9 Actors Who Sacrificed Everything For Terrible Movies

This was a weird time...

In 2010, before he was an Oscar-winner, Joaquin Phoenix starred as a fictionalised version of himself in the mockumentary comedy-drama I'm Still Here, which he wrote and produced with co-star and director Casey Affleck. Whilst the film itself is a somehow forgettable romp, the marketing strategy used was nothing short of brilliant.

Two years earlier, Phoenix shocked Hollywood by announcing his retirement from acting, so he could pursue a career a musician. For the next two years, he went to public events and interviews looking unkempt and completely nonplussed about what was going on around him.

One moment saw him give an awkward and hilarious interview on the Letterman Show; another saw him attempting to rap in a nightclub.

Many saw this as a public meltdown, believing the actor and aspiring rapper had lost his mind. But then I'm Still Here was released, showing that his entire public persona of late had been a set-up for the film.

Unfortunately, the film itself really wasn't worth the effort. Sure, it has some humorous moments and an intriguing premise, but it's also rather uninspired, tackling the idea of the celebrity but never saying anything of note about the issues it raises.

For two years of serious commitment and public trolling, I'm Still Here made it all seem unnecessary and far too large a sacrifice.