Joaquin Phoenix confirms he’s done with movies

Joaquin Phoenix confirms he’s done with movies
LOS ANGELES -The writing on Joaquin
Phoenix’s fists said it all.
The words “Good Bye” were penned on the
actor’s knuckles at a premiere Saturday
night for his latest film, “Two Lovers,” and
Phoenix confirmed a surprise announcement
he made last week: He’s giving up
movies.
“I think it’s just moving on. It’s rediscovering
something else,” said Phoenix, 34, said
in an interview with Associated Press Television
News before Saturday’s American
Film Institute festival, which also premiered
“Che,” starring Benicio Del Toro.
“Two Lovers” is his last film, he said. His
publicist had disclosed Friday that the actor
intended to focus on music.
Phoenix first mentioned his decision to
“Extra” early last week at a fundraiser in
San Francisco. He abruptly ended that interview
after the reporter wondered
whether he was joking about giving up acting
for music.
Phoenix learned to play guitar and did his
own singing to play country legend Johnny
Cash in “Walk the Line,” which earned him
an Academy Award nomination. His publicist
also said Phoenix has been directing
music videos in recent years.
“It’s like greener pastures, you know what I
mean?” Phoenix said Saturday. “And so,
I’m just going to try and like, I’ll just be doing
the other thing. ... Hopefully, I will
emotionally impact you with that, as well.”
“Two Lovers” stars Phoenix as a heartbroken
man torn between a needy, neurotic
neighbor (Gwyneth Paltrow) and the sensible
woman (Vinessa Shaw) his parents
want him to marry. The film, due in theaters
early next year, was directed by James
Gray, with whom Phoenix also worked on
“We Own the Night” and “The Yards.”