Zach Galifianakis Reveals Why He Cut Short Sean Penn Interview on 'Between Two Ferns'

Zach Galifianakis, the comedian behind the cult hit Between Two Ferns, has shared a tense behind-the-scenes moment from his 2010 interview with Sean Penn. Speaking on The Good One podcast on September 12, 2024, Galifianakis revealed he ended the shoot early out of concern that Penn might physically confront him.

"I’ve interviewed one person before and I thought they were legitimately angry at me and I told the director we’re done. I’m not confrontational in that way, and they were like, ‘Well, you don’t have anything.’ [I said,] ‘Well, we have enough.’ I thought someone was going to hit me."

Galifianakis confirmed the guest was Penn, whose combative presence on the show became infamous among fans of the Funny or Die web series. The episode, clocking in at under four minutes, lacked the rapid-fire banter the show was known for. Instead, Penn’s responses were dismissive, leaving Galifianakis—playing his fictional twin brother Seth—frustrated.

At one point, Galifianakis mocked Penn’s reaction to a movie pitch about a taxi-driving pug, prompting Penn to issue a warning:

"Let me tell you something, this country boy right here is not really intimidated. I’ll follow you home tonight," Galifianakis said.

"I’ll knock you the f—k out right in your chair," Penn replied, deadpan.

The interview ended shortly after, with no further exchanges. The tension was palpable enough that Between Two Ferns producer Scott Aukerman later recalled the incident in a 2012 interview with Vulture.

"Sean Penn, that’s a really uncomfortable one. When he threatens to knock Zach out, things got really tense in the studio. I haven’t seen Sean Penn since then, but quite honestly, I’m afraid to ever see him again."

Watch Galifianakis’ full interview on The Good One podcast below:

Watch the full interview here.