Stephen Colbert's Guest Was Clearly Out Of It From The Night Before And Started Smoking Mid-Interview

Summary

• Key Takeaways:
• Stephen Colbert has had troubling interviews with intoxicated guests, similar to David Letterman's experiences on the Late Show.
• Sean Penn admitted to taking Ambien and smoked during his interview, which was well-received by fans.
• Other guests, such as Jennifer Lawrence and Diane Keaton, have also had altered states during their interviews with Colbert.

We have seen this happen before. Stars appear on talk shows and they aren't themselves. This goes way back to the Late Show with David Letterman. In one instance, fans were feeling sorry for Dave's now deceased guest Farrah Fawcett, who was clearly intoxicated during their interview.

Since taking over from Letterman, Stephen Colbert has had some troubling interviews as well. We're going to reveal which guests might've been under the influence. In addition, we'll look back on Colbert's iconic interview with Sean Penn. The actor was completely open, admitting to taking Ambien the night before. Penn dropped some truth bombs during the interview, and would even smoke a cigarette.

Let's take a look back at how it all went down.

Sean Penn Told Stephen Colbert He Was On Ambien The Night Before Their Interview, And Started Smoking During The Chat

Certainly not what fans expected during Sean Penn's chat alongside Stephen Colbert. Penn was lighting up and smoking during his Colbert interview, while he also admitted to taking Ambien the night before.

“You’ve inherited a little bit of the Ambien I had to take to get to sleep after a red-eye last night,” Penn tells Colbert during the interview. “How do you tell Sean-Penn-on-Ambien from Sean-Penn-NOT-on-Ambien," Colbert asks. Which leads to the epic moment of Penn pulling out a cigarette and smoking during the interview.

The fan reaction to the moment was extremely positive, given that people appreciated how real Penn is, especially later on in his career.

Penn was certainly candid during his interview. He would also reveal why he wasn't as inspired by acting at the time.

“The greatest thing that an actor can bring to the party is to play well with others — it’s the collaboration — and I increasingly don’t play well with others,” he explained while smoking.

“And so it becomes less enjoyable, because I love that process when I love it, but I’m not loving it anymore and that’s really why I finally came around to writing a novel because I didn’t have collaborators. I was never disappointed with me.”

Penn made other bold reveals during the interview, and one of them was taking a shot at Netflix.

Sean Penn Also Took A Shot At Netflix During His Interview With Stephen Colbert

We can't say that the Sean Penn interview wasn't entertaining. His interview clip on YouTube generated over 1 million views. Among the other topics of conversation included Penn's dislike for films playing on Netflix. Penn has an appreciation for the old school method of going to a movie theater and watching your favorite actor.

He told Colbert, “I think part of it is the girl I fell in love with was going into a movie theater in the dark with strangers and seeing something that might last forever,” he said. “Now there’s so much content, I can’t keep track of it and nothing seems special.”

Hard to argue with Penn's statement, as streaming services have hurt the experience of watching a film in the theater. Penn was very entertaining, and although he did admit to taking Ambien and smoking during the interview, it was far from Colbert's most awkward chat.

It Wasn't The Only Time A Guest Was Out Of It During An Interview With Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert had other guests that were in an altered state. Jennifer Lawrence admitted she had too much to drink on national television during her interview with Stephen Colbert. Though in truth, it was a playful interview between the two.

The same didn't hold true for Stephen Colbert and his interview with Diane Keaton. Colbert was put in a tough spot after Keaton accused him of harassment during their awkward interview. For whatever reason, Keaton seemed to be very off throughout the interview.

She told Colbert after their hug exchange that looked completely innocent, "Oh my god," she says while smacking Colbert in the chest. "I'm bringing you up on charges, you touched me." Colbert jokingly responds, "As well you should. We're gonna makeout as soon as the cameras go off."

Keaton wasn't herself throughout the conversation and even tried leaving the stage during her interview as Colbert was attempting to sign off the show. He had to grab his guest and make her stay put as he was giving his closing comments.

So yes, looking back, Sean Penn was tame in comparison to other interviews that took place on the Late Show.