On Wednesday, Julia Roberts made her 26th and final appearance on a David Letterman talk show, and she recalled how nervous she was during her first visit, back in 1988, to promote Mystic Pizza on Letterman's Late Night. She also explained why: "I had seen you absolutely dismember young actresses of my, kind of, peer group." So, she said, she assumed that Letterman would size up her intelligence and, "like a samurai, sort of Benihana me into pieces and I'll be left for dead and forgotten."
He didn't. But on Wednesday's Late Show, he also didn't dispute Roberts' characterization of his cutting interview style at the time. But he had a question: "What do you suppose was wrong with me? Why would I behave that way?" Roberts had an answer: "Because, I think, stupid people annoy you." That had everyone laughing, but Letterman has the perfect, self-deprecatory response that, frankly, cuts probably as close to the truth: "Well, that answers my problem of self-loathing." Watch below. —Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
'The disconnect between actual health care and the insurance model is widening'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Cautious optimism surrounds plans for the world's first nuclear fusion power plantTalking Point Some in the industry feel that the plant will face many challenges
-
Explore new worlds this winter at these 6 enlightening museum exhibitionsThe Week Recommends Discover the estrados of Spain and the connection between art and chess in various African countries
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
