Good morning. Im jane pauley and this is sunday morning. Its oscar sunday. Hollywoods biggest night. As well be noting through the morning, from barbie to oppenheimer to kill a mockingbird, its been quite a year for moviegoers. But it almost didnt happen. Last years paralyzing strikes by writers, actors and other film workers all but shut down the industry, even putting tonights oscars in doubt. The strikes are now history and screens, large and small, shine brightly, a true hollywood ending thanks, in no small parts, to the efforts of one very leading lady, as tracy smith will tell us. The strike is one of the most powerful tools we have. Reporter in a strike lasting nearly four months, Fran Drescher was the face of defiance. Workers unite reporter now she is helping the town get back to business and doing to her way. What about your career on camera and producing . What . Im never going to work again. There is a plaque list with one name on it. Reporter the nanny and hollywoods new normal coming up on sunday morning. Millions of americans are expected to tune in to tonights oscars, which means the pressure is on for host jimmy kimmel. Our ted koppel spent time with kimmel and his wife Molly Mcnearney. Both getting ready for the big night. Right now the monologue is 40 minutes long. Reporter for four months, jimmy kimmel and an army of comedy writers what a great year. Reporter have worked on 5,000 jokes, down to a precious few. We need one naked person. Yes. Ted . [ laughter ] reporter that could only be said by someone who hasnt seen my body. Preparing for the oscars in the belly of the beast ahead on sunday morning. Oscarwinning actor Marcia Gay Harden has another calling when she is not in movies or on tv. She is a potter and she is talking with seth doane for our sunday profile. Reporter hands covered in clay and hair in a bandanna, her kids tell us this is the real Marcia Gay Harden. I go like this is pushing there and this is kind of on top. Reporter i see. On vacation in italy and on set in vancouver. You have been in so many things. Television, film. Yeah. Reporter for a long time. Oscarwinning actress later this sunday morning. Also this morning, david pogue gives us a read on the growing popularity of closed captioning. Robert krulwich explains, as only he can, why when it comes to language, the is have. Josh reiff is back with his mom, who is coming to terms with life in the spotlight. Plus, a story from Steve Hartman. Timely thoughts on springing forward from our luke burbank and more. Its an oscar susunday morning march 10, 2024, and well be right back. Shes a shooin for outstanding leading lady in an industrycrippling showdown. Tracy smith takes stock with sagaftra president Fran Drescher. Reporter it seems there is more to smile about now. The strike is over, and red carpets are full again. But in hollywood, its not quite business as usual. The big labor dispute is still fresh in everyones mind. Last year, writers and actors walked off the job after contract talks with film and tv producers broke down in a clash over things like compensation for streaming shows and the use of artificial intelligence. Striking is one of the most powerful tools we have as Union Members rich the studios facing strong economic headwinds and shrinking movie attendance made some concessions early on, but for writers and actors it was not nearly enough. Workers unite reporter for the actors, Union PresidentFran Drescher led the charge. We are being squeezed out of our livelihoods. The studios would say its unrealistic, its not. Its realistic. What the hell are we doing . Moving furniture around on the titanic. Were all going down unless we rescue ourselves right here and now from people that really are doing bad things to good people. Reporter she said the same things to the studio heads. Face to face. Some of the new deal was hammered out here at the Screen Actors Guild headquarters in los angeles. So this is the room where it happened . It is, indeed. Lets see. This is my chair. I sat right here day after day. The four ceos across from us, and their lawyers. This is really where we duked it out. Reporter in glasswalled conference room, the two sides were physically close, but often miles apart, and at first neither side was in much of a mood to compromise. Here are the most powerful people in hollywood saying to me best, last, final. Reporter and you said . I said, i understand what those three words mean, but i am telling you, if we dont get this and that, its a deal breaker. This is a contract reporter she says the tone in the room was mostly civil, but says the negotiations were overall a brutal experience. You know, sometimes i would get so nauseous. One of my reporter nauseous . Yes. When i walked out, i would be, like, my god, i need to sit down, need something cold to drink, i need to go to the ladies room, everything all at once because it just takes a lot out of you. Reporter do you think people underestimated you . Yes, absolutely. Not the people that know me very well. They know me and they didnt expect anything less. Reporter the studio bosses . They didnt see me coming. No. Not them. Reporter and after nearly four months, there was agreement on a new deal that gave Union Members a lot of what they were asking for as sagaftras Duncan Crabtree sunk spelled out. Achieved more than 1 billion in new wages and benefit plan funding over the term of the contract. Reporter . Essence, gives actors and writers a brandnew residual for streaming programs and a say in how their a. I. Generated images will be used. The new contract was, frankly, better than some expected. I mean, George Clooney said, i would have bet my house and lost that you couldnt have gotten this deal. Reporter to be sure, the contract negotiations were a trial by fire. But Fran Drescher is no stranger to being tested. For instance, the nanny, the 90s show that drescher helped create and made her a household name, almost didnt happen. The main sponsor felt that dreschers character, franchise fine, would be more relatable to Middle America if she was not jewish, but