The interviewer did something in this interview that few actual journalists do: he asked follow up questions and if David said something he didn’t understand, he followed up with a question about what Letterman meant. Great interview.
I agree 100%. I was surprised at how the interviewer followed up some of Dave's answers with cogent inquiries. When Dave would throw off a seemingly flippant answer, Zach wouldn't let it go and followed up with a very inquisitive question. Well done to both of them!
Dave just keeps getting better. This was the best interview I have seen and his willingness to discuss his faults and become a better person make him better than Johnny Carson in my eyes. Great job Zach!
What a great interview! For once an interviewer who understands it's not about them. So wonderful to see the real Dave. He is a national treasure but he'd run screaming if anyone ever called him that to his face. Thanks Zach,
I think Letterman was the most entertaining of talk show hosts. The master of quick wit, sarcasm. His controverisal interviews with Madonna and Shirley Maclaine showcase all his attributes. Now we have to put up with giggling school girl Fallon.
@@rainmanjr2007, Stephen colbert sucks. He is an establishment sellout who is afraid to talk about anything controversial. Fallon is more tolerable than him. Jimmy Kimmel is probably the best of today's anemic late nite hosts.
I remember watching Dave his first season on my 12" black and white TV in my college dorm room. Seeing this in B&W in a weird way makes this even more nostalgic. So glad to see how clear-headed Dave is about his career and what he did. He is a legend, and perhaps the one link between Johnny Carson and Jon Stewart.
Dave is an enigma in the here and now. He’s done being in front of the camera and doing a show, yet when he’s here in this interview he’s entertaining. He’s just a natural entertainer. It’s his destiny to be done, yet it’s clear he still has it. Perhaps this is his legacy, to always have that ability. Been a Letterman fan since Late Night on NBC, anytime I see him is a delight.
The charm of Letterman's Late Night talkshow is that he's bitter, hates his job and treats his guests like a joke that everyone is in on. He's an odd duck but there'll never be anyone like him on late night TV, not even Conan is on his level
Very appropriate that this interview was set at the speedway! Back in Dave's early(pre tv) days, he was on radio. One year he was a corner announcer during the 500! Probably in the 70s. Here's Dave standing alone in a corner of the speedway(Indy) as cars whiz by at 180mph! Love his interest in racing! Like another fave of mine, Paul Newman(a racer who had a fairly successful side gig as an actor!).
Here’s the thing - No one REALLY knows Dave. Even his “serious” interviews barely scratch the surface. I hope someday he truly lets guard down. He was a huge influence on me.
20:04 You can tell he still has his showmanship mannerisms here where he pauses and looks at the main camera after the joke about himself. You can just hear the bass riff and the audience laughing.
getting comfy in front of the tv every night to watch his show thru the late 80s & early 90s was ALWAYS worth the investment for this night owl... even if only for a solid "top 10" list... Dave was/is a class act that did an exceptional job as a tv host.. informed & quick witted.. he could make any guest look like a complete dope if they got out of line (Madonna) ... it was fun to watch ! ... also, the Late Show band was pretty excellent
14:58 Zach asks Letterman a great question about his influence on contemporary comedy. I've seen other interviewers ask Letterman this question and each time it's been impossible to pin down Letterman to acknowledge this influence, even though it is evident to everyone. I think Zach conducted a great interview, but Letterman remains opaque about certain topics.
This is great. Dave was always part of our evenings. Now we don't watch any late night show. I have the greatest respect for him. Wonderful relaxed interview. Thank you both for this.
Dave's early NBC daze are exemplified by a joke he told several nights on the show (and it never got a laugh): "It's the Chinese New Year so there's lots of firecrackers and noise going on. Parents are soothing their kids by telling them it's just gunshots." I loved that joke, obviously, but the audiences didn't so he kept trying, thinking he just wasn't getting it perfect enough.
I loved the Letterman show and have been watching clips on RUclips for years, missing the energy and just general vibe of the 80s and 90s. Some say he was miserable, but I've seen so many more saying he is the best next to Johnny Carson. TV these days is just political and therefore defunct in my eyes. It's great to see Dave using modern media forms to keep his show in circulation. There really was no better late night show in my eyes.
Fantastic interviews smart reporter. And I am still convinced that I saw David Letterman at a CIBC bank ATM about 5 years ago in Calgary Alberta Canada
Dave & Merrill Markoe rewrote the late night model with lots of spillover undoubtedly onto comedy in general. He & the early shows weren’t everybody’s cup of tea; however, the next generation of comic centric kids clearly identified, me too!
Thanks for mentioning that they created it together. I saw that photo at the beginning of the video of Markoe and thought, "Wow, to this day, she is not given the credit she deserves!" She was the head writer and co-producer of the NBC show and created that sensibility that built on Ernie Kovaks and Steve Allen, but was also something new. Viewer Mail, Stupid Pet Tricks, Stupid Human Tricks-that was her.
