Barbara Walters Reveals Her Most Fascinating People of 2014 on Sunday
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ABC/Ida Mae Astute(NEW YORK) — Barbara Walters is back with more fascinating people this year.
The newswoman, who initially said 2013’s 20th anniversary special would be the last, will sit down with her picks for the 10 most fascinating people of 2014 during a two-hour special airing on Sunday at 9 p.m Eastern time on ABC.
“When ABC approached me to do another year of 10 Most Fascinating People, I just couldn’t say no,” Walters said. “I know we said last year was our last, but there are just too many fascinating people out there and ABC gave me a coveted two-hour time slot to showcase them all. The extra time enables us to bring viewers more meaningful and in-depth interviews that I just couldn’t pass up.”
This year’s crop of fascinating folks includes Chelsea Handler, Neil Patrick Harris, Scarlett Johansson and Oprah Winfrey.
Handler, who left her late-night gig at E! for a new project at Netflix, talked about making the transition.
“I walked away from the show because I was bored with myself,” Handler said. “I wasn’t challenging myself. I wasn’t interested in the topics that we were talking about. I don’t wanna talk about gossip every day.”
Harris discussed his various roles on TV, movies and on Broadway with Walters. She asked him what he enjoys doing the most.
“Right now I’m sort of in a ringmaster frame of mind,” he said. “So I would say live hosting I think.”
The soon-to-be Oscars host also talked about his proudest role, as father to twins Gideon and Harper with partner David Burtka. He explained to Walters how his children were conceived.
“We inserted one of my sperm and one of David’s sperm into two eggs, with the hope that they would both take, just because we both wanted to be dads biologically, and both took, miraculously,” he said.
He added that he doesn’t know which child is biologically his, nor does he want to.
“It’s so funny. I see myself in each of them at different times,” Harris said.
Walters spoke to Johansson about everything from motherhood to her relationship with new husband Romain Dauriac to where she sees herself in the future.
“I’m about to direct an adaptation of a Capote novella called Summer Crossing that I’ve been working on for some years,” Johansson revealed.
And in Walters’ interview with Winfrey, the 60-year-old media mogul — who released a book in September titled What I Know For Sure — told Walters the one thing she knows for sure.
“The one thing I know for sure is that everybody’s life matters,” she said. “That every story that everyone has to tell matters. And that you continue to give your life meaning by knowing the reason why you really came.”
Other picks include pop music powerhouse Taylor Swift, NFL player-turned-talk show host Michael Strahan, and billionaire philanthropist and political activist David Koch.
The number-one most fascinating person will be revealed on the show. Last year’s most fascinating person was Hillary Clinton.
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