without failure, but overcoming her failures. she lived with power, not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. i just loved her. so i started off as a groupie. and then i said, oh my god, this woman who has sung for america, when dr. king was killed, all these political conventions, including mine. at least president obama at the inauguration ceremonies and various things. and i even talked her into coming to the rose garden to sing for the emperor and empress of japan. i thought it might loosen them up a little, you know? it would be good.
anymore at all because you have to practice and you have to do it every day and my life doesn t afford that kind of time, but i did love it. you do love music. i do love music. mamma mia, the biggest grossing film of your career. yeah. and your daughters, were they reluctant and maybe not too sure about you doing that role? no, they were thrilled. why they thrilled? okay. mike: but. yes, they were thrilled. you know, that movie really went around the world. i mean it s just a fun movie. mike: it s a fun movie, and it s exuberant, translates around the world into any language and one of the great nights of my life was sitting next to the empress of japan and we watched it. i m not kidding you, and everyone was, i mean, she is a god, i mean, related to the deity in some way in japan. and so, people will not look at her. you re not allowed to really
look at her. and she came into the audience and ile realized that the empty seat next to me was going to be the empress of japan. and she is so beautiful and she sat next to me and it was very quiet. this is a movie about a girl who has slept with three different men and she didn t know, i mean, her mother slept with three different men and he she didn t know which is her father on the day she is married, doesn t know which one to walk down the aisle with. and i m thinking, oh, my gosh, how is this going to go over. and the first strains of the first song came up and she said, oh, i have this dilemma, i don t know which one is the dad. and she leaned over to me and she said very naughty. (laughter) that s going to be a memory for sure. you ve also talked about how difficult it is, as an actress
and i realized that the empty seat next to me was going to be the empress of japan. and she is so beautiful. she sat next to me and it was very quiet. this is a movie about a girl who has slept with three different men and. [ laughter ] she doesn t know i mean her mother slept with three different men and she doesn t know which one is her father on the day that she is married, she doesn t know which one to walk down the aisle with. and i was thinking like oh my gosh, how is this going to go over? and we first first song i have this dilemma, i don t know which one is the dad. and she leaned over to me and she said very naughty. [ laughter ] mike: that is going to be a memory for sure. [ applause ] mike: you have also talked about how difficult it is as an actress that as one ages
you have to do it every day. and my life doesn t afford that kind of time. but i. mike: you do love music. i do love music. momma mia biggest grossing film of your career. many people don t know. were your doctors reluctant and maybe not too sure about you doing that role? no, they were thrilled. mike: were they thrilled. yes. they were thrilled. that movie really went around the world. mike: just a fun movie. it s a fun movie but it s exuberance translates all around the world into any language. one of the great knights of my life was sitting next to the empress of japan as we watched it, i m not kidding you. everyone was she is a god, i mean, related to the deity in some way in japan. and so people will not look at her. you are not allowed to really look at her. and she came into the audience