Joaquin Phoenix is set to open up like never before on Sunday's new episode of '60 Minutes.'
Joaquin Phoenix is set to open up like never before on Sunday's new episode of 60 Minutes.
The notoriously private 45-year-old actor sat down with Anderson Cooper for the in-depth CBS news program, and in the preview that dropped on Thursday, he admits to being extremely nervous and vulnerable on set. Phoenix has gotten rave reviews for his role as the mentally ill Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' Joker, winning the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama on Sunday.
"Phoenix is still plagued by self-doubt," Cooper notes in a voiceover as Phoenix says he "absolutely" gets nervous on set.
"Yes, petrified," Phoenix says with his trademark intensity. "There are so many things that I want to express when I take on a role. I go through the script, I'm just like, full of ideas and so, I guess I'm just nervous that I'm not going to be able to find the right kind of space to express that."
He also explains a much-talked-about scene in the film when Arthur dances by himself after committing his first murder. Phoenix says that the script just called for Arthur to run from the crime scene and hide his gun in a restroom, but he and Phillips came up with the idea for him to dance after the director played a piece of cello music that had been composed for the film.
"It felt like the character had moved way past that… there was the opportunity to express something else, but I didn't know precisely what," Phoenix recalls. "I thought there was some kind of movement. That it was some kind of physical transformation, right? A metamorphosis."
In a press release, 60 Minutes promises to show a more "affable" Phoenix behind the scenes, given his reputation for being testy with the press. The actor will also discuss his childhood and the tragic death of his brother, the late actor River Phoenix, and the program will include the first group interview with the Phoenix family in decades.
60 Minutes airs Sunday, Jan, 12, at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
Phoenix recently made headlines due to his awkward speech at the Golden Globes, in which he was heavily bleeped out for using curse words, advocated for environmentalism and was eventually cut off for time as he started to call out celebs for using private jets due to their impact on the environment.
"It's great to vote but sometimes we have to take that responsibility on ourselves and make changes and sacrifices in our own lives and hope that we can do that," he said. "We don't have to take private jets to Palm Springs for the award sometimes, or back. Please. And I'll try to do better and I hope you will, too."
Phoenix was also clearly displeased when answering questions from reporters in the press room after his win and said he had been "tricked" into the room by someone who told him it was just for photos. His dissatisfaction continued when a reporter asked him about the process of preparing for his role in Joker.
"Isn't this old news?" Phoenix snapped back. "I think I've talked about this for six months. I mean, right? I feel like I answered these questions. You want to hear a different version of it? I can try to change it slightly, or what should I do?"
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