Video of Joaquin Phoenix walking off the Joker set is awkwardly released online. It's no secret that actors tasked with portraying the Clown Prince of Crime take the job very seriously, and Phoenix is no exception. He fully committed himself to the role, losing weight, driving himself mad, and completely transforming himself to chilling results. Though Joker itself has become one of the most polarizing films of 2019, most everyone is in agreement Phoenix did an amazing job. He's in the running for another Oscar nomination this year.
While fans certainly appreciate Phoenix's dedication, thespians can take things a step too far sometimes. Phoenix may not have sent his co-stars disturbing gifts a la Jared Leto to get into character, but he did make headlines last month when Joker director Todd Phillips revealed Phoenix would sometimes walk off set during filming. Now, viewers can watch how one of those instances unfold in a new behind-the-scenes video.
During his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote Joker, Phoenix was mortified to discover Phillips had sent Kimmel a clip of Phoenix leaving the set after berating Lawrence Sher. Watch it in the space below beginning around the 8-minute mark:
According to EW, Phoenix's publicist called the above video "a joke outtake," suggesting that this was an elaborate bit put together for Kimmel's show and not a surprise dropped on Phoenix during the interview. That does make some sense, especially since Kimmel is known for airing mock "deleted scenes" or "behind-the-scenes" looks at upcoming blockbusters (which happened this summer with Spider-Man: Far From Home). What may throw viewers for a loop is that this is actual footage from the Joker set, not a scripted sketch filmed specifically for Kimmel. In all likelihood, the Joker clip was approved by Warner Bros. before the taping and Phoenix was given a heads up so he could act embarrassed by what he saw. There's an outside chance this is genuine and Phoenix's PR team is attempting to save face, but it looks like this was staged.
Of course, that information changes the context surrounding the clip quite a bit, turning it from a raw look at Phoenix on set to a gag. If the idea here was to poke fun at Phoenix's method style of acting, going about it in this way seems a bit convoluted, but fans may still find it amusing to watch. It'll be interesting to see if there are any more "authentic" behind-the-scenes clips released to spotlight Phoenix's craft as Joker heads to theaters and puts together an awards campaign.
Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live, EW