He was my favorite! I was a teen and I would stay up late even though I would have school the next day. My dad ordered me a Late Night Tshirt because that’s all I talked about but only to my dad because my mom didn’t know I stayed up late lol I wish I still had that Tshirt 🥺
Dave is the GOAT, simply because his show turned the format on its head. It was sardonic, anarchic and irreverent. It was punk and psychedelic at the same exact time. Carson didn’t have that. Cavett didn’t have that. Leno certainly didn’t have that. O’Brien tried to copy all that… Dave is the GOAT. That’s that.
Hmm… I really feel like I see a lot of Letterman in Carrey (Jim) now that I’m watching this great interview, metaphysically speaking. They’ve both seemed to have moved so far beyond who they used to be and I hope they genuinely have found themselves after the fact.
2:26 - In the picture of the "Mary" cast, everyone is wearing a T-shirt that says "Mary" except for Mary. Hers says "Herb". That is actually a very Letterman thing.
Hey David, like everything else in life, with age comes wisdom and knowledge. During those last 10 years, the rapport you had with Al Pacino was nothing less than perfect. He wiggled and you waggled. It remains some of the best entertainment ever. And, give yourself credit because Al Pacino doesn't just show up anywhere. Don Rickles was also up there among your classic shows. History will show that there was Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Tom Snyder and Merv Griffin in that order. Maybe Stephen Colbert when he's put in another 20 years on Late Night. Your shows are viewed on RUclips over and over and will continue to entertain forever.
What an absolutely brilliant takedown. @17:52 "... Oh, I know you're available..." This interview thinks he's a freaking psychotherapist. "HEY GQ!, time to restaff this thing"
I wonder if he feels bad about how he treated Richard Simmons. He was cruel to him behind the scenes and sprayed him with a fire extinguisher, setting off an asthma attack that sent him to the hospital.
The interviewer did something in this interview that few actual journalists do: he asked follow up questions and if David said something he didn’t understand, he followed up with a question about what Letterman meant. Great interview.
I agree 100%. I was surprised at how the interviewer followed up some of Dave's answers with cogent inquiries. When Dave would throw off a seemingly flippant answer, Zach wouldn't let it go and followed up with a very inquisitive question. Well done to both of them!
Seldom do you see that any more. Most interviews now are about letting the interviewee give out information, not to discover information.
This is the best Dave Letterman interview I've ever seen... Loved it!!
Dave just keeps getting better. This was the best interview I have seen and his willingness to discuss his faults and become a better person make him better than Johnny Carson in my eyes. Great job Zach!
Hands down, the best Letterman interview I’ve ever seen. Nice job.
I’ve never seen Dave open up like this. Great interview!
"I'm the guy we've all been waiting for."
Love it.
You were the Guy Dave! We Loved every minute of your shows. ; ))
What a great interview! For once an interviewer who understands it's not about them. So wonderful to see the real Dave. He is a national treasure but he'd run screaming if anyone ever called him that to his face. Thanks Zach,
Dave and GQ, thank you for this!
Watched letterman every single night and he's still entertaining even after hanging up the mic on the Late Show.
I think Letterman was the most entertaining of talk show hosts. The master of quick wit, sarcasm. His controverisal interviews with Madonna and Shirley Maclaine showcase all his attributes.
Now we have to put up with giggling school girl Fallon.
We do not have to put up with him. I will watch Steven or Kimmel but not Fallon. Watching game playing has never been an interest for me.
*Lonnie Donegan
@@rainmanjr2007, Stephen colbert sucks. He is an establishment sellout who is afraid to talk about anything controversial. Fallon is more tolerable than him. Jimmy Kimmel is probably the best of today's anemic late nite hosts.
I remember watching Dave his first season on my 12" black and white TV in my college dorm room. Seeing this in B&W in a weird way makes this even more nostalgic. So glad to see how clear-headed Dave is about his career and what he did. He is a legend, and perhaps the one link between Johnny Carson and Jon Stewart.
Yes, he WAS the guy… he was our guy. Thank you Dave.
Dave is an enigma in the here and now. He’s done being in front of the camera and doing a show, yet when he’s here in this interview he’s entertaining. He’s just a natural entertainer. It’s his destiny to be done, yet it’s clear he still has it. Perhaps this is his legacy, to always have that ability.
Been a Letterman fan since Late Night on NBC, anytime I see him is a delight.
The charm of Letterman's Late Night talkshow is that he's bitter, hates his job and treats his guests like a joke that everyone is in on. He's an odd duck but there'll never be anyone like him on late night TV, not even Conan is on his level
Conan still believes he's the guy everyone's been waiting for.
