Joaquin Phoenix apologises for infamous Letterman interview, ‘One of the worst nights of my life'
At the time, Phoenix showed up in full dishevelled character, wild beard, sunglasses, mumbling responses, while pretending to retire from acting to become a rapper. The bizarre appearance turned into a viral moment, with many viewers speculating that he was having a real-life breakdown. But as Phoenix now explains, it was a performance meant to shock.
'I just wanted it to feel dangerous,' he told Colbert. 'I wanted Dave to really go at me.' Phoenix revealed he had warned the show in advance but chose to keep Letterman in the dark, hoping for a raw reaction. 'That was the kind of intention,' he said. 'I just always wanted to get this reaction and see how I would respond.'
Fifteen years later, the actor is clearly no longer amused. 'It was horrible. I regret it. I'll never do it again. I'm so sorry,' he said, addressing both Colbert and, potentially, Letterman himself. 'He might be watching, and I just need to say, I'm sorry.'
Phoenix's return to late-night TV marks a full-circle moment, not just for his career but also for his personal growth. Promoting his upcoming film Eddington, he seems to be moving forward with less chaos, and far more honesty.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
44 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Sydney Chandler cut from cover after refusing to pose with co-stars
Sydney Chandler, daughter of Emmy-winning actor Kyle Chandler, has found herself at the centre of a media storm after being removed from Variety's cover story for the upcoming FX series Alien: Earth. The move followed what insiders described as increasingly difficult behaviour during the show's press tour. According to Variety, Chandler's team informed them a day before the shoot that she would not participate in a Q&A segment alongside co-star Timothy Olyphant and showrunner Noah Hawley. The objection? She reportedly didn't want to sit down with 'two older men' for what was meant to be a playful video segment. Variety offered her alternative formats and even allowed her team to suggest questions, but nothing came of it. Chandler later cited illness to withdraw entirely. Despite attempts to reschedule, the publication ultimately cut her from the shoot. Olyphant and Hawley appeared on the cover without her. Hawley didn't hide his disappointment. 'The show is built around Sydney's character, and the work she did as a professional was tremendous,' he said. 'I'm disappointed that my female-centric show, based on a female-facing franchise, does not have my lead actress on the cover. It felt awkward to be there with Tim without her.' Chandler attempted to clarify her stance in a follow-up interview, insisting that she's 'just a private person' and 'new to press.' She claimed she was eager to discuss the series but found the press format overwhelming. The backlash was immediate. Online forums lit up with debate over whether her actions reflected unprofessionalism or a need for more respectful promotional practices. While FX has yet to issue a formal statement, the incident has already shifted focus away from the show and squarely onto Chandler herself.
Express Tribune
14 hours ago
- Express Tribune
A-listers head to Venice film fest
Julia Roberts will walk the red carpet at the 82nd edition of the film festival. Photo: File Hollywood stars, Oscar-winning directors, Asian heavyweights and European auteurs will vie for top honours at this year's stellar Venice Film Festival, all looking to make a splash at the start of the awards season, reported Reuters. Running from August 27 to September 6, the 82nd edition of the world's oldest film festival will showcase a rich array of films that spans psychological thrillers, art-house dramas, genre-bending experiments, documentaries, and buzzy studio-backed productions. Among the leading A-listers expected to walk the Venice Lido's red carpet are Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, George Clooney, Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Andrew Garfield, Oscar Isaac, Cate Blanchett and Amanda Seyfried. Netflix returns A who's-who of global directors will also be premiering their latest pictures at the 11-day event, including US filmmakers Kathryn Bigelow, Jim Jarmusch, Noah Baumbach and Benny Safdie, alongside top Europeans Yorgos Lanthimos, Paolo Sorrentino, and Laszlo Nemes, and Asia's Park Chan-wook and Shu Qi. Netflix, which skipped Venice last year, returns in full force in 2025 with a trio of headline-grabbing titles, including Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, a new take on the classic horror tale starring Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth. Baumbach's comedy-drama Jay Kelly, starring Clooney, Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, is also in the main competition and on the Netflix slate, alongside the geopolitical thriller A House of Dynamite, with Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and directed by Bigelow, who won an Oscar in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. Venice