Ex-TV insider reveals the absolute worst celebrities to interview—names you won't believe!
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The glitz and glamour of Hollywood often paint a picture of celebrities as larger-than-life figures, always ready with a smile and a kind word for everyone they meet.
However, behind the scenes, not all that glitters is gold, and former Channel 7 showbiz reporter Nelson Aspen has lifted the curtain to reveal the less-than-stellar side of some of Tinseltown's biggest names.
Aspen, a seasoned entertainment correspondent who graced the Sunrise program for two decades before his departure in 2022, recently sat down with fellow journalist Kjersti Flaa on her show.
The pair delved into their experiences with various celebrities, sharing tales that might surprise fans who only see the polished public personas.
One of the most startling revelations came when Aspen recounted his ‘combative’ encounters with actress Blake Lively.
While his initial interview with Lively for the film The Shallows in 2016 was ‘fun and playful’, and he recalls being ‘gobsmacked’ at what a ‘goddess’ she was in real life, a subsequent interview in 2018 for A Simple Favor, alongside co-star Anna Kendrick, took a turn for the worse.
‘I’m figuring, “Oh, this is going to be fun.” I’d interviewed Anna before, and she’s fine, but Blake? She’s going to be a hoot. I can’t wait,’ Aspen recalled.
‘They were paired together, and I think that may have had something to do with it. She [Lively] could’ve been having a bad day. Maybe they didn’t get along, maybe it was competition, maybe it was two egos trapped in the same room, maybe Blake is just better one-on-one…I don’t know, but she answered every question with a question, combatively.’
‘It was not pleasant, and Anna sort of did the same. It’s like she was like, “OK, this is girl power, we’re going to team up on the journalist.”’
‘And in your interview with Blake, I recognised it. This is a trait, obviously a recurring one,’ he told Flaa.
‘Thanks to you, everybody’s warned,’ Aspen added.
However, Lively wasn't the only one to make Aspen's list of challenging interviews.
He shared that Ryan Reynolds, Lively's husband, had become more conservative in interviews as his fame grew, a stark contrast to his earlier, ‘easygoing and goofy’ demeanour.
Perhaps most surprising was Aspen's admission that even the seemingly affable Paul Rudd, often hailed as one of Hollywood's nicest guys, had an off day.
‘He’s usually very sweet, but it was his birthday, and that’s when everybody was talking about “ageless Paul Rudd”,’ Aspen recounted.
‘They [publicists] said, “Don’t ask him about his youthful appearance, and don’t say Happy Birthday.” I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”’
‘Yes, it was coming from the publicist, but he must have said, “I don’t want to talk about my birthday,”’ he continued.
During the interview, Rudd was alongside his Avengers co-star Jeremy Renner, whom Aspen described as ‘not always the most lighthearted fellow’.
‘It all went south,’ Aspen continued. ‘I didn’t say something particular about his birthday. I can’t remember exactly how it went down, but whatever it was, they were very sensitive about it, and it was very uncomfortable and awkward, and nobody says that about Paul Rudd.’
‘But it happens, they’re people too,’ he added.
The list of difficult interviews didn't end there. Aspen also described an uncomfortable encounter with the legendary Robert De Niro.
Aspen stated that a publicist had cautioned him that De Niro, 81, ‘won’t look you in the eyes’.
When Aspen arrived for his filmed interview with the actor, he observed that the camera setup was strangely arranged.
‘The camera that was on me was off to a weird angle so that Robert never had to look me in the face,’ he narrated.
‘He looked off camera, but when we cut it together, it looked as if he was looking at me.’
‘They went to so much trouble to avoid him having to look at the journalist,’ he continued.
It didn't stop there. Aspen remembered his initial interview with Reese Witherspoon for her 2007 film Rendition, where she starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
At that time, Witherspoon had just separated from her husband of seven years, Ryan Phillippe, and there were rumours about her dating Gyllenhaal.
