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!
The Most Cringeworthy Live Interviews In Television History
