Joaquin Phoenix spoke about revisiting his controversial “Joker” diet for the film’s sequel during a Venice Film Festival press conference on Wednesday, saying that it was “a bit more difficult” because of “Folie à Deux’s” dance component.
Phoenix made headlines back in 2020 when he revealed he lost 52 pounds preparing for his role as Arthur Fleck in the first film. During “Joker’s” press tour, he said he ate mainly lettuce and steamed vegetables to achieve the villain’s gaunt appearance.
“I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that. But 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,” Phoenix said. “So it felt a bit more difficult, but it is safe. But you’re right, I’m now 49, I probably shouldn’t do this again. This is probably it for me.”
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He then brought his co-star Lady Gaga into the conversation, saying: “Stefani also lost a lot of weight. I remember when I first met you in rehearsals and then you went away and when you came back, you lost a lot of weight. It was really impressive.”
But Gaga stayed mum on the subject. “I think we transformed into our characters over a period of time and we continued to hone in every kind of detail,” she said.
When asked how many pounds he lost this time, Phoenix said he didn’t exactly remember and then lamented his idea to ever talk about his physical transformation in the first place.
“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 said. “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.'”
He then whispered into the mic, “It was 47 pounds,” before clarifying: “No, I’m joking. I don’t know.”
Also during the press conference, Phoenix was also questioned about dropping out of Todd Haynes‘ untitled gay romance film just five days before it was set to begin filming in Mexico. “If I do, I’d just be sharing my opinion from my perspective and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece, and so I don’t think that would be helpful.”
Phoenix had developed the screenplay for the movie with Haynes and Jon Raymond. A source close to production told Variety at the time that the actor got “cold feet” about the project.
“Folie à Deux” is the follow-up to Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker,” which also premiered at Venice and won the fest’s prestigious Golden Lion. It went on to become the sixth-highest grossing film of the year and won the Academy Awards for best actor for Phoenix’s performance and original score for Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Taking place two years after the events of “Joker,” “Folie à Deux” adds a brand-new musical element to the story of the supervillain. According to its official synopsis, Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, “now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, falls in love with music therapist Lee (Gaga). As the duo experiences musical madness through their shared delusions, Arthur’s followers start a movement to liberate him.”
Speaking on the music in the film, Gaga said the way it was approached was “very special and extremely nuanced.”
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical in a lot of ways. It’s very different,” she said. “The way that music is used is to really give the characters a way to express what they needed to say because saying it is not enough.”
To prepare for her role, Gaga said she actually had to throw some of her pop star expertise out the window. “It was a lot about kind of unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe and allowing the song to completely come out of the character,” she added.
“Joker 2” also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz, and is set to premiere in theaters on Oct. 4 from Warner Bros.
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