In 2020 Joaquin Phoenix takes the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to collect the Oscar for best leading actor for his magnetic performance in “Joker“. Stop the applause from standing ovation with a sharp “stop”, he is serious, concentrated, intense. He uses that moment, with the eyes of the world focused on him – not to praise, not to thank the film industry, his family, his friends – but to speak “on behalf of those who have no voice”. Committed to animal rights, he brings the theme of the battle for equality not only between human beings but also between all sentient beings. A disruptive speech, which silences and echoes in the years to come. A bit like his acting talent which remains undeniable to this day. Currently in theaters with the debated and for many disappointing “Joker: Folie à Deux”, by Todd Phillips and alongside Lady Gaga, Phoenix turns 50 today and has a 40-year career behind him, an Oscar award and several unforgettable roles. An artist capable of delving into the soul of his characters – often twisted – to the very depths, without making any concessions.
Joaquin Phoenix is not the classic Hollywood star, but not at all. He has all the skills to be one, but it doesn’t seem to interest him. Over the years, it has naturally transitioned between productions mainstreamthen more niche, to others still unexpected, in some ways incomprehensible. At some point in 2010, he came out with the mockumentary “I’m still here” shot by Casey Affleck and presented out of competition at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. This “fake documentary” tells the story of his life since he announced that he wanted to give up cinema to devote himself to hip hop. The actor remained consistently in the role throughout the film’s shooting, including in public appearances and interviews. A new level of acting and a risky project that Phoenix spoke about almost two years later on the “David Letterman Show” saying: “We knew that our career could suffer but we decided to take the risk.” Risk he takes in choosing his roles, which require great generosity, transformation and sacrifice.
The actor’s career began a long time ago. He has breathed art, chewed it, experimented with it since childhood. Born in Puerto Rico to American parents, his family then moved to Los Angeles and Phoenix, together with his 4 brothers, began performing on the streets of Hollywood. A talent scout noticed them and at just 8 years old she made her debut in the TV series “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” alongside her brother River. Then comes the cinema which abandons a couple of times before really going down that road. The death of his brother River, which occurs due to aoverdose of drugs in the club owned by Johnny Depp, will profoundly affect him. That night of October 31, 1993, Phoenix personally calls for help for his brother, but they don’t arrive in time. The episode, combined with the intrusiveness and fury of the media, kept the actor away from Hollywood for two years, before returning to the film “To Die For” by Gus Van Sant. From then on, Joaquin Phoenix built his career step by step which led him to be considered by many today to be one of the greatest living actors.
If we parade before our eyes the characters that Phoenix has brought to life, we notice that many have a thread that unites them: they are tormented, ambiguous, vulnerable and seem to have something broken, unresolved within them. He is memorable in the role of the Roman emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” (2000), which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
We remember him as Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line” (2005) by James Mangold, where he tells the story of the musician’s turbulent life. Or again in “Her” (2013), by Spike Jonze, which talks about loneliness, isolation, fragility. His performance the most indelible, to this day, remains the one mentioned at the beginning of this article. In “Joker”, a film by Todd Philips released in 2019, Phoenix gives us a great, monstrous acting performance that hits us in the stomach. He gave his all to get into character, working and also undergoing an impressive physical transformation. After seeing him, his disturbing laugh sticks with you, as well as an annoying feeling of helplessness.
We could define Joaquin Phoenix as predestined. Although he tried to abandon acting more than once, he always came back. His vocation and his talent brought him back there, to get involved, making courageous, sometimes extreme, choices. He continued to amaze us: the road to giving us other interpretations to recall and marvel at is long and full of possibilities.
