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Joaquin Phoenix recently made a rare late-night appearance, his first in 16 years, as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During the conversation, the Oscar-winning actor revisited a moment that has followed him for years: his now-infamous 2009 interview with David Letterman. In a heartfelt and honest reflection, Phoenix offered a public apology and called the experience “horrible” and “uncomfortable.”
Back in 2009, Phoenix appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman in character, part of an elaborate stunt for his mockumentary film I’m Still Here. He appeared disoriented, mumbled responses, and left audiences wondering if something was seriously wrong with him. Some thought he was experiencing a mental health crisis, but it was later revealed to be part of a performance.
Speaking to Colbert, Phoenix explained that the idea at the time was to play an offbeat version of himself and get genuine, shocked reactions from Letterman and the live audience. He shared that he had warned the production team, but didn’t let anyone else in on the plan, hoping for an “edgy” and unpredictable moment. “I just wanted Dave to lacerate me. I wanted it to be really dangerous,” Phoenix admitted. “But it wasn’t fun or funny in the end, it was uncomfortable.”
Phoenix got emotional as he recalled the fallout, saying that even though some people now view the interview as a wild success in performance art, he considers it a low point. “It was strange because in some ways, it was a success,” he said. “And it was also just one of the worst nights of my life.”
The Joker star also used this recent interview to send a message directly to David Letterman, just in case he happened to be watching: “I’m sorry.”
Interestingly, Phoenix had already offered an apology in 2010 when he returned to Letterman’s show to explain the stunt. But over a decade later, it’s clear he still carries some regret over how it all played out.
On the professional front, Joaquin Phoenix was last seen in Joker: Folie à Deux, alongside Lady Gaga. His next project is Eddington, where he’ll star with Emma Stone.