Joaquin Phoenix was on the Late Show last night and after watching it I felt kind of sorry for him. At first I got the impression that the whole appearance was a put on, but then I could tell that he was serious and was just dealing with the situation and his own insecurity as Dave was taking the piss out of him.

Phoenix came out wearing dark glasses and didn’t say much, and Dave sort of lit into him trying to get some kind of humor out of the situation, saying “You look different than I remember you.” At one point Dave asked “What can you tell us about your days with the Unabomber?”

The most Joaquin said was that he didn’t really know why he was quitting acting or if he would go back, and that he was working on his music, which he described as “hip hop.” When people in the audience laughed at that, Phoenix asked “What do you have them on? What do you gas them up with?”

Letterman asked Phoenix when he could see his new hip hop career take off and he said he’d “love to come on this show and perform” to which Dave countered by saying “that seems unlikely.”

At one point Joaquin stuck his gum under Letterman’s desk.

Letterman joked at the end of the interview “Joaquin I’m sorry you couldn’t be here tonight.”

You have to wonder whose idea it was to have Phoenix go on Letterman to promote his film. He may have been contractually obligated to promote it, but producers should have known better.

For comparison, here’s a link to a clip of Joaquin on Letterman three years ago telling a story about a rat in his house. And here’s a clip of Joaquin on Oprah with Reese Witherspoon, his co-star in Walk The Line. He was a little guarded, but he was funny, topical, and very honest about how he works hard to be emotionally honest and genuine in his work. Reese praised his professionalism and preparation for the role of Johnny Cash, for which he ultimately received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe. Phoenix admitted on Oprah he has never seen any of his films, saying he didn’t want it to interfere with his craft and that he was worried that he might take short cuts in his acting if he started to see the end result.

This is an incredibly talented guy who is a critically acclaimed, committed actor. Something snapped and he’s either on something, withdrawing into himself, or both.

Here are photos of Joaquin and Gwyneth Paltrow at a screening of Two Lovers in NY last night. The photo agency included a close up picture of Paltrow’s wrist to show she’s wearing a Kabbalah bracelet.

Credit: Fame

Joaquin Phoenix and his brother in law, Casey Affleck, were spotted at the airport in LA yesterday. It is thought that they’re still working on a documentary together that will detail Joaquin’s transition into a rap career, something he says he’s serious about despite public skepticism and a general lack of ability. Joaquin has built a home recording studio to help him realize his dream, and says he’s not about to go back to acting for a living:

Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix is so serious about pursuing a career as a rapper that he has had a high-tech recording studio installed in his house.

The Oscar-winner shocked fans last year when he announced his plans to step away from the cameras and pick up a microphone.

Director James Gray, who worked with Phoenix on his latest film, “Two Lovers,” insists Phoenix is doing everything possible to ensure he gets the best shot at his new music career, and has been laying down tracks in the comfort of his own home studio.

Gray tells the Associated Press, “If he’s not serious about it, then he really went to ridiculous lengths.”

Phoenix admits he has no desire to return to the big screen anytime soon, because he wants to focus on his new musical direction.

He reveals, “I’m not one of those people, like, when I break up with my girlfriend, I don’t ever see her again. I see her as friends, but do I ever think about getting back together? No, when I do something, I do it. So I have no intention (to return to acting).”

[From SFGate Daily Dish]

Phoenix is also quoted as explaining why he so rapidly changed his appearance from an attractive Hollywood star to a disheveled, unshaven guy with bed head. He said he wanted to step away from fame as quickly as possible and his unkempt appearance has helped him cut ties with the past:

“People have called me a sex symbol in the past, but it’s very much an effort,” Phoenix tells Britain’s The Sun.

The Oscar nominated actor went on to say, “It’s been important for me to just do something that’s extreme – that really separates me from that public Joaquin Phoenix persona, whatever the f— that is.”

[From The NY Daily News]

Pheonix’s last film Two Lovers is getting mixed reviews and is being trashed by some critics. Maybe his dissatisfaction with the film was part of his motivation for leaving a lucrative acting career. Whatever happened, he seems to be completely serious about the change. He’s lucky that Casey is hanging around and helping him out or else we’d be even more worried about what’s going on with him. I’m really interested in seeing this film they’re making and if Casey is half as talented a filmmaker as his brother, Ben, it could be a very good documentary.

