In 2009, Joaquin Phoenix was filming a mockumentary about the perils of celebrity with actor-director buddy Casey Affleck called "I'm Still Here," and the two decided Phoenix should show up to his scheduled appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in his oddball character. Sporting an untamed beard and sunglasses while chewing gum and being generally aloof, Phoenix's appearance had everyone befuddled, not least of whom Letterman himself. Letterman at one point even scolded Phoenix for chewing gum, to which Phoenix spat out the wad and stuck it under the desk. Letterman asked the actor about his time "with the Unabomber" and then roasted him, saying, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." Dang!
While no one at the time was sure if his appearance was real or a hoax, Phoenix did break character at the very end of the interview when he removed his sunglasses, something that he revealed upset director Affleck the following year when he returned to "The Late Show."
"Casey was very angry with me when I did that," he admitted to the host, who in turn said he felt like Phoenix had slipped and hit his head in the tub. "I apologize. I hope I didn't offend you in any way," Phoenix said. Affleck did eventually admit that the whole appearance was a hoax, per BBC News, and Phoenix told Playboy (via USA Today) that Letterman was definitely not in on the joke.
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