on there's nothing a retired Governor can do about the Soviets but a president now he can do a thing or two welcome to your life I was a lifeguard on a river there's no turning there and I learned how to read the currents not just the ones on the surface but also the ones deep underneath the water I am about to start the biggest war of this city cury and I'm not going to fire a single shot you're going to blow up 8 years of diplomacy well if you think that got there unas and a one you just wait what did the president know and when did he know it what would you have me do I want you to fight Mr gerov tear down this wall wants to Ru the world know