14 DAY TRIAL // Joaquin Phoenix returned on David Letterman’s show, one year and a half after the appearance that seemed to almost cost him his career – and the first bits of the new interview are already online.
A clean shaved, slimmer and overall more talkative Joaquin Phoenix returned on the show to answer questions about his previous appearance, the film it served for and whether Letterman knew of the so-called hoax.
As we also reported on a previous occasion, in February 2009, Phoenix came on Letterman to promote “Two Lovers,” but was hardly able to speak, mumbling stuff to himself and being an easy target for Dave’s verbal attacks.
The segment generated a lot of media attentions, since word immediately got out that Phoenix and Casey Affleck were shooting a documentary on the former’s attempts at launching a rap career.
The “documentary” is now running in theaters: called “I’m Still Here,” it takes a crude look at the world of celebrity, the media and our society under the pretense of the documentary, as Joaquin himself explains in the clip below.
Also on Letterman, the actor clarified a rumor that broke a few days ago according to which the talk show host was in on the joke when the original interview took place.
Dave didn’t knew a thing about the interview being a hoax, Phoenix says on the record – in fact, he only learned he’d been duped when the film came out and the director admitted it was all just a “performance.”
“I think that you’ve interviewed many, many people and I assumed that you would know the difference between a character and a real person, so... But I apologize... I hope I didn’t offend you in any way,” Joaquin tells Letterman.
“Oh, no, no, no. I was not offended. I’m telling you, it was so much fun. It was batting practice, you know what I mean? Every one of them was a dinger,” Letterman replies.
Joaquin then explains that he actually wanted a “beatdown” and that he and Affleck had been looking for a show that would have him in the state that he was.
To this, Letterman replies, “Now I want some money.” Because about 5 minutes of the 11-minute interview is featured in the film and since it’s not a documentary, the host believes he should be paid for his effort, he says after making sure he doesn’t come across as a fool in the movie.
For the free publicity he gave Phoenix and the raw talent he put in the making of the interview, Letterman is thinking $1 million would suffice, he jokes. Phoenix agrees because, obviously, he doesn’t want to be sued.
See the first segments of the David Letterman interview with Joaquin Phoenix below. Enjoy.