There is perhaps no one in late-night TV more revered than David Letterman. The former Late Show host has a body of work both highly influential and unmatched. But that doesn't mean it was all perfect, as Letterman himself admitted.
It didn't take long for Letterman to make a splash in the entertainment industry. Within a few short years of moving to Los Angeles, he was filling in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show and hosting the NBC morning show The David Letterman Show.
Letterman became a household name when he hosted the first installments of Late Night and The Late Show. The comedian's unique tone and style resonated with a new generation of viewers. However, it brought on some initial criticism -- especially when it came to Letterman's at-times confrontational interviewing style.
The late-night TV reflected on that aspect of his career in a conversation with GQ. When the combative nature of his interviews came up, Letterman agreed with the assessment.
"Yeah, I guess so," Letterman laughed. "I will say that I also in those days was probably under some real or imagined mandate that that would provide energy that would help the show succeed."
Letterman, 77, sounds like he wouldn't take the same approach if given the chance to do it all again. Asked how he looks back on those interviews now, Letterman says he winces: "Because having the notion that I was the guy American television was waiting on skews your perspective. So if I think that's who I was then, I have to question almost everything I did."
The comedian also admitted that he would take the blame for interviews that went sideways. He told GQ that it wasn't the guests' fault, comparing it to a restaurant that gives customers food poisoning.
Letterman went on to compliment the current crop of hosts on television. Effortlessly conversing with a stranger didn't come naturally to Letterman, so he envies the trait in others.
"Occasionally, people have been nice enough to have me on their shows, and they are just so comfortable and gracious that it makes me feel like 'why did I think this was a fistfight?'"
Letterman doesn't exactly know why that was his approach, but he has a theory. He took a perfectionist approach to his show, telling GQ he felt everything had to be perfect to avoid embarrassment.
David Letterman has evolved into a fantastic interviewer
David Letterman was in late-night television for 33 years. So of course, his talents evoloved over the years. That includes becoming a much better interviewer.
Now off the air, Letterman is free to pursue the kinds of interviews he really wants to have. Gone are the days of talking to random celebrities to help promote any old movie or TV show.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction on Netflix shows off how insightful and entertaining Letterman has become when conducting interviews. He told GQ that "curiosity" drives his approach to conversations today.
There have been nearly 30 episodes of My Next Guest released on Netflix. Letterman's conversations with Barack Obama, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Tina Fey, Kanye West, John Mulaney, and others are some of the best work in Letterman's storied career.