I meant to get to this earlier but I was consumed with NYFW. Yesterday before work I probably watched the Joaquin Letterman appearance twenty times. Part of me feels bad for him, but part of me was completely enthralled by his despondent and seemingly drug induced behavior. Seeing as Gwenth is his co-star in the upcoming film “Two Lovers,” I couldn’t help but to think of Richie in the Royal Tenenbaums. The beard and the dark glasses (seen here wearing Tom Ford frames; thanks to Jordan from SilverLining for clearing that up for me). All he is missing is some corduroy. So while Joaquin’s personal life is a mess — without being insensitive — I don’t think he has ever looked cooler.
He’s taken off his shoes and one of his socks and…actually, I think he’s crying.
christopher
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:19 PM:
yeah, I thought about posting up the video on this too but in the end decided not to exploit a train wreck. Especially in light of how his brother died.
on a lighter note, got to love the Persols.
christopher
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:22 PM:
not Persols? my bad.
Michael Williams
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:23 PM:
Tom Ford eyewear…
Jon #2
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:27 PM:
It’s all a hoax to promote Two Lovers. “Oooooh look, it’s the role that drove joaquin crazy…”
Finn
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:51 PM:
It was all an act. The clip linked above is a truncated version of the full interview. In the longer clip (now apparently removed by CBS), at the end of the segment, he takes off his glasses and engages Letterman in normal conversation as they cut to commercial.
Amit
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:51 PM:
this has been documented in the gossip ragz as an immaculate ruse. more power to him.
matthew
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:54 PM:
vegans have more fun.
Sid Watal
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 12:56 PM:
I don’t know what it is. His rap career, the Casey Afleck documentary, his weird behavior. I am enthralled by it all. I can’t look away.
Jordan
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:00 PM:
They were probably based on a 1970s Persol, but they are actually Chinese made Tom Fords.
joshua
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:00 PM:
This is all in preparation for his upcoming role as Julian Schnabel.
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/04/the_creepiest_quote_from_today.html
br
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:12 PM:
I heard it’s all an act/ruse for an upcoming Casey Affleck-directed mockumentary of Phoenix. There’s a listing for it on imdb.
youbetyourbeard
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:17 PM:
two thumbs way up!
victoria thorne
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:22 PM:
@aplusk on twitter, who might know a few things, says this: “I saw him in DC at an inauguration after party, he was in character there as well. He’s awesome!” And the doffed glasses moment leads me to believe it is all a role. Brilliantly produced, if so.
Look at the press it’s getting. More interesting: look at the welter of emotion it has stirred in the community. Perhaps what we all need now is a train wreck to…
He’s basically, honestly, just an exquisite actor, whatever this moment is… And so is Dave. Clearly.
Nathaniel Richards
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 1:54 PM:
I believe he is too authentic to be stuntin’, however you can’t help but feel that this is some kind of brandoesque point. I do believe this interview illuminated the absurdity of david letterman, not joaquin! I think maybe his behavior is the most stable, sane reaction I’ve seen to the tumult and bs of hollywood and the media.
sam
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 2:44 PM:
letterman + stoic interviewee = pure gold
(and i think they all knew so before the first frame)
Spencer
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 3:51 PM:
Ever heard of Andy Kaufman?
The only difference is that I don’t think Joaquin planned this out quite as thoroughly as Andy might have.
robbo
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 4:04 PM:
utter hoax
Michael Williams
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 4:07 PM:
Even if it is a hoax, he looks cool. I think Spencer is right re: Andy Kaufman. Either way, it is entertaining.
ACL
Meridith
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 4:43 PM:
Don’t you think he is completely putting us on?
Tyler
on Feb 13th, 2009
@ 5:09 PM:
This is an act. Honestly. But it still doesn’t discredit how incredibly cool he looks.
rob
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 12:03 AM:
a friend of mine at Metro interviewed him a few hours before the letterman thing, she said that whether or not it is an act, his unshowered scent is quite real. i would agree he looks better with the beard and sunglasses. his clipped answers and refusal to dance like a monkey for dave may make him a bad guest but in my book make him more interesting.
jeremy
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 12:28 AM:
Why have we not talked about his “rapping” yet?
So, so awesome and funny.
robbo
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 6:49 AM:
yeh it’s all about looking cool if your a dickhead doesn’t matter
citizen wayne
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 7:05 AM:
Staged I think. Either way DL was a insensitive prick to a guy who’s supposed to be going through a hard time. I doubt they’d let somebody go live on the show who was this messed up to begin with.
carter
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 8:37 AM:
i miss people, too. your brother is dead. take care of yourself.
admiral dewy wilkins
on Feb 14th, 2009
@ 3:03 PM:
That’s 72 unforced errors for Richie Tenenbaum. He’s playing the worst tennis of his life. What’s he feeling right now, Tex Hayward?
I don’t know, Jim. There’s obviously something wrong with him. He’s taken off his shoes and one of his socks and… actually, I think he’s crying.
I think you’re right.
Who’s he looking at in the friends’ box, Tex?
That’s his sister, Margot and her new husband, Raleigh St. Clair. They were just married yesterday, Jim.
Oh, yes.
I’ve never seen anything like this.
Neither have I.
Strange day out here at Windswept Fields.
Mitch
on Feb 15th, 2009
@ 3:31 AM:
I agree with Spencer. The first thing i thought was, KAUFMAN!
Joe
on Feb 15th, 2009
@ 5:38 AM:
judging by Joaquin’s appearance on the Letterman show, he might be going through an identity crisis
robbo
on Feb 15th, 2009
@ 5:59 PM:
joe
rnt we all, called being human
ramshacklers
on Feb 16th, 2009
@ 1:14 AM:
Love the reference to Richie’s meltdown but I think this episode has more in common with Eli Cash’s interview moment performed in an obsolete vernacular.
wildcat. wild – cat. I’m gonna go. I’m takin’ this off and I’m goin’.
Warren
on Feb 16th, 2009
@ 2:15 PM:
Rich boy yuck-em-up. I’m not buying the Vincent Gallo affectation.
elizabeth
on Feb 16th, 2009
@ 3:41 PM:
haaaahahaha…”why’d you choke out there, baum-er?”
Mac
on Feb 16th, 2009
@ 5:08 PM:
that youtube video with the late night show was hilarious!! couldnt stop laughing there
Laguna Beach Trad
on Feb 17th, 2009
@ 3:41 PM:
Awesome. Simply awesome. Love the beard and long hair. He looks the sort of guy I’d go surfing with at Hanalei right about now.
Benni Button
on Feb 24th, 2009
@ 3:51 AM:
I am not sold on this look. Isn’t it the same tired “bearded artiste hipster” look that has been popular since a few years now (at least in cities > 100000 people) ?
Also, like other commenters said, even if you consider this look “cool”, I would take anything coming from a Hollywood A-List actor with a grain of salt. I bet this is something that some PR guy who’s into “viral marketing” made up to get the internet buzz for a few weeks (which he succeeded in).
We shouldn’t be so easily marketed to. And no, I don’t particularly like “No logo” or am against globalization in any way. I just don’t think what this guy does is interesting.
east side bride
on Feb 24th, 2009
@ 5:45 PM:
Well done, PR.
And the new look is slammin.
backyard bill
on Feb 25th, 2009
@ 3:06 AM:
is it possible he has had a nervous breakdown?
(he does look cool though)
hope he’s ok
tt-ma
on Feb 25th, 2009
@ 11:42 PM:
I thought Richie wears a camelhair.
k
on Mar 6th, 2009
@ 3:46 AM:
dude he’s a fuking actor, get it?
he played it brilliantly w/ d-bag dave.