In an interview with actor John Krasinski about his role in the new movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, co-host Lara Spencer fretted over the political impact of the film set to be released on January 15: “Do you feel like this movie will re-open the wound, the debate of what happened in Benghazi?”
Krasinski replied: “I don't know if there is an debate. I mean, I think searching for the truth is always something that's really important.”
At the top of the exchange, Spencer observed: “Of course, based on a true story, 2012. There had to have been some internal pressure for you to get this right.” Kransinski explained:
Oh, 100%. I think there was pressure on everybody, certainly the actors. And I will give a ton of credit to Michael Bay, from the moment he decided to do this he wanted to get it right. From, you know, obviously it’s based on a book about the true story and I think a lot of people don't know about the true story. I think people think they know about Benghazi....I think there's so much focus on the situation politically that this was an opportunity for everybody to hear the human story of what happened that night, which is six heroes went in to attempt to save Ambassador Stevens and ended up saving so many American lives that night.
Spencer managed to conduct the interview without mentioning the Obama administration’s poor response to the terrorist attack or then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s role in that response.
Here is a full transcript of the January 5 exchange:
8:38 AM ET
LARA SPENCER: You know, we first got to know and adore John Krasinski on The Office, but his latest role could not be more different, it’s called 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. And in it he plays a former Navy S.E.A.L. who helps defend Americans under attack in Libya. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [ACTOR]: How you doing, brother?
JOHN KRASINSKI: Down time is the worst, isn't it? Adrenaline leaves and your mind starts to wander.
MAN: Yeah.
KRASINSKI: I haven't thought about my family once tonight. Thinking about them now.
SPENCER: Of course, based on a true story, 2012. There had to have been some internal pressure for you to get this right.
KRASINSKI: Oh, 100%. I think there was pressure on everybody, certainly the actors. And I will give a ton of credit to Michael Bay, from the moment he decided to do this he wanted to get it right. From, you know, obviously it’s based on a book about the true story and I think a lot of people don't know about the true story. I think people think they know about Benghazi. I certainly didn't know about this specific story of the six guys –
SPENCER: Well, why don’t you tell me that, your perception versus what you learned.
KRASINSKI: Sure, I mean, I think there's so much focus on the situation politically that this was an opportunity for everybody to hear the human story of what happened that night, which is six heroes went in to attempt to save Ambassador Stevens and ended up saving so many American lives that night. And these guys were not active military, so they were retired and hired contractors, so they had no obligation to go in. And within a split second put their lives on the line, which is, I mean, the true definition of heroism.
SPENCER: Do you feel like this movie will re-open the wound, the debate of what happened in Benghazi?
KRANSINSKI: I don't know if there is an debate. I mean, I think searching for the truth is always something that's really important. And I think that, you know, these guys were on set every day with us, we were so lucky to have the real guys with us. I got to meet the guy I was playing and these guys are the most wonderful unassuming very heroic people that, you know, I think it's about time we tell their story of what they went through.
SPENCER: Absolutely and everybody can see that movie, that's coming out on January 15th.
KRASINSKI: January 15th.
SPENCER: 13 Hours. It is incredible.
(...)
