Ever wonder why live TV is so compelling? We live in an age where we can pull up almost anything we want to see on demand. Nonetheless, from podcasts to red carpets, audiences just can’t get enough of their favorite celebrities speaking off the cuff. Sometimes, this is because fans just love the celeb in question and want to know what they have to say.
Most of the time, though, audiences have a more sinister motive: they want to see when something goes wrong. Movie stars, musicians, and other celebs typically have a small army of editors and PR specialists to keep them from saying anything weird or offensive. However, in a live interview, anything can (and often does) go wrong, usually in the wildest possible way!
Don’t believe it? We’ve got some serious receipts. Just keep reading to discover the most cringeworthy live interviews in television history!
Samuel L. Jackson got confused with Laurence Fishburne
In 2014, Marvel icon Samuel L. Jackson sat down for an interview with KTLA. Things were going well until interviewer Sam Rubin asked the actor a seemingly innocuous question: “Did you get a lot of reaction to that Super Bowl commercial?” There’s just one problem: Jackson didn’t appear in a Super Bowl commercial that year. But there was a prominent commercial featuring another Black acting legend, Laurence Fishburne.
Simply put, Rubin had mistaken one Black actor for another. Jackson quickly clocked what was happening and began to berate the other man. “We don’t all look alike,” he said. “We may be all black and famous, but we all don’t look alike!” Eventually, the Marvel star went so far as to question Rubin’s credentials as a media expert. “You’re the entertainment reporter for this station? And you don’t know the difference between me and Laurence Fishburne?”
It’s a fair question. And all these years later, this interview is more awkward than ever before.
David Letterman sucked Jennifer Aniston’s hair (yikes!)
To this day, David Letterman is one of the most respected names in journalism, thanks to his many years of hosting late-night television. His interviews generally went well, aside from the occasional crazy guests. But when Jennifer Aniston came to The David Letterman Show in 1998, it was the host who was the problem, seemingly because he was hot and bothered by Aniston!
When she made a joke about running into fans inside a steam room, Letterman practically leered as he asked if she was naked when this happened. That was awkward enough, but afterward, the late-night host leaned over and said, “Forgive me if this is rude, I just want to try one thing.” Without further warning, he leaned in and began sucking on her hair while Aniston squealed. She said she was traumatized but otherwise rolled with the bizarre moment. Decades later, in the shadow of the #MeToo movement, online audiences have decided that Letterman basically assaulted her on live television, absolutely confident in his ability to get away with it!
Scarlett Johansson was asked about her undies
Scarlett Johansson was already a big name in Hollywood, but starring as Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe really took her career to the next level. However, the added fame came with some added weirdness, like when she was interviewed by Extra TV ahead of The Avengers premiere. During the interview, a male reporter asked, “Were you able to wear undergarments?” Before he even finished his sentence , the Marvel star told him, “You’re like the fifth person that’s asked me that today.” Seeming genuinely perplexed, she continued: “What is going on? Since when did people start asking each other in interviews about their underwear?”
At this point, the reporter tried to defend his question by mentioning how tight the suit was, but Scarlett Johansson wasn’t having any of it. “I’ll leave it up to your imagination. Okay? Whatever you feel like I should be wearing or not wearing under that costume.” She called him out for treating her so differently from her male colleagues before asking the question most fans watching had been thinking to themselves: “What kind of interview is this?”
Dakota Johnson put Ellen in her place
If you don’t already know this, Ellen is something of a menace when it comes to live interviews. She made Taylor Swift watch a montage of male celebs and ring a bell whenever she saw an ex; eventually, the musician had to tell her how bad all of this was making her feel. She once made Sofia Vergara say hard-to-pronounce words, seemingly mocking the Spanish native’s difficulty saying them. Ellen made Justin Bieber uncomfortable by making him talk about a photo where his penis was exposed, and she kept jokingly saying Mariah Carey was pregnant shortly before the singer told the world she had just had a miscarriage.
That’s why many of us cheered when Dakota Johnson finally put the talk show host in her place. Ellen brought up the movie star’s 30th birthday party and complained about not being invited. Johnson quickly pointed out that Ellen was invited and simply didn’t show up for the party…despite previously complaining about never getting invited to the 50 Shades of Grey star’s parties! Ellen kept insisting that she wasn’t invited, while Johnson stood her ground and told the host that she could always ask her producers for confirmation.
Was it cringe to watch? Sure. But seeing Ellen finally put in her place after years of tormenting fellow celebs? Now that’s priceless!