When Joaquin Phoenix went method for a Disney movie: “I was a little hesitant at first”
Joaquin Phoenix is one of those actors that you either adore or cannot fucking stand.
He walks a thin line between confidence and pomposity. If you’re predisposed to dislike this ultra-focused form of acting, then Phoenix is everything you hate about egomaniac actors rolled into one. This debate was kicked into another gear when he won the ‘Best Actor’ Oscar for Joker, which was a controversial statement in and of itself.
No matter your opinion on the man, his body of work is undeniable. Amongst the award-winners and the box office-toppers lies an overlooked movie starring Ladder 49. Directed by Jay Russell, the movie stars Mr Bottom (that’s his real name, look it up) as a firefighter, with John Travolta serving as his older mentor. As the main character climbs the ladder, both figuratively and literally, he realises that achieving his dream has severe costs.
You probably wouldn’t notice at first glance, but Disney had many fingers in the Ladder 49 pie. The movie was produced by Touchstone Pictures, which serves as the ‘House of Mouse’s’ more adult-friendly studio, and was distributed by their in-house BuenaVista branch. This almost put its star off, as Phoenix confirmed during an interview with The Oklahoman.
“To be honest, I was a little hesitant at first when I heard there was a firefighter movie that Disney was doing,” he said. “I kind of imagined the worst, that it was just action-packed, a bunch of guys walking around in slow-motion… But it wasn’t until I met with Jay Russell, the director, that I felt that it was something that we could pull off because of his vision, his idea for the story and for the development of the character.”
Once he’d decided that the project was worth his time, Phoenix decided not to pull his usual goddamn disappearing trick and commit to Ladder 49 whole-hog. He trained for six weeks at a firefighter academy in Baltimore, Maryland, the film’s location.
Once he’d completed his course, he then worked as an actual firefighter in the city for a month. He was the only actor who did this and had to overcome his fear of heights to get through the program. When asked why he put himself through this, he said, “I felt it was something I actually had to experience first-hand in order to accurately portray a firefighter.”
Anyone who knows Phoenix knows this isn’t the only time he’s gone all-in for a part. He infamously led the world to believe that he was quitting acting in favour of becoming a rapper, which turned out to be part of a publicity stunt to promote his film I’m Still Here. Watch his incredible, awkward interview with David Letterman for reference. It really is as cringe as everyone says it is.
Much like Phoenix himself, method acting is a highly divisive topic. To some, it demonstrates an actor’s commitment to their craft, while others see it as yet another way they can make themselves feel important.
