Joaquin Phoenix Shocks With Retirement Announcement

[Dimmauk]

Joaquin Phoenix Shocks With Retirement Announcement
by Matt McDaniel | October 29, 2008

Joaquin Phoenix - Photo: Jim Spellman, WireImage.com Joaquin Phoenix, who turned 34 years old just yesterday, stunned E! Online reporter Jason Kennedy with the announcement that he would be retiring from acting. The two-time Oscar nominee stated this on the red carpet at a Monday benefit for the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, a charity founded by Paul Newman.

Phoenix said that "Two Lovers," his upcoming romantic drama with Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw, will be his final on-screen role.

"This will be my last performance as an actor. I'm not doing films anymore... I've been through that. I've done it... I'm dead serious."

Phoenix is apparently giving up acting to pursue music, a passion of his since he learned to play guitar to play the role of Johnny Cash in 2005's "Walk the Line." According to Billboard, Phoenix is working on an album with Tim Burgess, frontman for the UK group The Charlatans. Burgess said, "Once he learnt guitar he found that he had quite a lot of demons inside himself that he wanted to expel through music.

Phoenix appeared at the charity event on Monday with his brother-in-law, Casey Affleck. Affleck is married to Phoenix's younger sister, Summer. In explaining his retirement decision, Phoenix said, "It's Casey's time now."

Affleck confirmed for E! Online that Phoenix is telling the truth when he says he's leaving the acting profession, saying, "I guess he's getting into music. He's putting out an album." But both Affleck and Phoenix hurried away from the cameras without elaborating.

"Two Lovers," Phoenix's final film, premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter writes, "Phoenix plays the romantic lead with great intelligence and enormous charm, making his character's conflict utterly believable." The picture is scheduled for release on February 13th, 2009. So far there is no word on when Phoenix's first album will hit shelves.




I wish I could retire at 34.

[tyven]

river is turning over in his grave

[Takedown3]

"I guess he's getting into music. He's putting out an album."

lol what a fool - bad actor bad movies bad cleft lip - good riddance

[tyven]

phoenix was the bomb in gladiator yo

[Teffy]

river is turning over in his grave

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000203/bio

Planned to quit the movie industry after filming Dark Blood to help his dad run a restaurant.

River recorded an album the summer before his death titled 'Never Odd or Even' (the title is a palindrome), which was released.

[Elvis]

phoenix was the bomb in gladiator yo

affleck was the bomb in phantoms yo

[Epical]

Summer Phoenix, what a name.

[tyven]

affleck was the bomb in phantoms yo

cookies for you sir!

[Elvis]

"applesauce bitch!"

[Souj]

yeah.. no idea who this was. wiki'd the name, and Ive seen a couple of the movies he was in.. people actually care he's retiring? lol

[Dimmauk]

yeah.. no idea who this was. wiki'd the name, and Ive seen a couple of the movies he was in.. people actually care he's retiring? lol

Mostly just jealous at the age he is "retiring"

[Ramor]

Mostly just jealous at the age he is "retiring"

I know I sure as hell am, if I could work for like 15~ years and then just stop having to give a shit about everything for the rest of my life I know I would.

[Katlan]

The real reason he is retiring is cause he no longer needs money. whats wrong w/ that?

[Souj]

he's not "retiring" retiring. he's quitting acting to start a music career.

[Seraphise]

I liked most of his films, and he will probably do pretty well musically within the country genre. He did amazing in walk the line.

If I was an actor that had enough money to retire and live well for life, i'd try and pursue a musical career i've always aspired for. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

[Pikarya]

If you think "We own the night" & "Walk the Line" sucked. Then you obviously must have a good taste for movies.

[Kyo]

If you think "We own the night" & "Walk the Line" sucked. Then you obviously must have a good taste for movies.

This, and he played a great part in gladiator as well, one of my favorite movies.

[Ivaden]

We Own The Night was awesome, and he was awesome in it. Not really sad about his retirement because I could care less, but a huge "huh?" at people who don't think he's a good actor.

[Lampoon]

Whatever happened to Billy Zane?

[nicholai]

fuck him and his retard lip.