The Extraordinary Life of Joaquin Phoenix

An historical Oscar speech

When Joaquin Phoenix finally won the Oscar for his portrayal of Joker on the 9th of February 2020, he did something very special. He did not thank his co-stars or directors of the film. Instead he used his Oscar win as a platform to use his voice.

Joaquin gave a phenomenal speech where he spoke about animal rights and mentioned his late brother River Phoenix. “… We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable.” He ended off his speech with “… When he was 17, my brother [River] wrote this lyric. He said: “run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.”