"He's my favorite American actor": Joaquin Phoenix seems to be a big fan of his colleague Robert De Niro. However, that does not mean that the two men's collaboration on the movie "Joker" ran smoothly from the beginning, as director Todd Phillips told Vanity Fair magazine.
De Niro wanted to read aloud the script together with the cast - a procedure that the Oscar winner considers as standard. However, according to the article, Phoenix was anything but enthusiastic about it as it contradicted his "let it happen" style. De Niro called him, Phillips remembers, saying, "Tell him he's an actor and he has to be there."
Phillips sat between the chairs: One of his stars wanted something that the other one categorically refused. Finally, De Niro prevailed: Phoenix apparently reluctantly took part and then went to smoke in a corner.
De Niro invited his fellow actor to his office to talk, but he was reluctant, Phillips reports. Phoenix had stood in front of De Niro and said: "I can not, I have to go home." The 44-year-old had felt sick after reading because he did not like it.
After some urging from Phillips, Phoenix finally reluctantly agreed. They talked about a few small issues. After that De Niro turned to Phoenix, took his face in his hands and kissed him on the cheek. "It's going to be okay, bubbeleh," said the 76-year-old, according to director Phillips. "It was so nice."
The film "Joker" won the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival. The psychological thriller will be released on October 10 in German cinemas.
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