Joaquin Phoenix has made a mark in the industry as a seasoned performer who shines in dramatic roles. The actor is known for his phenomenal performances in films such as The Master, C’mon C’mon, Gladiator, and more. He won the Oscar for Best Actor when he played the role of Joker in Todd Philips’ Joker.
In the middle of his career, the actor announced that would quit acting in order to pursue a career as a rapper. He was seen performing, producing, and living the life of a hip-hop artist. The turn was later revealed to be part of a mockumentary directed by Casey Affleck. Phoenix mentioned that he was initially afraid of being in the film as he did not want it to affect his career.
Joaquin Phoenix In I’m Still Here
In 2008, Joaquin Phoenix abruptly announced at a charity event that he would be quitting acting in order to pursue a career as a hip-hop artist. His musical journey was captured by a documentary crew headed by actor and filmmaker Casey Affleck. Phoenix appeared in talk shows and events as his rap persona and spoke about his music career.
The shenanigans were later revealed to be part of a mockumentary by Affleck titled I’m Still Here. The idea for the mockumentary reportedly stemmed from the two actors wondering about reality TV and how people believed that the events in those shows were unscripted. They said they wanted to explore the role of media in the making of celebrities.
The film featured Hollywood stars, talk show hosts, and more, all of whom were unaware that it was a mockumentary. When asked why they did not reveal from the beginning that it was a ruse, Casey Affleck mentioned in an interview with Roger Ebert,
“The reason it was MADE without comment and with Joaquin in character when in public was because the media plays a role in the film and the media would not have played their role as well as they did had it been acknowledged that Joaquin was only performing.”
The film received a lot of attention due to its star presence as well as some bizarre sequences that deterred distributors from taking the film for release.
Joaquin Phoenix Was Initially Unsure About Starring In The Mockumentary
Joaquin Phoenix has had a distinguished career and he is one of the most celebrated actors of the generation. He started his career as a child actor and performed with his brother, River Phoenix in multiple TV shows and films. He made his feature film debut in the film SpaceCamp and then had a breakthrough in Ron Howard’s Parenthood.
He returned to acting after a hiatus with Gus Van Sant’s To Die For. He had a supporting role in the comedy-drama which starred Nicole Kidman. He had his big breakthrough with Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which earned him nominations at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. He won his first Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of singer Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk The Line.
With such a legacy behind him, Joaquin Phoenix revealed in an interview with ShortList that he was initially weary about announcing his retirement from acting for the sake of the mockumentary I’m Still Here. He said,
“The only thing that bothered me was that it might be difficult for me to work again as I wasn’t retiring and I wanted to continue to make films. So the only thing that gave me pause was the fact it might really affect my career.”
The actor’s fears have been squashed since then as he gave some of his best performances after the mockumentary in films like The Master, Her, and his Oscar-winning role in Joker.
