10 Crazy Sacrifices Actors Made For A Role (That Totally Backfired)

4. Joaquin Phoenix Adopted A New Public Persona For A Documentary No One Saw - I'm Still Here

In 2010 Joaquin Phoenix spent six months looking like Zak Galifianakis. Occasionally he'd appear on chat shows and say he was giving up acting for a career as a rapper. The host would politely chortle, not sure whether to take him seriously or not. Then he really did quit acting, appearing at concerts and actually performing. Had the world gone mad? It turned out it was all an elaborate ploy. Phoenix wasn't experiencing some sort of 'episode'; it was a ruse designed in order to make a documentary which poked fun at celebrity. The thing is, since barely anyone went to see the documentary, most people still just think Joaquin Phoenix lost his mind for a bit. While you've got to appreciate the actor's dedication to his craft in creating this persona and sticking with it for so long, you can't help but think he would have wanted a more than lukewarm response from it.