Jeffrey Wigand: The big tobacco whistleblower

The 1996 Mike Wallace interview that inspired Hollywood's "The Insider" and changed big tobacco forever.

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"60 Minutes," the most successful television broadcast in history. Offering hard-hitting investigative reports, interviews, feature segments and profiles of people in the news, the broadcast began in 1968 and is still a hit, over 50 seasons later, regularly making Nielsen's Top 10. "60 Minutes" has won more Emmy Awards than any other primetime broadcast, including a special Lifetime Achievement Emmy. It has also won every major broadcast journalism award over its tenure, including 24 Peabody and 18 DuPont Columbia University awards for excellence in television broadcasting. Other distinguished awards won multiple times include the George Polk, RTNDA Edward R. Murrow, Investigative Reporters and Editors, RFK Journalism, Sigma Delta Chi and Gerald Loeb Awards for Distinguished Business and Financial Reporting. "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS Sept. 24, 1968. The correspondents and contributors of "60 Minutes" are Bill Whitaker, Steve Kroft, Scott Pelley, Lesley Stahl, Anderson Cooper, Sharyn Alfonsi, Jon Wertheim and Norah O'Donnell. "60 Minutes" airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings.

[johnborjia]

Dr Jeffrey Wigand
A true American hero.
Thank you for your honesty in the face of overwhelming odds.

[alexcrayfish]

Russell Crowe should have really gotten the oscar for his performance. His facial expressions and the way he spoke was like a duplicate of the real man.

[anthonylasure]

Weigand deserves whatever he wants.
You can see in his face that he has a moral compass like few others.
He lost everything he loved ro save people he never knew or would ever meet.
Absolute legend for all of humanity

[Novastar.SaberCombat]

"The Insider" was a HUGELY influential film in my life.

As a younger man, I couldn't *believe* that humans running a corporation could be so bloody TWISTED and broken.

Russell Crowe was *BRILLIANT* in figuring out Wigand's extremely unique accent (his background was SPECIAL... Bronx & Japanese!!)... and, Crowe's hair was falling out as they tried to dye it.

Unbelievable work from the entire cast.

[BRIANSTECHTHERAPY]

Damn Russel Crowe did an amazing job as Jeffrey in the film " The Insider "

[emperornortoni]

Man, I love these 60 Minutes archive videos. They've done some truly great journalism over the years.

[vongeisen]

Thank you Dr. Wigand. My father died in 1969 at the age of 37. He was a habitual smoker, 2 packs a day. Bless you for exposing the cigarette industry. I have not ever smoked. It’s a disgusting habit.

[jordanthompson]

My mother, a respiratory therapist, asked this man to speak at our local rural high school. HE DID. She still has his signed cards, and I remember getting permission as one of only a few middle schoolers to attend (simply because my mother insisted and sent permiss. notes). One of the greatest achievements of her life. She was so proud to have all 5 of her kids in that high school auditorium, to listen to the scientist, that would tell us the risks of smoking. We grew up in households where it was common, almost ritualistic, in tradition to do so. In the 90s/ early 00s, this was unheard of. So proud of her. So proud of Mr. Wigand, who has really made a difference, to tell the truth, even when people don't want to hear it. Thank you, sincerely from Clay Center. I remember you, the little girl in the back of the dark auditorium, you were wonderful. And it did make a difference, I do not smoke, not simply for my wonderful mother, but because of what you did too. If nothing else, you saved my life, be that an exaggeration or not, you had an impact.

[wcstevens]

The safest cigarette is one in an unopened pack, thrown into a trash can.

[pjh]

I have been trying to track this down for YEARS, including talking to Dr. Wigand. THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING! Made my day.

[Lizb]

I give him credit. Think of how many people work for these companies and never say anything. Any company that has to hire that many lawyers to tell "the truth" is definitely hiding something. You are a hero. I hope if I'm ever in a similar situation that I have half the balls you do.

[urb]

Man Pacino and Russell Crowe both deserved an oscar for that performance extraordinary..

[raymondpalaganas]

The movie'The Insider' is highly recommended... Especially Al Pacino played the role of the Producer of 60mins. ..Amazing

[Ozzychingas]

I quit Somking 4months in....This just made me stronger....

[bt]

This was one HELLUVA interview and story! Wow. 60 Minutes has done some legendary work over the years. This has to be one of the best. Dr Wigand is a hero, that certainly put it all on the line. "The Insider" told his story quite beautifully too. Talk about HUGE pressure

[Seethrulee]

Crazy how accurate the real interview is compared to the movie 'The Insider"

[greensmithfootball]

His wife leaving him was absolutely disgraceful

[mwilliams]

Tell the truth lady....he lost those big bucks and you was ready to bail lol

[lees]

The interview that changed the tobacco game forever. And the movie The Insider changed my life. Still gives me chills to watch.

[MHassan]

I just saw the film last night and the acting of Crowe and Plummer during that interview is so spookily accurate, down to the dialogue and hand manners. Great film.