italian. Good in the bedroom . Reporter but drescher, a jewish new yorker from queens, held her ground. I actually said, fran fine has to be jewish because i knew that that was the world that i was most comfortable writing for. And the most easiest for me to play because it was so Second Nature to me. I am going to give him everything that he was deprived of as a child. Love, warmth, comfort, but first i am going to make up for him being bottle fed. Reporter the sponsor relented. Fran fine was jewish and the nanny was a hit. You went with what was authentic to you . Yes, exactly, because if i didnt and the show failed, the feeling of regret that i didnt follow my own instincts would have tormented me for probably still. Reporter and she had been through even worse. In 1985, she was raped during a Home Invasion and forced herself to memorize her attackers face so she could identify him to a Police Sketch artist. We captured him just by me describing to him what was still in my head. My frname is Fran Drescher im a cancer survivor. Reporter and after dying diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2000 she founded a Womens Health movement, cancer schmancer. The way she sees it, the bad times helped toughen her up to the challenge of leading a union through a very public and often very nasty strike. Do you think you were made for this moment . Without question. This was a defining moment and the amalgam of my life experience. Everything, good, bad, the worst of it, the best of it, my ego as a star, all of it, everything went into this one moment of truth. Thank god it paid off. Reporter but it might not be over. The hollywood strike of 23 is said to have emboldened other unions to take action. If i when i asked if her own union might strike again, she wasnt making any guarantees. Do you think there could be more strikes in hollywood . You know, here is the thing. Lets make a deal. And we wont have to strike. We dont want to strike. We never want to strike. But it took them longer than it should have to realize that we meant business. And that there was, you know, a new girl in town. Everybody tinkers around. But actions speak louder than words. Now they know. Maybe now theyll think differently. Lets not go through that again. Lets just sit down and come to a meeting of the minds, you know . There is ways to spend less money, folks. But dont look in my direction. Reporter what about your career on camera and producing what . Im never going to work again. There is a blacklist with one name on it. Reporter but these days she is basking in the glow of having helped the industry through a tough time and of doing to her way. I dont care if im reelected. Reporter you dont . No. I made my case. It may not be popular, and ill respect that democracy is messy. Im not a dictator. But i will stand on my ground. Reporter and tonight Fran Drescher will be standing here on the oscar red carpet, a small screen star who has found her place among the big screen giants. I am going. I am not going to feel like a shrinking violent because i am not in anything, because i am in everything. Reporter you feel like this year you earned your spot . I do. I do. I wont feel inadequate. I feel adequate. This thing . Its whats going on inside of me. Its my moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. It wasnt always this calm uc went everywhere i did. Wondering when it would pop up next was stressful doing a number on my insides. But then i found out about velsipity a new oncedaily pill, not a steroid or biologic, for adults with moderate to severe uc. Velsipity can help calm the chaos of uc it quickly treats flares providing a chance for lasting steroidfree remission. Dont take velsipity if youve had a heart attack, chest pain, stroke or ministroke, Heart Failure in the last 6 months, irregular or abnormal heartbeat. Velsipity may cause serious side effects including infections that can be fatal, slow heart rate, liver problems, increased blood pressure, macular edema, certain types of skin cancer, swelling and narrowing of the brains blood vessels or shortness of breath. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to be. If conventional therapy like 5asas or steroids arent working for you, ask your gastroenterologist about velsipity. Velsipity. Help calm the chaos of uc. The ball is out and theres a pileup. Lets go get in the pile ugh, ill deal with this tomorrow. You wont. Its ripe in here. My eyes are watering. Im a busy man. Look how crusty this is. Shameful. Ugh, its just too much. Not with this. Tide. Tide can tackle any pile. That a tackle pun . Just clean the pile, ron. Okay. This too. That was easy. When stains and odors pile up, its got to be tide. So, did you remember to set your clocks forward . As you do, you might want to consider our sunday morning commentary complements of luke burbank. Its happening, america. We have arrived at the absolute best day of the year. The day we spring ahead. I know. Youre probably still rubbing your eyes and wondering why this guy on tv is so happy about you losing an hour of sleep. Listen, you will get it back. Just spend a less hour tonight scrolling through facebook in bed. Look, you are all caught up. The return to Daylight Saving time, by the way, there is no s at the end, which is the official name for what happens today, is a day to celebrate because it means we made it. Were survivors of those dark afternoons. Those dark mornings and those dark nights of the soul thinking about how, well, dark it is outside. We made it through the worst of it, which for people like me with selfdiagnosed seasonal effe effective disorder is a big deal. Just the thought each day for the next few months there will be more daylight, not less, is emotionally liberating. I stand, or, well, sit before you a different luke burbank. Have i played even one moment of ult frisbee in my life . Absolutely not. Would i be there if you invited me to play some at 6 00 p. M. Tonight . You bet your sweet tuchus. Today everything feels like potential. A while back, Congress Almost passed a law leaving us on