Joaquin Phoenix: Yeah, but I was hoping you guys were gonna go, like, 'That's not true.' Joaquin Phoenix: And I thought there was some kind of, some kind of movement, that it was like some physical transformation right, metamorphosis.Īs the cameras rolled, he found himself marking that metamorphosis into a killer with this haunting and macabre ballet.Īnderson Cooper: There is an intensity to- all the characters you've been playing. But I didn't know precisely what that- what that was.ĭirector Todd Phillips played him some cello music that had been composed for the film. And that there- there was the- the opportunity to express something else. Joaquin Phoenix: It felt like the character had moved way past that. The script simply called for Phoenix to hide his gun in a bathroom. Like a pivotal scene in 'Joker' just after he commits his first murder. Those moments he discovers while filming are often unscripted and unexpected. So I'd rather discover those moments while we're working, than in the rehearsal process, and then feel like, 'Oh, that was really good what we did. Joaquin Phoenix: I mean, the great thing about shooting a movie is shooting multiple takes, and you use editing and so you grab those best moments. Joaquin Phoenix: I don't know, it's- it just feels so fake. But it's not something- if I had, like, the choice of, like, four different activities, I don't think (LAUGH) it'd be one that I would choose. Why do awards make Joaquin Phoenix uncomfortable?Īnderson Cooper: Do you like being interviewed? 'Cause it doesn't seem like, from other interviews I've read, that you like it.Joaquin Phoenix and family on River Phoenix's legacy and influence.What we found was a shy, wry, welcoming actor who wasn't entirely sure he wanted to talk with us at all. Phoenix has a reputation for being difficult in interviews, and we weren't sure what to expect when we met him in Los Angeles. We first brought you this story in January, just before Phoenix won his first Oscar for his role as the mentally ill clown turned deranged killer Arthur Fleck, in 'Joker.' It's a daring and complex performance that earned Phoenix acclaim and controversy. During his nearly four decades as an actor, dark, complicated characters have become something of a trademark. If all you know about Joaquin Phoenix is the parts he's played, you might think he'd be aloof, maybe even disturbed. 'We'll go to one of your screenings,' Letterman shot back.Joaquin Phoenix: The 60 Minutes interview 13:42 Phoenix promised to 'work it out' and asked to talk about it privately. 'We've made 75 cents on this movie,' Phoenix protested. Letterman, who became a key part of the movie, said: 'Somehow I get the sense that I had been made fun of,' and demanded a million dollars for his role in the ruse. 'But while it's happening, people were happy just to mock him and make fun of him.' 'Afterward, the movie comes out, the critics like to say, 'This is crazy, this is disturbing, this is sick',' he said. Affleck, who appeared with Jay Leno on the Tonight show on Tuesday, said no one from Hollywood called to express concern about Phoenix when he was acting strangely. 'I was eager to thank you for the opportunity and I was really eager to get off the show,' he said. Phoenix, who said the experience of making the movie was 'really gratifying', revealed that Affleck was angry with him for briefly taking off his sunglasses at the end of the appearance as he was shaking Letterman's hand. Phoenix said with a laugh, 'and I was looking for a beat down, and I got one. The fake documentary on Phoenix's 'career change' - I'm Still Here - is currently out in cinemas.Īt Letterman's urging, Phoenix made clear that the talk show host was not in on the joke. Instead, Phoenix was playing a role for film-maker friend Casey Affleck. Phoenix was clean-cut and shaven on The Late Show last night, without the shaggy beard, unruly hair and sunglasses he wore on February 11, 2009, when he told the befuddled Letterman that he was giving up acting for a rap career.ĭescribing that appearance yesterday, Letterman said it was 'like you slipped and hit your head in the tub'. No offence taken, Letterman replied, adding that the chance to lob jokes at Phoenix was fun. 'You've interviewed many, many people and I assumed that you would know the difference between a character and a real person, so. Actor Joaquin Phoenix has returned to David Letterman's TV talk show to apologise for his controversial appearance last year that turned out to be an elaborate piece of performance art.

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