Joaquin Phoenix To Quit Acting... Star to focus on singing career
Joaquin Phoenix has startled movie fans and the film industry alike by announcing that he is to retire from acting... to focus on singing.
Phoenix, nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for 2005's Walk the Line, and for Best Supporting Actor 2000's Gladiator, has had a long career in film, starting as a child actor on TV in the early 80's, back when he was called Leaf, and graduating to film in such fare as Disney's Space Camp in 1986.
He has always been candid about his relationship with acting, being quoted as saying "The reason I keep making movies is I hate the last thing I did. I'm trying to rectify my wrongs."
His career of late has been a rollercoaster affair. After his Best Actor nomination in 2005, Phoenix checked himself into rehab for alcohol dependency.
He wouldn't make a film until 2007, when he starred in the poorly received We Own The Night. He followed that up with Reservation Road, which received mostly negative reviews and made just $122,000 at the US box office.
His last film - if he stays true to his word and retires - will be James Gray's Two Lovers with Gwyneth Paltrow. Gray also directed Phoenix in The Yards and We Own The Night. It is released in the UK in 2009.
As far as the singing career goes, Phoenix has apparently been working on an album with The Charlatan's front man Tim Burgess, expected to be released sometime next year. He already has a Grammy award for his work on the Walk the Line soundtrack, for which he provided his own vocals.
This isn't the first time Phoenix has quit acting - he did so after the traumatic experience of his brother River's untimely death in 1993, at which time he took a one year break from the screen. If his album proves successful, it looks like this break could be much longer.
What do you think, readers - has Phoenix really quit acting? Or is this just a temporary state of affairs? Will he be missed? Let us know in the space below.
who's really going to take seriously as a musician? and does he plan on writing his own songs? sounds like throwing the baby out with the bathwater to me (or just a rouse after a few bad box office receipts) but good luck to him. ... Read More
Quite a surprise.
Anyone else notice that Wacky Phoenix has become quie dull and depressing lately, in interviews anyway (going down the Harrison Ford route) ... Read More
I'm a huge fan, as most people here know, so I'm obviously shocked and upset about it. But whatever makes him happy is always good and I have a sneaking suspicion his music will fare better than the usual actor-to-singer stuff. I hope he does act again one day. ... Read More
I always liked Joaquin when he was outstanding in Gladiator and brillant in Walk The Line. I was shocked of this news, he's a excellent actor but to do singing? Well, that's up to him but I will miss him and I will see his last movie on the big screen. Probably cry on that day. I wish him well for his new direction, I hope it does good for him and who knows? He might be a great singer and won't come back to Hollywood. ... Read More
I think Joaquin is a very talented actor, but judging by his Walk The Line vocals, it looks like he could be a good singer also. If this is the case, and he can forge a succesfull/semi-succesfull career in music, then I don't think we will see Phoenix on the screen any time soon. ... Read More
