The Extraordinary Life of Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin goes full out for his roles

Joaquin takes his roles very seriously, and that’s the reason he has been nominated for an Academy Award four times (2001’s Gladiator, 2006’s Walk The Line, 2013’s The Master & 2020’s Joker). For his role in Walk The Line, Joaquin spent months at a music camp learning how to sing in the right octave to sound like Johnny Cash.

He also read all of Johnny Cash’s biographies and practiced guitar over and over again. He even went to rehab to see what it felt like. He went so far as to tell the crew members to treat extras like real inmates during the Folsom Prison scene, denying them food or water. This created the necessary tension needed. Everyone had to call him J.R. on set as well. Now, that’s dedication to your role!