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Method acting is probably a brilliant way to submit to the character at hand, but it can surely destabilize an artist’s personality in the darkest of ways. Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix has had an intimate relationship with roles that almost go over the edge.

Joaquin Phoenix in Her

His most recent performance as the clown prince of Gotham inJoker(2019) serves as the perfect example of his tendency to delve deeper into the psychology of a character. Whether his performance could come as close to Heath Ledger’s fromThe Dark Knighthad us all in limbo at first, until we finally got to see the agent of chaos in all his glory.

Playing the character sadly got the wind knocked out of Heath Ledger and we lost a brilliant actor to drugs. Joaquin Phoenix went through a similar loss back in ‘93 when he lost his brother River Phoenix to drugs.

Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line

James Mangold’s 2005 Johhny Cash biopichad Phoenix push his limits to uncomfortably dangerous levels. Having a family history of substance abuse, his addiction went out of hand during the film’s shoot.

Read more:“I’m guilty”: Oscar Winning DC Star Joaquin Phoenix Hates His Own Method Acting

Joaquin Phoenix as Joker

Joaquin Phoenix’sWalk the LineLeft Him Struggling With Drugs

Getting into the boots of the legendary Johnny Cash may have earned Phoenix an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win, but an entirely different struggle went on behind the camera.

His performance as the alcoholic and drug addict Cash was highly praised in Hollywood and looked insanely convincing that after the film was completed, he had to check himself into rehab.

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That’s not all. In his interview with GQ,Joaquin Phoenixshed light that he had also been in a near-death experience after he lost his mind to the role.

“I wasn’t engaging with the world or myself in the way I wanted to. I was being an idiot, running around, drinking, going to stupid clubs.”

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He underwent treatment for his condition after his fatal road accident that could have killed him as he lit up a cigarette while being badly injured.

Read more:$48.5M Joaquin Phoenix Movie Ruthlessly Recast Harry Potter Star With Scarlett Johansson, Ended Up With Whopping 186 Award Nominations

Joaquin Phoenix Channels His Life Into His Films

The 48-year-old actor has had a troubled upbringing. Coming from a family who lived a semi-nomadic life, he could never be stable because of that.

Although his brother,River Phoenixbegan his career in the film industry young, he had to go through his death. That kind of loss put him off the rails and he developed a habit of drinking.

Over the years, Joaquin Phoenix has been trying to hold himself together and films have proven to be a great way for him to tell about his life to the world. He often picks roles that resonate with his life and upbringing.

Films likeGladiator(2000), Her(2013), Walk the Line(2005), andJoker(2019) have all shown Phoenix’s powerful ability to showcase his descent into madness. He may have had a close call with the dark side, but he learned to strike a beautiful balance between his reel and real life.

Suggested:“I’m sweating and panicking”: Joaquin Phoenix Revealed How It Was Like Working With Mark Wahlberg in $55.3 Million Crime Drama

Joker’slandslide success paved the way for a sequel, and we’re getting the talented Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn this time around.Joker: Folie à Deuxreleases on July 05, 2025.

Source:Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Ojaswi Chaudhary

Articles Published :265

Extremely passionate about a great story since the little guy was 8. He has lived through nothing short of almost 300 of Hollywood’s finest pieces of work, and is now creating some of his own here at FandomWire. He loves to make time for a good book and a good meal.

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Heath LedgerJoaquin PhoenixRiver Phoenix