Host Craig Melvin is facing major backlash after a “painfully awkward” interview with Anya Taylor-Joy left viewers cringing, as the star promoted her upcoming role in the animated Mario film franchise.
The Wednesday, March 18, episode of the Today show quickly drew massive attention online, with fans calling Melvin’s questions and comments during the segment “unhinged” and “hard to watch.”
Highlights
- Craig Melvin faces intense backlash online after a “painfully awkward” and “unhinged” interview with Anya Taylor-Joy left viewers fuming.
- A viral clip of the conversation sparked outrage as fans slammed the “ill-prepared” host’s questions and praised Anya’s composed, professional responses.
- From bizarre comparisons to unexpected questions about folk icon Joni Mitchell, the interview quickly turned into one of the internet’s most talked-about recent moments.
One person reacted, “He has never been good at celebrity interviews… doesn't follow pop culture to the extent he should for his job. She is wonderful & this was another missed opportunity.”
Anya Taylor-Joy was promoting her upcoming film The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on the Today show yesterday
Image credits: Aurore Marechal/Getty Images
The 29-year-old Golden Globe winner appeared in the now-viral interview at Studio 1A to promote her role as Princess Peach in the upcoming sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The latest film, which is set for theatrical release on April 1, will expand the cinematic universe of Mario beyond the Mushroom Kingdom and into outer space.
The film will continue the story established in the 2023 film The Super Mario Bros. Movie, with Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor‑Joy as Princess Peach, and Charlie Day as Luigi, all reprising their roles.
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The interview gained traction on social media due to two specific lines of questioning presented by Craig Melvin.
He first suggested that Anya appeared to be “trapped” in many of her roles, saying, “In The Queen's Gambit you're trapped in chess, you're trapped in the kingdom here in Mario, [and] you're trapped sort of in Survival.”
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A visibly confused Taylor-Joy laughed nervously and asked, "So, I have a history of being trapped?"
To this, Craig followed up with another question, asking her, “I was going to ask you, is that a theme that you seek out or is that just coincidence?”
“She did him a favor by not laughing in his face,” bluntly reacted one social media user to Craig Melvin’s “awkward” questions
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The actress replied, “It does feel like fate. I think now, with some hindsight, I do see a through-line between my own personal journey and what I've been allowed to depict on screen, but they always seem very different to me.”
The second controversial line of questioning involved Melvin directly asking Anya about the recent buzz and rumors of her potentially playing iconic singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in a future biopic.
Since February this year, it has been rumored that Anya will portray the singer during her transformative years in the 1960s and 1970s, with Meryl Streep reportedly cast as the present-day version of Mitchell.
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Craig asked the The Gorge star, “You're rumored to be playing Joni Mitchell, speaking of through-lines here, arguably one of the most singularly important women in music over the last generation or so.”
“Princess Peach, one of the most iconic women in gaming history. What is the connection there?”
The 29-year-old star was asked an “unhinged” question alluding to recent buzz about her playing a young folk music icon, Joni Mitchell
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After thoughtfully repeating the question, Taylor-Joy answered, “That they're both singular. You can't touch them. They're in a league of their own.”
Viewers of the Today show were left disappointed with the questions and the way Melvin conducted the interview.
One person said, “I feel like Craig is usually prepared for interviews but this one felt off today. It was so awkward.”
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A second, in agreement, added, “He's just not cut out for this. Seems like a decent person but he has no presence or charisma, and this doesn't come naturally to him.”
“Not even 9 in the morning and he’s asking her some bulls**t,” wrote a third viewer, while another commented, “Honestly, a really solid response to a ridiculous question. Anya is a true movie star.”
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One netizen bluntly expressed, “This type of celebrity interviewers need to stop pretending they are doing something deep and serious.”
“That was the dumbest question I've ever heard, seems like she did her best to try and give a polite answer to it,” read another comment.
Many criticized the host for not being “properly prepared,” as one user wrote, “Give this woman an Oscar for not immediately walking off the set”
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“You can tell how he realized halfway through that he also didn't know where his sentence was going.”
While Anya refused to discuss the rumors surrounding her potential Mitchell role, she did briefly touch upon her role as Alia Atreides in the upcoming film Dune: Part Three.
She described Alia as having a "very intense blessing/curse situation" because the character carries the collective wisdom and voices of generations in her head.
The Split star shared, “A lot of people find her really creepy, except for her brother (Timothée Chalamet’s character). She has absolute prescience. She lives with the voice of generations of people in her head. She’s never in a singular conversation, and that can drive somebody a little bit crazy.”
Her comments coincided with the release of the first trailer for the final installment in the Dune franchise, along with character posters for the film, which is scheduled for theatrical release later this year on December 18.
“Craig Melvin needs to lose the vocal fry and learn to ask better questions than this…” fumed one netizen
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