Joaquin Phoenix confirms retirement

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

The words "Good Bye" were written on the knuckles of Joaquin Phoenix, the 34 year old actor who confirmed over the weekend at the premiere of what we know now know will be his last movie TWO LOVERS, that he had retired from acting to concentrate on his music career. Variety carry these quotes...

"I think it's just moving on. It's rediscovering something else... "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."

Phoenix, a versatile actor whose amazing talent saw him act, sound and sing with admirable resemblance to the legendary Johnny Cash that went on to win him an Academy Award nomination for WALK THE LINE just three years ago had seemed to have lost his passion for the business. His only two movies since 2005, WE OWN THE NIGHT and RESERVATION ROAD, showed an actor who wasn't trying as hard as we once was. Phoenix's other memorable roles were the two M. Night Shyamalan movies THE VILLAGE and SIGNS, along with BUFFALO SOLDIERS, his Academy Award nominated performance as the villain in GLADIATOR and his breakout Hollywood role as a young kid seduced by Nicole Kidman in TO DIE FOR. Maybe it's not so much of a permanent retirement and is instead just an extended break from acting, and in a few years when he stumbles across a role that means something to him, he will be back. I would like to think we haven't seen the last of him on our screens. TWO LOVERS opens Feb. 13th in the U.S.