‘Would You Consent to Be Waterboarded?’ Remembering Charles Grodin’s Wild Interview With Sean Hannity

Comedy legend and actor Charles Grodin died on Tuesday at the age of 86.

Grodin was not just a beloved actor, but he was very politically outspoken and famously hosted a talk show on CNBC in the 90s. The news of Grodin’s passing got many to reflect on his hilarious late night appearances over the years, and one moment in particular that stands out was a wild interview Grodin did with Sean Hannity several years ago.

In a 2009 appearance on Fox News, Grodin asked Hannity a series of unrelated questions – from the ridiculous to the serious – that put him on the defensive.

“How much mascara do you have on right now?” Grodin asked Hannity.

“None,” he responded. “Zero.”

“Because I asked for it and they said, ‘We’ve given it all to Sean.'”

Grodin also randomly asked Hannity if he was dating Ann Coulter, and then seamlessly segued to a question about his support of waterboarding, a method of torture that Hannity referred to as “enhanced interrogation.”

Grodin: Have you ever been waterboarded?

Hannity: Ollie North has, and I talked to him about it.

Grodin: Would you consent to be waterboarded so we could get the truth out of you?

Hannity: Yeah, sure.

Grodin: We can waterboard you?

Hannity: Sure?

Grodin: Are you busy on Sunday?

Hannity: I’ll do it for charity. I’ll let you do it.

Grodin: I wouldn’t do it.

Hannity: I’ll do it for the troops’ families.

Grodin: I wouldn’t do it. I’ll hand you a towel when you come out of the shower.

Later in the segment Hannity said he wanted to live in a world without fascism, prompting an incredulous Grodin to ask, “Wait a minute! You want to live in a world without fascism? You’re not a fascist?”

“That’s correct,” Hannity replied.

“Oh come on!” said Grodin. “Let’s be honest.”

You can watch a clip of them getting into it above.