Joaquin Phoenix Letterman Interview

I'm still trying to figure this one out: Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman. Bizarre isn't a strong enough term.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vyLME1-WdA

I have no idea what was going on with Poaquin Phoenix, but Letterman was perfect, wasn't he? When he said, "Sorry you couldn't be here tonight," that hit the nail right on the head.

Yeah, Letterman handled that one nicely.

Joaquin Phoenix - amazing in Walk The Line. I love Johnny Cash.

I thought the band was playing 'Werewolves of London' when he first came out on stage, lol. He is talented, 'Walk The Line' was outstanding. He was good in 'Signs' as well, IMO. That was just a weird interview. Letterman has a history of staging/scripting interviews with guests from time to time (Andy Kaufman, Richard Simmons) for laughs; I think that interview was staged.

Yeah, it was obviously a joke.

I thought this was old news. Rumor has it that Joaquin is doing a Borat-like movie and this appearance is one of the "bits".

That is what I'm hearing as well - there was another tape of him handling a heckler somewhere … and other stuff, all taped by the same guy (name escapes me)

First, I was taken aback - then like someone on a message board viewing an obviously faked accident, I blurted "FAKE!"

of course I dont know, it might be real and just totally bizarre, stranger things definitely have happened. People go off the deep end, it happens, especially w/ substance abuse involved. BUT it just seems too good to be true in this case, and 'ol dave had far too many perfect one-liners for the occasion, made it a little suspicious.

Originally Posted by txa1265
That is what I'm hearing as well - there was another tape of him handling a heckler somewhere … and other stuff, all taped by the same guy (name escapes me)

His friend Casey Affleck is shooting a documentary about him. It's funny how all of this strangeness started when he began shooting Coincedence, I don't think so.

He is just trying to be like Andy Kaufman. As of right now, I think he is a water down version of the great Kaufman. Kaufman was funny as hell when trying to trick people. I don't really see that with Phoenix. I just see him being strange and rapping. Who knows maybe the documentary is pretty good. We'll see.

I doubt though that Phoenix could ever be as great as Kaufman. That man was seriously out of his mind bonkers and yet a genius. Funny how those two normally go together.

Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention Tony Clifton. That was Kaufman's character. He was a washed up lounge singer who abused his audience and couldn't sing worth a damn. Sound familiar? Phoenix is playing a "star" who is on the way out and too coked up to care, abuses his audience on stage or anywhere, and can't rap worth a damn.

Maybe he is doing some kind of tribute for the 25th anniversary of Kaufman's death.