Overview

• During a July 15 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Phoenix revisited his infamous 2009 Letterman interview and apologized for the stunt.
• He described the exchange as “horrible” and “so uncomfortable” and vowed never to attempt a similar performance again.
• Phoenix revealed that he warned Letterman’s producers he would stay in character to provoke a strong reaction and be “lacerated” on live television.
• Portions of the stunt were used in Casey Affleck’s mockumentary I’m Still Here, which spanned over a year of production and fueled viral speculation about his mental state.
• This marked Phoenix’s first late-night appearance since a 2010 follow-up apology to Letterman and coincided with promotion for his new film Eddington.