Wearing his Grizzly Adams beard, a dark yet elegant suit and dark Miami Beach grandma sunglasses, Phoenix nervously chewed his gum during the entire show , often looking down as if he was sleeping. He answered David Letterman's questions with one or two befuddled words and acted surprised when the spectators and host laughed at his apparent cluelessness.

After receiving the actor in his studio , Letterman opened the interview by asking him about the beard. "It's been three years since the last time you were invited at my show, and I will just say right off the top here, you look considerably different than I remember you," Letterman said. "You've got a nice beard going. ... How is that, the beard?"