Joaquin Phoenix recalls a director saying he was nothing but a character actor

Long before Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award, a director told him that he would simply be a “character actor” in Hollywood.

On the most recent episode of This Past Weekend With Theo Von, the Eddington star recalled the interaction, which took place on the set of one his earlier movies. A costar had suggested that Phoenix play a certain role and compared him to a high-profile peer.

The film’s director shot down the comparison, saying that Phoenix was more of a “character actor” than a star.

“It’s kind of code for like, ‘You can’t really, like, you’re never going to really get there, but you’ll work,'” Phoenix said. “And that f—ing pissed me off.”

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The Walk the Line star said the comment upset him because he felt like he had more potential than what the director had suggested. Despite the snark, it motivated him to try harder at his craft.

“I ultimately appreciate it because it made me go like, ‘Well, how do I find that way? Like, how do I find more?'” he shared.

The hard work paid off, as Phoenix went on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, eventually winning in the Best Actor category for his performance as the titular character in Joker.

Phoenix currently stars as Sheriff Joe Cross in Eddington, director Ari Aster’s COVID-era Western, which opened in theaters on July 18.

Listen to the entire episode ofThis Past Weekend With Theo Von with Joaquin Phoenix below.