Despite giving countless interviews in the relentless lead-up to their film premieres at Cannes, actors and directors and the occasional producer can still be be counted on to say something hilarious, incisive, or just plain touching in an otherwise boring press conference, where it’s obvious they’d rather not be sitting. Here’s a sampling of such moments…

Behind the Candlabra
Matt Damon jokes about being in bed with Michael Douglas, Steven Soderbergh says he’s not interested in a socio-political agenda, and Michael Douglas chokes up…

The Great Gatsby
Baz Luhrmann retells that story about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s granddaughter from Vermont, Tobey Maguire wears a waistcoat, Carey Mulligan looks stern…

Blood Ties
Marion Cotillard speaks in charming French before saying — in English — that she wants to kiss someone, Billy Crudup looks pretty good with a beard…

Inside Llewyn Davis
Justin Timberlake admits he likes to look ridiculous, the Coen brothers talk about cats ad nauseam, Carey Mulligan cracks a smile…

Only God Forgives
Kristin Scott Thomas had no problem turning on the “bitch switch,” director Nicolas Wending Refn went through an existential crisis…

All Is Lost
Robert Redford turns the tables on a journalist at least twice…

The Immigrant
Director James Gray thinks Marion Cotillard has a great face for silent movies, Marion Cotillard had a lot of Polish dialogue to speak…

Venus in Furs
Roman Polanski says “dumb blonde” very well…