Is Joaquin Phoenix done walking the line for directors and studio execs?

At a star-studded benefit Monday for the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, the charity created by Paul Newman to serve sick kids, the Oscar-nominated actor told E! News that his latest film would be his last and he wanted to focus on his burgeoning music career.

Phoenix, who turns 34 today, recently finished shooting the romantic drama Two Lovers with Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw and Isabella Rossellini. When the director said, "That's a wrap!"...Phoenix apparently took it literally.

"I want to take this opportunity to give you an exclusive...I've been through that. I've done it.

"No, I'm not kidding," he added, presumably not kidding.

At Phoenix's side Monday night was Casey Affleck, who told E! News that his To Die For costar is really serious about hanging up his acting shoes. Honest.

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b65859_joaquin_phoenix_calls_it_career.html

Until people start saying, "Who was that guy in that Johnny Cash movie?". Wait until the first time he doesn't get interrupted at dinner by an autograph request. Then he'll feel "compelled by the quality of a script" to return to the screen.

Better yet, the first time that the bills overwhelm him.

I never liked him anyway. He strikes me a bit of a head case.

Really? In what way? I've always thought the opposite, PizzaBoy. Not that he isn't, I've just never picked up on that.

Anyway, my initial thought is that he'll return to acting when he realizes his "burgeoning" music career goes nowhere.

Definitely sad news to me. I liked him in TO DIE FOR and GLADIATOR, and loved him in WALK THE LINE and WE OWN THE NIGHT. If this is indeed true that he's gone for good, he will be missed.

I thought he was good in Ladder 49 also.

And Signs.

SIGNS I wasn't a huge fan of and I've never seen LADDER 49

That I can agree with.

Other than Walk The Line, which he was great in IMHO, I'm not certain I've seen any other of his movies.


TIS

TIS, watch GLADIATOR and WE OWN THE NIGHT

He made my skin crawl in Gladiator. He was very, very good.

I also liked him in that street melodrama WE OWN THE NIGHT.

I mean he masturbated Eva Mendes. That's a better career highlight than an Oscar nod.

And Quills. I hope he isn't serious.

Hopefully his music career fails horribly so he has to go back to acting.

He played a good part in THE YARDS as well,if i remember rightly?

I did'nt even realise he had a "music career"?

This just reminds me of the joke that Jay Leno told once:
"David Caruso is leaving NYPD Blue to pursue a career in movies. He's being replaced by Jimmy Smits, who left LA Law to pursue a career in movies."

I love it when actors make these announcements and then a year or two later, they go back on them.

And yet Mickey Rourke has them all beat.

Remember, he quit the movies to pursue a boxing career.

Thus why he went from a pretty 80s face to a face resembling hamburger in recent years.

I swear to God that I read that as "Mickey Rooney".

Tragic, in terms of being a "wasted talent," to borrow a term from A BRONX TALE.

Rourke had the talent to be Brando, Pacino and DeNiro rolled into one. He was Sean Penn before Sean Penn was Sean Penn. Ditto for Johnny Depp.

The same could be said for his co-star in THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE. Eric Roberts had ENORMOUS potential. But between the drugs and the resentment he apparently had for his sister's success, he pretty much threw it all away.

Fun fact: The tandem of Roberts/Rourke teamed up to get Michael Cimino fired from "The Pope," in favor of Stuart Rosenberg. I'm sure that Cimino got a chuckle out of what happened to their respective careers after the mid '80s.

What kind of music is Phoenix doing anyway?

"By the time I get to Phoenix."

Okay, that was pretty bad.

And yet Cimino worked with Rourke again on YEAR OF THE DRAGON and later their DESPERATE HOURS remake.

Anyway, Rourke is getting great word for THE WRESTLER. I read that script, a terrific if anti-ROCKY BALBOA, and I truely he can actually win the Oscar this year.

THE WRESTLER got raves at the New York City Film Festival last month.

I'm rooting for Rourke to win, as well.

Shame he's hanging it up, he was in a lot of my favorite movies.