With the sheer volume of interviews the modern-day celebrity needs to do while hawking their latest movie or album these days, the law of averages means some of those will likely be teeth-grindingly awful.
And so it was when Cara Delevingne rolled up for a chat with American TV show, Good Morning Sacramento this week.
While the model-turned-actress had been upbeat in previous interviews about her new film, Paper Towns, she appeared sullen and bored from the get-go this time around.
She's put the excruciating few minutes of telly down to a misunderstanding over her 'British sense of humour', but I'm finding that hard to buy. Those sarcastic remarks were served with a large side of flat-out rude, Cara.
The very perky presenters didn't help matters by getting her name wrong and then firing a few rude remarks of their own when it became apparent Cara wasn't going to play ball.
But the whole sorry affair is yet another example of the awkwardness that seems to stem from stars' promotional marathons.
I've had the opportunity to interview a few famous faces over the years and most of them have been polite and professional. They knew that in order to do the fun stuff like singing or acting, they also needed to sit through a whole bunch of interviews and appear engaging in all of them.
Although that memo can't have reached the pop phenomenon that is One Direction, after my own awkward interview with them a couple of years ago. Knowing that I and two other journalists were going to be slotted in at the end of a whole day of promotional appearances, I figured it was probably going to be a bit of hard work. And I was right.
Those perfectly coiffed boys barely paid attention to any of us throughout the painful 10 minutes of interview time (including a young fan who was there after winning a magazine's competition). With just about every question greeted with the phrase "We're buzzy," I think I left that room with approximately three useable quotes. (They must have taken lessons from Wiz Khalifa, who is also frugal with the English language.)
One Direction members, from left, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and formal Zayn Malik (second from right). Photo / AP
Part of the problem that day probably stemmed from boredom and frustration at being asked the same questions the world over. And it seems to be a common theme in other awkward celebrity interviews.
In this instance, the interviewer committed the crime of being overly enthusiastic and was rewarded with a surly, bored and openly rude Willis. The star gave a condescending explanation about how actors love making movies and hate doing the promotional tours that follow, before mocking the interviewer's "great questions".
Mila Kunis also touched on the promotional grind when her fabulously offbeat interview with Chris Stark at the BBC went viral a few years ago.
The actress was clearly delighted by Stark's random line of questioning instead of the usual press junket queries about her film, Oz the Great and Powerful.
When a minder off camera suggested they discuss the movie, Kunis said: "Let me give you answers that I know you're going to ask," before reeling off a string of soundbites like a seasoned pro. (Stark responded by asking her if she'd go with him to his mate Dicko's wedding.)
Robert Downey Jr gets awkward during an interview with a British journalist. Photo/YouTube
Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Britain's Channel 4 attempted to turn a promotional interview for Avengers: Age of Ultron into a dissection of Downey Jnr's battles with addiction and his incarceration 18 years ago.
Guru-Murthy faltered under the actor's steely glare, but still bumbled along with a line of questioning that seemed out of order in the circumstances. It was hard to blame the actor for ultimately deciding to pull pin on that toe-curling discussion.
Yes, celebrities are human, which means they're prone to a bad day at the office every now and then. You could argue that perhaps Cara Delevingne, Bruce Willis and One Direction were all tired from what were likely some punishing publicity schedules. But it's still a poor excuse for rude behaviour. Especially when they're being paid ever so handsomely.
If the worst part of your job is having to listen to the inane questions of a journalist, then consider yourself lucky indeed. It's still a relatively cushy gig, ladies and gentlemen, and you know it. Although these stars still managed to make hard work of it...
Tom Cruise accuses Matt Lauer of being 'glib'
Sure, Tom Cruise jumping all over Oprah Winfrey's couch was awkward, but that had nothing on his interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show back in 2005. What was supposed to be a promotional chat about War of the Worlds turned into an argument over Brooke Shields taking anti-depressants and a discussion about psychiatry versus Scientology. Yes, really.
Meg Ryan versus Parky
Who would have thought a chat between Meg Ryan and Michael Parkinson would turn so combative? After some awkward to-ing and fro-ing, Ryan eventually suggested Parky "wrap it up". The actress later said she thought he was acting like a "disapproving dad".
"Is it a trick to talk?"
For his latest trick, magician David Blaine makes TV presenter Eamonn Holmes very uncomfortable indeed - especially when he refuses to answer questions and holds up an eye drawn on his hand.
The truth hurts
Famous for being famous, Paris Hilton did not take kindly to Good Morning America asking what everyone else was thinking: "Do you ever worry that your moment may have passed?"
Finally, remember that year Joaquin Phoenix appeared to have lost his mind, all for what was eventually revealed to be a mockumentary titled I'm Still Here? Well, it included this shambolic interview, made all the more glorious by David Letterman's deadpan reaction to what was unfolding.