Conan was the best…not even close
The charm of Letterman is that his real fans know exactly how smart he is, and absolutely adore when his clever humour comes out.
This guy got all of us Gen X kids through college.
Dave embodies gen x energy.
Absolutely! And I'd even add high school. I remember staying up too late to watch him when I was still in high school.
Very appropriate that this interview was set at the speedway! Back in Dave's early(pre tv) days, he was on radio. One year he was a corner announcer during the 500! Probably in the 70s. Here's Dave standing alone in a corner of the speedway(Indy) as cars whiz by at 180mph! Love his interest in racing! Like another fave of mine, Paul Newman(a racer who had a fairly successful side gig as an actor!).
Zach, if you’re reading the comments, you did an awesome job here. Kudos to you, my dude.
Here’s the thing - No one REALLY knows Dave. Even his “serious” interviews barely scratch the surface. I hope someday he truly lets guard down. He was a huge influence on me.
Miss the world that had Letterman 5 nights a week.
Great interview. Well done! Thank you Dave Great job Zach.
Thank you, Dave. Thank you, GQ.
We Love You David !!!
20:04 You can tell he still has his showmanship mannerisms here where he pauses and looks at the main camera after the joke about himself. You can just hear the bass riff and the audience laughing.
getting comfy in front of the tv every night to watch his show thru the late 80s & early 90s was ALWAYS worth the investment for this night owl... even if only for a solid "top 10" list... Dave was/is a class act that did an exceptional job as a tv host.. informed & quick witted.. he could make any guest look like a complete dope if they got out of line (Madonna) ... it was fun to watch ! ... also, the Late Show band was pretty excellent
This was a great interview, this is a great interviewer
Agreed. Brilliant job, Zach!
14:58 Zach asks Letterman a great question about his influence on contemporary comedy. I've seen other interviewers ask Letterman this question and each time it's been impossible to pin down Letterman to acknowledge this influence, even though it is evident to everyone. I think Zach conducted a great interview, but Letterman remains opaque about certain topics.
Dave is the best you never hear a bad thing about him. I exited with this new part of his life. Number 1 late night host in my mind in those days
This is great. Dave was always part of our evenings. Now we don't watch any late night show. I have the greatest respect for him. Wonderful relaxed interview. Thank you both for this.
This was great but what really needs to happen is we need to get a 25 second commercial in every 3 minutes,, then it'd be perfect....
Yeah, they've ruined RUclips!!
That was a super interview. Well done.
Excellent interview! Dave is one of my heroes
🤘
Dave's early NBC daze are exemplified by a joke he told several nights on the show (and it never got a laugh): "It's the Chinese New Year so there's lots of firecrackers and noise going on. Parents are soothing their kids by telling them it's just gunshots." I loved that joke, obviously, but the audiences didn't so he kept trying, thinking he just wasn't getting it perfect enough.
I do not recall that joke, but it’s great
But he was the guy American television was waiting for. And I'd rather have a beer with Dave anyday.
Great video mate!!!! I actually always though Letterman would have a happy life, lots of laughing. I used to love Letterman, hilarious!! Andre
This was a tremendous interview!
Dave was always a smarta$$ but he was great at it and we loved him for it. :)
Is Dave now a boat captain in the Mississipi, what's with that coat? On behalf of late Don Rickles.
Spend a Fall, Winter or Spring in Indiana and you wouldn’t ask that question.
@@pfranks75 you missed the joke a mile back at the Don Rickles gas station.
I loved the Letterman show and have been watching clips on RUclips for years, missing the energy and just general vibe of the 80s and 90s. Some say he was miserable, but I've seen so many more saying he is the best next to Johnny Carson. TV these days is just political and therefore defunct in my eyes. It's great to see Dave using modern media forms to keep his show in circulation. There really was no better late night show in my eyes.
I’ve always loved David Letterman. And always felt he was way funnier than Leno.
“I don’t feel like myself anywhere”
Oooooof. I feel that deep in my bones.
Zach does such a great job.
lmao you guys will accept anything that pops up infront of you.... he was awful at interviewing... boring no type of charisma lol
Wonderful interview. Luv Dave. Watched him in Australia for 20yrs.
Great interview!
how did they get adam sandler for this gig.
This was fantastic ! Miss Dave 😊
I love Dave. Great interview.
Never really was a fan of Letterman or Late Night TV but this interview changed my opinion of Dave and this was great to watch!
What an interview! Wow!
As a food blogger, I wanna know what kind of casserole?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Nice interview! Dave is a legend!❤
Fantastic interviews smart reporter.
And I am still convinced that I saw David Letterman at a CIBC bank ATM about 5 years ago in Calgary Alberta Canada
ego in a pair of jeans...i like that...thanks for your honesty and insight ... ❤
Got to see his live show. SO very very long ago it was his morning show.
