THR’s Adam Levine Cover: One Interview, Seven F—s and Plenty of Opinions

In his cover story interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine showcased his brand of cocky yet self-deprecating charm and shared details on landing his gig on NBC’s The Voice.

Levine also showcased his flair for language, and expletives in particular. Below are highlights from Levine’s profanity-heavy sitdown.

On reality television:

“It’s just a bunch of f–ing assholes who are fame whores,” he says without naming names.

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On if he’s won over fans of The Voice:

“The bar is f—ing low; if you have half a brain, they think you’re amazing. So I have that going for me,” he jokes.

On the secret to his success:

“I don’t lie, and that’s unusual in a world of media-obsessed, media-trained f–ing liars who will sit here with you and totally bullshit you to further their own careers.”

On playing live with Maroon 5:

“You get onstage and perform in front of 10,000 people, and if you f— up, it’s your ass.”

On starring opposite Keira Knightley in Once director John Carney’s next movie, Can A Song Save Your Life?

“I saw it the other day, and I was surprised at how not shitty I was.”

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On what critics will say about his foray into acting:

“They’ll probably say that I’m a better actor than I am a singer or something,” he jokes of the critics who haven’t always been kind to him. “They’ll find some way to f— me with something negative.”

On succeeding as a novice actor:

“I’m the director’s bitch.”

On why he’s invested his time in creating his own fragrance:

“If you’re going to get paid to do this ridiculous shit, you’ve got to put f—ing effort into it.”

On signing on as a Proactiv’s spokesperson:

“I suffered acutely from acne, so I was like, ‘F— it, I’ll do it.’”