Dan Rather Talks ‘Truth’ and the Story That Ended His CBS Evening News Run (Video)
“In the end, we reported a true story for which we all lost our jobs,” Rather tells TheWrap
Beatrice Verhoeven | December 16, 2015 @ 4:15 PM
Last Updated: December 16, 2015 @ 5:23 PM
Dan Rather, the subject of the film “Truth,” admits he never thought the movie would make it to the big screen.
“I knew that several people were trying to make the film, but quite honestly, I said to myself, this film will never get made,” Rather admitted in an interview with TheWrap. “They called me and said, ‘you’re going to be portrayed by Robert Redford,’ I honestly did not believe it. And I said something like ‘oh yeah, and I’m going to be the Pope of Rome.'”
But now that the film is in theaters, Rather only has good things to say about its accuracy and cast.
“‘Truth’ is marvelously well acted,” he said. “Cate Blanchett is terrific, and Robert Redford, I appreciate his taking the role and I appreciate the way he handled it … You expect a movie called ‘Truth’ to be accurate, and this film was accurate.”
In the film, Redford plays Rather opposite Blanchett as producer Mary Mapes, in the true story of a CBS “60 Minutes” investigation into former President Bush’s military service. The documents on which the story was based were later deemed forgeries, discrediting the report and forever tarnishing Rather and Mapes’ reputations.
CBS decided not to run advertising for the film in October, stating that there are “too many distortions, evasions and baseless conspiracy theories to enumerate them all. The film tries to turn gross errors of journalism and judgment into acts of heroism and martyrdom.”
Rather was not surprised by the network’s decision.
“I mean, what else are they going to do?” the veteran newsman said. “They’d have to decide whether that was smart business or not, obviously they thought it was smart business.”
9 Whistleblowers Who Changed the Course of History
Mark Felt
Known as "Deep Throat," Felt was the FBI informant who helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein take down President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal in 1974. His identity was kept secret until 2005.
Edward Snowden
A former CIA employee and government contractor, Snowden leaked classified NSA information in 2013, exposing several global surveillance programs. After being charged with violating the Espionage Act, Snowden fled to Russia.
Daniel Ellsberg
In 1971 Ellsberg, a former U.S. military analyst, leaked the Pentagon Papers, a secret study of the U.S. government’s rationale behind its decision to involve itself in Vietnam.
Chelsea Manning
Born Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private was convicted in 2013 after releasing nearly three-quarters of a million classified or sensitive documents to WikiLeaks. Manning, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the offense.
Linda Tripp
A former White House staff member, Tripp became a key figure in the Monica Lewinsky scandal that led to the impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton in 1999.
Julian Assange
The founder of WikiLeaks, Assange is behind more than 1.2 million disclosures, including sensitive documents furnished by Chelsea Manning. After facing extradition to Sweden, he sought refuge at the Embassy of Ecuador in London in 2012 and was granted political asylum by Ecuador.
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Frank Serpico
A New York City police officer, Serpico exposed police corruption in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which prompted a landmark investigation into the NYPD. His story was made into a movie in 1973, starring Al Pacino.
Karen Silkwood
A chemical technician, Silkwood became famous for exposing corporate practices related to health and safety of workers in a nuclear facility. She died mysteriously in 1974. Her story was later made into a movie starring Meryl Steep.
Jeffrey Wigand
A former tobacco executive, Wigand went on “60 Minutes” in 1996 and stated that Brown & Williamson had intentionally increased the amount of nicotine in its cigarettes. He was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film “The Insider.”
Mark Whitacre
In the 1990s, Whitacre worked with the Feds to expose price fixing in agriculture by his own company, ADM. He spent eight-and-a-half years in prison after it was discovered he embezzled money. His story was made into 2009’s “The Informant!” starring Matt Damon.
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From Edward Snowden to Karen Silkwood and Julian Assange, TheWrap looks at the men and women who risked everything in the pursuit of truth
Mark Felt
Known as "Deep Throat," Felt was the FBI informant who helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein take down President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal in 1974. His identity was kept secret until 2005.
