# Weird: David Letterman segment with Joaquin Poenix; Did anyone see it?



## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Off Topic:  Did anyone see the David Letterman segment with Joaquin Phoenix?  What the heck was that?  Was it for real?  Publicity stunt or is he totally off the deep end?  (and in need of a bath)  If you didn't see it, I am sure it is on Utube by now.


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## thejackylking #884 (Dec 3, 2008)

Definitely out there.

Also not off topic since you are the one who brought it up. That's what Not Quite Kindle is all about.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I've seen pieces of it.  Wow, that was a scary thing--if he wasn't in an altered state, he was giving a good impression (much like Whitney Houston at the Grammys).  And Dave, being Dave, talked about it head on!

Betsy


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## thejackylking #884 (Dec 3, 2008)

My favorite part was when Dave said Sorry you couldn't be here Joaquin.  That was definitely a LOL moment.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I wonder who his dealer is?  yikes.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Did he not learn anything from his brother's death?


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Rumor has it that this may have been planned and is part of a movie in the works. From Rolling Stone:

*Joaquin Phoenix Appears On David Letterman, Kind Of*

2/12/09, 10:56 am EST

As evidenced by the awkward video above, actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix sat down on David Letterman's couch last night on the Late Show. That's pretty much it - he just sat there, even though he was supposed to be there promoting his last film role in Two Lovers. In what had to be either Phoenix completely locked into his hoax character (the Bearded Rapper) or the most paranoid, drugged-out interview ever, Phoenix bewildering endures Letterman's questions, jokes and jabs by responding with brief, mumbled out answers.

Whether or not you think this is real or a hoax, the interview brings out the best in Letterman, who quips, "What can you tell us about your days with the Unabomber?" in response to Phoenix's grizzly new look. (For more on Letterman, check out our interview Dave at Peace). Letterman genuinely seems to enjoy toying with the befuddled actor, slinging sarcasm at him each time Phoenix reaches for his coffee cup. After Phoenix says he'd love to perform on the show once his hip-hop album comes out, Letterman responds "You know, that seems unlikely. We'll certainly keep you in our rolodex."

Still we're not convinced this is Phoenix and not some character. Too often, Phoenix seemingly breaks out of character and a laugh almost penetrates his beard. When Joaquin is sternly accosted by Letterman for chewing gum, the one serious moment in the interview, Phoenix promptly places the gum under Letterman's desk like he'd been rehearsing the move. It's not in the above video, but during the broadcast, after Letterman quipped "Joaquin, sorry you couldn't be here tonight" and the segment ended, Phoenix stood up to shake Letterman's hand, raised up his sunglasses and looked Dave in the eyes, as if to say "I'm still here, thanks for playing along." That's just our hypothesis; he may indeed actually be this out of his skull.

Of course, actor Casey Affleck, Joaquin's brother-in-law and the director of the documentary about Phoenix's hip-hop dream, was reportedly at the CBS studios yesterday, no doubt filming this landmark interview. Affleck's role through all this still makes us think this is a hoax; If it was Errol Morris filming this downward spiral, we could believe it, but Affleck's enabling of his brother-in-law makes it feel like a Borat to us. As incredibly awkward as the interview was, it still can't touch the classic Crispin Glover visit.

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/02/12/joaquin-phoenix-appears-on-david-letterman-kind-of/


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

I saw it and I think it was a planned stunt, may be wrong though. When he took his sun glasses off and whispered in Dave's ear at the end and they both chuckled I wondered if it were not pre planned. I guess time will tell. His acting was excellent if it was a stunt. Ben Afflecks brother was there recording it for something, didn't hear all of that. Maybe in relation to Leslie's post.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Or are they saying it was a planned publicity stunt to excuse his behavior?

Betsy


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## David J. Guyton (Jan 6, 2009)

I only saw a little clip of it.....but I don't understand what they would want to accomplish with such a "stunt". He's introducing a character in an upcoming movie or something? 

If Hollywood wants my attention they shouldn't be pretending to be addicted to some substance.....maybe something REALLY weird like giving money to *charity or something.


*with non-political motivations


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## Sweety18 (Feb 14, 2009)

I didn't see it live but have been bombarded with it (every website I go to talks about it)


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Its an act. He is after all a very good actor. His buddy Casey Afleck I think is following him around filming his entry into his becoming a "rapper". He did some performances at clubs where he fell off the stage freaking out people. Maybe he is trying to do a Andy Kaufman. 

Lots of people seem to believe the whole thing. Like I said, good actor. I don't believe he would take drugs after his brother died in a Hollywood gutter from an overdose. Another great actor and died so young. 

It gave Dave finally a funny show again, he had some good zingers. I have been disappointed with Letterman for a while now. It made for great TV.


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## David J. Guyton (Jan 6, 2009)

Wasn't Kaufman literally crazy with the whole wrestling thing though? I thought that started as an act and then went totally out of control.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

surely.... hopefully, it was a stunt!


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I truly hope it was a stunt...If not, he needs some serious intervention.  He is talented.  Even if it were a stunt:  I can't help but think...Is that how I want the public to percieve me?  Strange, very strange.  It made that Farrah interview a couple years back look like apple pie.  Sad; stunt or not.


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## Cowgirl (Nov 1, 2008)

I saw it and think it was staged.  He isn't that weird. He's also no fool...here we are all talking about the interview and bringing his name up is good for his career regardless if it's positive or negative.


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## KindleMom (Dec 11, 2008)

I didn't see it but just have to say that I love me some Jaoquin!  He was amazing in "Walk the Line."  I can't believe that Reese Witherspoon won an Academy Award for that and he didn't.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I'm willing to bet that this was an act. 

I saw Joaquin Phoenix on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno years ago when he was promoting either Signs or The Village, and he acted a lot like this, if I'm not mistaken, Jay Leno said something similar to David's "Sorry you couldn't be here" as well. I think it was "I'd love to have you on the show sometime".


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

I just don't understand why someone who is such a talented actor would resort to such shabby tactics...he actually took the gum out of his mouth and stuck it to the underside of Mr. Letterman's desk.  To me he degraded himself and went from a distinguished actor, to a wannabe looking for a quirky plug.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

sjc said:


> I just don't understand why someone who is such a talented actor would resort to such shabby tactics...he actually took the gum out of his mouth and stuck it to the underside of Mr. Letterman's desk. To me he degraded himself and went from a distinguished actor, to a wannabe looking for a quirky plug.


Rumor has it that he had the gum in his mouth through the whole segment to keep from laughing (since it was planned) and the sticking it on the desk was also planned.

Who knows? I never watch Letterman or any of these late night shows, this is probably why. My time is better spent sleeping.

L


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

David J. Guyton said:


> Wasn't Kaufman literally crazy with the whole wrestling thing though? I thought that started as an act and then went totally out of control.


No. The wrestling stuff was all planned - even the "unplanned" fight between him and Jerry "The King" Lawler on Letterman.

You can find out more by watching "Man on the Moon" with Jim Carrey, or by reading Lawler's autobiography, "It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes."


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