Jeffrey Salazar
Joaquin Phoenix's extreme weight loss for his role in the 2019 film 'Joker' sparked controversy and curiosity about the diet he undertook to achieve the gaunt appearance of Arthur Fleck, the supervillain he portrayed in the movie. Phoenix lost a significant amount of weight, reportedly between 47 and 52 pounds, and his transformation was deemed unsettlingly emaciated. The actor himself described the diet as horrible and brutal, and he worked with a doctor to ensure his health wasn't at risk.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Joaquin Phoenix's diet to play Joker was extremely restrictive and involved eating just lettuce, asparagus, apples, and steamed vegetables
- Phoenix lost 52 pounds for the role, which he said affected his psychology and helped him get into character
- The actor worked with a doctor to ensure his health wasn't at risk during this process
- Phoenix has expressed regret for discussing his physical transformation, as it took the focus away from his performance
- Other actors who have undergone drastic weight loss transformations for roles include Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
Joaquin Phoenix's diet to play Joker was extremely restrictive and involved eating just lettuce, asparagus, apples, and steamed vegetables
The diet was so restrictive that Phoenix ate only one very limited meal a day. Phoenix himself referred to the diet as "grotesque" and said that it was not something he would recommend others to try. In an interview, he said, "I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that".
Phoenix's weight loss transformation for the Joker is not the first time the actor has undergone a drastic change in body weight for a role. He worked with the same doctor to lose weight for his role in the 2012 film 'The Master', which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
The physical transformation involved in playing the Joker is not unique to Phoenix. Other actors who have portrayed the character, such as Jared Leto and Heath Ledger, also underwent extreme measures to get into character. Christian Bale is another actor known for his dramatic weight loss transformations, losing 70 pounds between the filming of 'Vice' and 'Ford v Ferrari'.
Methotrexate and Diet: What You Need to Know
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$12.1 $14.99
Phoenix lost 52 pounds for the role, which he said affected his psychology and helped him get into character
Joaquin Phoenix lost 52 pounds for his role in the 2019 film Joker. He played the lead role of Arthur Fleck, who becomes the Joker over the course of the film. Phoenix's weight loss was achieved through an extremely restrictive diet, supervised by a doctor, which he has described as horrible and grotesque.
The diet consisted of just one very limited meal a day, with Phoenix eating mainly lettuce, steamed green beans, and apples. He denied rumours that he ate only an apple a day, stating that he also had lettuce and steamed vegetables. Phoenix said that he worked with a doctor to ensure that his health wasn't put at risk and that he had all the vitamins and minerals.
The physical transformation was challenging for Phoenix, who said that it affected his psychology and helped him get into character. He explained that losing so much weight in a short amount of time made him start to go mad, giving him a sense of control and the confidence to embody the Joker's persona. The weight loss was also physically demanding, with Phoenix noting that even walking up flights of stairs became difficult.
Phoenix has expressed ambivalence about his weight loss journey, acknowledging the challenges it posed and the unwanted attention it brought. He has stated that he was sick of himself for making such a big deal about his physical transformation and regretted talking about it so much. For the Joker sequel, Phoenix again lost weight but was more reluctant to discuss the specifics of his diet and the amount of weight lost.
GNC's HCG Diet Drops: Do They Work?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$9 $29.99
$7.84 $14.99
The actor worked with a doctor to ensure his health wasn't at risk during this process
Joaquin Phoenix lost 52 pounds for his role in the 2019 film Joker. To achieve this weight loss, Phoenix revealed that he ate mainly lettuce, steamed green beans, and apples. He also called his diet "horrible" and "brutal", involving just one very limited meal a day.
> It’s something I’ve done before and you work with a doctor regimented and overseen and safe.
Phoenix also stressed that his weight loss was "not really that dangerous" and that he received medical guidance, though he declined to go into specifics about his diet. He told reporters:
> I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that.
The actor's weight loss was supervised by the same doctor who helped him drop weight for 2012's The Master, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Phoenix's commitment to his craft in Joker earned him a Best Actor Academy Award.
Diet Pepsi Calorie Count: Small Can, Big Impact?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Phoenix has expressed regret for discussing his physical transformation, as it took the focus away from his performance
Joaquin Phoenix is known for transforming his body for movie roles. For his role in the 2019 box office hit Joker, the actor lost 52 pounds at the urging of director Todd Phillips, who thought his character, Arthur Fleck, should be "real thin". Phoenix said the weight loss affected his "psychology" and helped him get into character. He explained:
> "You start to go mad when you lose that much weight in that amount of time."
In an interview with IGN, Phoenix revealed that his process of preparing for Joker began with weight loss, which further impacted his psyche, making him go mad in the process. Phoenix also described watching videos of people who suffer from pathological laughter, a disorder marked by bursts of uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing.
Phoenix has expressed regret for discussing his physical transformation for the first film, as he felt it took the focus away from his performance. During the press tour for the Joker, he said he ate mainly lettuce and steamed vegetables to achieve the villain's gaunt appearance. However, he later lamented his decision to talk about his diet, saying:
> "I know I was responsible last time for talking about it, but it’s difficult to do so that becomes your obsession because you’re working the entire time to get to a certain weight. So then you end up talking about it, and then it just sounds like an actor going on and on about how much weight they lost. By the end of that run, I was so sick of myself and angry at myself for making such a big deal about that part, because you just do what you’re fucking supposed to do. So this time I was like, 'I’m not going to do that.'"
When asked about his weight loss for the Joker sequel, Phoenix stressed that it was "not really that dangerous" and that he worked with a doctor, although he declined to discuss his diet, saying:
> "I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that."
Milk Replacer Diets: Will They Work for Crop Farmers?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Other actors who have undergone drastic weight loss transformations for roles include Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
Joaquin Phoenix lost a significant amount of weight for his role as Arthur Fleck in Joker, revealing that he ate mostly lettuce and steamed vegetables to achieve the villain's gaunt appearance.
Heath Ledger reportedly lost over 120 pounds for his role as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." While details of his exact diet are scarce, it has been noted that he was a food lover who enjoyed hosting barbecues and dreamed of opening a restaurant in Brooklyn, New York.
Cholesterol-Lowering Diets: Effective Strategies for Healthy Living
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Joaquin Phoenix ate a restricted diet of lettuce, asparagus, apples, and steamed green beans to lose 52 pounds for his role in Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix lost 52 pounds for his role in Joker.
Yes, Joaquin Phoenix worked with a doctor to ensure his health wasn't put at risk during his weight loss journey for the film.
Joaquin Phoenix has described his weight loss journey as "horrible" and "brutal", and has said that he probably shouldn't undergo such extreme measures again.
Yes, Joaquin Phoenix lost weight for the sequel to Joker, Folie à Deux. He has said that it was a bit more difficult this time due to the dance component of the film.
![Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking: Vegan Recipes, Tips, and Techniques [A Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XPMiwBzxL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
![A Grain, a Green, a Bean: One Simple Formula, Countless Meatless Meals [A Plant-Based Cookbook]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91JPoPy6mxL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
