# Does Joaquin Phoenix have a history of mental illness? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514 "2005-11-11T02:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/21 "2005-11-12T00:07:44Z")
The Oprah thing could just be painful shyness- I have heard that at least in the past, Val Kilmer was a difficult interview because he was terribly shy. It actually happens a lot with performers- low self-esteem, shyness, only comfortable when playing a role, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/22 "2005-11-12T05:15:02Z")
You know, this could all be a brilliant (and I do mean brilliant) ploy on Phoenix’s part to increase the buzz about him and drive more people to go see his new movie _Walk the Line_. You gotta figure that his comments have got people talking about him as much as Cruise’s couch dancing routine, and nobody thinks he’s an egotistical jerk for doing it. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/23 "2005-11-12T14:06:29Z")
Brilliant actor? I’ve only seen him in \*Gladiator \* and \*Signs \* and I was underwhelmed. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/24 "2005-11-12T14:47:41Z")
Btw, according of one of the bastions of responsible tabloid journalism I was reading during my work break, Joachim has indeed checked into AA as a result of seeing parallels between his drinking patterns & Johnny Cash’s problems. Sampiro- I wonder where the SDMB Memory Hole is located! ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/25 "2005-11-12T15:12:49Z")
Let’s not forget (and I’m not ruling drugs in or out)–he’s an actor, and in my experience dealing with actors, a great many of them are just plain f—ing crazy. Hasn’t anyone here hung around a college theater dept.? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/26 "2005-11-12T15:19:26Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > Brilliant actor? I’ve only seen him in \*Gladiator \* and \*Signs \* and I was underwhelmed. He does have a tendency to chew the scenery. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/27 "2005-11-12T15:48:47Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > He does have a tendency to chew the scenery. I can’t get past his lip. Sorry, but it’s very distracting. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/28 "2005-11-12T18:38:46Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Sampiro- I wonder where the SDMB Memory Hole is located! Don’t look for it! Turn and go the other way! Many Dopers have sought it, but they have all come back Banned… or _M-A-D_! If they came back at all… ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/29 "2005-11-12T19:37:18Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Sampiro- I wonder where the SDMB Memory Hole is located! Ed Zotti keeps all the disappeared threads in a mason jar buried in his backyard. He’s also got a storage locker in New Jersey stuffed with all the threads from the Winter of our Missed Content. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/30 "2005-11-12T20:30:17Z")
**Dex** –The Man Who Knows Too Much! :eek: I honestly really like the guy. I hope he’s not going down River’s path, because he _is_ a halfway decent actor and it’s rare to find them around Hollywood anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/31 "2005-11-16T18:47:38Z")
I caught part of Joaquin Phoenix’s appearance Letterman last night. He claimed that the whole “frogs in my head” interview came about because he was bored. He’d been asked the same interview questions over and over and he started being creative. You can watch a clip of this on Letterman’s web site. He looked ok to me, maybe a little subdued. I love it when celebrities go on Letterman right after some embarassing incident. Dave is brutal. Russell Crowe’s appearance a few days after the phone incident was great. ---
**Author:** ![chefjef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@chefjef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefjef)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/32 "2005-11-16T19:48:21Z")
> [@Eleanor of Aquitaine](#): > > I caught part of Joaquin Phoenix’s appearance Letterman last night. He claimed that the whole “frogs in my head” interview came about because he was bored. He’d been asked the same interview questions over and over and he started being creative. You can watch a clip of this on Letterman’s web site. > > He looked ok to me, maybe a little subdued. > > I love it when celebrities go on Letterman right after some embarassing incident. Dave is brutal. Russell Crowe’s appearance a few days after the phone incident was great. I don’t think Joaquin is nuts at all, and he’s doing really well with his career and his life right now. I think he’s a little weird, but I mean, I’m a little weird, but not mentally disturbed. I can’t wait to see that movie btw. Walk the Line. Looks like a killer movie. (And I’m also a Cash fan). ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/33 "2005-11-16T21:38:25Z")
> [@Eleanor of Aquitaine](#): > > I caught part of Joaquin Phoenix’s appearance Letterman last night. He claimed that the whole “frogs in my head” interview came about because he was bored. He’d been asked the same interview questions over and over and he started being creative. You can watch a clip of this on Letterman’s web site. I saw Letterman as well, and noted that Mr. Phoenix also mentioned he’s been alcohol-free for 8 months. He also said he’d been drinking “since he was 2” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Tmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@Tmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tmac)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/34 "2021-10-19T17:42:50Z")
One thing’s for sure. He’s be perfect on a remake of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest! Not as lead but one of the patient character actors. He’d only have to play himself! Check him out on Amazon documentaries! Guy has serious flaws. ---
**Author:** ![Tmac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5e9695/32.png) [@Tmac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tmac)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/35 "2021-10-19T17:45:38Z")
FYI, those saying alcohol not a drug are absolutely wrong. Probably the most abused drug on earth. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/36 "2021-10-19T17:52:02Z")
That would be caffeine. But the effects are less pronounced I guess. I don’t think those saying alcohol is not a drug still post here. This thread is 16 years old. Alcohol is a wonderful drug, unless you’re addicted to it. Then results usually aren’t great. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514/37 "2021-10-19T18:41:33Z")
This thread jumped in time and skipped over the whole “am I really going nuts or is it all an act” behavior of about 2009. Which really would have been good to see the bookseller try to rationalize. Still not sure all these years later what that was all about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-joaquin-phoenix-have-a-history-of-mental-illness/330514.md?page=1)