Top 20 Stars Who Fired Back at Their Interviewer
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Stars Who Fired Back at Their Interview. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most notable instances where celebrities flipped the script on rude or unwarranted press junket questions. What’s your favorite celeb interview clap-back? Let us know in the comments below!
#20: Jesse Eisenberg
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It’s hard to call what happened here an interview, considering Romina Puga barely got to ask any questions in the first place. Eisenberg’s frequent interruptions turn the so-called press event into a full-on roast, and not exactly a nice one, either. Even after Puga admits that she wants to cry, the two continue to play off Eisenberg’s insults with awkward laughter. The interview eventually wraps up with a cheesy magic trick, but there was no sleight of hand capable of making the public backlash disappear. The clip went viral, and while Eisenberg claims his comments were all in jest, his dry sense of humor is clearly an acquired taste.
#19: Mike Tyson
Most morning news interviews end with some softball questions and a smile. But, this Canadian anchor decided to throw Mike Tyson a curveball about his status as a convicted sex offender. For what it’s worth, Tyson brushed off the question with a surprising amount of poise. Unfortunately, that composure didn’t last long. Ironically, Tyson’s promoter was sitting right next to him, and you can practically see him start to sweat. Both he and the interviewer try to get things back on track, but despite their best efforts, the segment devolves into a string of f-bombs and name-calling. Did we mention this was on live TV, too?
#18: Cara Delevingne
These interviewers begin by mispronouncing Delevingne’s first name, and it only gets worse from there. So, it’s no surprise the actress isn’t exactly bouncing off the walls with excitement. But, despite that, she answers most of their pointed questions with humor and honesty. Still, the anchors aren’t keen on her attitude, and even call her out on it. Delevingne tries to deflect, but when the interviewers double down on the question, she claps back with her trademark sass. Delevingne’s feed abruptly cuts off before they can do a proper sign-off, but considering the tension in the air, that was probably for the best.
#17: Laverne Cox
When transgender model Carmen Carrera sat down for a talk show interview with Katie Couric, things got personal, fast. But, thankfully, Laverne Cox was there to save the day. As a prominent figure in the transgender community herself, Cox shut down all of Couric’s intrusive questions. Especially the ones about Carrera’s body parts. Cox further explained that by focusing only on the transition, Couric’s words distracted from the broader trans experience. In a future interview, Couric apologized and thanked Cox for calling her out. It just goes to show that if you’re ever going to do an interview, you want someone like Laverne Cox by your side.
#16: Snoop Dogg
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When this famed rapper arrived late to a Norwegian interview, it was only natural that they asked him why. After all, Snoop Dogg wasn’t just a few minutes delayed. No, he’d missed the start time by five whole hours. Even so, Snoop obviously wasn’t thrilled to be asked about his tardiness. He responded with a few expletives, and implied that they should be happy he even showed up. When the question was pressed, Snoop joked that he was off getting chicken wings. It doesn’t seem like these reporters ever got a good answer out of him. But, whether that’s because of the time constraints or their ill-advised question, we’ll never know.
#15: Lady Gaga
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Take notes, everyone. This is how you shut down rumors for good. During a sit-down with David Letterman, Lady Gaga refused to entertain any questions about her highly-theorized lifestyle. Letterman just wouldn’t quit, though. Eventually, Gaga made her displeasure known by stealing his interview notes right off his desk. When that didn’t work, she took it a step further and literally chewed them up. Keep in mind, they weren’t small sticky notes, they were full-sized pieces of paper. Was her reaction a bit out there? Absolutely. But, it did shut down the line of questioning, that’s for sure. And honestly, coming from Lady Gaga, we shouldn’t have expected anything less.
#14: Rihanna
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At first, the “Battleship” press tour was all smooth sailing. But, it inevitably hit some very choppy waters when Rihanna spoke with an Australian reporter. Following a few generic questions, the subject of the star’s private life came up. Specifically, how frustrating it must be to have her personal affairs broadcast to the world. Rihanna’s response was curt, to put it lightly. Even though it doesn’t look like the news anchor meant any offense, that one question was enough to sink the rest of the interview. Rihanna allegedly called things off soon after, ending the whole clip on a very uncomfortable note.
#13: Ariana Grande
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If there’s a record for most microaggressions in a single interview, this one might just take the cake. Whether it’s thinly-veiled sexism, toxic masculinity, or plain old intolerance, these radio hosts pretty much run the gamut of social issues. And Ariana Grande was not here for any of it. She shoots down each of their insensitive comments, one after the other, without so much as raising her voice. Later, the performer wraps up the interview by claiming that, if she could change one thing in the world, she’d get rid of judgment and bigotry. Grande remains a class act through it all, but the message is loud and clear.
#12: Matt Damon
During the 2011 Save Our Schools rally, this A-Lister marched alongside five thousand other protestors in support of teachers. But, Damon’s work was more than just for show. When an out-of-line interviewer implied that educators don’t have to work hard, Damon went off. His mother is a teacher, and clearly, she taught him how to convey an argument with tact, knowledge, and conviction. Damon’s respect for the school system is nothing short of applause-worthy, especially since he uses the reporter’s own flawed logic against them. As you can imagine, the interview doesn’t last very long after that. But, rest assured, Damon got his point across.
#11: Mila Kunis
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These “Friends with Benefits” co-stars are clearly buds in real life. Look no further than this infamous press junket, where Justin Timberlake is asked an incredibly rude question about his transition into acting. He doesn’t even get a chance to reply before Mila Kunis steps up to bat for him. She utterly dismantles the reporter’s question and train of thought, and all in Russian, too. It’s a true marvel to see, especially since poor Timberlake is a half-step behind on the translation. Not that Kunis needed the back-up, anyway. Once she’s finished, all Timberlake can do is joke that she’s his bodyguard. After what we just saw, we believe it.
