If you’ve been wondering about Joaquin Phoenix’s reportedly erratic behavior on red carpets in recent weeks, will it comfort you to know that he’s just as extreme on the set? EW’s Chris Willman observed him during the filming of Walk the Line last year and found that stories of Phoenix’s insistence on staying in character all the time (he even made everyone on the set call him J.R., Johnny Cash’s real name) were true. To his credit, the actor explains his Method acting to Willman in the forthcoming issue. ”I’m embarrassed about it now,” he says, noting that his insistence made him look like a ”f—ing idiot,” especially to people who knew the real Cash. ”But when I heard ‘Joaquin,’ it just didn’t feel right. It’s not a brilliant method. It’s simply that I don’t know what I’m doing, and I use all the help I can get. It’s an act of desperation.”
Conversely, once the shoot is over, Phoenix is just as quick to abandon a character and his associated behaviors. ”When I did Gladiator, I thought that I would carry a sword with me everywhere. When I did Ladder 49, I didn’t want to let go of my turnout gear, and I didn’t believe that I could go through life without smelling smoke. With this, I played the guitar all the time, and then left it. I picked it up a couple weeks ago and realized I’d forgotten how to make an A-minor.”
That must be vexing, terribly vexing.
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Did anyone see Joaquin at the movie’s premiere giving that strange interview? He said he thought there was a “frog coming out of my head”. I don’t think people should call him J.R. In fact, they shouldn’t even call him Joaquin. Just call him “Extremely High”.
JOAQUIN PHOENIX IS SUPER HOT!!! I CAN DIE FROM THAT STARE!
All will be forgiven and forgotten when Joaquin Phoenix picks up his Best Actor Oscar.
Joaquin is amazing in this movie. I find him incredibly fascinating (not to mention gorgeous!) and so much like myself and “regular” people that I know. If I was (and have been known to do similar things) walking around talking about frogs coming out of my head (although he said on David Letterman that he actually said “bugs”) people would just say, “Oh there goes Vanessa saying weird things again” but he does it and suddenly he is having a mental breakdown. I admire him for acting like the rest of us even while the cameras are on him.
People can say what they want. Phoenix has a sense of humor, maybe strange for some, and unfortunately no one caught the humor in bugs, frogs, whatever…give the guy some credit. He did a great job in walk the line…enough to get me to see the movie twice and dying for it to come out on DVD. This guy is very private and to have to go out and repeat the same thing over and over again would make me want to start coming up with some strange things just to throw people off. Regardless, i think he’s a great actor, a very attrative man and someone who is capable of doing an even greater film than walk the line. This is only the begginning of whats to come!
I agree with the first comments supporting Joaquin. So far, he’s the most decent, honest, humble person that I’m aware of who is famous. He’s real and I’m glad that other people see it too. I wish I could thank him personally for doing public films, just for the sake of helping others in ways i cannot explain. i wouldnt want any publicity either, so im thankful for his endurance.
I think Joaquin is one of the most under-rated actors going. He becomes every character he plays and couldn’t be more convincing. And, of course, he is sooooo easy on the eyes, sexy, gentle yet strong. What female wouldn’t fall in love with him????
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I love you Joaquim Phoenix…..