Throughout his
career, Rose has
interviewed some
of the world’s most
colorful personalities, including
Anthony Quinn.
Biggest “get”:
Charlie’s Best
Biggest “get” that
has gotten away (for
now):
Funniest interview:
ence coming across as
al snobbery. That makes
derful interview.”
Most poignant inter-
view:
wife, Susan Thompson. We aired
it after her death, with Warren’s
permission. It was the most com-
pelling, heartfelt interview I’ve
Smartest interview:
Most surprising
interview: “Anne Bancroft.
ecting what you’d expect
pected actress. But she
st and funny and com-predictable. She insisted
in my chair—and she
eflected on her fears and
quacies and her hopes
elationship with Mel.
opportunity to get inside his head.
But there’s also a musician whom
I’ve never interviewed—Keith
Richards. For starters, I love the
Stones. I’ve had Mick on before,
but never Keith. I find their relationship fascinating. They’re like
brothers—they work together,
they compete. That’s why the band
has had such a great run.”
Breyer
mind.
someo
to be b
Most intimidating
interview:
“None. This is what I do.”
it’s war or Katrina, and that passion shows up on his show.
Jon Stewart’s show is the same, and I love watching him do
it. All of our shows are very different, yet they all work for
the same reason.”
And Rose works for audiences outside of his New York
base of operations because he’s hardly a product of the New
York way of life. He grew up in Henderson, N.C., literally
above the general store that his father, Charles Rose Sr.,
owned. Young Charlie (never Charles) started working in the
family business by age 7, and the experience turned out to be
a lasting influence. “If someone looked at my life back then,
they’d find a fertile ground of reasons why I turned out to do
what I do,” he says. “My dad ran the town’s general store. It
required that I work there in the morning and on weekends.
Early on, I was always around adults. In order to participate in
their conversations, I had to be able to discuss everything that
they loved talking about. And, on any given day of the week, it
could be about politics, gossip, sports—anything. It made me
naturally curious. I started coming up with questions that interested them. I ended up holding my own with them.”
He went to Duke with intentions of becoming a doctor,
but he dabbled in politics after an internship on The Hill with
