Joaquin Phoenix celebrates his 50th birthday on October 28. The actor, known for his intensity and humanity, won an Oscar in 2020 for his performance in “Joker,” after receiving three previous nominations for films such as “The Master,” “Walk the Line” and “Gladiator.” He recently returned to the character that brought him the most recognition, the famous DC Comics villain.

In the new film “Joker: Folie à deux”, which is not making much money at the box office, his character Arthur Fleck is locked up in Arkham Asylum awaiting trial for his crimes as the Joker. As he struggles with his double life, Arthur finds love in the unpredictable Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga, and also discovers a new musical dimension that was always inside him.

Phoenix shared his thoughts on the character: “We all have a public face and a private face. The duality of Arthur/Joker represents the extreme of this concept. On one side is Arthur, who is uncomfortable in his own skin; on the other is Joker, who is confident and in control. This idea inspired our new exploration of the character.”

Always remaining true to himself, Phoenix questioned the difficulty of finding one’s artistic path in the film industry. He said: “There is a part of me that perhaps I don’t have much control over. In the past, I tried to follow in the footsteps of other actors. But an inner voice told me to reject that path. If I achieved success, it is thanks to listening to that voice. There were times when I followed more conventional paths but I missed some opportunities; today I can say that it is okay because those choices would have forced me to follow a path that did not feel mine. It is essential to find what makes sense for yourself; this has been my guiding light until today”.