Show business is a strange business. And is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?
Well, when it comes to celebrities who contribute to that perception, Joker star Joaquin Phoenix on a press tour may take up most of the list. The Academy Award nominated actor can be seen across all platforms of social media (and even his own mockumentary, I’m Still Here) doing odd things during interviews – his infamous visit on the David Letterman show takes the cake there.
But even promoting Todd Phillips’ upcoming film has had a couple bumps here and there. Phoenix walked out on a journalist a couple weeks ago when asked about its graphic violence and now, the Walk the Line performer got caught in an embarrassing moment on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The interview started off well, with Phoenix providing only moderately annoyed or detached answers to Kimmel’s questions. But when the host then announced that he had some behind-the-scenes outtakes from the film, Phoenix appeared to be thrown off guard.
The quick clip shows the Clown Prince of Crime in full makeup trying to prepare for a scene, when he’s distracted by the film’s cinematographer, Larry Sher. Phoenix is clearly annoyed by the disturbance, but a montage shows his frustration escalate and escalate until he finally walks off the set.
When the show cuts back to Phoenix, he’s utterly embarrassed, and does his best to explain what happened:
“Look, sometimes movies get intense. There’s a lot of people in a small place and you’re trying to find something…but that was supposed to be private.”
With that said, this could be another on-air gimmick by the actor. After all, it seems strange that Warner Bros. would submit such a display to be screened on live television without the actor’s approval, and, according to Phoenix’s publicist (via ET), the outtake may have been staged entirely.
What do you think, though? Is this just another in a long list of odd, but planned TV appearances from Phoenix? Or do you think the Joker footage is real? Be sure to drop us a comment down below, and catch the actor in one of his best performances in theaters on October 4th.