The Joaquin Phoenix Interview

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Sep 29 2024 • 1 hr 5 mins

Joaquin Phoenix is one of the greatest actors of his generation. For three decades, he’s moved seamlessly between auteur-driven films (Her, The Master) and box-office sensations (Gladiator, Joker).

We sit today for a rare, long-form conversation with Phoenix, starting with his latest film, Joker: Folie à Deux (9:10), his free-wheeling collaborations with director Todd Phillips (11:32), and the nomadic upbringing that marked his early years (15:00). Then, he reflects on his childhood television debut in Hill Street Blues (22:27), the brilliance of Robert De Niro (27:53), and his formative performances in To Die For and Parenthood (34:45).

On the back-half, we discuss how the polarizing mockumentary, I’m Still Here (47:15), inspired his singular collaborations with directors Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, James Gray, and Lynne Ramsay (51:30). We also talk about the evolution of his acting process (52:47), the impassioned Oscars speech he delivered accepting Best Actor for Joker (58:15), and whether he’ll ever turn in what he believes is a ‘great’ performance (1:02:40).

Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at sf@talkeasypod.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You Might Like

Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
This American Life
This American Life
This American Life
Wartime Stories
Wartime Stories
Ballen Studios
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan Show
Shawn Ryan
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein Show
New York Times Opinion
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
So Supernatural
So Supernatural
audiochuck | Crime House
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
The Why Files: Operation Podcast
Radio Rental
Radio Rental
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy
Criminal
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network
We Can Do Hard Things
We Can Do Hard Things
Glennon Doyle and Audacy
Behind the Bastards
Behind the Bastards
Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts