It is the things that scare you the most that at times lead to the best outcomes. At least, that was the case for Joaquin Phoenix after he accepted the role of The Joker. The role came with some huge expectations and as we’ll find out, a dramtic weight loss as well. However, as the actor admitted with Collider, it was the fear of a challenge that got him motivated for the role;
“I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I’m gonna work on always. So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd [Phillips]. I think he’s very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he’s trying to say. And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the fucking shit out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”
The first step, as he admitted with Looper was shedding the weight and looking the part – this was a lot easier said than done, especially mentally;
"The first thing for us was the weight loss — I think that's really what I started with," Phoenix said at the Venice Film Festival. Fittingly, the weight loss didn't just make Phoenix look more like the Joker — it may have made him think more like him too. "[A]s it turns out, that then affects your psychology," Phoenix said. "You start to go mad when you lose that amount of weight in that amount of time."
Let’s delve into the details regarding the change in look. As we'll all come to realize, he doesn't get nearly enough credit for this aspect of the preparation, en route to his iconic performance.
He Lost 52-Pounds
Ultimately, Phoenix dropped over 50-pounds for the role. He joked around that temptation was everywhere, especially on-set as a bag of pretzels would typically circulate the set.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the actor's first weight loss for a role, so he knew what to expect both physically and mentally;
“It’s something I’ve done before and you work with a doctor regimented and overseen and safe.”
Eating wise, he claimed, “it isn’t an apple a day,” though some might argue his diet was worse than that.
A Lot Of Greens
The goal was weight loss and not to put on muscle, thus most of his calories were very low, he wasn’t eating lots of protein either. His main source of intake came from clean and steamed veggies, as he revealed with Men’s Health;
"It wasn’t an apple a day," he said. "No, you’ve also got lettuce and steamed green beans."
Surely, not the most filling meal – in order to drop weight so quickly, the calories needed to be low right out of the gate, likely matched with physical activity of sorts, like walking or running, surely no weight lifting, given the goal he was chasing, which likely made the caloric total even lower in the grand scheme of things.
Given that he was barely eating, getting from A to B wasn’t easy – in order to drop pounds, remember, you are in an energy deficit. As he would reveal in other interviews, the eating habits would also play a role on his mental game – as if playing the role of the Joker wasn’t hard enough!
Things Got Tough Mentally
The actor admitted, the mental struggle wasn’t easy either;
"As it turns out, [extreme weight loss] impacts your psychology, and you really start to go mad when you lose that much weight in that amount of time."
After a while, the pressure started to get to Phoenix, as he stressed about the number on the scale daily;
"Like so much of what's difficult is waking up every day and being obsessed over like 0.3 pounds. Right? And you really develop like a disorder. I mean, it's wild."
Despite all the downs, he was able to thrive in the role, arguably pulling off the best version of The Joker. He had his setbacks along the way, we saw a couple of blow-ups on the set, matched with tantrums behind the scenes, trying to hold things together.
Clearly, the role was a big challenge and one that came with multiple struggles, though we can all agree, things worked out perfectly for the actor, who took home several awards.
Sources – Access Online, Collider, Looper, Men’s Health & Insider