Joaquin Phoenix has been in the movie business for nearly four decades, obviously proving a draw for critics and audiences. And while that helps in a continuously successful career, he specifically doesn’t want his friends seeing his movies. And if you happen to catch one, please don’t tell him you liked it.
Speaking on the A24 podcast about Beau Is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix said that people are supportive of his movies, but it adds nothing to his emotions. “I’ve had one friend who’s seen the movie, and they texted, ‘I had a blast.’ I don’t know what that is.” He added that he tends to get confrontational on the matter, saying, “If somebody says a compliment about something, my impulse is to say, ‘Name five other performances that you thought are really good, or movies…’ It’s probably best to not interact with your friends when they’ve seen a movie you’ve made. That’s my opinion.”
Joaquin Phoenix even refused to invite any buddies to the premiere of his latest movie, Beau Is Afraid, saying it’s a pathetic move. “It’s also, like, ‘Do you want to come and watch this?’ I just feel so weird…‘Come see the movie?’ No. There’s no good version of this. Whatever the situation, don’t invite ’em…My preference is for people I know not to see anything I’m in just because I don’t want to have to go through that process. That’s the worst thing about going to a screening. Afterwards, people come up, and they have to say something. It’s always uncomfortable.” For what it’s worth, Joaquin, we do feel compelled to say that we gave Beau Is Afraid a 6/10… but we can tell you because we don’t know you!
But chances are many of Joaquin Phoenix’s nearest and dearest will be seeing his next big movie, Joker: Folie à Deux (which wrapped filming earlier this month), which will do insanely well at the box office if its predecessor is any indicator, with 2019’s Joker raking in $355 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide.
Joaquin Phoenix has made some off-the-wall comments before, but how do you feel about him not wanting friends to see his movies? If you could tell Phoenix one thing (positive or negative) about one of his flicks, what would it be? Let us know!