Joaquin Phoenix's Best On-Screen Transformations

Beau Is AfraidJoaquin Phoenix stars in Beau Is Afraid. The film is a decades-spanning surrealist horror set in an alternate present. Beau is an extremely anxious but pleasant-looking man who has a fraught relationship with his overbearing mother and never knew his father.

After his mother dies, Beau travels home and faces supernatural threats that follow him for years. The film tracks Beau across decades, so Phoenix changed his look—using hair and makeup—for each era. This includes a CGI version of Phoenix as a boy in silk pajamas, visible on the poster.

InDon't Worry, He Won't Get Far on FootIn Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, Joaquin Phoenix plays John Callahan, a cartoonist with a drinking problem. After a serious car accident with his friend Dexter (Jack Black), John becomes a quadriplegic. John then loves his physical therapist, quits drinking, and starts drawing newspaper cartoons.

Phoenix’s physical change for this role was mild. He cut his hair unevenly, dyed it orange, and wore glasses and ugly shirts. The real work involved playing a quadriplegic man; Phoenix spends most screen time in a motorized wheelchair. Phoenix makes it look natural and performs well.

I'm Still HereI'm Still Here is one of Joaquin Phoenix's strangest films, not for its content. Phoenix never told anyone he was making it. Instead, he went on theLate Show with David LettermanLooking scraggly, he gave the weirdest interview of his career. He seemed completely unhinged, and Letterman reacted.

Phoenix announced he was quitting acting to become a rapper, and he followed through. He spent 18 months making people think he was crazy, but whenI'm Still HereAfter I'm Still Here finished, he told everyone what happened. It was an act; he filmed a mockumentary with Casey Affleck.

When it ended, Phoenix appeared on Letterman's stage again, but he looked different. He was clean-shaven, wore no sunglasses, and had a good haircut. He was back to normal, and heapologized to Lettermanfor his earlier interview

The Joker is a highly regarded villain in cinema, and being cast as him is an honor most actors never get. In the 2019 filmJokerIn Joker, Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a meek man who finds power in violence when pushed too far. He goes mad and becomes the main villain.

Phoenix changed his body for the role; he did not hold back. To play Fleck, Phoenix lost 52 pounds, giving him a worn, thin look that drove the actor mad…Arthur Fleck - 'Joker' press conferenceAt the Venice Film Festival in 2019, Phoenix discussed his shift into Fleck.

Weight loss began the process. That affects your psychology; you go mad losing that much weight that fast. Phoenix also read a book on political assassins that broke down personality types for those jobs [what he does in the film].

Phoenix stated he wanted his performance to be unrecognizable. He avoided copying previous actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto.

InYou Were Never Really HereJoaquin Phoenix plays Joe, a hired gun tracking and rescuing trafficked girls. Joe is mostly good, getting involved in rescuing a New York State Senator's abducted daughter. Though Joe acts tough, he has a dad bod becausehow Phoenix pictured the character:

"I thought he should be big, but I did not want the standard Hollywood bulk for getting big. He is a mid-life figure who has slipped in some ways."

You Were Never Really HerePhoenix played a character with a gut before, but the film shows a lot of focus on him in shirtless scenes. Writer/director Lynne Ramsay said, “Joaquin worked out a lot, but he kept his belly.”

In 2004'sInherent Vice, Joaquin Phoenix plays Larry “Doc” Sportello, a private investigator and hippie. For this role, Phoenix adopted a look like Logan, with hair and large mutton chops strongly resembling Marvel superhero Wolverine/Logan.

Phoenix grew his hair in various ways. He dressed not for success but kept a worn, hippy look. His clothes never look clean or pressed; his hair appears as if he woke up after a long night. His attitude matches this.DocDoc makes the film fun, and Phoenix's change into him is funny.

In 2005, Joaquin Phoenix played Johnny Cash in his music biopic,Walk the LineThe film earned him anAcademy Award nomination for best lead actor, and though he missed the Oscar, people praised his performance. Phoenix did not need much physical change to become Johnny Cash; his mannerisms and approach to the role mattered most.

His hair took the familiar Cash pompadour style, and his clothes fit the era. Beyond that, he became the Man in Black. He looks like Cash in the movie, but his musical talent is what matters, and Phoenix possesses it.

He recorded every track in the film using his voice, which may surprise some Johnny Cash fans who heard the soundtrack.That is not Johnny Cash singing.! When he took the role, he lacked singing experience. He told CNN, “it was completely foreign to me. My voice would simply give out.”

I was surprised to finish a song! I never sang before. If I tried to sing along, it was to John Lennon and David Bowie, both singers who hit high notes. Going to John suddenly felt odd. Using a part of my voice I did not know existed felt very strange. I had doubts. Still, I felt confidence in my team and their judgment. T-Bone Burnett guiding the process gave me great confidence. His words, "You can do it," and "This is coming along," meant much to me.

InMary Magdalene, Joaquin Phoenix plays Jesus. He looked like the part already. Throughout the film, Phoenix keeps his hair and beard long. His hair, robes, and scarves are dirty and unruly. Phoenix plays Jesus by choosing poverty to help others.

This is Jesus's story. Phoenix shows himself this way in the film. His clothes are ragged and dusty; there are sweat stains. This Jesus depiction avoids the traditional, perfect man image. Phoenix looks like Jesus, like he looked when he was alive.

Ultimately, there wasone thing Phoenix refused to do in character for the film: rubbing mud into a blind beggar's eyes to heal them. The Bible shows a man doing this, but the film uses a woman. I knew that scene from the Bible, but I never considered it. Arriving there, I thought, ‘I am not going to rub dirt in her eyes. Who the heck would do that?'