Joker Director Says Joaquin Phoenix Would Walk Off Set In The Middle Of Scenes

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding Todd Phillips' Joker movie. Not only have critics been showering the film with praise, but the movie also won the top award at this year's Venice International Film Festival, proving that it's going to become a major contender at the Awards Circuit, thanks to its strong story and thanks to the phenomenal performance by Joaquin Phoenix.

Of course, fans wouldn't expect anything less than excellence from the Academy Award-winning actor. Phoenix took the role so seriously, that sometimes he would walk off the set in the middle of filming scenes for the movie.

Speaking in an interview with New York Times, director Todd Phillips opened up about the Phoenix's process in becoming Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime, and according to the filmmaker, walking off set was part of the actor's method.

"In the middle of the scene, he'll just walk away and walk out," Phillips explained in his interview with the publication, "And the poor other actor thinks it's them and it was never them — it was always him, and he just wasn't feeling it." And after taking a breather, he said, "we'll take a walk and we'll come back and we'll do it."

It seems like Phoenix really took the role to heart. The actor must have wanted to give his all in every scene, and tiny mistakes must have frustrated him. Seeing how dedicated he is and how well-received his performance is, we can only wonder whether the Academy might recognize his work and nominate him for an Oscar for the Joker.

There's a strong chance that they might.

Joker premieres October 4, 2019.

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