- 1 year ago
From unexpected clap backs to couch-jumping enthusiasm, these celebrity interviews left an indelible mark on pop culture. Join us as we revisit the most memorable moments when stars let their guard down, got real, or completely stole the show during what should have been routine media appearances.
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00:00I don't know if anybody can hate you, Mr. Woods, with your eyes and your American voice.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the celebrity interviews that have turned into moments of media history.
00:14You married it? Oh my god!
00:17Can you do the intro for us?
00:18Why not?
00:19Please?
00:21Number 10. Jack Nicholson shocks Jennifer Lawrence.
00:24Stars! They're just like us.
00:26Especially when it comes to Jennifer Lawrence, who's proven time and time again that she can be just as awkward as any regular non-Oscar winner in the right scenario.
00:34This is my life now. Hey, Jack. Hey, Jennifer.
00:36It was after her Best Actress win in 2013 that this memorable interview moment happened.
00:41Nicholson interrupts Lawrence's interview with George Stephanopoulos to congratulate the actress on her win, which totally catches her off guard.
00:48You did such a beautiful job.
00:50Lawrence tries her best to play it cool, but it's clear the kind words from an acting legend have her a bit shook.
00:56It was an unforgettable first encounter for sure, and we're grateful it was forever immortalized by this interview moment.
01:02Oh my god!
01:08Is he still here?
01:09Number 9. Robin Williams, King of Improv.
01:12More than just a comedian, this was a comedic genius.
01:16His talent is on full display in this electrifying interview with Johnny Carson in 1991.
01:21Someone give him a dagger!
01:22Every second is packed with brilliant impressions and lightning-fast improvised jokes, covering everything from Shakespeare to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
01:33Top-notch interviewer Carson rolls right with Williams, throwing in perfectly timed responses that never interrupt Williams' flow.
01:40Schwarzenegger walks into the room.
01:42I'm back. Watch out, Denmark.
01:47Mother, come here. I love you.
01:49Big kiss for you.
01:50This masterful showcase of wit and humor highlights all the things we miss the most about Robin Williams, who sadly passed in 2014.
01:57Thankfully, we have this iconic interview and countless others to remember this industry legend by.
02:03Who knew 10%?
02:04My lord must give up that check for not feeling this. Carpe diem sees the check and yet Neil Bush still works.
02:10Number 8. Kiki Palmer doesn't know this man.
02:12In the name of complete and total honesty, Kiki Palmer strapped in for a lie detector test courtesy of Vanity Fair in 2019.
02:20Though she was promoting her then-upcoming film Hustlers, the questions delved into her entire acting career.
02:25So you sing, you dance, and you act. Would you call yourself a triple threat?
02:31I mean, yeah, I would say I'm a triple threat, but I usually just say I'm an entertainer.
02:34At one point, the former True Jackson VP star was presented with the photo of another famous VP, Dick Cheney.
02:41He served under President George W. Bush, but Palmer didn't recognize the politician in the slightest.
02:46I hate to say it. I hope I don't sound ridiculous. I don't know who this man is.
02:50Her hilarious response was immediately clipped and memed like crazy, becoming one of Palmer's best-known viral moments.
02:57Years later, when Palmer was asked if she ever looked up who he was, she confessed he didn't seem worth the research.
03:02No lie detected.
03:04After finding out who he is, I'm glad I did know.
03:07Number 7. Danny Pudi Gets Real with Larry King
03:10From Vladimir Putin to Oprah Winfrey, Larry King was used to interviewing some of the most influential cultural figures in the world.
03:17In a conversation with Community and Mythic Quest star Danny Pudi, he had a humbling moment.
03:22All right, give me a luxury. What luxury should I have?
03:24Private plane.
03:25King asked Pudi which luxuries he couldn't live without, and was disappointed by his relatively ordinary answers.
03:31Pudi's blunt response, while still respectful, reminded King that we can't all be media legends.
03:36Some of us do live quite ordinary lives.
03:39A luxury I can't live without coffee. I really like good stuff.
03:43The February 2020 interview went largely unnoticed when it first came out, as we were otherwise preoccupied.
03:49After King's unfortunate passing in 2021, the interview resurfaced as a charming moment of intergenerational banter between the DuckTales star and an icon of entertainment.
03:59Larry, I'm on DuckTales and Mythic Quest.
04:03There's no private planes for me.
04:05Number 6. Mila Kunis goes off topic
04:08After countless interviews asking the same questions as she promoted her then-upcoming film Oz the Great and Powerful, it seemed Mila Kunis was itching for something new.
04:16Her wish was granted in the form of rookie interviewer Chris Stark with BBC Radio 1.
04:21How are you feeling? How are you feeling?
04:23I'm a little less nervous than when I walked in.
04:25Kunis decided to flip the script on a starstruck Stark, letting him ramble about pub nights with friends and football matches in this reverse interview.
04:32Despite endless distractions, she still delivers answers to standard press questions in rapid-fire fashion to ensure a job well done for her interviewer.
04:40Kunis is clearly excited and entertained by this unconventional interview, and we all benefit from it.
04:46This is the best interview I've had today.
04:48Are you serious?
04:49Yes.
04:49Number 5. Tom Holland is unexpectedly starstruck.
04:53While interviewers aren't typically awe-inspiring to their movie star interviewees, things can be a little different when you're known as the WatchMojo lady.
05:01Welcome to WatchMojo.
05:02Yeah.
05:02That's me.
05:03Hey!
05:03Oh, no way!
05:04Tom Holland and Jacob Batalon were thrilled to find out that they were meeting the voice behind their favorite Top 10 videos.
05:10They even got an exclusive look behind the scenes as I gave them a live intro read.
05:14I've never done this in person.
05:16Welcome to WatchMojo.
