Joaquin Phoenix Will Possible By no means Play The Joker Once more For A Good Cause

If Joaquin Phoenix’s comedic killer Arthur Fleck returns to screens after “Joker: Folie à Deux,” he’ll nearly definitely must placed on a number of kilos. The brand new movie from Todd Phillips solely simply premiered on the Venice Worldwide Movie Pageant, and in a press convention (by way of Selection), Phoenix defined that the physique transformation required to play The Joker was “troublesome” however “protected.” Presumably answering a query from a member of the press who was involved about his emaciated on-screen look, Phoenix replied: “You are proper. I am now 49, I most likely should not do that once more. That is most likely it for me.”

In fact, this off-the-cuff comment should not be taken as Phoenix closing the door on the Arthur Fleck character altogether. As an alternative, it may very well be the road within the sand Hollywood must lastly reel in its obsession with unhealthy transformation for the sake of efficiency. Again in 2019, “Joker” costar Zazie Beetz informed Collider that the primary movie wasn’t in a position to do reshoots “as a result of Joaquin had misplaced a lot weight,” a press release that suggests that the total extent of the actor’s bodily transformation might not have been deliberate. Phoenix informed the Related Press that he had obsessed over dropping the final little bit of weight for the position, admitting that “you actually develop like a dysfunction” when targeted on excessive weight change for the sake of a task.

Whereas the actor shared the main points of his transformation course of after the primary movie wrapped, he was cautious to not go too in-depth at at the moment’s press occasion — a wise selection on condition that mentioning numbers and strategies concerned in excessive weight-reduction plan can affect others recovering from consuming issues. “I am not going to speak by way of specifics of the food regimen, as a result of I simply assume no person desires to listen to that,” Phoenix mentioned, giving a reasonably self-deprecating purpose for staying mum about particulars just like the variety of kilos he misplaced. “It simply appears like an actor happening and on about how a lot weight they misplaced,” he defined. “By the top of that run I used to be so sick of myself and indignant at myself for making such an enormous deal about that half.”

Nonetheless, Phoenix conceded that an added degree of physicality required for “Joker: Folie à Deux” made the transformation trickier. “However this time, it felt a bit extra sophisticated simply because there was a lot dance rehearsal that we have been doing, which I did not have final time, so it felt a bit harder, however it’s protected.” That is when Phoenix mentioned he most likely would not put his physique by way of the rigamarole once more — an comprehensible sentiment that is been shared by different actors previously. In 2017, Tom Hardy spoke to The Day by day Beast about his lengthy historical past of grueling bodily transformations for the sake of a task, saying, “I believe you pay the value with any drastic bodily modifications.”

“It was alright after I was youthful, to place myself below that form of duress,” Hardy theorized, “however I believe as you get into your 40s you must be extra aware of the fast coaching, packing on a whole lot of weight and getting bodily, after which not having sufficient time to maintain coaching since you’re busy filming, so your physique is swimming in two completely different instructions on the similar time.” He famous that shedding weight is equally impactful, saying, “To go from one excessive to a different has a value.” In the meantime, as a youthful star with a distinct perspective on Hollywood’s dangerous habits, Tom Holland has vowed to steer clear of roles requiring excessive weight reduction after making an attempt it simply as soon as.

The answer right here appears easy: If Arthur Fleck goes to return for a 3rd “Joker” film (one thing Phillips presently does not appear open to), Phillips and Phoenix can merely cease focusing a lot on his bodily physique as a illustration of the character’s twisted thoughts. We do not have to see somebody’s rib cage to know that they are not feeling effectively, nor does the franchise must equate its reasonably romantic imaginative and prescient of psychological sickness with skinniness. At at the moment’s press convention, Phoenix mentioned that his costar Stefani Germanotta –- higher generally known as Woman Gaga –- additionally misplaced weight to play the position of Harley Quinn. Except there is a subplot about Arkham Asylum refusing to serve the inmates meals, the punishing body-changing routine feels fairly pointless. I hope Phoenix is true, and that he will not find yourself pushing his physique to extremes once more for a task. However I additionally hope that Hollywood will get its act collectively sufficient to understand it should not ask him –- or anybody –- to.

“Joker: Folie à Deux” hits theaters on October 4, 2024.