HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — All of that bizarre behavior by Joaquin Phoenix over the past two years was indeed staged for the documentary I'm Still Here, director Casey Affleck has confirmed.
"It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career," Affleck tells the New York Times of Phoenix, who led fans to believe he was dropping his acting career to become a rapper.
Among the more notable gags was Phoenix's well publicized appearance last year on the Late Show with David Letterman. Affleck said the host wasn't in on the stunt.
Also fake is the opening shot, which appears to show the actor swimming with his family in Panama. Affleck said the scene was actually shot with actors in Hawaii.
One part that is real is a home movie taken of Phoenix and his siblings performing on the streets of Los Angeles, a la the Jackson Five.
"I never intended to trick anybody," Affleck told the paper. "The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind."
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