He was also a giant when it came to argumentation, which makes the story of Frost Nixon all the more exciting.



In the wake of his resignation following the Watergate scandal, Nixon was quickly losing money to pay off legal fees. At the same time, British celebrity interviewer David Frost was hoping to prove to the world that he was capable of more than just chit-chatting with the stars—he wanted to host a serious show. He wanted to play hardball with some of the toughest opponents he could get on the show. For Frost, Nixon was the perfect quarry—a looming titan capable of verbal twists and logical pirouettes that would leave any serious journalist's head spinning. Nixon was a slippery fish.

With Nixon hoping to restore his reputation around the world, and Frost looking to make his reputation on T.V., it seemed like a perfect match. Nixon expected Frost to be a milquetoast interviewer who, even if he did take the risk of pressing him on Watergate, could easily be outwitted.

He was wrong—the first question to pass through Frost's lips when the cameras started rolling was “Why did you burn the tapes?” The interviews would go on for more than 28 hours—a grueling marathon of grilling and dodging for anyone. What's more, Nixon had no advance knowledge of the questions, nor any authority over the final edit. Nixon was walking into television's coliseum, and had seriously underestimated his opponent.

In time, Nixon came as close as he ever had to issuing a public apology during those interviews. Ironically, almost no American broadcaster wanted any part of the program when Frost initially sought them out. They thought he was a lightweight, as Nixon did, and took issue with the ethical aspects of the show—Frost was speaking with other journalistic institutions, after all, and was arranging to pay Nixon more than half a million dollars, plus 10 percent of any profit from the program. In the end, Frost had to empty his own pockets to finance the program, and eventually found investors willing to help broadcast the interview.

Split into four parts, 90 minutes each, the interview touched on every question imaginable regarding the Nixon administration and the ethical lapses Nixon had been accused of. It became a public trial—and a cathartic moment for those who had lost faith in the American presidency.

Peter Morgan, the screenwriter responsible for The Queen and The Last King of Scotland, would become fascinated by the story and its verbal tête–à–tête, crafting a highly successful Broadway stage show starring Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as Frost.

Now, this drama is coming to a stage near you. Get Frost Nixon tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/frost-nixon-tickets today.