http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/joaquinphoenix_blog.html Joaquin Phoenix, who turned 34 years old just yesterday, stunned E! Online reporter Jason Kennedy with the announcement that he would be retiring from acting. The two-time Oscar nominee stated this on the red carpet at a Monday benefit for the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, a charity founded by Paul Newman. Phoenix said that "Two Lovers," his upcoming romantic drama with Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw, will be his final on-screen role. "This will be my last performance as an actor. I'm not doing films anymore... I've been through that. I've done it... I'm dead serious." Phoenix is apparently giving up acting to pursue music, a passion of his since he learned to play guitar to play the role of Johnny Cash in 2005's "Walk the Line." According to Billboard, Phoenix is working on an album with Tim Burgess, frontman for the UK group The Charlatans. Burgess said, "Once he learnt guitar he found that he had quite a lot of demons inside himself that he wanted to expel through music. Phoenix appeared at the charity event on Monday with his brother-in-law, Casey Affleck. Affleck is married to Phoenix's younger sister, Summer. In explaining his retirement decision, Phoenix said, "It's Casey's time now." Affleck confirmed for E! Online that Phoenix is telling the truth when he says he's leaving the acting profession, saying, "I guess he's getting into music. He's putting out an album." But both Affleck and Phoenix hurried away from the cameras without elaborating. "Two Lovers," Phoenix's final film, premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "Phoenix plays the romantic lead with great intelligence and enormous charm, making his character's conflict utterly believable." The picture is scheduled for release on February 13th, 2009. So far there is no word on when Phoenix's first album will hit shelves.
Until he runs out of money. Trust me, he'll be back, just like a worn penny. It's a media play, and it worked didn't it?
Joaquin is a good guy. This isnt a media play. He's too down to earth for the film business and he really loves making music. However...if funds run low then yes, he will absolutely jump back in. Who wouldnt ?
I think he's wanting to simply focus more on his music. Saying your quiting the buisness causes a stir and people will now look into his music. I don't think he's done though. I have a hard time believing anyone who says they are "retiring" these days.
i agree about him being a good guy, he also produces a television show on MTV called 4REAL where stars travel to third world countries learning and supporting local charities and i believe he also founded and actively participates in events to raise money for it.
He'll be back. Just because you're a good actor, does not mean you're a good musician. He will get tired of being a mediocre musician playing in small clubs to 65 drunk people and start acting again.
That's what will happen exactly. He's a good actor IMO but he's still got that 'life in LA' mentality and somehow thinks he's gonna walk into music and get the same response and success from it. The first few nights of playing clubs he'll tell himself it's cool to be living the life of a real person. Opening nights in LA at the Whiskey and the Viper room will have cameras and celebrity audience members. The following nights in Kearny Nebraska and Witchita Falls will not. By night 10 it will be old and the problems of dealing with a band will set in too. Things he takes for granted now will be missed when along with the fame they fade. Pretty soon he'll realize nobody really cares what he does one way or the other and that'll put the get me a script call into the agent. The Charlatans are an awesome band already and maybe they think the Joaquin Phoenix connection will help them get some attention from American audiences. I give the project two months.
Or........... He's tired of the BS in hollywood, made a bit of money to live comfortably, and now wants to pursue something he has a passion for?
