Joaquin Phoenix is one of the greatest actors of his generation. For three decades, he’s moved seamlessly between auteur-driven films (Her, The Master) and box-office sensations (Gladiator, Joker).
We sit today for a rare, long-form conversation with Phoenix, starting with his latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux) (9:10), his free-wheeling collaborations with director Todd Phillips (11:32), and the nomadic upbringing that marked his early years (15:00). Then, he reflects on his childhood television debut in *Hill Street Blues *(22:27), the brilliance of Robert De Niro (27:53), and his formative performances in *To Die For *and *Parenthood *(34:45).
On the back-half, we discuss how the polarizing mockumentary, *I’m Still Here *(47:15), inspired his singular collaborations with directors Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, James Gray, and Lynne Ramsay (51:30). We also talk about the evolution of his acting process (52:47), the impassioned Oscars speech he delivered accepting Best Actor for Joker (58:15), and whether he’ll ever turn in what he believes is a ‘great’ performance (1:02:40).
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