You’ve probably already seen this video once, having watched Joaquin Phoenix being interviewed on Letterman when it first aired.
However, it’s definitely worth watching again now that we know the whole thing was part of an act, a character, Phoenix was playing for fake breakdown documentary I’m Still Here.
That’s right folks, I’m Still Here is and always was a hoax. But director of the documentary and friend of Phoenix, Casey Affleck, has taken his time in admitting the truth, waiting until the film was released before confessing.
He’s now told The New York Times:
“It’s a terrific performance, it’s the performance of his career. I never intended to trick anybody. The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind.”
Yeah, whatever. Still, I must admit this is quite some performance, and if anything it shows how good an actor Phoenix actually is. I now wouldn’t trust him or Affleck as far as I could throw them, but as for acting and directing they clearly know what they’re doing.
