The only two Joaquin Phoenix movies he’s ever seen
From Samuel L. Jackson to Keanu Reeves, some actors thrive in watching their own work back, taking pride in their performance, analysing their work and relishing in the opportunity to see fan reactions. Others, however, struggle to even make it through a screening of one of their own films, including Joaquin Phoenix.
Since making his feature film debut in SpaceCamp over three decades ago, Phoenix has forged a place for himself as a staple in dark independent cinema. From an appearance in Ridley Scott’s iconic Gladiator to his quiet performance in Spike Jonze’s Her to his Academy Award-winning depiction of Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips’ Joker, Phoenix has earned huge acclaim for his work.
Despite mounting praise and success surrounding his lengthy filmography, like many acting stars, Phoenix can’t stand to watch himself on screen. He may have amassed a filmography with over 40 credits, but the actor has seen just two of his own movies – 2012’s The Master, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and 2013’s Her, directed by Spike Jonze.
The actor explained his aversion to his own filmography in an interview with TimeOut. When asked if he’d seen Irrational Man, the 2013 film he starred in opposite Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner, Phoenix responded, ““I haven’t. Paul Thomas Anderson [the director] got me to watch The Master, and I saw Her. Those are the only two I’ve seen.”
“I thought I might be mature enough to watch and learn,” he explained, “To think: these are the mistakes that were made. But it’s still something I struggle with… Oh, this sounds stupid. Who gives a shit?”
The actor only forced himself to watch The Master after Anderson told him to “man up,” he once recalled in South China Morning Post. Phoenix tried his best to watch the film, which even earned the actor a ‘Best Actor’ nomination at the Oscars, but still struggled, much to his disappointment.
“It was so crushing,” he recalled, “I was like, ‘OK, you’re right.’ I should be able to watch it and not be a… coward and just go, ‘Oh, that did or didn’t work.’ I manned up for a little bit, and then I didn’t have the courage to finish it. I turned it off.”
Phoenix also explained his inability to separate the experience from work, seeing himself as merely acting rather than marrying his performance with the character and the story. “Not too long ago, I was flipping through the movie channels, and there was a movie [I was in] that I’d never seen,” he recalled, “I watched it, and I was garbage. It just felt like I was working. I saw so much acting. I was really embarrassed by it.”
Despite Phoenix’s self-consciousness surrounding his own movies, critics and audiences alike have lauded his on-screen talent. Though he may not be able to see it himself, Phoenix can take comfort in his impressive award collection and ever-increasing filmography.
