Original-Cin Q&A: War journo Bob Woodruff and son Mack find the 'amazing' sides of trouble spots in Disney+'s Rogue Trip
Imagine being able to take the trip of a lifetime with your father?
Rogue Trip, a new National Geographic series that will be streaming on Disney+, is led by longtime ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff and his 28-year-old son Mack Woodruff.
Bob who has been covering Wars for ABC news for decades almost lost his life 14 years ago when his armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. After spending 36 days in a medically induced coma Bob’s life was saved, but it was forever changed. Having the opportunity to do this series with his son was not only a gift but something he does not take for granted.
The series takes viewers on a father-son adventure to some of the world’s most unexpected places – roguish nations and territories mostly known for conflict, but each possessing a unique power to surprise, amaze and inspire. They visit Colombia, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Lebanon and Ukraine. Along the journey, Bob and Mack share raw, big-hearted moments when “going rogue” together changes their perspectives – not just on their own relationship, but on other people and places.
Mack and Bob Woodruff on the hunt for the brighter side of world hot spots in Rogue Trip
Bonnie Laufer spoke with Bob and Mack about the series and how working on this series was life changing.
ORIGINAL-CIN: Bob, you have had an extraordinary career, but also a very close brush with death from being a war correspondent. How hard was it for you to do that job and leave your family knowing the danger you were putting yourself in?
BOB WOODRUFF: “That is a question I was constantly asked. But a lot of people, when they go to cover wars, they do it before they start having their kids. And then, when they start having them, they’re made to feel irresponsible for going there.
“I don't know why but my kids always seemed comfortable with it, because that's the only world they knew and my wife Lee was pretty remarkable. She accepted it and never stood in my way. She knew it was not only my job but my passion.
“Even having been injured, I don't have much guilt about it.”
OC: Mack, for you to have had this opportunity to do this series with him seems like an amazing gift.
MW: “Yeah. It was invaluable time with my dad.And as he often says, you get to spend a lot of time with your kids when they're growing up, but then when they turn 18 or 19 they go to college and leave the nest and go on with their own lives.
“We got to spend a ton of time together in the past year and you are right, it's been a real gift.
“I mean, there were some times that you know, we wanted to get into fist fights, but we just had an absolute blast. You know, there were tough times, this was not a vacation. But these trips were super transformative for both of us and made us way closer.”
OC: Bob, how did this opportunity come about? You're taking us to these countries we wouldn't necessarily visit because we think they're war-torn or they're dangerous.
BW: “This all came about a couple years ago when I got to thinking that the world has a sort of inaccurate perception that doesn't really reflect the reality of these countries. Mostly we've covered wars or some kind of crisis or environmental collapse. We always see something that makes these countries look dangerous and bad.
“But every time we, as the reporters, go to these countries we see these amazing sides too. But they're never part of the story. So, I wanted to make sure that we could tell the world about this.
“Initially, we took the idea to National Geographic, and they loved it. But that was right when Disney started taking over Fox, and NatGeo was part of the deal.
“Disney loved the idea too, but thought it would be an even better idea be it if my son, who is a great photographer and cinematographer, joined in. Truthfully, he loves to shoot and go to these places and he would be a perfect choice to have along. Disney loved the idea of it being a father-son journey and it would be a wonderful chance to open this to Mack's generation.”
MW: “ When I got that call from my dad, I said yes before he even got to finish his sentence. I was all in.”
OC: You got to go to some extraordinary countries. I imagine that for both of you, after this whole experience was over, it was life-changing.
MW: “Certainly life changing, we saw places that outsiders have never been to. We went to skull caves in Papua New Guinea, and some of the biggest caves in the world in Africa and Ethiopia. We went and hung out with former drug cartels in Colombia.
“We rode horses, we learned how to play polo in Pakistan and so much more. There were so many experiences that I never will forget. But most important, I'll never forget the experience of doing it alongside my dad.
“My sister Catherine came along for a few of these locations to help out. And I’ll tell you I have stories that I'll hopefully be able to tell my kids and my grandkids. It was extraordinary.”
OC: Food is always an important part of travel no matter where you go. Was there anything that stood out for you, or was there a local delicacy that there was just no way you were even going to try?
MW: “On the first day of production it was my birthday and we were in the Amazon. They brought out a platter of these larvae from a palm tree that they harvested.
“They were pretty gnarly but I ended up eating one. My dad, who I have to say was pretty adventurous, opted to not try one because he had way less to prove than me.” (Laughs)
BW: “I think that I got out of that one by claiming I was a vegetarian!” (Laughs)
MW: “The food I had on the trip was for the most part very good. Ethiopia has amazing food. Lebanon was probably the best. I’m a huge fan of hummus and all that stuff. Pakistan was amazing, was very similar to Indian food, and my favorite cuisine.
“There were a lot of long car rides where we had just granola bars or whatever we could get our hands on, and we were able to get a lot of local produce.”
OC: Bob, I have to say you really kept up with your son! Where does your stamina come from?
BW: “It just gets harder every day, but I guess when you have the drive to do it, you have to survive and somehow you have to get more energy. So I survived. And I am not going to lie, some days were exhausting. But I didn’t want to let myself or Mack down.”
MW: “This guy is the Energizer Bunny! He did not slow down from the first moment. From the minute he woke up to the time we went to sleep, his mind is always going miles a minute. I had to calm him down sometimes, but that's why he's so good at what he does, because he's so focused and he's never tired.”
OC: Mack, did you ever want to follow in your dad’s footsteps and become a war correspondent?
MW: “For the longest time, I didn't want to do what my dad did, and I don't know if that was because often kids don't really fully understand what their parents do. I was pretty turned off by that until I was about 26.
“I always respected my dad and what he did but wanted nothing to do with hard news. Now that I've been a photographer and videographer for a while, and getting to go on this trip with my dad and make this show, I now know that it's pretty much all I want to do.
“So I definitely caught the bug somewhere along the lines on the show. And I am excited to see where this journey takes me.”