For a lot of celebrities, interviews are just another component of their job. Celebs will agree to interviews as a way to draw attention to and promote their latest projects.
While interviews are just another cog in the promotional machine, they can be entertaining in their own ways. Sometimes interviews can be heartwarming, shocking, or just plain fun. At the end of the day, an interview is just another day at work for celebs and those asking the questions. Is it any wonder that they can get snarky with each other from time to time?
We decided to compile a list of some of our fave celebrity interviews where either the interviewer or the celebrity get snarky in some way. It doesn’t matter whether the interviewer is snarky, the celeb is snarky, or both parties are snarky—all three scenarios were considered for this list.
In no particular order, here are some of the snarkiest moments in celebrity interviews.
1. Shailene Woodley at the MTV Movie Awards (Jamie Lee)
This interview went viral back in 2014 thanks to Shailene Woodley’s snarky responses. The interviewer was almost definitely trying to have a relatable moment with the actor by complaining about being hungry on the red carpet, but that backfired when Shailene dryly tells her, “Well, you should eat.” (Shailene’s segment begins at 1:31)
2. Cher is a rich man (Jane Pauley)
In this 1996 interview with Jane Pauley, Cher likens men to dessert: “A man is not a necessity. A man is a luxury.” Pauley gets a little snarky with Cher and asks, “Did you say that to sound mean and bitter?” This author happens to think Cher’s declaration is kind of iconic, much like the woman herself. Cher finishes her thought by sharing an anecdote about her mother telling her to settle down and marry a rich man. Cher’s response? “Mom, I am a rich man.” The whole interview is worth a watch, but the quote about men begins at 3:24.
3. One Direction interview goes off the rails (TeleHit)
This 2013 interview promoting the album Midnight Memories has too many snarky moments to count. From the beginning when the interviewer asks One Direction to demonstrate how they hit on women at bars to when the band accuses the interviewer of not listening to their new album, this one will surely entertain. At 6:48, Harry asks the interviewer if he can borrow her questions, and when she tells him she doesn’t have any, he basically buffers and says, “That explains a lot.” Enjoy!
4. Justin Bieber talks about being sorry (GQ)
In this 2016 interview with GQ, Justin Bieber was fresh off of his Purpose album and enjoyed being one of the biggest popstars in the world. The interviewer is fairly snarky toward Bieber and calls him “unsettling” for responding to anecdotes with a “cool-eyed stare.” This interview also features an awkward conversation about Bieber’s pet monkey and informs us that J.B. is really good at arcade games.
5. Cara Delevingne gets sarcastic (Good Day Sacramento)
This 2015 interview during Cara Delevingne’s press tour for Paper Towns gets off to a bad start and quickly goes downhill. One of the interviewers gets Cara’s name wrong and asks her if she’s even read the book her movie is based off of. When she gives sarcastic answers in an attempt to lighten up the mood, the interviewers ask her if she’s tired and tell her to take a nap after the interview. When Cara abruptly shuts off her camera, the hosts continue to gossip about her. Very snarky!
6. Jennifer Lopez discusses her peers (Movieline)
Jennifer Lopez had not yet become the multi-hyphenate she is today when this 1998 Movieline interview was published. In it, she candidly discusses the careers of her fellow actresses and isn’t shy about expressing how much better she believes she is. It’s honestly a little refreshing to see J-LO bragging about herself instead of pretending to be humble.
7. Mads Mikkelsen and Daniel Craig get snarky about James Bond (Variety)
In 2014, the Belfast Telegraph reported Mads Mikkelsen lied to get his role as a villain in Casino Royale. When asked if he was a Bond fan, the actor replied that he loved the films even though he had never seen one. While he says he’s a fan now, Mikkelsen had no idea about the spy before auditioning. Daniel Craig hilariously asked him, “Who did you f**k?” when Mikkelsen got the role after one audition.
8. Dakota Johnson did invite Ellen to her birthday party (The Ellen Show)
When Ellen Degeneres asked Dakota Johnson why she wasn’t invited to the actress’ 30th birthday party, Johnson insisted that wasn’t the case. The interview continued to get awkward when Johnson slipped and called Tig Nataro her favorite comedian in front of Ellen. Snark ensued.
9. Jesse Eisenberg is either flirting or really snarky (Say My Name)
Romina Puga interviews Jesse Eisenberg for the film Now You See Me, and it gets painfully awkward. Eisenberg definitely hurts the interviewer’s feelings throughout the segment as he does a card trick he learned on the film. While Eisenberg’s remarks definitely seem like snark, they could also be viewed as an attempt at joking or flirting with Puga. Watch for yourself!
10. Dolly Parton is the epitome of grace (Barbara Walters)
In this 1977 interview, Dolly Parton responds to Barbara Walters’ sometimes patronizing questions with southern charm. The reporter asks about potential plastic surgery and Parton’s marriage, and the singer responds to the snark with nothing but smiles. It would’ve been easy for Parton to reply with her own snark, but she answers with enviable self possession.
There are many more snarky celebrity interviews, but we couldn’t fit them all into this list. Hopefully we didn’t miss any of your favorites. As long as there are interviews, we know that there will be plenty of snarky moments to appreciate in the future.