Joaquin Phoenix declines to address Todd Haynes film exit in Venice: “The other creatives aren’t here”

Joaquin Phoenix declined to answer questions about his departure last month from Todd Haynes’ untitled gay romance film, at the Venice press conference for Joker: Folie À Deux.

”If I do, I would just be sharing my opinion from my perspective and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece and it just doesn’t feel like that would be right, I’m not sure how that would be helpful,” he said in response to a question from Screen International.  “So I don’t think I will [answer it]”.

Phoenix’s response was a brief moment of solemnity in an otherwise jovial press conference, that he began by bounding onto the stage and greeting the assembled media, joined by director Todd Phillips and co-star Lady Gaga – the latter referred to by her real name Stefani, by Phoenix.

Phoenix also spoke about the diet he adopted for Joker: Folie À Deux, having lost 52 pounds to play failed comedian Arthur Fleck for the first film. “This time, it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn’t have last time,” said the actor. “So it felt a bit more difficult, but it is safe. I’m now 49, I probably shouldn’t do this again. This is probably it for me.”

“I know I was responsible last time for talking about it, but it’s difficult to do so that becomes your obsession because you’re working the entire time to get to a certain weight,” Phoenix continued.

“So then you end up talking about it, and then it just sounds like an actor going on and on about how much weight they lost. By the end of that run I was so sick of myself and angry at myself for making such a big deal about that part, because you just do what you’re fucking supposed to do. So this time I was like, ‘I’m not going to do that.’”

“I think we transformed into our characters over a period of time and we continued to hone in every kind of detail,” said Gaga on the weight-loss topic, for her role as the Joker’s partner in love and crime Harley Quinn.

Joker: Folie À Deux sees Fleck meet the love of his life Quinn in Arkham State Hospital, with the duo going on a doomed romantic misadventure following their release.

Phoenix revealed that it was Gaga, known for her pop hits as a singer including ‘Born This Way’ and ‘Bad Romance’, who insisted the pair sing live for the film. “Stefani said early on that we’re singing live and I said no we’re not,” Phoenix said. “And then we did. Not only did we sing live, but every part of the recording was live. Each take was a different version of the song and that felt really exciting.”

The film has its world premiere on the Lido this evening (Wednesday, September 4); before opening worldwide through Warner Bros from October 4.

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