Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman show to promote his new film "Two Lovers," came out in his new hirsute glory, looking the part of a ZZ Top acolyte, complete with sunglasses. Letterman set him up to talk about the movie and Phoenix, who has become famous for his mumbling abstractions and mildly weird utterances, obliged Letterman by answering in mostly monosyllables and "I don't know."
Letterman asked what he would do if he would no longer be acting, Phoenix said he was working on his music - hip hop. Which got a titter from the audience. Phoenix asked his host, "That's a joke? What do you have them on? What do you gas them up with?"
When Letterman asked if it was 'fun' about working with the talented Isabella Rossellini, Phoenix said, "Yes," but did not elaborate. After an uncomfortable pause, he added, "I did, yeah." When Letterman asked if he had any "fun stories to tell us," Phoenix sat quietly for several seconds and then slightly shook his head from side to side, which prompted Letterman to turn away, laughing. After a few more seconds, Phoenix forced himself to say, "I mean, I'm sure something fun happened."
When David Letterman asked about his beard, Joaquin Phoenix told Letterman he made him feel "weird" about it. Letterman said, "I can't be the first one to make you feel weird about it."
When Letterman couldn't think of Phoenix' co-star's name, Gwyneth Paltrow, Phoenix simply stared at him for a few seconds before Letterman said her name, then, as if an obstruction had been cleared, Phoenix monotones, "Oh, yeah. Gwyneth Paltrow, Vanessa Shaw." After a lengthy compliment of how good the movie was, which was obviously a leading statement, Phoenix simply replied, "Thank you."