Daylight Saving time all year round, meaning wed never fall back again. Think about how good wed all get at frisbee with that kind of extra daylight. I say we take it a step further. Pass a law next year that springs us ahead three hours. Yes, that first sunday will be rough, im not going to sugarcoat it. But after that all those warm spring nights when it wouldnt get dark until 11 00 p. M. Or midnight, i mean, just the money wed save on our lighting bills. But luke, wont that mean sunrise wont be until 1 00 p. M. . Maybe. Look, im no galileo. I havent thought this through very well. I am just a guy brimming with excitement, sitting here in front of you on the best day of the year, hoping youll invite me out to do something fun tonight. But not too late, because im taping 60 minutes and its going to be a good one. This portion of sunday morning is brought to you by vyvgart. Ralized myasthenia grav. But the picture started changing when i started on vyvgart. Vyvgart is for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis who are antiachr antibody positive. In a clinical trial, vyvgart significantly improved most participants ability to do daily activities when added to their current gmg treatment. Most participants taking vyvgart also had less muscle weakness. And your vyvgart treatment schedule is designed just for you. In a clinical study, the most common side effects included urinary and respiratory tract infections, and headache. Vyvgart may increase the risk of infection. Tell your doctor if you have a history of infections or symptoms of an infection. Vyvgart can cause allergic reactions. Available as vyvgart for iv infusion and also as Vyvgart Hytrulo for subcutaneous injection. Additional side effects for Vyvgart Hytrulo may include injection site reactions. Talk to your neurologist about vyvgart. nicole welcome to blue buffalos one taste is all it takes. Talk to your neurologist about vyvgart. jeremy she wont eat anything that she doesnt want to eat. Theres no faking it with her. nicole we sent you blue tastefuls dry food. jeremy she loved it. nicole whats for dinner tonight . jeremy its tastefuls from blue buffalo for this little girl. vo pick up blue tastefuls today. Walt disneys flowers and trees won the very first oscar for best animated short back in 1932. Movie making has no shortage of visionaries, and this morning Jonathan Vigliotti introduces us to a filmmaker truly on the cutting edge. Reporter took the power of 150,000 computers and hundreds of artists to digitally animate scenes like this from pixars elemental. Good morning reporter but mostly just two hands, glue and scissors. Mommy, why wont abuelo play with me . Reporter to bring gruff to life. When somebody asks you what do you do for a living, whats your response . Dont you have a more interesting question . No, kidding. I do, i have got more. Reporter julian curi is a master of a new kind of cinematic storytelling you have likely never seen before. Who did all of the work . I did. Reporter he calls it paper puppeteering. Each character in gruff is made using paper. First, drawn on, painted, and then cut out and glued together. Its a creative proces he developed three years ago when first sketching his characters. I ended up cutting them out and bending and manipulate them and seeing that they reacted beautifully to the light. So i stumbled into it being a puppet film because of that. Reporter this puppet film took shape in a movie studio very close to curis los angeles home. This is the tiny single car garage. Gruff was filmed out of. Reporter everything here is made out of paper . A lot of amazon boxes i used for this. Reporter with the help of light, a camera, magnets and rods, curis paper was brought to life, not animated but shot in liveaction, which was a lot of work. This is hazel. While she works great from the front, i cant put this character on to a motorcycle. Reporter not convincing. Its a whole new skeleton, face, and design. It just looks better. Reporter he uses almost no digital effects. Mostly just removing the puppets strings and editing. The world he creates is full of details that make it convincing like cutting out hundreds of leaves that go into a single photo on a wall. This was a labor of . Love. 100 . Reporter gruff tells the story of a secret agent named hazel. Her favorite sound was reporter who goes to Great Lengths to impress her emotionally distant father. The one she needed it from the most was her papa. Reporter for curi, its art imitating part of his life. Gruff was a short film that i wrote shortly after my fathers passing that was my way of kind of processing my relationship to my dad. Reporter i am looking at you, talking to you, and i see a photo behind you. Is that your father . Yeah. Reporter he looked exactly like the character in gruff. Much like abuelo, hazels father, his own dad, who died from cancer in 2018, was a gruff man of few words. The strong silent type. Loves western movies. Just the kind of person who never says the thing that you kind of want them to say in any given moment. Reporter as the short film unfolds, father and child grow apart. Calls go unanswered. You caught up this them. Reporter until a medical emergency brings them together. Capturing the emotion of this chemotherapy scene with just paper was the hardest part of production, curi says. Especially coming from an inanimate object, that was really, really tricky. Reporter it worked. The emotion came through. I was watching the film, i was in bed and immediately wanted to call my father. It was too late, so i didnt. And i regretted. I need to call him the next morning. But all of that triggered by paper. I did my job. Reporter and the film has resonated. Garnering 3 million views and thousands of comments in the first week of its release on youtube this month. Unlike the film, though, curi did not reconcile his differences with his father, but with paper he created his hollywood ending. This film was my way of kind of writing a narrative that i didnt experience. Reporter which was . Spending more time with my dad as he was passing awa