The most perfect interview of all time? Discuss.
In the lead-up to the release of Joaquin Phoenix’s new movie You Were Never Really Here (which is brilliant, but a tough watch), Interview Magazine sat him down for an afternoon to be, well, interviewed by Will Ferrell, who … doesn’t seem to have any projects out in the next few months, as far as we can see.
Anyways, there is a certain kind of genius in the magazine getting one of the most intense and “out there” actors to discuss their works, career and personal life with one of the most popular comedian and “zany” actors in Hollywood.
It is actually pretty great to see them compare their crafts, as Ferrell chats about Old School and uses it to compare to Phoenix’s Gladiator.
FERRELL: You mentioned you read the script, and that it didn’t really dawn on you that you’d be riding horses. I remember that happened to me with Old School, with a scene where my character streaks naked down the road, and I was like, “Oh, that’s a funny joke.” And then it came to the night that I had to shoot it. [both laugh] On a city street, in front of a lot of crew, and extras, and people in the street. And I was like, “Oh, yeah, I gotta do this now.” Those things can sneak up on you.
PHOENIX: The strange thing is that often I will fixate on things that, by the time I actually start shooting, seem really inconsequential, but for some reason, I think, “This is the scene that I’m worried about, this is what’s going to require the most work or struggle.” And then I completely miss the things that really end up being the most demanding. There’s almost always that moment the night before a scene when you go, “Wait a second, what? What are we shooting? I didn’t even remember this being in the script! This is something I’m actually doing?”
FERRELL: And you’re jumping out of a plane.
PHOENIX: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.
Or their discussions about Valentine’s Day:
Celebrities, they're just like us https://t.co/gS7mwchsMN pic.twitter.com/AQ9XULvp4G
— Mark Lieberman (@MarkALieberman) March 29, 2018
Or Phoenix discussing the difficulties of getting his dogs to happily mingle with his parnter’s (Rooney Mara) dogs:
There's much to appreciate in that Will Ferrell-Joaquin Phoenix interview – the extended banana conversation! – but the image of the Phoenix-Mara canine family cuddle pile is my particular favourite. pic.twitter.com/vKz1sc5Fmg
— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) March 29, 2018
Or Ferrell attempting to explain what Valentine’s Day is, even though Phoenix has already openly admitted to hating it:
Celebrities, they're just like us https://t.co/gS7mwchsMN pic.twitter.com/AQ9XULvp4G
— Mark Lieberman (@MarkALieberman) March 29, 2018
Or this back and forth, which began with a compliment, and devolved into a hilarious insult:
https://twitter.com/jakegyIlenheIl/status/979333033462566914
To which, the following conversation continued:
PHOENIX: [laughs] I don’t know if that’s why the movie worked. It probably had something to do with Ridley Scott.
FERRELL: In your personal life, are you sometimes a little bitch?
PHOENIX: Be more specific.
Or when Ferrell gets to the really meaty questions:
Will Ferrell there, interviewing Joaquin Phoenix & asking the burning question that all of us would like to ask. pic.twitter.com/Zm19BQV1ja
— Tom Reagan’s Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) April 2, 2018
Actually, the entire interview is pure genius from start to finish.
Check it out here.
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