Portraying DC’s Clown Prince of Crime is one of the most demanding and dangerous roles ever witnessed in Hollywood. Joaquin Phoenix’s extreme dedication to the movie not only marked him for life but also traumatized the entire crew after he exhibited odd behaviors on set.
It takes a lot of courage and willpower to become a method actor, and to deliver an award-winning performance, one must have to sacrifice something, either their physical health or mental wellness. Phoenix seemingly gave up both for the art of film.
Bryan Callen Revealed Joaquin Phoenix’s Strange Improvisations For Joker Film
In a podcast interview via The Joe Rogan Experience, Joker star Bryan Callen revealed what it was like working with Joaquin Phoenix on the set of the Oscar-winning film. Callen also shared some incredible preparations that his co-star did for the controversial role:
“I did Joker, and I worked with Joaquin Phoenix. I was in the room with him for five days, and when he came to the set, I think he was 180 pounds or something. I think Todd Phillips said something like, ‘I think the character should be kind of skinny.’ He kind of said it casually, and Joaquin showed up at 124 pounds.”
Callen said that the team wanted to recommend a nutritionist for Phoenix, but the actor insisted not to bother hiring one. Instead, he just ate one apple and smoked cigarettes. The Old School star admitted that Phoenix’s improvised acting scared the crew because they did not have any idea if he would accidentally injure himself:
“He would just improvise and do crazy sh*t where you didn’t know if he was going to even hurt himself. Remember when he punches the clock? That’s not in the script. He just punched that clock off the wall, and Todd thought he broke his hand.”
He further noted some scenes where Phoenix went to extremes to make his character believable. Callen admitted that watching one particular scene in the middle of filming immediately gave him the idea that Phoenix would win an Oscar:
“You know the bus scene where he can’t stop laughing? I saw them shooting that when I got to set. I swear to God, I saw him walking, and I knew he was going to win an Oscar. It was that good.”
Bryan Callen and Todd Phillips were very impressed with Phoenix’s outstanding performance, which later earned him the Best Actor title at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Joaquin Phoenix Apologized For His Rude Behavior On Set
While many praised Joaquin Phoenix for his dedication to the craft, he also earned a negative reputation for acting like a diva on the set. The Joker director once told The New York Times:
“In the middle of the scene, he’ll just walk away and walk out, and the poor other actor thinks it’s them, and it was never them — it was always him, and he just wasn’t feeling it.”
He was also criticized for a video that resurfaced online where Phoenix was seen scolding cinematographer Lawrence Sher before walking away. The actor explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“Sometimes movies get intense because you’re a lot of people in a small space, and you’re trying to find something, so it can feel intense. That was supposed to be private… I’m a little embarrassed, I’m sorry about that.”
Joaquin Phoenix’s dangerous and bizarre behaviors on the set of Joker can be attributed to the inhumane sacrifices he made for the role, such as depriving himself of nutrition and avoiding any forms of socialization.
Joker is available to watch on Netflix.
Sources: The Joe Rogan Experience, The New York Times, Jimmy Kimmel Live
