AF: And you know that those basic core spiritual principles are what all of us on this press conference subscribe to, so it’s great to hear that you explore those. How did the stroke that you had years ago change your perspective on life?

KD: At one time it gave me suicidal impulses, because what can an actor do who can’t talk? He waits for silent pictures to come back. That joke has saved me for a while I was trying to talk again. Now I have to learn how to do my tongue, my lips, my mouth, what we take for granted. When you talk you don’t have a problem, you say it. It made me realize how many things in life we take for granted. For an actor especially to have a stroke and end up not being able to talk makes you think about a lot of things. You begin to be more grateful and more humble and you don’t take everything for granted. Michael’s picture has an element that at a time in my life I was shaky about. That’s why I loved doing this picture and I thought he did such a wonderful job.

AF: Michael, what was it like the first time you met Mr. Douglas?

MG: I remember Kirk when I went over to his house. The first thing he did is he came over and looked at my chin and said ah, it’ll do.

Working on this film, I’d been through so many ups and downs of having money, not having money, being able to have a location or thinking “Oh my God, I’ve just spent all of my friends and parents money on something that’s never ever not going to get out there. But I realized when things are gonna happen they happen fast. With Kirk I remember we got the script to him he read it pretty much right away said he wanted to meet. We sat down he said let’s do it!

AF: That leads into the next question for both of you. Do you believe that things in life are predestined?

KD: You know I don’t think a lot about that, but I think it’s true. I celebrated my 90th birthday. And when I was a kid almost 12 I had a helicopter crash. I had a pacemaker and a stroke and an operation on both knees and I’m still around. Sometimes I wonder why. As you get old, you worry what to do to help younger people. The world is in a mess and our generation has not done a very good job and we are leaving a lot of problems to the younger generation to solve. With our last gasp, we are trying to help the younger generation.

AF: And I was going to ask, you spent a lot of your life working actively to make the world a better place and you traveled to a many continents and foreign countries. Who are some of the younger movie stars that you are admire for the work they are doing today.

KD: I’m proud of my entire industry. They get adverse criticism for doing a lot of good things. Whether it’s an act of going to Africa, which I figure is the most important problem that we have and that we should try solve especially with the aids and the poverty and the sickness in Africa.

Especially when we had a period of slavery in America, it should be almost our way of apologizing. This is a duty for our country to do. I think that civilization should get to a point where we try to help one another, not to try to build up against one another.

AF: Michael, I’m going to ask you the same question

MG: Most anybody that is doing something positive. I think the aspect of becoming a role model for other people and doing things that are bettering the world is very good. I also admire people in the industry that are taking the medium that we work in and trying to promote making changes in that medium itself. The power of not just making films about people robbing banks and doing good in your personal life. Making films that emulate people that have ethics and morals ends up affecting the generations to come.

AF: So what are you now working on?

MG: I’m writing a new picture that I hope to do later on this year. It’s a love story that has a lot of metaphysical aspects. I’m also looking at directing a documentary dealing with Louise Hays, how to heal your life.

AF: Mr. Douglas, what are you now working on?

KD: I just finished my ninth book, which I called Let’s Face It and I dedicated it to my grandchildren. Because, let’s face it, the world is in a mess. I tried to describe for my grandchildren how I see things, mistakes that I have made, things that I like, things that I don’t like. It’s almost a catharsis at my age to give, especially to kids that are too young now, but years later when they read it, they will know more about me. And that’s why I feel the older I get the more I’m concerned with young people. You give them what you can give in our country, a chance to do something. When I worked with Michael, I saw a lot of talent and a lot of love a young actor I never knew before and that inspired me. As you get older, you get less narcissistic. You stop thinking about that character robbing a bank, you think of yourself in relationship to the world. When an actor goes out in the world, he’s not a Republican or a Democrat, but he’s an American and I think our industry has done much for America in all parts of the world.

AF: When does your new book come out?

KD: It comes out in March.

AF: And Illusion also comes out for special screenings between March 16 & April 1 as well.

KD: To our friends, go see the picture. You will like it!

Arielle Ford has spent the past 20 years living and promoting consciousness through all forms of media. She is the author of six books including the HOT CHOCOLATE FOR THE MYSTICAL SOUL series. She lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband. Please visit her websites: www.fordsisters.com, www.soulmatekit.com and www.everythingyoushouldknow.com