Joaquin Phoenix Shows Off Massive Weight Loss In 'Joker: Folie à Deux': 'I Probably Shouldn't Do It Again'
Joaquin Phoenix revealed details behind the process of getting back into the role of 'Joker,' admitting that the task was a "bit more difficult" due to the film's dance component.
During a Venice International Film Festival press conference Wednesday, the 'Folie à Deux' star turned heads when he revealed he lost 52 pounds to play the role of Arthur Fleck in his first film.
During the movie's press tour, the star admitted he isolated his diet largely around lettuce and steamed vegetables in order to achieve the character's well-known gaunt appearance. "I'm not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that," the actor teased.
"But this time, it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn't have last time," Phoenix continued, per 'Variety.' "So it felt a bit more difficult, but it is safe. But you're right, I'm now 49, I probably shouldn't do this again."
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"This is probably it for me," he added. Adding his co-star Lady Gaga to the discussion — who plays the bombshell role of Harley Quinn— the actor included an honorable mention that she also has dropped some weight through the filming journey.
"Stefani [Lady Gaga] also lost a lot of weight," the Golden Globe Award winner said. "I remember when I first met you in rehearsals and then you went away and when you came back, you lost a lot of weight. It was really impressive."
"I think we transformed into our characters over a period of time and we continued to hone in every kind of detail," the newly engaged singer responded.
When Phoenix was asked specifically how much weight he managed to lose this time around, he didn't quite remember, but added that it isn't the most important thing to focus on.
"So then you end up talking about it, and then it just sounds like an actor going on and on about how much weight they lost. By the end of that run I was so sick of myself and angry at myself for making such a big deal about that part, because you just do what you're [...] supposed to do. So this time I was like, 'I'm not going to do that,' " he explained.
'Folie à Deux' is a follow up to Phillips' 2019 film 'Joker' which went on to earn a whopping $1 billion at the box office, taking the then-open spot of becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film for nearly five years.
'Joker: Folie à Deux' also stars Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and Zazie Beetz. It is set to premiere in theaters on Oct. 4 from Warner Bros, per 'Variety.'