Photo credit: Bauergriffin and SplashNews

People have been debating whether Joaquin “Bye Good” Phoenix’s rap career is for real. At first, the reports were coming in that it was part of some tragic downfall of a good actor, that was going to be documented by his friend Casey Affleck. Then came the unfortunate first rap performace in Las Vegas. Then, within days, soureces close to Joaquin were insisting that the whole “rap career” thing was some sort of intensive “performance art” to show everyone how “crazy” Hollywood and the media are.

Now Joaquin is insisting that there is no hoax, no “performance art” to his rap career. He claims that the music is for real, and we should treat it as such. Yeah, right. People has the details.

Joaquin Phoenix insists he’s getting a bum rap.

“There’s not a hoax,” Phoenix tells the Associated Press of doubts about his sudden conversation from movie star to hip-hop artist. “Might I be ridiculous? Might my career in music be laughable? Yeah, that’s possible, but that’s certainly not my intention.”

Questions about his intentions surfaced after the newly bearded Phoenix, 34, took the stage in Las Vegas on Jan. 16 in an ill-fated debut of his new career. A video of his performance shows him falling off the stage, though he says it looks worse than it was.

“I had a lot of dudes come up and say, `We really respect you for doing it, putting yourself out there, and going with it,’” he tells AP. “Because I think true hip-hop heads know that it’s hard, it’s going to be a hard transition, and people are going to be lining up just to make fun of me.”

From People Magazine

I am one of the people lining up to make fun of Joaquin Phoenix, and I don’t care if he knows it. At first, I really did think it was part of some tragic undoing of a good actor. Now I just think he’s a self-absorbed, out-of-touch douche. Rap away, MC Tool.

Joaquin Phoenix is shown outside his Vegas rap performance on 1//16/08 and during the “Bye Good” appearance at the AFI Film festival on 11/1/08. Credit: PRPhotos

Joaquin Phoenix has received only criticism for his fledgling rap career. Not even achieving mixed reviews, his premiere performance was branded an epic fail. So what is a man to do in this position? Turn a career change into an elaborate stunt to avoid embarrassment.

Following his widely panned three-song debut as a rapper at a Las Vegas nightclub on Jan. 16 — a shambling performance that concluded with the actor falling off the stage — two competing theories emerged: Either Phoenix is perpetrating an elaborate Andy Kaufman-style hoax (with an assist from his friend and brother-in-law Casey Affleck, who’s ostensibly shooting a documentary about his career transition), or he’s truly lost his marbles. The truth, it seems, is closer to the former. “He said, ‘It’s a put-on. I’m going to pretend to have a meltdown and change careers, and Casey is going to film it,’” says one source who recently worked with Phoenix.

Though Phoenix’s interest in music is sincere (he earned Oscar and Grammy nominations for his turn as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line and has directed several music videos), with this supposed career reboot he is evidently trying to both lampoon pompous actors and punk the media that covers them. Whatever his motivation or ultimate endgame, don’t expect him to break character anytime soon. “It’s an art project for him,” says a source. “He’s going full out. He probably has told his reps that he’s quit acting. Joaquin is very smart. This is very conscious. He has a huge degree of control.”

EW

You know, maybe it is an elaborate hoax, from the ‘Bye, good’ on his fists, to the falling off stage, it does seem like stunt failure. His beard also seems a little too much like a costume, adding to the stunt element. I love the beard though, I love a hairy man, but I think I’m alone in my admiration. Rap music also seems a suspect choice – Joaquin has in the past directed music videos, presumably for bands he likes, which were of the more indie rock/electronic persuasion.

Joaquin Phoenix is shown performing on 1/17/09. Credit: WENN

Drugs are probably behind Joaquin Phoenix’s move from Hollywood to his own warped version of hip hop, but I can’t help but think it’s more than a coincidence that his last role was with insufferable Gwyneth Paltrow. The Sun has more details of their interactions on screen in the film Two Lovers and Phoenix had to endure a sex scene with Paltrow along with seeing her try to act sexy as she bares and strokes her breasts. I know Paltrow is technically supposed to easy on the eyes, but there’s something about seeing her in that position that just makes me cringe. It’s not the first and probably won’t be the last time Paltrow bares it on screen. According to Mr. Skin she’s been nude without using a body double in five other films.