fires the starting gun for the awards season, with films premiering on the Lido in the last four years collecting more than 90 Oscar nominations and winning almost 20, making it the place to be seen for actors, producers and directors alike. In the past nine editions of the Oscars, the award for Best Actress or Best Actor has gone eight times to the protagonists of films first seen in Venice, including Stone for her role in Poor Things in 2024. Fighters and families Stone returns to Venice this year, teaming up again with Poor Things director Lanthimos in an offbeat satire, Bugonia. The indie icon of US cinema, Jim Jarmusch, will be showing his Father Mother Sister Brother, a three-part tale exploring fractured families with a cast that includes Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver and Tom Waits. Another US film getting its first outing at Venice is the MMA fighter biopic The Smashing Machine, starring Johnson and Blunt, and directed by Benny Safdie. A very different biopic is The Testament of Ann Lee — a musical take on the life of the radical 18th-century Shaker leader, which stars Seyfried and is directed by Norway's Mona Fastvold. European auteurs are well-represented, with Paolo Sorrentino's La Grazia, starring Toni Servillo, selected as the festival's opening film, while Hungary's Nemes presents the family drama Orphan and France's Francois Ozon showcases his retelling of Albert Camus' celebrated novel The Stranger. Another French director, Olivier Assayas, will premiere The Wizard of the Kremlin — a political thriller about the rise of Vladimir Putin, starring Paul Dano and Alicia Vikander, with Jude Law playing the Russian leader. Palestinian tale One film that looks certain to raise emotions is Kaouther Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab, which uses original emergency service recordings to tell the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza in 2024 after being trapped for hours in a vehicle targeted by Israeli forces. "I think it is one of the films that will make the greatest impression, and hopefully (won't be) controversial," said the festival's artistic director, Alberto Barbera, his voice trembling as he recalled the offering. Among the battery of films being shown out of competition is Luca Guadagnino's MeToo-themed psychological drama After The Hunt, starring Ayo Edebiri, Garfield and Julia Roberts, who will be making her red carpet debut at Venice, Barbera said. The jury for the main competition will be chaired by US director Alexander Payne. He will be joined by fellow directors Stephane Brize, Maura Delpero, Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof, and the actors Fernanda Torres and Zhao Tao.
Express Tribune
14 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Meet Malala Yousafzai, again!
Malala Yousafzai is no stranger to the spotlight. Since she first made international headlines at age 15, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist has been a symbol of resistance, education, and resilience. But in a recent Instagram post, Malala offered a more personal portrait of herself – one that goes beyond headlines. In a heartfelt caption accompanying a childhood photo, Malala wrote on Monday, "If you did a school project on me, you probably know me as the 15-year-old who was shot by the Taliban for standing up for girls' right to education. That was 13 years ago. A lot has changed since then, and some things have stayed the same, so here's a reintroduction to who I am today." She began by describing her roots in Pakistan, "which is known for its beautiful mountains and rivers," before tracing her journey to Oxford University. "I made so many friends, had (a bit too much) fun and learned about myself. It's also where I struggled with my mental health, experiencing panic attacks for the first time. Going to therapy really helped me," said Malala of her time in college. Shortly after graduation, she married Asser Malik, who she said "makes me smile every day." Offering a glimpse into her personality and quirk, Malala shared, "In addition to reading and learning new languages, I love working out and playing competitive sports." "Asser calls me a gym bro," she quipped. "I love travelling but I'm not great at trip prep. I throw my clothes in a suitcase ten minutes before the airport and always forget something important. I love trying new cuisine and restaurants. However, I can't cook and my fridge is filled with takeout boxes." Malala's humanitarian work comprises a big part of her life. "I spend most of my time working on girls' education issues around the world, in countries like Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria and Pakistan." The post concluded with a message of hope and continuity: "My life is nothing like I imagined it would be. The girl in this photo wanted to be a car mechanic. But my hope to see every girl in school, able to pursue her dreams and choose her own future, will never change. To the new faces and to those who've been here from the start: thank you for being here."
