Rosie O’Donnell says Keanu Reeves was ‘one of the worst’ talk show guests

Rosie O’Donnell has experienced many awkward interviews during her years as a daytime TV host, but she didn’t expect this Hollywood golden child to pose a problem for her.

Discussing his best and worst guests during his six-year tenure The Rosie O’Donnell Show on a recent episode of the Australian show Sam Pang tonightthe 63-year-old comedian revealed “one of the worst, which, I love this guy, but he’s not good on talk shows – Keanu Reeves.”

Reacting to the few gasps of surprise that erupted from Pang’s audience, O’Donnell clarified: “He’s so nice, he’s beautiful, I love all his movies, but he wouldn’t answer a question. I’d say, ‘So, Keanu, how are you? How are you feeling?’ – ‘Good'” she imitated in her best lazy mumble. “We were live. We couldn’t re-record. I finally said after three minutes, ‘You know, Keanu, it’s a talk show. You have to talk!'”

O’Donnell’s comments were clearly light-hearted, as she laughed and smiled while noting, “But he came back and he got it. He’s a lovely man and a good-hearted guy, so I don’t want to throw him under the bus.”

Weekly Entertainment has reached out to a rep for Reeves for comment.

Always honest, O’Donnell then made sure her audience knew that even if Reeves was safe, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t throw. anyone under the bus.

“I could have said Tom Selleck, which would have been easy to do,” she sneered. Recalling his controversial 1999 interview with the Blue blood star, which escalated to a notable level of hostility when the two began debating gun rights, O’Donnell shared, “It was very awkward, because I had never been mean or controversial, but Columbine had just happened. It was 1999, and he had a magazine ad that said, ‘I’m the NRA, shooting teaches kids good values,’ and I was so torn by Columbine that I just haven’t given up on. Like an innocent. stupid, I said to my team, “Do you think this will get any press attention?” »

EW has contacted a representative for Selleck for comment.

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The fiery exchange between O’Donnell and Selleck did indeed generate a considerable amount of press and, in hindsight, provides a stark contrast to Reeves’ interview, which aired two years previously. In the Selleck interview, the actor accused O’Donnell of “questioning my humanity” as she pressed him on his share of responsibility for gun deaths after signing the full-page ad, which declared: “I’m the NRA… Shooting teaches young people good things. Because all good rules of shooting are good rules of life.”

Reeves, on the other hand, was just shy, maybe just shy. O’Donnell spiced up the actor there to promote the horror film Devil’s advocate with questions to which, true to his memory, he generally responded with short and precise answers.

Rosie O’Donnell The show continued to have many more controversial and heated interviews until its final episode in 2002, which featured guests Nathan Lane and Christine Ebersole.

You can watch O’Donnell’s full interview at Sam Pang tonight above.