Rosie Rides The Bus

O'Donnell Gets Back To Acting After 10 Years Away

(CBS)  In her diverse career, Rosie O'Donnell has been a comedian, a talk show host and Broadway producer, as well as an actress in films like "A League Of Their Own" and "Sleepless in Seattle."

This Sunday night, May 1, she brings her talent to CBS as the star of the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "Riding The Bus With My Sister." She talked about the experience with The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.

"Riding The Bus With My Sister" is based on a book about a real person, Beth Simon, who has various mental challenges.

"A few years ago," explains O'Donnell, "she decided, instead of living in her group home, she wanted to live by herself. While living by herself, she decided one time, 'I'm going to take a bus.' Got on the bus and has never gotten off. She memorized the schedules. She spends her entire day riding the bus."

After O'Donnell read the book, she was impressed by the fact that it was about "two sisters who were diametrically different, yet they share that bond of that sibling connection. And I related to it on many levels."

She called her agent and arranged to buy the rights to the book. Eventually, Anjelica Huston came on board to direct the movie and O'Donnell took on an acting role for the first time in 10 years.

"And it was frightening, I have to say," she says. "When I bought the book, I remember thinking, 'Maybe I'll just produce it, because I don't know if I'll be brave enough to act in it.' You always worry when you play a character like this. It's either career-ending, or something that you can be proud of. There is a line that you have to walk."

The role of Beth's sister, Rachel, is played by Andie MacDowell, who thinks she is only visiting her sister after the death of their father. But then Rachel is "sort of forced into staying by a social worker who says she needs help and she can't do it on her own."