Top 10 Actors Who NEVER Do Interviews
#10: Leonardo DiCaprio
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You won’t typically see Leo on late-night television. The A-list actor has been a mainstay in the press for decades, but he has largely stepped back from doing talk show interviews. His occasional appearances are typically in a group setting and promote a specific project. In 2019, he appeared with his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” costars, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, on an episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” He also participated in a few interviews with Jennifer Lawrence to talk about “Don’t Look Up.” However, fans have to stick to the tabloids to try to learn about his personal life.
#9: Jesse Eisenberg
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This actor’s disappearance from the media circuit came after a 2013 interview went wrong. Eisenberg appeared in the interview series “Say My Name” with journalist Romina Puga to promote his 2013 film, “Now You See Me.” When the video came out, Puga wrote a blog post explaining that she felt humiliated by the actor, who criticized her interview style and compared her to the comedian Carrot Top. The public backlash to his behavior gave him a reputation for not wanting to do many interviews. However, in the years since the incident he has returned to late-night television to promote his work.
#8: Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage had quite a streak going of not appearing on talk shows before 2022. It had been 14 years since he had been on late-night television when Nicolas Cage came to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to talk about “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” In previous years, he would participate in the occasional video alongside a film or answer questions on the red carpet. In the time he was absent from late-night, plenty of rumors about his Las Vegas lifestyle, exotic animal collection, and family life surfaced — all of which he addressed with Kimmel.
#7: Johnny Depp
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As far back as 1993, Johnny Depp was talking about how he didn’t like talking about his personal life. The global star rarely sits for an interview, although he has appeared on “The Ellen Show” a few times. He was the subject of several print articles in 2018, and has stayed rather quiet since. The pieces dealt with his reportedly dire financial situation and his divorce from Amber Heard. In the extremely publicized events of the defamation trial between Depp and Heard in 2022, the actor did not give press interviews. His mistrust of the media has become part of his reputation.
#6: Kristen Stewart
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Having to endure the “Twilight” promotional circuit probably didn’t do her any favors. Kristen Stewart has spoken about shying away from interviews due to her anxiety. While promoting her performance as Princess Diana in “Spencer,” Stewart sat down for a longer interview on “CBS Sunday Morning.” In it, she discussed how she wasn’t prepared to become a household name or deal with the amount of tabloid attention that followed. Since the “Twilight” years have passed, Stewart has remained private about her personal life and still does not appear often on television interviews.
#5: Christian Bale
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Even the powers of Disney could not get Christian Bale back on late-night television. Although the actor will speak for print interviews and has been known to sit for a video, Bale’s last appearance on a late-night talk show was in the early aughts. He starred alongside Matthew McConaughey and Gerard Butler in the 2002 sci-fi fantasy film “Reign of Fire” and went on “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn” to promote it. He appeared in good spirits on the show but clearly was not there voluntarily. He even dropped a lewd statement hinting at his reason for being there. Since then, the actor has avoided the late-night desk entirely.
#4: Jack Nicholson
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You’re definitely more likely to catch Jack Nicholson at a Lakers game than on late-night television. The actor will only speak for print media. To see him speak on camera, you typically have to go back to pieces from the seventies or eighties. The iconic actor is sometimes called a recluse, although his long life in the public eye has stirred up plenty of stories. However, fans won’t hear him comment on them. Nicholson seemingly took a step back from acting in 2010, so he’s living his life even further from the spotlight.
#3: Daniel Day-Lewis
Although his Oscar-winning performances and reputation for method acting have granted him widespread fame, Daniel Day-Lewis has been known to keep his life exceptionally private. This includes shying away from interviews, where fans might learn more about him. He spoke to The Guardian in 2008 about his aversion, explaining that the public knowing more about actors leads to an audience being distracted when attempting to watch them perform. Even when he announced his retirement from acting in 2017, he did so through a spokesperson. True to form, they called the surprise announcement a private decision.
#2: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen
Child stardom can lead to a desire for privacy in adulthood. That is certainly the case for famous twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The two became stars as infants on “Full House,” following their run on the show with years of film and television appearances. When they retired from acting to focus on their fashion line, The Row, they were reportedly hesitant to remain in the spotlight. In a rare interview with i-D Magazine in 2021, Mary-Kate described her and Ashley as “discreet people.” Their fashion line reflects this, as they rarely use their image to sell the brand.
#1: Joaquin Phoenix
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He wants nothing to do with soundbites. Joaquin Phoenix has spoken before about his distaste for the awkward, busy settings of talk shows. He walked out of an interview with The Telegraph when asked about how audiences might misinterpret the message behind his 2019 film “Joker.” He even sat down for a bizarre segment on “The Late Show with David Letterman” in 2009, which viewers decided had to be a piece of performance art. Over several decades, Phoenix has earned a reputation as a gifted actor — but maybe not a great interviewer.
