Steve Jobs on Nervousness Before Going On Camera
What Jobs talks about
This brief behind-the-scenes recording captures Steve Jobs moments before an ABC Nightline appearance, as he waits to go on camera. He sounds visibly nervous and jokingly tries to make sense of the setup around him.
The exchange is memorable because it shows a rarely seen side of Jobs: uneasy, human, and candid about how he feels. It’s a small but revealing moment before the polished public performance.
Rather than discussing business or product strategy, the clip is about the pressure of being filmed and the awkwardness of live television. That makes it a useful artifact for seeing Jobs outside his usual keynote or interview setting.
An unseen crew member speaks to Jobs as he waits off-camera.
In his words
“I'm gonna not have to sit here until you're ready, right?”
“You could bring me some water.”
“I'm not joking.”
“I'm definitely ill, actually, and ready to throw up at any moment.”
Key points
- Jobs is clearly anxious before the camera starts rolling.
- He asks for water and for directions to the restroom.
- He jokes that he feels like he is about to throw up.
- The footage shows the awkward pre-interview prep behind a TV appearance.
- It captures a candid, unguarded moment rather than a formal Q&A.
Full transcript
Okay, I'll go to this thing. If this scrolls up and told me, "Welcome," any other regular resistant card, it's likely what's going to work. I can do the disk work, and every minute exquisite with right past the screen. After hours of getting this thing right, one schoolmaster. Yeah, look at that. Look on my terrible—no, no, yes you are. Am I really? Yeah, they got your food in your own here, and just really you see what it is. It's a talkback turn a fear. Now, this is not the real thing. I'll write, you just want a picture of me. Now that's, yeah, they're gonna do, they'll sit.
You here for cash whenever you would like to have some water, Steve, or—well, I'm gonna not have to sit here until you're ready, right? You're gonna let me go away and then come back for you. And so if you got to do anything, do it now. Oh yeah, you want to go in the bathroom? No, you could bring me some water. Sure. Okay, great, that'd be good. You need to tell me where the restroom is too because I'm definitely ill, actually, and ready to throw up at any moment. So, across the hall. I'm not joking.
From YouTube captions, lightly punctuated for readability. Timestamps link to the video above. Errors are possible.