Barbara Walters 21st Oscar Special

March 22, 2002 -- As Oscar night approaches, Barbara Walters takes an intimate look at the lives of some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Walters talks to Cruise about his divorce and his current relationship with Penelope Cruz; the woman who could be the first African-American to win the Best Actress Oscar, Halle Berry; and the delightful Sarah Jessica Parker — who didn't mention her husband when she won a Golden Globe.

Following are excerpts from the interviews. Barbara Walters' 21st Oscar Special airs Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET, and immediately following the Academy Awards on the west coast.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Walters For heaven's sakes, when you received the Golden Globe Award this year, how could you forget to thank your husband?

Parker Number one, I was really trying to be brief. You know, I've been up there before, I've always thanked him in the past. Number two, my marriage wasn't nominated. My work in a show that I'm very proud of, was nominated … Ironically, the first phone call I got was from Matthew who thought it was a really dignified speech. He thought it was lovely, and it never even occurred to him that I hadn't mentioned his name. We aren't public people … We don't make tearful emotional speeches about our marriage … Listen, my marriage speaks for itself … Come see me in 25 or 35 years when I'm still married to the same man.

Walters A lot of people think you are Carrie, you know, sexually adventurous, free.

Parker No I am not Carrie … Some might say I'm slightly prudish. I don't like to you know, I don't use foul language or I don't discuss intimate things with my girlfriends. … I think it's unladylike, it's not what I do.

Walters How much longer do you want to do the show?

Parker: We're doing two more seasons.

Walters At the end of the two seasons, do you want Carrie to be married or to be pregnant or …

Parker I want Carrie to be content. And I don't know what that means for her, and I really think that is her major problem right now is that Carrie doesn't know what Carrie wants.

Walters You want Carrie to be content. What do you want for Sarah Jessica?

Parker I feel like I couldn't possibly ask for any more than I have. I, I have this...crazy privileged life. And people who love me and...people who I love and, I honestly...if I was bold enough I would just ask for more of the same. But I'm not bold enough so I'll just say I'm very content. You know. Very.

Halle Berry

Walters What were your dreams when you were a little girl? What did you want for yourself?

Berry I wanted to make a lot of money … Just to really better the quality of life for my family. Especially my mother.

Walters Not be famous? Just make a lot of money?

Berry No not be famous.

Walters Not be an actress?

Berry Never be an actress … I thought, what can I do that'll make a lot of money, so that one day, I can buy my mother a house … You know a big fancy house. That's what I wanted to do for my mother.

Walters Your father was black. Your mother was white. Do you remember when you first knew that there was this difference?

Berry Yeah, I think probably when I was in the third grade and it was from another kid at school who had gotten a glimpse of my mother and told me that she couldn't possibly be my mother because had I noticed that she was white and I wasn't.

Walters It's very interesting because even though your mother was white, she said to you, 'You're not half white and half black, you're black.' Why did she do that?

Berry Because she knew that in America that is how I would be perceived, and I would be discriminated against as a black woman. And so she wanted to prepare me and not have me living with any delusions.

Walters After a series of these bad relationships, and after a very unhappy divorce when you thought everything was going to be wonderful, there was a time when you thought of suicide Halle. Why?

Berry Well, I think I was still using men and my mate to identify who I was. And when that was gone, then I was nothing.

Walters How were you going to do it?

Berry   I was going to sit in the car. I went into my garage with my two dogs and I had them in the car and I was going to asphyxiate myself.

Walters What stopped you?

Berry It's almost like I had a flash of you know that good angel and the bad angel on my shoulder … And something was telling me on the right side of my brain, girl don't do it, girl don't do it. Think of your mother. … I couldn't do that to her. So I got out.

Walters After several years of being single, you married again last year to R&B singer Eric Benet. What did you do different this time?

Berry I took the time to become his friend, get to know him and also have him get to know me, the real me, not the image of me.

Walters Who was the image?

Berry I think the image is Halle Berry, she does Revlon you know, life is fabulous for her. She jet sets, she travels, she's an actress, life is beautiful for her. That's not really who I am. … And I gave Eric time to get to know the real me and I realize that he loved me anyway, the real me.

Walters The husband, the child, the career, do you have it all?

Berry I sure feel like I do … Two years ago, when I was going through that accident, I would have never dreamed that I'd be you know, at the pinnacle of my career. So it's just a tribute to perseverance and always knowing that tough times don't last for long … I feel really happy in my life now.

Tom Cruise

Walters Let's try if we can, to clear up some misconceptions. Earlier this year you were on The View. And I asked you to describe this past year … You said, "bizarre." In what sense?

Cruise I don't know, Barbara, you know it's sad when two people, what happens, you know, the end of a marriage. And Nick and I, we have two children that we adore.

Walters You know there is the impression that you just got up one day and said the marriage is over. That you walked out with no apparent reason. You know that. And Nicole has said publicly that she was surprised. She said she was devastated. She doesn't know why you did it. … So it has been a year, deliberate or not, where people have given her empathy and sympathy. And to a degree, you've come out the bad guy.

Cruise Anyone who's been in a relationship knows that's not how it goes down. And I think that it's something that is between us.

Walters What is your relationship like today?

Cruise It's very good.

Walters Friends?

Cruise Yes. Most definitely.

Walters Would you work with her again?

Cruise Yes.

Walters Nicole is up for nomination as Best Actress … You want very much for her to win?

Cruise Yeah … I know how hard she's worked. How dedicated she is. And how talented she is. I've made three films with her. Four including one I produced.

Walters Do you think that you have played any role in her success?

Cruise I think that I've been there for her.

Walters So whatever happened this past year, now it's settled and OK?

Cruise This is a personal thing. You know, a thing that we've got to work out. And it's a thing that, you know, the more people you get in the mix, the press and everything else … things spin out of control.

Walters How important is Scientology in your life, in your day to day?

Cruise It's very important, it's very important. … What it does it allows you to find out for yourself who you are. No one tells you how to live your life or how not to live your life. It is a workable religious philosophy. And it is a religion.

Walters Was Nicole a Scientologist?

Cruise Nick, you know, I think that Nick loved me, and I think that she, you know, you have to discuss this with her, but my feeling is that she became involved because she loved me.

Walters It had nothing to do with the divorce?

Cruise No, nothing.

Walters Are you in love with Penelope Cruz?

Cruise Of course I am. I wouldn't, I wouldn't be spending this time with her if I, if I wasn't.

Walters Do you want to remarry?

Cruise I am the eternal optimist. I believe in relationships. I believe in love.