Ahead of the release of the DC anti-hero movie, the 'Her' actor reveals in a new interview that he barely talked to his co-star when they worked together on the set.
- Oct 2, 2019
AceShowbiz - Joaquin Phoenix barely talked to Robert De Niro while shooting their new movie "Joker" due to their method acting styles.
Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill man who becomes the titular comic book villain in the new movie, with De Niro starring as a talk show host Fleck idolises.
Although the "Walk the Line" actor is a huge admirer of his co-star, they barely spoke during filming. "I didn't like to talk to him on set," Phoenix tells Vanity Fair magazine. "The first day we said good morning, and beyond that I don't know that we talked much."
De Niro adds: "His character and my character, we didn't need to talk about anything. We just say, 'Do the work. Relate as the characters to each other.' It makes it simpler and we don't (talk). There's no reason to."
The pair also clashed on the need to do a read-through of their lines, with the veteran star insisting they go through the script despite Phoenix being reluctant to do so. However, they resolved their differences and shared a hug after going through their lines in De Niro's company offices in New York.
Despite the clash, the "Her" star is still full of admiration for the acting legend. "He is my favourite American actor," Phoenix gushes. "I got the impression from him that he did things in (a) scene, certain behaviours, certain gestures or movements, whether the camera was on him and registering it or not."
Joker debuts in cinemas on Friday, October 4.
