10 Actors Who Stormed Off Movie & TV Sets (And Why)
1. Joaquin Phoenix Just Isn't Feeling It - Joker
Putting together a performance capable of taking home an illustrious Oscar gong isn't what many would class as a walk in the park. And if Joaquin Phoenix's unpredictable behaviour on set was anything to go by during the making of Todd Phillip's DC detour that was Joker, there were many occasions when it looked like the star's Academy Award-winning, though often frustrating, work would never see the light of day at all.
Despite very much throwing himself into the role of Arthur Fleck and the various scenarios this grounded version of the eventual Batman villain found himself in over the course of the gritty character study, Phillips himself would note that Phoenix did actually have a habit of walking out on a scene partway through shooting. As the director told The New York Times, sometimes "he just wasn't feeling it":
"In the middle of the scene, he’ll just walk away and walk out. And the poor other actor thinks it’s them and it was never them — it was always him, and he just wasn’t feeling it.”
Thankfully the star was able to tap into his inner-Joker long enough for Phillips to capture a truly mesmerising performance. But for a minute there, it must've felt like Phoenix was very much washing his hands (and face?) of this green-haired chuckler on more than a few occasions.