[Gwyneth Paltrow]… bares and caresses her breast to entice a neighbour, played by JOAQUIN PHEONIX.

Two Lovers, which is released in March, is set in New York and centres around Joaquin’s character Leonard.

After splitting up with his long-term partner, he moves back in with his parents who attempt to set him up with a family friend.

However depressed Leonard is instead enticed by Michelle, played by Gywneth.

She lives in the same apartment block as his parents.

Michelle attempts to lure Leonard with some saucy antics, including phone sex and another scene of red hot bedroom action.

[From The Sun]

Phoenix really has descended into fug since this movie was shot. Trying to seduce Paltrow on screen may have just proved too much for him, and it’s like the weight gain, beard and the crazy are all a defense mechanism to keep her far away.

This film is out in the US on February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day! It came out in France on November 19, and in Belgium in late December, and has been screened at some film festivals. Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t have enough reviews to give it a percentage rating, but the two critics who have seen it say it’s mediocre and don’t recommend it. Have any of you seen the film and what did you think? Did you hunker down in your seat when Paltrow started the sexy or were you able to suspend disbelief and endure it?

Here’s the trailer:

Joaquin raps

Joaquin jumps, then falls

Three months ago, Joaquin Pheonix announced that he was retiring from acting and that his most recent movie Two Lovers with Gwenyth Paltrow would be his last. Casey Affleck, his brother-in-law, told reporters that Joaquin would be going into music. When I heard this, I thought, “well that’s nice – he has a band.” Not so. He has decided that his new career path is going to be rapping.

On Saturday, he made his debut at a Las Vegas nightclub called LAVO in a performance that mainly consisted of shuffling back and forth and bouncing stiffly with the beat. In still shots from his show, you can see that his pants have a huge hole in them near the crotch, although he is mercifully wearing underwear. Footage of this incredible event is above. At the end of the second video, he manages to trip and fall. Casey Affleck stood off to the left filming the whole debacle for a documentary about Joaquin’s attempt to make it as a musician. Even though Joaquim said last November that it’s Casey’s time to shine, he apparently wanted the younger Affleck to do a side project for him first.

It’s not surprising that people are questioning the legitimacy of the project after his awkward performance:

Affleck, who is married to Phoenix’s sister Summer, is filming a documentary to capture the actor’s transition to music.

But the ever-present cameras have left many wondering whether Phoenix’s foray into music is a drawn-out joke.

The scruffy star insists it isn’t.

“This is who I am. This is my story,” he told People magazine before the performance.

“Are there people out there who think I’m a joke? I’m sure there will be … I can’t worry about that.”

[from NY Daily News]

Who is his target audience supposed to be? Most fans of rap are probably not interested in anything Joaquin has to say. And what’s his message? It’s hard to imagine him rapping about girls and booze and partying, though I may be wrong. If I had to guess, I would probably say it’s politically oriented. You can’t really tell from the video what he’s saying. It’s also unclear whether the audience was really that excited or just very drunk. It is Vegas, after all.

The best part about this whole story is that Joaquin’s first album is rumored to be produced by Sean Combs/ Puff Daddy/P Diddy, as we reported on Friday. If that report is true, I can’t wait to see what kind of music they’re going to make.

[Thanks to The Superficial for featuring these videos]

Photo credit: WENN

So Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely serious when he wrote out “Bye Good” on his knuckles and stumbled down the red carpet for what will be his last film, Two Lovers. Joaquin is quitting the business – no more acting, no more Oscar nominations, no more having to work with Gwyneth Paltrow. But he still wants to be in front of the camera for some reason – as the subject of a documentary, filmed by his long-time friend Casey Affleck.

Casey Affleck will get behind a camera lens to track the musical career of fellow actor Joaquin Phoenix, who portrayed Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line.”

Affleck is directing a documentary feature on his friend and brother-in-law Phoenix, who in the fall announced his retirement from the thespian business in order to focus on a music career.

Phoenix is embarking on a new path as a rapper, with an album to be produced by Sean Combs. He is scheduled to make his first public performance Friday at a Las Vegas club, which will officially kick off Affleck’s shoot.

Affleck is known for his work in front of the camera with movies like “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” and the “Ocean’s Eleven” series. He directed a series of shorts for Sundance Channel in the late 1990s. He is married to Summer Phoenix, sister of his new film subject.

