Even though English actor, Christian Bale is known as the king of weight fluctuations, Joaquin Phoenix‘s weight loss for his role in Joker has been garnering a lot of attention.
Joaquin Phoenix on Sunday night received the Golden Globe award for best actor in a motion picture drama for his role as the troubled Arthur Fleck in Joker.
Other than his outstanding performance in the psychological thriller film, Phoenix lost an incredible amount of weight. To play the thin comedian turned maniac clown, Joaquin Phoenix shed over 50 pounds.
According to the Joker’s director and co-screenwriter Todd Phillips, Phoenix only started losing weight just three months before the shooting of the film began.
“It was already like June and he hadn’t started [losing weight] and we start shooting in September. And he’s like, 180 pounds. He wasn’t fat but we’re talking about getting to 125 pounds,” Phillips said.
Phillips was worried for Pheonix and proposed hiring an expert to help with weight loss but the 45 years old actor assured him that he could handle it himself.
However, Joaquin Phoenix later admitted to Access Hollywood that his weight loss diet included more than just an apple and that he worked closely with a medical professional to lose weight safely.
Phoenix diets on apple, lettuce…
“It wasn’t an apple a day. No, you’ve also got lettuce and steamed green beans”. It’s something I’ve done before and you work with a doctor regimented and overseen and safe.” Phoenix said.
During his appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live show October last year, Phoenix confessed that it was quite exhausting and he couldn’t socialize with anyone because that would likely involve eating and drinking.
“In the beginning, you’re exhausted,” Phoenix said. “You look at a flight of stairs and it takes like 30 seconds. You have to talk yourself into it and say, ‘I can do this, I know I can do this.’”
