Joaquin Phoenix Still Haunted by His Infamous 2009 Prank on David Letterman

More than a decade later, Phoenix returns to late night to reflect on his bizarre “I’m Still Here” stunt — calling it a “horrible” misstep he deeply regrets.

Joaquin Phoenix has officially revisited one of the most bewildering chapters of his career — and he’s not laughing about it anymore. Over 15 years after his infamous 2009 appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, where he mumbled through an interview in dark shades and claimed to be quitting acting to become a rapper, Phoenix has offered yet another apology — this time while promoting his new film Eddington on Stephen Colbert’s version of the show.

The bizarre moment was part of the elaborate performance art mockumentary I’m Still Here, directed by Phoenix’s then brother-in-law Casey Affleck. The film followed Phoenix as a disheveled, erratic version of himself spiraling out of fame and into a faux hip-hop career. While the bit eventually revealed itself to be a hoax, the cringe-worthy damage was done — and the 2009 Letterman appearance became an instant pop culture punchline.

On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Phoenix opened up about the stunt’s original intention, saying he wanted the interview to feel “dangerous” and unscripted. “I called them back after doing the pre-interview in character,” Phoenix explained. “And I said, ‘This is what I’m doing. I just want Dave to lacerate me — to go in on me. I want to see what happens.’” He kept the act a secret from everyone except Letterman, to heighten the unpredictability.

But what was meant to be provocative quickly turned into something Phoenix now calls “one of the worst nights of my life.” He admitted that once the experiment went public, he felt trapped in character. “We shot the movie for over a year — I never expected that. I thought it would be a few weeks, maybe a couple months. But once we went public, I couldn’t stop. I had to keep it going.”

Phoenix, who has since earned an Oscar and taken on some of the most complex roles in modern cinema, didn’t mince words about the experience: “It was horrible. So uncomfortable. I regret it. I’ll never do it again. I’m sorry.”

This wasn’t Phoenix’s first time expressing regret. In 2010, shortly after the truth about the mockumentary was revealed, he returned to The Late Show and apologized directly to Letterman: “I hope I didn’t offend you in any way… I assumed you’d know the difference between a character and a real person. But I apologize.”

Today, Phoenix’s career is in full force again with Eddington, a gritty Western drama by Ari Aster, where he stars alongside Pedro Pascal. But the shadow of I’m Still Here still lingers — a reminder of the thin line between artistic risk and public misfire.

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