Quote

Sometimes it's like watching a train wreck. You're uncomfortable, but you just can't help yourself. Some of those so-called bad interviews actually turned into compelling television.

Over the last half century the television interview has given us some of TV's most heart-stopping and memorable moments. On the surface it is a simple format - two people sitting across from one another having a conversation. But underneath it is often a power struggle - a battle for the psychological advantage.

I think anyone doing an interview is to some extent on show. And therefore, we always want to put on our best face.

I like to do an interview when the other person isn't expecting it. I find it's more spontaneous.

I'm loath to do interviews. What comes out is generally not what I meant or thought I was saying or thought they were asking.

I just think the word interview, although it is the view between two people exchanged, became a sort of cliche. You ask questions and the other one answers.

There are few things quite so effortlessly enjoyable as watching an eminent person getting in a huff and flouncing out of a television interview, often with microphone trailing.

You never really meet a human being until you live with them or know them for awhile, so this is my clown and they understand that and so these interviews don't bother them.

People are not impressed by watching interviewees cry. People recognize chat shows with personalities as the trivial things that they are. They're not designed to be deep. Quite frankly, people in show business don't stand up to in-depth scrutiny.

Live interviews are more difficult to distort.