‘In the film, she played a mother, and so I asked her a question as a mother. I didn’t think that was particularly scandalous…And somewhere from the back in the dark, a voice comes, “Nelson, move on to another question,”’ the veteran journalist shared.
‘I’m not TMZ digging around for dirt. I’m a nice guy, I’m a team player, so I tried again. And again, the voice in the background scolded me. I hate being scolded. I’m not a five-year-old.’
‘I finally gave up. I got up and left. You might get four minutes with Reese Witherspoon. I left after two.’
‘I would point out Reese, and I made up for that rough start with several other interviews later where she couldn’t have been sweeter,’ he added.
Aspen also briefly mentioned less-than-pleasant experiences with Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci, though he didn't delve into the specifics of those interactions.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom in Aspen's recollections.
He had high praise for Australian actor Hugh Jackman, whom he described as one of the kindest stars in Hollywood.
‘I’ve interviewed him a thousand times. He’s the best,’ he remarked.
‘I remember several junkets; he had a coffee company called The Laughing Man Coffee Shop. He would arrange to have a barista show up and wisely put the barista in the waiting room with the journalists. And he’d be like, “Hey everyone, are you enjoying your coffee?”’
‘But it was very clever PR because it makes him look great, it makes us love him more, and it makes the whole experience fun for everybody. I wish every celebrity could be like Hugh,’ Aspen added.
In another instance, Aspen praised Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, referring to him as a ‘master’.
‘When Tom Cruise is looking at you, you are just putty in his hands,’ he shared.
‘He fixes you with those eyes and smile, and you’re in the palm of his hands. He’s amazing.’
Other celebrities who earned Aspen's admiration included Meryl Streep and Julie Andrews.
Aspen's candid stories offer a rare glimpse into the unpredictable world of celebrity interviews, where the outcome can be as varied as the personalities involved.
His new novel, Dancing Between the Raindrops: The Hollywood Years, promises to share even more behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his illustrious career.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on these celebrity revelations. Have you ever had an unexpected encounter with a famous figure? How did it go? Share your stories in the comments below, and let's discuss the often unseen side of celebrity culture!
However, behind the scenes, not all that glitters is gold, and former Channel 7 showbiz reporter Nelson Aspen has lifted the curtain to reveal the less-than-stellar side of some of Tinseltown's biggest names.
Aspen, a seasoned entertainment correspondent who graced the Sunrise program for two decades before his departure in 2022, recently sat down with fellow journalist Kjersti Flaa on her show.
The pair delved into their experiences with various celebrities, sharing tales that might surprise fans who only see the polished public personas.
Former Channel 7 showbiz reporter Nelson Aspen has recounted his encounters with challenging celebrities during interviews. Credit: Instagram / Nelson Aspen
One of the most startling revelations came when Aspen recounted his ‘combative’ encounters with actress Blake Lively.
While his initial interview with Lively for the film The Shallows in 2016 was ‘fun and playful’, and he recalls being ‘gobsmacked’ at what a ‘goddess’ she was in real life, a subsequent interview in 2018 for A Simple Favor, alongside co-star Anna Kendrick, took a turn for the worse.
‘I’m figuring, “Oh, this is going to be fun.” I’d interviewed Anna before, and she’s fine, but Blake? She’s going to be a hoot. I can’t wait,’ Aspen recalled.
‘They were paired together, and I think that may have had something to do with it. She [Lively] could’ve been having a bad day. Maybe they didn’t get along, maybe it was competition, maybe it was two egos trapped in the same room, maybe Blake is just better one-on-one…I don’t know, but she answered every question with a question, combatively.’
‘It was not pleasant, and Anna sort of did the same. It’s like she was like, “OK, this is girl power, we’re going to team up on the journalist.”’
‘And in your interview with Blake, I recognised it. This is a trait, obviously a recurring one,’ he told Flaa.
‘Thanks to you, everybody’s warned,’ Aspen added.
However, Lively wasn't the only one to make Aspen's list of challenging interviews.
