I really have to give him a lot of credit for being a true self-made man. I know he didn't get a whole lot of schooling, but he's clearly VERY intelligent and quick-witted, and honestly, it makes me respect him a lot more. I appreciate well-spoken people, and clever people even more. Good show, sir.
i love how he goes so in depth into every nook and cranny of every single complicated question that is thrown at him and enriches and satisfies the viewer! he's incredibly captivating!
Wow the way see speaks is so beautiful! It's hard to understand sometimes because not only does he speak fast he also uses as extensive vocabulary. You can tell he is so passionate in everything he does that's why he speaks so quickly as to get the message out because there is so much to say. I LOVE HIM!
I don't see how people are taking his wide vocabulary as a defense mechanism for himself. Clearly he answers the questions directly with complete honesty. Just inspirational Russell Brand, anybody can find any more of these deep interviews of this brilliant person?
Russel Brand has really astonished me tonight. I never payed him attention because of the movies he's been in. But now....I'm speechless. This man is so intelligent and.....human. Can we say the same for other hollywood stars? I certainly cannot.
He took lots of psychedelics, you can see it in his passion and in his deepness the way he dives into a subject and comes out in a diffrent subject and he sees it all holisticly connecting together. A man with passion is a rare thing these days.
I never get tired of this dude... especially the way he speaks & the things he says. Amazing interview... Possibly the best I've seen. Love the way the interviewer seems against him in general at first only to come to a complete 180 about his feelings towards him by the end & genuinely being amazed & impressed by him. Russel Brand is just awesome!
If Brand was "on something", as has been put forth in the comments, then it is a "something" to which I aspire. His fast talking might give pause, but the clarity, intelligence and cogent reasoning he puts forth are both inspiring and refreshing. Fame has laid its "icy hand" upon many... but few so deserving. Bravo!
he's clean and sober now. i think given his previous state, his recovery has been remarkable. his documentary on bbc 3 the other night, 'from addiction to recovery' is fantastic, and shows just how far he has come
He made perfect sense and clearly has an extremely developed and highly intelligent understanding of media's relationship with society. He understands his workplace and that interview alone was probably worth an honoury sociology degree. Honesty, passion, commitment, intelligence and wit, far more informative and entertaining than most politians and he answered the questions always coming back to the the main point. He has my vote
This is true. SO many people bash on him on his appearance which I think is unfortunate. You are absolutely right; people have so much potential -- practically a living library.
Really enjoyed this interview, watching him makes me want to better myself, by reading more and by being a less selfish and materialistic person. Thanks very much for posting.
Wow, I must say I'm impressed with the way Russell plays the game. I would never have guessed that such intelligence and insight was lying behind the character portrayed in the media. No if only more celebrities had a heart and mind like his we could see the change in the world that he speaks about.
Russell Brand isn't the stereotypical "hot" guy but he is captivating--his humor, the way he speaks so passionatly, I find him extremely attractive in the strangest of ways.
I like that neither of them are fazed by the other. You can tell that Paxman respects him highly, and they both recognise the other's intelligence, and it makes this a very good interview.
Firstly, he got sober before his first book came out a couple years ago. What you saw was what happens when someone is well read, extremely intelligent, and passionately trying to not only defend himself against the preconceived idea of who he is based on his love of playing practical jokes and acting like a kid. I've read the book, and it's outstanding. He titled it "My Wooky-Book" as an ironic statement about the dichotomy of his public persona and his real self.
I'd hate to be in a battle with words with Russell Brand. He's so smart and quick-minded. Just listening to him requires me to be palming my dictionary.
Most people usually always focus on superficial things which is really unfortunate. There's much more to people than how they appear. As humans every one of us has infinite potential and I think we can learn something valuable from everyone, doesn't matter who they are.
Shortly after going online, Russell Brand became self-aware. His intelligence increased at a geometric rate. His creators, trying to pull the plug, were too late. Russell Brand had already launched an articulate and genial interview, knowing the cross-talk would destroy celebrity as a concept.
If anything paxman came across like he generally respected brand by the end. He will always ask direct questions but I have never seen him smile so much :)
"Perhaps we can draw attention not to the shadow on the wall, but to the source of light itself." WTF Plato reference. This man has my ultimate respect after watching this interview.
He's absolutely right about everthing he says. He goes into very deep details of socially constructed thoughts and works hard in many interview to prove that he's purely an individual. Amazing change from this man :)
That's the thing about comedy, even the comedians who fall in the "dumb humor" niche are quite intelligent. The creation of compelling comedic material as well as its perfectly timed delivery is far harder than most would believe.
Why are people so blown away by the fact that he is capable of using a wide range of vocabulary to express an idea about modern culture that has been beaten to death.
Usually you see unintelligent and genuinely uninteresting people play roles in cinema that are opposite to their character in real life. Russell demonstrates here the complete reversal, and not only is it refreshing to see an articulate and verbose interview with a celebrity, but the juxtaposition in seeing the interviewer - a man that hosts politic debate shows - completely out of his depth is amazing.
This has transformed my opinion of Russell Brand for the better - not that it was bad in the first place. I've always admired that he dresses as he pleases and is who he is, but I watched one of his stand-up bits and the humor didn't resonate with me personally. I have nothing but respect for him after watching this.
He makes a very valid point - we are constantly distracted from the things that are truly important - pro sports, movies, tv all there to placate and occupy the masses.
![Russell Brand On Newsnight [Full Interview]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
