Although it comes with the territory, there are many celebs who hate doing interviews. There are a select few celebrities who have made it clear that they would rather be just about anywhere else than doing press or interviews. While some may begrudgingly fulfill their contractual obligations, it’s easy to spot the ones who are genuinely uncomfortable with the spotlight. These stars often seem to have a collective sigh of relief as they wrap up their obligations, eager to shed their public persona and return to the relative anonymity they crave.
Whether it’s due to a desire for a quiet life, a passion for their work that doesn’t require constant self-promotion, or simply a distaste for the artificial nature of media interviews, some celebrities are just not cut out for the glitz and glamour of the public eye. They may have made their fame through talent and hard work, but their true hearts belong elsewhere, where they can focus on what truly matters to them without the added stress of being “on”. So, here are 8 celebs who hate doing interviews.
8. Halsey
Out of many celebs who hate doing interviews, Halsey has always had a reputation for being difficult to navigate. However, it was clear that they just didn’t feel comfortable, with interviews and press not coming natural to them. In 2021, they then announced their decision to stop doing all press after an interview with Allure did not go the way they hoped for. In the interview, Halsey stated how Allure did not use their correct pronouns, taking to their Twitter (now X) page, writing: “First your writer made a focal point in my cover story my pronouns and you guys deliberately disrespected them by not using them in the article…Your admin bastardized a quote where I discuss the privilege of being the white child of a Black parent and intentionally used a portion that was the antithesis of the point I was trying to make.”
7. Karl Pilkington
Karl Pilkington never set out to be famous, so it’s easy to see why he has a distaste for interviews, press, and public appearances. Pilkington shot to fame after featuring on the succesful podcast, The Ricky Gervais Show. Initially, he was a producer on the show, however, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant decided to feature him on the show when they were amazed with his introspective and sometimes bizarre outlook on life. From here, he became a sensation, later going on to present the travel series An Idiot Abroad, and The Moaning of Life.
More recently, Karl Pilkington has forayed into acting. However, he rarely makes public appearances or does press for his material. On the rare occasion that he does, he openly admits that he doesn’t want to be there, showing off the grumpy persona he is famous for, which makes his interviews all the more entertaining.
6. Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg is undoubtedly near the top of the list of celebs who hate doing interviews. Known for playing awkward characters, this energy is very much felt in his interviews as well. In 2013, he faced controversy for an interview with journalist Romina Puga where he called her “the Carrot Top of interviewers” and said how she should “cry after the interview is over”, joking at its dishevelled pacing. Puga later wrote a blog post and stated how she felt humiliated, to which Eisenberg commented that he “didn’t know the appropriate way to handle something that’s completely mischaracterized.”
5. Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is one of the most acclaimed and iconic actors of all time. However, he also has a reputation for being “grumpy”. When he agrees to interviews, his answers can be rather fast and straight to the point. Some online fans have stated that Ford may have social anxiety, but Ford had a different explanation. In 2006, Conan O’Brien directly asked him about his “grumpy” image, and Ford simply said “That’s horse s***”. Then in February 2023, when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Ford was informed that many fans have diagnosed him with social anxiety. He replied: “No. I don’t have a social anxiety disorder. I have an abhorrence of boring situations.”
4. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage was once notorious for his reluctance to grant interviews, with a 14-year hiatus from talk shows being his longest streak of silence. In 2022, during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he even made a point to acknowledge the rarity of the occasion, saying “This is a big night for me. This is the first time I have been on national television on a talk show in 14 years.” However, it’s worth noting that Cage’s shift in behavior may be attributed to his financial struggles, which led to him filing for bankruptcy in 2010. Despite no longer shying away from the press or interviews as he used to, there’s still a lingering sense that Cage’s distaste for the spotlight remains. His tone and demeanor during his appearances seem to hint at a lingering discomfort with the attention, and it’s as if he’s only doing these interviews out of necessity rather than enthusiasm.
3. Larry David
A big part of Larry David‘s image is that he is socially inept and unable to conform to social norms. This image was inflated in Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he plays an exaggerated version of himself. However, over the years, he has stated that he has slowly started adapting to the ways of his character, becoming more and more like the fictional version of himself.
In his early days as a comic, David was infamous for walking off stage when it wasn’t going the way he wanted it to. He also quit his job at Saturday Night Live when his material wasn’t being used. In his later years ,when he found huge success, he would rarely make public appearances. More recently, he has succumb to the idea of press, however, he brings forth many character traits from his fictional character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, appearing waspish and somewhat offhand. Yet, he delivers his grumpiness in a comedic way, which only makes him more likeable and entertaining.
2. Jack Nicholson
After retiring from acting in 2010, Oscar-winning legend Jack Nicholson has become increasingly subdued, shying away from the public eye and refusing to grant interviews or make public appearances. This has led many to label him as a recluse, but in reality, this is not a new development for the iconic actor. Even during his heyday, Nicholson was notoriously selective about his public appearances, rarely deigning to appear on talk shows and only occasionally granting interviews to respected publications like Time magazine. As actor Dennis Quaid revealed during a podcast appearance with Jordan Peterson, Nicholson’s reluctance to engage in public interviews was already well-established in his youth.
1. Joaquin Phoenix
If you watch any interview with Joaquin Phoenix, it is abundantly clear that he does not want to be there. He is renowned for being unable to accept praise, and on many times has walked out of interviews. On the surface, he may come across rude, but really, it seems that his interests lay with the art form of acting and press is simply a contractual agreement. The Oscar-winner is often praised as one of the finest method actors of all time, thanks to his many immersive roles. So, even if he does come across curt at times, the industry tends to cut him some slack due to his sheer magnitude and faculty as a talented thespian. When talking about the matter with Independent, Phoenix said “It’s the TV stuff I struggle with where it’s just soundbites, I f****** hate that, and press conferences where you’re up on a stage and people are down there constantly taking pictures, it’s f****** awkward.” Want to read more about Joaquin Phoenix? Here are 10 of his movies that demand second chapters.
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