Joaquin Phoenix On Letterman 2-11-09

[Jasman0717 9]

Who's he trying to be, John Lennon? I did hear he was giving up movies to be a rap star

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I saw it this morning and was completely shocked. Based on other interviews he's done in the past and what other people have said about him, he's a pretty down to earth and overall nice guy, so something is definitely up with this new "attitude". Something doesn't add up.

Diana

Yep. Letterman is known for staging interviews where the guests appear hostile or awkward - and Joaquin is a very good actor. Letterman is way too comfortable with ribbing the guy if Joaquin is really being himself. Good show.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Here's a previous interview...

[almaty 19]

i think it was staged...letterman do anything for a ratings boost

[Marilyn. 340]

they showed this on TMZ the other day...

[Marilyn. 340]

on TMZ they were saying he is doing some kind of documentary on his life.. he has a camera crew following him around or something...

Joaquin Phoenix trying to rap...

http://www.tmz.com/2008/12/01/m-c-joaquin-...hers-rap-music/

[Not Available 0]

If @ 10:13 didn't make you wonder that it was all a gag, then Letterman telling him "Good job" at the end was pretty much the confirmation.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Smile!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

If @ 10:13 didn't make you wonder that it was all a gag, then Letterman telling him "Good job" at the end was pretty much the confirmation.

Johnny Carson would stage hostile interviews as well. It's an old gag, but people still gobble it up.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[Marilyn. 340]

Some actors travel everywhere with their entourage. Then there's Joaquin Phoenix. He arrived at a press junket in New York on Wednesday for his new movie "Two Lovers" with an entire camera crew. They were filming Phoenix, who says he's giving up acting for a new career as a rap star, for a documentary about his new life, and they taped all his interviews. It's strange enough to talk to a movie star with five cameras on you. It's stranger still when you walk into the room and see that the lead camera man is Casey Affleck (who is married to Joaquin's sister Summer).

But that was only the beginning of the strangest interview I've ever had with an actor (and if you saw his performance on Letterman last night, it only hints at what it's like to be in the same room as Joaquin). Phoenix spoke in a deep, slurring voice, chain smoked and never took off his glasses. A few weeks ago, he made his debut at a Las Vegas club, where he jumped up and down, yelled into the microphone and fell off the stage. During our interview, an exasperated publicist kept popping into the room, trying to steer the conversation back to the film Joaquin was there to promote. But that was hard to do, since Phoenix says he hasn't even seen "Two Lovers." When I told Joaquin that some people thought his new career turn was a hoax--he frequently says in interviews that he always lies to the media--he blew up at me, and yelled: "It's hard not to get offended when you sit there with your little smile and you say this is a hoax. Because you're talking about my life. As if my life is a f---in joke to you!"

After the interview ended, Casey approached me and said he wanted to talk to me for the documentary. We entered a second room, where another camera woman started filming me. Casey said that he thought my interview with Joaquin went well--really? didn't he hear the yelling?--and that Phoenix had shut down most journalists after a few questions. Then he started asking me a string of bizarre questions. Didn't I think the media was being too hard on Joaquin? They left alone "the girl with ***." (He was referring to Scarlett Johansson, who released an album of Tom Waits' covers last year.) Wasn't the publicity still good for the movie? Isn't all publicity helpful? I told him I didn't think so. He seemed disappointed by my response, and it made the entire experience seem even more like a setup for a "Borat"-inspired takedown of the media. Then again, is Joaquin Phoenix really that good of an actor? Judge for yourself, a transcript of my interview is here...

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/popvox/arch...e-was-this.aspx

[Yoink 7]

publicity stunt... I kinda wanna hear some of his music now

[Mononoke28 137]

i think it was staged...letterman do anything for a ratings boost

I would only agree with that if Joaquín Phoenix hadn't been so "weird" all over the place lately. I personally think he's trying to punk everybody and the whole documentary on his rap music career is a hoax, who knows.

But that reminds me that anyone who acts strange on Letterman gets talked about for months, remember Madonna back in the '90s when she was so obnoxious and even said she peed in the shower? Same thing with Farrah Fawcett and Drew Barrymore when she flashed her boobs. It's all for publicity.

Diana

[caybee 21]

Who's he trying to be, John Lennon? I did hear he was giving up movies to be a rap star

He reminded me of John Lennon too! But I think he's pulling an Andy Kaufman. Andy got a lot of publicity with the general weirdness, even when me made people uncomfortable or angry. If that's what he's up to, he's doing a pretty good job. I'm curious enough now to hang out with him on YouTube for a while when I get home.

[SpiritAlight 1]

Interesting.

Remember River Phoenix.

[Cham 3]

Well think about it HIS BROTHER died of a Drug overdose in front of him.........look it up. That would screw with my head to

[Yoink 7]

MSNBC just mentioned it