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CNN Live Event/Special

Interview With Flo Anthony, Ken Baker

Aired June 27, 2003 - 19:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: From her first big role on "General Hospital" more than 20 years, I remember it well, through the Brat Pack years -- I remember those a little better -- "Ghost," her marriage and split with Bruce Willis, being Hollywood's hottest actress in the early '90s, Demi Moore has had a way of keeping us watching. She bulked up for "GI Jane," didn't see it, but a slim and trim on screen as a fallen angel from our version of a Demi-toss if you will. Ken Baker of "Us" weekly magazine is in L.A., and Flo Anthony, editor of "Essence" magazine joins us from Dallas. Both of you, appreciate you for joining us. Thank you so much.
So, Flo, what do you think? Is she the newest, hottest sex symbol out there?

FLO ANTHONY, EDITOR, "BLACK ELEGANCE" MAGAZINE: Yes, she is. I have to correct you really fast. I'm the editor of "Black Elegance" magazine. I don't want to get trouble.

COOPER: Oh, I'm sorry about that.

ANTHONY: I don't want to get in trouble with powers that be.

COOPER: Absolutely. I appreciate that.

ANTHONY: Yes, I do think right now that Demi is the hottest thing out there. She looks incredible, and you know, I just read an article earlier this week saying that most actresses 40 and over could not come back. They kind of just faded into the sense that she has proved that article to be totally false. I mean, she is making a huge splash.

COOPER: Yes, this bikini scene, of course, is just going to replayed over and over and over again, during this segment, I think, as much as possible. Ken, do you think Hollywood is surprised by her comeback?

KEN BAKER, "US" MAGAZINE: You know, the old cliche in Hollywood is that we all love a comeback, and it's certainly true with Demi. I mean, this is her big movement. When she walked onstage at the MTV Movie Awards last month, she had the biggest round of applause from the fans, and she's taking the stage and stealing it, actually, from Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, the other three stars.

COOPER: Flo, how has she done this? I mean, basically, you know, when she left Hollywood, I don't know if she ever really left, but I guess she went to Idaho to sort of help raise her kids, but it was clearly her career was going down.

ANTHONY: Well, you know what, it was going down in terms of box office, and I believe the projects probably were not that great of films. You come back with a movie that's got so much publicity. With "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," and you come back looking good, and you come back with this fine young man on your arm all the time, too. I mean, she's got the covers of "People," she's got the covers of "Us." It's incredible.

COOPER: Now, Ken, there was a lot of speculation on whether or not this whole relationship thing was for real, was it a big PR stunt, what do you think?

BAKER: I mean, of course the conspiracy theorists out there think that Ashton...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: This has really focused the attention of black helicopter crowd, this is really, you know, gone (UNINTELLIGIBLE) conspiracies and now we're talking about these two. Go ahead.

BAKER: On the way over here, television executive said to me, "Ken, do you think that Ashton Kutcher is just pulling off one big "Punk'd" episode? Ashton Kutcher has this show on MTV that's sort of modern-day "Candid Camera," where he plays jokes on people, and a lot of people think that this is not even a real relationship, that he's just trying to pull a fast one on all of us. And if he is, it's really working.

COOPER: I should also point out that show just got picked out for two new seasons. Go ahead, Flo.

ANTHONY: I have to tell you, I don't think he is trying to pull a fast one on everybody, because I understand that he has been somewhat upset about them being so heavily photographed. I mean, this is...

(CROSSTALK)

ANTHONY: I've been told that he didn't like it.

(CROSSTALK)

BAKER: You're falling for it, Flo!

COOPER: Yes, a celebrity who does not like to be photographed, please! Playing the world's smallest violin right here.

Ken, let me ask you. Where does Demi Moore go from here? Is she back in Hollywood for good? Is she doing another movie?

BAKER: That's the million-dollar question, or better yet, maybe the $15 million or $20 million question for her. When Demi Moore last was on the big stage, it was '97 "GI Jane," she got paid $15 million for it. At the time, she was the highest paid actress ever, and it bombed, and she went into hiding in Idaho, focused on being a mom. She has three children. They've grown up now. She attempted to come back in 2000 with the movie that I guaranteed none of you saw, which is "Passion of Mind."

ANTHONY: Nobody saw it.

BAKER: That was supposed to be her art film comeback. Nobody did, and now with "Charlie's Angels" and she did an episode of "Will & Grace" actually this week, and she showed that she really can act. She plays a villain in "Charlie's Angeles," but in "Will & Grace" she played a very believable...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: All right, Flo, I'm going to put you on the spot, is the new Demi Moore all natural, if you know what I mean? Is there any product in there?

ANTHONY: I think it's all natural. She looked pretty good in "Striptease." She's looked pretty good, if you ask me, most of her life. I mean, I have been close up on her throughout the years. And I...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Come on, I mean, she's 40 years old old. She looks better than she did at 20.

ANTHONY: Yes, but everybody -- people who can keep their weight down, I am not one of them -- but people who can keep their weight down and exercise, everybody does not have to head under the knife.

COOPER: All right, Flo, you dodged that one well. I am going to put that one to Ken. Ken, what do you think? Is it all yogurt and pillates?

BAKER: Well, she definitely eats very well and she definitely takes care of herself and exercises, but you know, you have to wonder, 40 years old and she looks like she could easily pass for 18 or 20. I would have to go with she's had a little bit of assistance, but I don't have any proof to back it up.

ANTHONY: You're acting like 40 is the end of the world. I think that she's just kept herself together.

