Joaquin Phoenix was the guest of honor on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday evening, marking his first appearance on a late-night show since his notorious interview with Dave Letterman in 2009. The Oscar winner had appeared on Letterman’s "Late Show" in character, sporting shaggy hair and an untamed beard, as part of his mockumentary "I’m Still Here", which documented his life after announcing his retirement from acting to pursue a hip-hop career.<\/p>\n
Phoenix sat down with Colbert and revealed that his intention was to get a reaction from not only Letterman but also from the public. However, he did give the show a heads up beforehand. "When I went on with Dave on this show, I had created the character before the interview, and I realized it was just a bit silly, so I called them up and said, ‘Listen, I’m going to come out here and do this whole thing. I just want you to like me,’" Phoenix explained.<\/p>\n
The interview itself was "terrible", according to Phoenix, who admitted that it was "so uncomfortable" and that he regrets it to this day. "I’ll never do it again. I’m so sorry," he said. After sharing a laugh with Colbert, Phoenix apologized again, saying, "He could be [watching], and I just have to say I’m sorry."<\/p>\n
This is not the first time Phoenix has apologized for the incident. When he returned to "The Late Show" in 2010, he apologized to the late-night host, saying, "I hope I haven’t offended you in any way… You’ve interviewed many, many people, and I assumed that you would know the difference between a character and a real person, but I apologize."<\/p>\n
Looking back on the moment, Phoenix thought, "It was strange because it was a success in a way, and it was just one of the worst nights of my life." The experience has clearly had a lasting impact on the actor, who is currently promoting his new film "Beau is Afraid" directed by Ari Aster.<\/p>\n
Take a look at Phoenix’s full interview with Colbert below.<\/p>\n