He shared that Ryan Reynolds, Lively's husband, had become more conservative in interviews as his fame grew, a stark contrast to his earlier, ‘easygoing and goofy’ demeanour.
Perhaps most surprising was Aspen's admission that even the seemingly affable Paul Rudd, often hailed as one of Hollywood's nicest guys, had an off day.
‘He’s usually very sweet, but it was his birthday, and that’s when everybody was talking about “ageless Paul Rudd”,’ Aspen recounted.
‘They [publicists] said, “Don’t ask him about his youthful appearance, and don’t say Happy Birthday.” I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”’
‘Yes, it was coming from the publicist, but he must have said, “I don’t want to talk about my birthday,”’ he continued.
During the interview, Rudd was alongside his Avengers co-star Jeremy Renner, whom Aspen described as ‘not always the most lighthearted fellow’.
‘It all went south,’ Aspen continued. ‘I didn’t say something particular about his birthday. I can’t remember exactly how it went down, but whatever it was, they were very sensitive about it, and it was very uncomfortable and awkward, and nobody says that about Paul Rudd.’
‘But it happens, they’re people too,’ he added.
The list of difficult interviews didn't end there. Aspen also described an uncomfortable encounter with the legendary Robert De Niro.
Aspen stated that a publicist had cautioned him that De Niro, 81, ‘won’t look you in the eyes’.
When Aspen arrived for his filmed interview with the actor, he observed that the camera setup was strangely arranged.
‘The camera that was on me was off to a weird angle so that Robert never had to look me in the face,’ he narrated.
‘He looked off camera, but when we cut it together, it looked as if he was looking at me.’
‘They went to so much trouble to avoid him having to look at the journalist,’ he continued.
It didn't stop there. Aspen remembered his initial interview with Reese Witherspoon for her 2007 film Rendition, where she starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.
At that time, Witherspoon had just separated from her husband of seven years, Ryan Phillippe, and there were rumours about her dating Gyllenhaal.
‘In the film, she played a mother, and so I asked her a question as a mother. I didn’t think that was particularly scandalous…And somewhere from the back in the dark, a voice comes, “Nelson, move on to another question,”’ the veteran journalist shared.
‘I’m not TMZ digging around for dirt. I’m a nice guy, I’m a team player, so I tried again. And again, the voice in the background scolded me. I hate being scolded. I’m not a five-year-old.’
‘I finally gave up. I got up and left. You might get four minutes with Reese Witherspoon. I left after two.’
‘I would point out Reese, and I made up for that rough start with several other interviews later where she couldn’t have been sweeter,’ he added.
Aspen also briefly mentioned less-than-pleasant experiences with Kevin Spacey and Stanley Tucci, though he didn't delve into the specifics of those interactions.
However, it wasn't all doom and gloom in Aspen's recollections.
He had high praise for Australian actor Hugh Jackman, whom he described as one of the kindest stars in Hollywood.
‘I’ve interviewed him a thousand times. He’s the best,’ he remarked.
‘I remember several junkets; he had a coffee company called The Laughing Man Coffee Shop. He would arrange to have a barista show up and wisely put the barista in the waiting room with the journalists. And he’d be like, “Hey everyone, are you enjoying your coffee?”’
‘But it was very clever PR because it makes him look great, it makes us love him more, and it makes the whole experience fun for everybody. I wish every celebrity could be like Hugh,’ Aspen added.
In another instance, Aspen praised Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, referring to him as a ‘master’.
‘When Tom Cruise is looking at you, you are just putty in his hands,’ he shared.
‘He fixes you with those eyes and smile, and you’re in the palm of his hands. He’s amazing.’
Other celebrities who earned Aspen's admiration included Meryl Streep and Julie Andrews.
Aspen's candid stories offer a rare glimpse into the unpredictable world of celebrity interviews, where the outcome can be as varied as the personalities involved.
His new novel, Dancing Between the Raindrops: The Hollywood Years, promises to share even more behind-the-scenes anecdotes from his illustrious career.
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