IAN LANGSDON / AFP
Joaquin Phoenix, here in May 2025, in Cannes.
PEOPLE – There are memories that Joaquin Phoenix had to scratch his memory. His interview for David Letterman, in 2009, is one of them. Guest of Stephen Colbert’s Late-Might Show this Tuesday, July 15, the American actor currently playing the latest film by Ari Aster Eddington returned to this episode, ” One of the worst evenings From his life.
« It was so uncomfortable. I regret it, I will never do it again. I’m really sorry “He blows a malicious air on American television. “” I don’t know if David Letterman (which retired in 2015, editor’s note) look at us “, Retorts his host to him. “” It could behopes Joaquin Phoenix. And I just have to tell him I’m sorry. »
Back back. We are in the late 2000s, and the actor, already haloed by the Golden Globe for his interpretation of Johnny Cash in Walk The Line From James Mangold, is well installed in the Hollywood landscape. And yet, without warning, he reveals wanting to abandon everything to devote himself to music.
Information is confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter, Who specifies that his first album would be produced by P. Diddy. Months later, Joaquin Phoenix then arrived at David Letterman. Big beard, ruffled hair and sunglasses on the nose … The high man of the man surprises. His lost words, too. The sequence is lunar, and pushes to believe that it would be in full depression.
Obviously, none of that was true. The scene had actually been thought of for the needs of a false documentary called I’m Still Here, A parody produced by Casey Affleck offering to follow with humor the start of the career of Joaquin Phoenix in hip-hop. What David Letterman was not officially aware of.
« I want Dave to launch me »
« When I participated in this program with Davehe recalls, still at the microphone of Stephen Colbert, I first did the pre-interview in my character, and I realized that it was a bit ridiculous. So, I recalled the teams, and said to them: “Listen, I will do it. […] I just want Dave to launch me. I want it to be really dangerous. ” »
More laconic than dangerous, the sequence marked it. But this is not the first time that it has been on it. Barely a year after the facts, he had already apologized to the principal interested in the same set, hoping ” do not offend him ». « You interviewed many people, and I thought you could make the difference between a character and a real person He had explained to him.
End of history? Not really. Years later, David Letterman had recognized a notorious fact: he was aware of what was going on in advance. Nevertheless. “” I loved this moment, because it was like training on a bodybuilding baghe told Howard Stern’s podcast in 2017. It was simple. It was just a drum training. »