Dave worked because the guest WAS the joke. Dave was in on it, the audience was in on it but often the guest wasn’t. And that made for TV gold.
Dave called Rush Limbaugh a big gasbag.
He was
If the shoe fits....
David Letterman can keep my lighthouse any day. Whenever I get one.
I actually watched the morning show! It was the best!
me too - it was!
This interviewer is fantastic!!!!!!!!
Dave & Merrill Markoe rewrote the late night model with lots of spillover undoubtedly onto comedy in general. He & the early shows weren’t everybody’s cup of tea; however, the next generation of comic centric kids clearly identified, me too!
Thanks for mentioning that they created it together. I saw that photo at the beginning of the video of Markoe and thought, "Wow, to this day, she is not given the credit she deserves!" She was the head writer and co-producer of the NBC show and created that sensibility that built on Ernie Kovaks and Steve Allen, but was also something new. Viewer Mail, Stupid Pet Tricks, Stupid Human Tricks-that was her.
I usually hate interviews of my favorite people, because I normally don't like the interviewer. This was not the case here. You were great
Most interviewers are horrible, "What's your favourite food?" and insufferable, phoning it in. Zach was not like that.
Love Dave - always!
Just wonderful. Thanks
I miss Dave and Jay being the late night kings. Late night TV died after they retired. ❤
I miss Dave and Carson but never cared for Jay.
He was my favorite! I was a teen and I would stay up late even though I would have school the next day. My dad ordered me a Late Night Tshirt because that’s all I talked about but only to my dad because my mom didn’t know I stayed up late lol
I wish I still had that Tshirt 🥺
Thank you Dave for the tip of the hat to Steve Allen.
Dave is the GOAT, simply because his show turned the format on its head. It was sardonic, anarchic and irreverent. It was punk and psychedelic at the same exact time. Carson didn’t have that. Cavett didn’t have that. Leno certainly didn’t have that. O’Brien tried to copy all that… Dave is the GOAT. That’s that.
Love Dave! Spectacular!❤❤❤
I remember his morning show-his humor works for me. Never enjoyed Leno at the Tonight Show.
I NEED Dave's coat! Any hints on where to find one ?
Came here to say this...still looking!
The magazine will tell you. Keep an eye on the GQ site or buy the paper copy.
❗️
Dave's shows reminded me of MAD Magazine and Dave was Alfred.
I miss seeing Dave regularly.
Love the fireman jacket! Pn point
I love Dave , he’s awesome
Hmm… I really feel like I see a lot of Letterman in Carrey (Jim) now that I’m watching this great interview, metaphysically speaking. They’ve both seemed to have moved so far beyond who they used to be and I hope they genuinely have found themselves after the fact.
I didn't see Craig Ferguson anywhere. To me he is the best talk show host. 😛
An absolute legend
Did you guys know that David Letterman, the star of the celebrated film Cabin Boy once hosted his own late show?
2:26 - In the picture of the "Mary" cast, everyone is wearing a T-shirt that says "Mary" except for Mary. Hers says "Herb". That is actually a very Letterman thing.
"I wrote the letter." pure genius
The great Zach Baron
Starts @ 00:48.
He’s a great speaker
He loves talking and hearing himself
Do you like the beard?
The Interview Master: The David Letterman Story.
Trust the Gordon's fisherman!
Gorton's
dont quit your day job
If you had asked Dave what he did to mr Pitt this interview would have been something.
Hey David, like everything else in life, with age comes wisdom and knowledge. During those last 10 years, the rapport you had with Al Pacino was nothing less than perfect. He wiggled and you waggled. It remains some of the best entertainment ever. And, give yourself credit because Al Pacino doesn't just show up anywhere. Don Rickles was also up there among your classic shows. History will show that there was Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Tom Snyder and Merv Griffin in that order. Maybe Stephen Colbert when he's put in another 20 years on Late Night. Your shows are viewed on RUclips over and over and will continue to entertain forever.
"Some of these [stories] I'm just making up!"
Ah, the Tom Waits approach
15:50 YES!
the interviewer is quick and snappy with those follow ups isn't he?
who's got the link to that toggle coat
Information on the coat is in the description toward the bottom 🤙
What an absolutely brilliant takedown. @17:52 "... Oh, I know you're available..."
This interview thinks he's a freaking psychotherapist.
"HEY GQ!, time to restaff this thing"
You need to be a psychotherapist to get anything out of Letterman. I thought Zach did very well.
What coat is Dave wearing?!
Cool interview.
I wonder if he feels bad about how he treated Richard Simmons. He was cruel to him behind the scenes and sprayed him with a fire extinguisher, setting off an asthma attack that sent him to the hospital.
The only “interview master” is Nardwuar.
Santa?! The Interview Master?!
Great interview. And Dave still has hair
He wasn't NOT the guy. But he became the guy.