Joaquin Phoenix Explains Why He’s Over Talking About His Weight Loss For Roles

Joaquin Phoenix Explains Why He’s Over Talking About His Weight Loss For Roles

As a fan who has closely followed Joaquin Phoenix‘s career, I can wholeheartedly appreciate his decision to refrain from discussing his weight loss journey for roles in the future. It’s refreshing to see an actor prioritize their health and well-being over Hollywood’s often unrealistic expectations.


In the upcoming movie “Joker: Folie à Deux,” Joaquin Phoenix will be taking on a bigger responsibility as he’ll be singing and dancing alongside Lady Gaga. However, just like when preparing for his role as Arthur Fleck in the original film, Phoenix will still need to shed some pounds. Unlike before, though, Phoenix is remaining tight-lipped about his weight loss process for this role

Joaquin Phoenix likely found it quite difficult to dance on the set of “Joker 2,” as he was significantly lighter than his typical self to portray Arthur Fleck convincingly. At the Venice Film Festival press conference for the sequel, the Academy Award winner made a decision to cease losing weight for roles, and here’s why:

I won’t delve into the details of my diet, as I believe people aren’t particularly interested in hearing about it. However, you’ve got a point – at 49 years old, I should be more mindful about my habits. This might just be the last time for me

The Golden Globe winner makes a great point about losing so much weight as you get older. While it shows commitment to making body transformations to resemble your character, it can be dangerous for the actor portraying the role.

It’s wiser to entrust such intense weight transformations to skilled actors like Christian Bale and Matt Damon, who have demonstrated their ability to handle the risks associated with rapid weight changes. For instance, Bale bulked up significantly to portray Dick Cheney in “Vice,” but later shed even more pounds for “Ford v Ferrari.” Similarly, Damon lost approximately 60 pounds within four months for the flashback sequences in “Courage Under Fire,” only to regain it all back in three weeks, which led him to require medication for recovery. As we grow older, maintaining good health should always be our top concern

The first time I donned the role of Arthur Fleck in “Joker,” I shed a significant amount of weight for the film. Since then, I’ve been involved in various projects, but stepping back into this iconic character meant revisiting my weight loss journey once more. Although I shared details about my weight loss methods in 2019, as we gear up for the sequel, I’m choosing to tell a fresh story:

Previously, it was my task to discuss the matter, but it tends to consume me since I’m trying to reach a specific weight goal. Consequently, I find myself unable to avoid discussing it, which can make me sound like an actor boasting about their weight loss. Eventually, by the end of that phase, I grew tired and frustrated with myself for making such a big deal out of it. The truth is, you just do what needs to be done, and that’s it. Unfortunately, I fell into the trap of talking about it last time. This time around, I decided not to repeat that mistake

It’s not surprising that not every actor wishes to make a big deal about their weight loss experience, particularly if it was as challenging as Joaquin Phoenix claimed for his role in “Joker.” He admitted that shedding 52 pounds significantly influenced his performance, making him feel like he was on the brink of insanity due to the rapid weight loss. Director Todd Phillips detailed the extreme diet Phoenix followed, which included drastically reducing his calorie intake and consuming primarily apples, lettuce, and steamed green beans. Throughout this process, Phoenix ensured he had medical oversight

You can watch Joaquin Phoenix’s press conference interview in the Instagram video below:

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Although Joaquin Phoenix managed to undergo significant weight loss for his role as Arthur Fleck in the Joker movies, it’s beneficial that he won’t repeat this process for future characters. With a promising career still unfolding, he can utilize his power to captivate audiences further with upcoming film projects. Catch Phoenix and Lady Gaga in the big-screen release of Joker 2 on October 4th, 2024

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2024-09-05 20:37