COOPER: All right, we will leave it there, and whatever she is doing, it is working great. Appreciate both of you joining us. Ken Baker, Flo Anthony, it was fun. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired June 27, 2003 - 19:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: From her first big role on "General Hospital" more than 20 years, I remember it well, through the Brat Pack years -- I remember those a little better -- "Ghost," her marriage and split with Bruce Willis, being Hollywood's hottest actress in the early '90s, Demi Moore has had a way of keeping us watching. She bulked up for "GI Jane," didn't see it, but a slim and trim on screen as a fallen angel from our version of a Demi-toss if you will. Ken Baker of "Us" weekly magazine is in L.A., and Flo Anthony, editor of "Essence" magazine joins us from Dallas. Both of you, appreciate you for joining us. Thank you so much.
So, Flo, what do you think? Is she the newest, hottest sex symbol out there?

FLO ANTHONY, EDITOR, "BLACK ELEGANCE" MAGAZINE: Yes, she is. I have to correct you really fast. I'm the editor of "Black Elegance" magazine. I don't want to get trouble.

COOPER: Oh, I'm sorry about that.

ANTHONY: I don't want to get in trouble with powers that be.

COOPER: Absolutely. I appreciate that.

ANTHONY: Yes, I do think right now that Demi is the hottest thing out there. She looks incredible, and you know, I just read an article earlier this week saying that most actresses 40 and over could not come back. They kind of just faded into the sense that she has proved that article to be totally false. I mean, she is making a huge splash.

COOPER: Yes, this bikini scene, of course, is just going to replayed over and over and over again, during this segment, I think, as much as possible. Ken, do you think Hollywood is surprised by her comeback?

KEN BAKER, "US" MAGAZINE: You know, the old cliche in Hollywood is that we all love a comeback, and it's certainly true with Demi. I mean, this is her big movement. When she walked onstage at the MTV Movie Awards last month, she had the biggest round of applause from the fans, and she's taking the stage and stealing it, actually, from Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu, the other three stars.

COOPER: Flo, how has she done this? I mean, basically, you know, when she left Hollywood, I don't know if she ever really left, but I guess she went to Idaho to sort of help raise her kids, but it was clearly her career was going down.

ANTHONY: Well, you know what, it was going down in terms of box office, and I believe the projects probably were not that great of films. You come back with a movie that's got so much publicity. With "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," and you come back looking good, and you come back with this fine young man on your arm all the time, too. I mean, she's got the covers of "People," she's got the covers of "Us." It's incredible.

COOPER: Now, Ken, there was a lot of speculation on whether or not this whole relationship thing was for real, was it a big PR stunt, what do you think?

BAKER: I mean, of course the conspiracy theorists out there think that Ashton...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: This has really focused the attention of black helicopter crowd, this is really, you know, gone (UNINTELLIGIBLE) conspiracies and now we're talking about these two. Go ahead.

BAKER: On the way over here, television executive said to me, "Ken, do you think that Ashton Kutcher is just pulling off one big "Punk'd" episode? Ashton Kutcher has this show on MTV that's sort of modern-day "Candid Camera," where he plays jokes on people, and a lot of people think that this is not even a real relationship, that he's just trying to pull a fast one on all of us. And if he is, it's really working.

COOPER: I should also point out that show just got picked out for two new seasons. Go ahead, Flo.

ANTHONY: I have to tell you, I don't think he is trying to pull a fast one on everybody, because I understand that he has been somewhat upset about them being so heavily photographed. I mean, this is...

(CROSSTALK)

ANTHONY: I've been told that he didn't like it.

(CROSSTALK)

BAKER: You're falling for it, Flo!

COOPER: Yes, a celebrity who does not like to be photographed, please! Playing the world's smallest violin right here.

Ken, let me ask you. Where does Demi Moore go from here? Is she back in Hollywood for good? Is she doing another movie?

BAKER: That's the million-dollar question, or better yet, maybe the $15 million or $20 million question for her. When Demi Moore last was on the big stage, it was '97 "GI Jane," she got paid $15 million for it. At the time, she was the highest paid actress ever, and it bombed, and she went into hiding in Idaho, focused on being a mom. She has three children. They've grown up now. She attempted to come back in 2000 with the movie that I guaranteed none of you saw, which is "Passion of Mind."

ANTHONY: Nobody saw it.

BAKER: That was supposed to be her art film comeback. Nobody did, and now with "Charlie's Angels" and she did an episode of "Will & Grace" actually this week, and she showed that she really can act. She plays a villain in "Charlie's Angeles," but in "Will & Grace" she played a very believable...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: All right, Flo, I'm going to put you on the spot, is the new Demi Moore all natural, if you know what I mean? Is there any product in there?

ANTHONY: I think it's all natural. She looked pretty good in "Striptease." She's looked pretty good, if you ask me, most of her life. I mean, I have been close up on her throughout the years. And I...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Come on, I mean, she's 40 years old old. She looks better than she did at 20.

ANTHONY: Yes, but everybody -- people who can keep their weight down, I am not one of them -- but people who can keep their weight down and exercise, everybody does not have to head under the knife.

COOPER: All right, Flo, you dodged that one well. I am going to put that one to Ken. Ken, what do you think? Is it all yogurt and pillates?

BAKER: Well, she definitely eats very well and she definitely takes care of herself and exercises, but you know, you have to wonder, 40 years old and she looks like she could easily pass for 18 or 20. I would have to go with she's had a little bit of assistance, but I don't have any proof to back it up.

ANTHONY: You're acting like 40 is the end of the world. I think that she's just kept herself together.

COOPER: All right, we will leave it there, and whatever she is doing, it is working great. Appreciate both of you joining us. Ken Baker, Flo Anthony, it was fun. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com