#10: Tom Hardy
Top 10 Stars Who Fired Back at Their Interviewer
If anything, Hardy was far too polite. This interviewer at a press conference opens his questioning with the ridiculous statement that Hardy’s sexuality seems ambiguous. He then keeps rolling, asking if celebrities find it hard to openly discuss their sexuality before clarifying that he is asking Hardy directly about his. The actor simply asks why he is asking about that, which stumps the kid in his tracks, probably ending his career in the process. Hardy then gives him a simple but commanding “thank you,” ends the questioning on his own terms, and proves that he is just as badass in real life as he is in front of a camera.
#9: Anne Hathaway
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It seems as if male interviewers can’t shake the image of Anne Hathaway in a catsuit. First, it’s “Extra’s” Jerry Penacoli telling Hathaway that she is in “phenomenal shape” and asking what the leather suit was like. Then it’s Chris Van Vliet asking her how much weight she had lost to get in, again, “phenomenal shape.” While Hathaway takes it in stride and has a smile on her face the whole time, you can still tell that she was a little uncomfortable with the question, and, obviously, refused to answer it directly. He was lucky she’s so sweet.
#8: Mel Gibson
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There are a few things you don’t bring up in a simple promotional interview, including, as we’ve seen, a star’s sexuality and weight. We can add their past drinking problems to that list as well. Gibson appeared on WGN-TV with reporter Dean Richards to answer questions about his movie “Edge of Darkness.” Things were going well enough until Richards brought up Gibson’s problematic past, resulting in Gibson telling Richards to move on before wryly giving him a thumbs up and calling him an asshole. Richards probably just wanted ratings and views, and he certainly got that. And a little something extra…
#7: Samuel L. Jackson
People have been mixing up Samuel L. Jackson and Laurence Fishburne for years. But this interview and case of mistaken identity was the one that finally pushed Jackson over the edge. KTLA's Sam Rubin asked Jackson about the supposed Super Bowl commercial that he starred in, and this set Jackson off on a two-minute tangent in which he completely eviscerated Rubin on air. He constantly cut him off, told him that not all black people look alike, and even took a jab at Rubin’s job as an entertainment reporter. Rubin can do nothing but awkwardly laugh it off before conceding that it was a “well-deserved spanking.”
#6: Kanye West
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It isn't clear, but apparently Sway doesn't have all the answers. In this “Sway in the Morning” interview, Kanye West displays great modesty by declaring himself to be the single greatest artist of our generation – an equal to Shakespeare. When Sway tries to give Kanye advice on how to further his genius, Kanye goes ballistic and screams “You ain’t got the answers!” countless times directly into the microphone. To top it off, Kanye takes a jab at Sway's clothing line and constantly interrupts him by yelling into the mic. Kanye absolutely exploded on him - but then again, Kanye will Kanye, and Sway should have expected that.
#5: Robert Downey Jr.
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Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4 News has certainly made a name for himself in the early 21st century because of his belligerent interviewing style, as showcased with this infamous Robert Downey Jr. interview. RDJ’s reluctance to answer personal questions is clearly evident, as he looks off to his publicist and begins to breathe deeply. So when a well-warned Guru-Murthy brings up Robert’s troubled past, Downey simply says goodbye and walks out, leaving a curiously bewildered Krishnan sitting in awkward silence. To his credit, Downey doesn't unleash on him, but it's pretty bad for an interviewer to have their subject walk out of the room.
#4: Scarlett Johansson
OK, here’s a tip for all you budding reporters out there. Unless you're writing for an adult magazine or a lingerie blog, maybe don't ask your subjects about their underwear. Here we meet up again with “Extra’s” Jerry Penacoli – you know, the Anne Hathaway fan – who is now asking Scarlett Johansson about whether she wore underwear under her Avengers costume. Scarlett quickly deflects the question and harshly berates Penacoli, all while Jeremy Renner sits there and awkwardly laughs along. Johansson asks what kind of interview this is, and we can’t help but ask the exact same question.
#3: Quentin Tarantino
Once more we see Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy missing the mark, and the social cues. Guru-Murthy asks Tarantino about the relationship between cinematic and real violence, you know, Tarantino 101. Tarantino repeatedly tells Guru-Murthy to drop it and that his stance on the subject is well-documented, yet Krishnan sticks with it, leading to an incredibly awkward, four-minute long back and forth. We’re honestly surprised that Tarantino didn’t walk out like RDJ. Surely after the tenth time you tell someone to move on and they don’t do it, you would start to get a little annoyed. Has this guy not seen “Reservoir Dogs”?
#2: Jerry Seinfeld
“Seinfeld” is one of the most popular television shows, and arguably the most admired sitcom of all time - and Jerry doesn’t want you to forget it. During an interview with Larry King, the host asks the comedian if he stopped the show on his own terms or if it was canceled. This leads to Seinfeld ripping into King, asking King if knows who he is, telling him about the 75 million viewers who tuned in to the finale, and subtly jabbing King about the decreased quality of his talk show. You could argue that Seinfeld’s response was a little uncalled for... but 75 million viewers, damn it!
#1: Tom Cruise
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It's one thing to ask a stupid question, it's another to prank your interviewee. Here Tom Cruise was being interviewed at an event, when the interviewer squirted him with water via his prank microphone. Cruise seemingly has the patience of a saint, because he calmly berates the man and calls him a jerk instead of decking him straight in the face. And the best part? When the interviewer turns around, his face is puckered as if he’s about to cry. You know you’ve done a good job firing back at someone when they literally cry as a result.
