Michael Douglas Weighs In On What Benjamin Franklin Would Think of Today's Politics | The View

Oscar-winning icon Michael Douglas has chosen the perfect time to play the lead role in Franklin, the new limited series about founding father Benjamin Franklin's journey to find allies in America's war for independence. He glances at a young man's instructions. Paris is the only city. a lot Doge the senses but also involve the intellect I thought it was meant to help you no doubt you will in some way or another how long must we stay until we win France to our side and secure our independence or will they hang us? Is there a third option? I guess there's always betrayal, please, welcome to the fabulous Michael Douglas.

They don't do that for everyone. Thank you so much. How nice! I knew it was nice to come here. I was waiting for it like old times. You used to come all the time. time here all the time you had the same birthday as Barbara and Catherine had the same birthday we all had this the same birthday yes, it was very fun it was here the first time Barbara started yes all this you were just a little girl, oh yes, just a little baby, that was me, Michael, you've done all kinds of things in your career,

what

did this,

what

did Franklin, why now, um, long before the whole Franklin story, I never made a movie vintage, right?

I've never done anything, you know, period, you know, except Liberace, that's good, it's a different time, but I mean, period, period, but you never know, tights just didn't look right, skinny legs just didn't. So, that was the original reason, you know, over the last few years I did this Kaminsky method to learn a little bit about comedy with Alan Arin and all that, thank you, thank you and, uh, Marvel Ant-Man to learn. I've never done green screen, so it's really been a point, we'll try to let you know different things, um, but as I got into this story of Benjamin Franklin, um, this particular show is about a part of his life that I don't

think

that a lot of people really knew. about, I mean, we're all sixth graders in history, the guy just went to college went to college went to school for two years graduated left school when he was 12 became a writer, printer, editor, All of that started the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, I mean the whole Gibble kit and his inventions, but when he was 70 years old, he was 70 years old. 1776 um, 6 weeks after signing the Declaration of Independence, the founding father said we need you to go to France, right?

What did he say? We're in the middle of a war with the British and they were killing us, you know, George Washington was eating big, we had no military, we had no soldiers, no guns, so they asked Franklin to cross the Atlantic, which It wasn't so easy in the 19th century. trying to seduce and woo Louis XVI, the B, to support this new democracy, this whole new democracy, and it was an incredible story of intrigue and backstabbing and a big gamble about what's going on with Ukraine in a way. USA. of the United States, no, it has a lot of comparisons that came later, and you know, here is our new country, the United States, which is a bit like Ukraine, being attacked by this great power, England, which could have been Russia and had the United States.

United now, but at the time, the French Sab, so the reality is that people forget, if it weren't for the French, we

would

n't have an American, we, FR, it was a fascinating history lesson, um uh, really Things I didn't know at the time. All I thought was that it was really beautifully filmed, although my personal favorite is Dan from Fatal Attraction. There's something about that movie that reminds me of myself. They almost shot him. Now you say you get Elon Musk vibes from him. H H, how good! I mean the unpredictability and the brilliance, I mean, Franklin was brilliant, there's no getting around what he accomplished, but he still had the little niggles about him.

He liked the ladies that Elon was known for. but Franklin represented that he was the beginning of the middle class, you know, his father was a candlemaker and his whole style, you know, with that fur hat it was quite an act, you know, he tries to look like the proletarian, like the guy coming, um. So it was a phenomenal decision and it has a lot of parallels, yeah, to what's happening

today

, most of which really is how fragile our democracy is. Well that's what I was going to get to because the founding fathers were very concerned about democracy and they didn't want to live under a king anymore and that's what this is all about, so what do you

think

they

would

do if Franklin came back now, what would he think? about our situation right now with the contender for the Republican nomination under 90 what 88 Indi, you know, sexual assault liability allegations.

I think you'd find it hard to believe. There was a time back then, you know, when being a politician was almost like the priesthood, you know, was something to look forward to. for someone who was a public servant and supported himself now in

politics

largely, at least in Washington, it's usually a stepping stone into your own lobbying work or this or that, it's a very, very frustrating time and I think We're all looking forward to getting through this year healthy, maybe maybe having a fresh start, but you also said that playing Franklin has made you think more positively about how Biden will win.

How was that? What is the connection? Well, I guess first of all, for one. reason when I talk about when I was 70 years old, yes, very good, so, in the 18th century, the average age of an American was 45, yes, okay, that was the average age, so he was a super old man, so I want That is, Biden looks like a child. I mean it'll be like you know what he's accomplished, so I don't worry about age, you know, so much age, um, but I think in terms of our presidency, we're looking at a man who sort of regresses, I think it was him.

A 29-year-old senator, wasn't it like his whole life was serving people in public that he knows versus a businessman? That's the way to say it right. Franklin is a big departure from his most recent role as Dr. Hank Pim in Marvel's Ant-Man. movies now you have said that you would return for a fourth installment but you said that you would like your character to be killed if you return. Why? Do you have any idea how you'd like that to happen? you explain that no, I and this was actually my request for the third one, yes sir, so I was saying that at least you know I was listening to the new characters involved and all that, so I said I would like to have a serious conversation.

You know, with all these cool special effects there's got to be some cool way I can shrink to the size of an ant and explode like you know. I know whatever it is. I want to use all those effects, but that was in the last one. I don't think the last one will appear.