05:17Only Zendaya seemed confused about what was happening and why her co-stars were so excited, but we still love her anyway.
05:23This clip is beloved not just by us at WatchMojo.
05:26It totally went viral after Marvel fans clipped this hilarious and unexpected interview moment.
05:31Hello, Rebecca.
05:32WatchMojo.
05:34I love WatchMojo.
05:35No.
05:36Number 4. Do you wear wigs?
05:38Welcome to the Easter egg. You found it. Congratulations.
05:41Originally an Easter egg from the DVD menu of The Return of the King,
05:44this prank saw Elijah Wood being interviewed by Hans Jensen, who was actually his co-star Dominic Monaghan.
05:51Wood is, of course, completely unaware that this interview is a prank,
05:55and he gets increasingly confused and uncomfortable as Jensen's questions get weirder and weirder.
05:59Do you wear wigs?
06:01Uh, no, I do not.
06:03Once uploaded online, the interview quickly went viral, particularly for these hairpiece-related inquiries.
06:09At multiple points, Wood can't keep it together and completely breaks,
06:13much to the delight of his co-star and prankster friend.
06:16You play football, you kick, you kick balls.
06:19Eventually, Monaghan reveals his ruse, and Wood, unsurprisingly, takes this friendly joke well.
06:30Number 3. Madonna on Letterman
06:32In 1994, the late show with David Letterman skyrocketed in viewership thanks to one controversial interview.
06:39She said, I can't.
06:41A lot of people would cave in to the pressure and say, oh, all right, they'd go out and kiss him and get it over with.
06:46There was already pre-existing tension between Madonna and Letterman,
06:49as the latter had made disparaging comments about her personal life.
06:53His introduction was the final straw that set Madonna off on an F-bomb and innuendo-filled interview that made history.
06:59I'm telling you are a sick...
07:01It became the most censored episode in American talk show history,
07:07but ratings soared to record levels that night thanks to Madonna's attention-grabbing antics.
07:12Some saw her behavior as playful, others found it offensive,
07:15but both sides were glued to their television sets.
07:18I don't know why I get so much...
07:20The one-named singer later explained her behavior as a statement on television censorship,
07:25and she and Letterman publicly made up later that same year.
07:29Number 2. The infamous couch-jumping interview
07:31It was kind of a strange excitement never seen on television before,
07:35and it certainly made a lasting impression.
07:37Tom!
07:38This is something I have to discuss with her personally, but, you know...
07:41Yes!
07:44Tom Cruise's 2005 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show began ordinarily enough,
07:48with the star receiving a warm welcome from the audience.
07:51Cruise began professing his love for his girlfriend Katie Holmes,
07:54his energy and excitement building until he is literally jumping on Oprah's couch.
07:59We've never seen you behave this way before.
08:01I know.
08:01Have you ever felt this way before?
08:04Cruise, with encouragement from the frenzied audience,
08:07even brings an unsuspecting Holmes out from backstage to even more applause.
08:11Looking back, it seems Cruise was feeding off the energy from an audience
08:15overly excited to be in the presence of a mega-movie star.
08:18I don't want to disappoint her.
08:21Still, there was definitely some bizarre behavior displayed here from Cruise.
08:25Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
08:30Justin Bieber likes that laugh.
08:32The pop star's reaction to Maria Menounos' laugh goes viral.
08:35I like that laugh.
08:40That's my evil laugh.
08:41Robert Downey Jr. walks out.
08:43Prying questions cause Iron Man star to opt out.
08:46I'm sorry, I really don't...
08:48What are we doing?
08:50Well, I'm just asking questions, that's all.
08:52Right.
08:52Okay, that's all right.
08:53Bye.
08:54Thank you, guys.
08:55Are you...
08:57Cher doesn't mince words with Letterman.
09:00The singer shares her honest opinion to her interviewer's face.
09:03Now, let's explore this a little.
09:05Why?
09:06Because you thought I was, uh...
09:08An ass.
09:08Marlon Brando on Larry King Live.
09:10A kiss for you, King, from an eccentric actor.
09:13I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
09:17Darling.
09:18Goodbye.
09:19Goodbye.
09:19Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford catch a case of the giggles.
09:23From Gosling and Ford to interviewer Alison Hammond,
09:25no one here is serious.
09:27Tell me the script.
09:28Anyway.
09:33Before we continue,
09:34be sure to subscribe to our channel
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09:47Number one.
09:50Dakota Johnson claps back on Ellen.
09:52In 2019, Ellen DeGeneres was still known as the nice, friendly,
09:57daytime talk show host who dances all the time.
09:59This interview was one of the first instances of a crack in Ellen's reputation,
10:03and the internet ate it up.
10:06Are you sure?
10:07Yeah.
10:07How do you know?
10:08I don't think so.
10:09Ask everybody.
10:10Dakota Johnson's infamous words caught Ellen in a lie,
10:13one meant to put Johnson in an awkward spot on television.
10:16Ellen had indeed been invited to Dakota's party.
10:19This was confirmed by Ellen's team,
10:21who reminded her she was out of town and couldn't make it.
10:24Why didn't I go?
10:25I don't know.
10:28Was it, was it?
10:29You're out of town.
10:30Ellen's joke backfired,
10:31and she became the one in an awkward position.
10:34The interview doesn't shake the tension afterwards
10:36and is a bit of an uncomfortable watch.
10:39But we have to admire Johnson's willingness to speak her truth.
10:42No, I think I do remember I was invited.
10:44Which celeb interview makes you cringe and which cracks you up?
10:47Let us know in the comments.
10:48This happened the other day.
10:50Throwing things and catching them in my mouth.
10:52My friend was like trying to do it.
10:53It was like, can you do it?
10:54And I was like, oh, and it was awesome.
10:56I was.
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