Joaquin Phoenix Reveals That Joker Transformation Psychologically Affected Him
Joker was predicted to be a critical darling and it is certainly proving to be one. Early reactions to Joker have started trickling in and they are incredibly positive. People are also singling out lead Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as particularly praiseworthy. But Phoenix is now revealing that the physical transformation into Arthur was grueling and took a mental toll on him.
Joaquin Phoenix Talks About Joker Transformation
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Phoenix lost 52 pounds for the iconic role and this took a toll on him. He said:
“It turns out that affects your psychology, you start to go mad.”
Moreover, Phoenix also talked about how his conception of Joker changed during production and what interested him about the character. He said:
“Throughout the course of shooting, it felt like everyday we were discovering new parts of his personality, up until the very last day. It was his struggle to find happiness and to feel connected and to feel warmth and love and that’s the part of the character I was interested in. He was so many different things to me. Who he was in the first few weeks of shooting was completely different than who he was in the end. He was constantly evolving. I’ve never had an experience like this. The more unpredictable and looser we left it, the more exciting it was.”
Joaquin Phoenix On Creating A New Joker Laugh
As for the iconic laugh of Joker, Phoenix said that:
“Something that’s almost painful. I think for Joker it’s a part of him that wants to emerge. I think we all kind of assume what a Joker laugh is and it felt like a new, fresh way of looking it. I didn’t think that I could do it. I kind of practised alone but I asked Todd to come over to audition my laugh. I felt like I had to be able to do it on the spot and in front of somebody else. It was really uncomfortable. It took me a long time.”
Joker arrives in theatres on October 4.
Prepare yourself for this cinematic experience by looking at the final trailer for Joker below:
