Joaquin Phoenix

“I have this horrible sense of humor where I think discomfort is funny - partly because I experience discomfort a lot, and it's a way of laughing at it and getting a release.”

“Sometimes a character is really based on research that you do. Other times it's just based on your imagination or perhaps your conversation with the director. Or sometimes all of the above. It depends on the movie and character.”

“I've always loved music, but I never really played anything. After 'Walk the Line' and learning to play guitar, and having that sense of performing, I think that certainly opened the door for me, for music.”

“The reason I keep making movies is I hate the last thing I did. I'm trying to rectify my wrongs.”

“I don't really make movies because I want to see my face on a billboard or because I want to get good reviews or have a big box office. That doesn't really matter to me at all.”

“You see so many earnest characters in movies all the time, everyone has a purpose.”

“The only reason why I would like to be accepted? Because if your movies don't do well, after a while you don't get to make any more movies.”

“I didn't know much about him, and I wasn't a big country music fan. I listened to the Beatles and David Bowie, so I didn't know a lot about him.”

“With public figures involved in a relationship it seems that there is a machine behind their love so oftentimes.”

“Whether you think a film will affect society or it's plain entertainment, it's all excellent, it's all noble.”

“There are kids who get on a BMX bike when they're eight years old and they go, 'Whoa, this is incredible,' and grow up to do extreme sports. It's the same for me with acting.”