[From Reuters/Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, God. A rap career? Produced by Puffy? How in God’s name did this happen? Joaquin has two (deserved) Oscar nominations, one for Best Supporting Actor for playing the corrupt and morally bankrupt emperor in Gladiator. The second nomination was for his amazing portrait of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, for which Joaquin took musical and singing classes. In my mind, a career in some sort of western-pop-rock music wouldn’t be so far off base for Joaquin, but a rap career? Please no. However, I bet the documentary will be really juicy – and sad.

Header image of Joaquim Phoenix and Casey Affleck at the reading of “The World Of Nick Adams” to Honor Paul Newman on October 27th. Images thanks to Splash.

Best Week Ever posted the video below of actor Joaquin Pheonix, 34, announcing his retirement from acting while at a benefit for the late Paul Newman’s charity on October 27th. Wearing sunglasses and looking unkempt, Phoenix told a reporter from Extra! in a kind of mumbling monotone, “I want to take this opportunity… also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor… I’m not doing films anymore.” He then referred to his friend Casey Affleck, standing next to him, and said “It’s Casey’s time now.” When the reporter asked him if he was kidding he said “no,” and then got annoyed and walked away. Casey stuck around looking kind of surprised and when asked if Joaquin was really going to retire he said “yeah, I guess he’s going to get into music.”

A couple of you speculated in the links on Friday when we posted this story that Phoenix was on something, and he definitely seems at least hungover. It’s hard to tell with that kind of thing, and maybe the guy is just genuinely fed up with acting. His rep confirmed the news that he wanted to retire and focus on his music career. His last film, Two Lovers, was shot with Gwyneth Paltrow and she probably nagged him incessantly about his diet and exercise habits.

Phoenix was seen on the red carpet for Two Lovers at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday. He posed with his other Two Lovers costar, Vinessa Shaw, and the director, James Grey. He confirmed his retirement by holding up his clenched fists to show the scrawled words “Good” and “Bye!” written on his fingers below the knuckles. Phoenix puffed on a cigarette as he walked the carpet and made Jack Black-type triumphant gestures. He seems pretty serious about his retirement and he wants us to know about it. At least Gwyneth wasn’t there to ruin his moment.

This guy has come a long way from his former heart throb status and that’s probably his intent.

Photo credit: WENN and Bauergriffin

Joaquin Phoenix is following in the footsteps of other successful Hollywood musicians Scarlett Johansson, Russell Crowe and Keanu Reeves to quit acting and focus on his music career.

“I want to take this opportunity… also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor… I’m not doing films anymore.”

“Extra’s” Jerry Penacoli, shocked by the news, further probed Joaquin. “Are you serious?” Phoenix, who was curiously being followed by his own camera crews, reiterated, “Yeah. I’m working on my music. I’m done. I’ve been through that.”

Actor Casey Affleck, present during the admission, tells “Extra”, “I don’t think he’s kidding. He’s got music and stuff.”

Today, “Extra” contacted Phoenix’s rep for clarification and got this response: “That is what he told me.”

Extra

This seems to come as a surprise to his rep and Casey Affleck. You get the impression that his rep doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Joaquin has been nominated for an Oscar twice, most recently for his portrayal of Johnny Cash in 2005′s Walk the Line. He and Reese Witherspoon both performed the songs for the soundtrack (giving Joaquin what might be his only hit record now or ever) which seems to have inspired him to pursue music as a career.

I’m guessing that Joaquin will probably head back to acting if his career isn’t as successful as his Walk the Line soundtrack, and since Johnny Cash holds the title of ‘the man’ Joaquin can only ever borrow it.

Here’s a tidbit I didn’t know – he used to go by the name Leaf Phoenix. Joaquin/Leaf’s last role will be in Two Lovers, due out early 2009.

Note by Celebitchy: Do you think it’s a coincidence that Joaquin Phoenix is quitting acting when his last project was with Gwyneth Paltrow?

Joaquin Phoenix is shown at a Benefit for the Painted Turtle at the Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, California on 10/27/08. Credit: DA5/ WENN

Last week’s pictures of Eva Mendez and Joaquin Phoenix getting into a car sparked rumors that they were an item. Most people dismissed the idea that they were a couple since they’re working on a film together. Now that they’ve been spotted together at least twice, there seems to be a real romance blooming:

They make a great couple and we hope they last. Here they are on 3/14 filming We Own the Night.

Pictures [via]