Joaquin Phoenix Quotes

There is no need for fur - since there are compassionate alternatives.”

When I go out with the ladies, I don`t force them to pronounce my name. I tell them I like to go by the nickname of Kitten.

"I changed my name because no one in the States could pronounce `Joaquin` and I used to get really embarrassed about it as a kid. All the other kids in my family had gorgeous names and I got `Joaquin`, you know what I mean? So I said `This is not good. Even I can`t say it`."

"I’ve been a vegan since I was about 3 years old and involved in animal rights for years. I’ve seen a number of animal rights films throghout the years, nona has affected me as profoundly as Earthlings.

“No, but I feel it. I`m not worried about the looks. I`m worried about the sensation of my brain being eaten. ... What did you ask me?

“Who would ever have thought that I would win in the comedy or musical category? Not expected.”

“You know, the press has kind of imposed upon me the title of Mourning Brother, and because I haven`t been vocal about it, the assumption is that I`m holding onto this (stuff) that`s just not there.”

“I`m kind of cynical about married people or couples singing together. I`ve seen it manipulated too many times, ... But it was truly magical when they did it. They just looked into each other`s eyes and he`d soften.”

“That was Johnny Cash. He was a complete person. He acknowledged the darker side of his mind. He didn`t try to deny it. Most of us are forced into labeling ourselves or others, but that`s something John wouldn`t do. This is a man who sang, `I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die,` on `Folsom Prison Blues,` and then would revel in singing the spirituals and would, in fact, leave Sun Records because Sam Phillips wouldn`t let him record an album of gospel songs.”

“When my brother passed it was toward the end of an era. If it had happened much later, it would have been on a lot of f**king blogs. The amount of information flying back and forth now has just gone beyond comprehension... In some ways it’s hard to swallow. It makes you feel sick about yourself and about human beings. You look at yourself and say, ‘When have I exploited others and been voyeuristic?’ The thing we should be discussing in the news, what the media should be going after in a heartless way, isn’t the family of somebody who has passed away, but instead - oh, I don’t know - how about a president who’s lying? That’s not to say my brother’s life didn’t have value, but it certainly did not deserve to be covered more than world politics and other important issues, particularly when death happens every day to millions of people all over the world and we don’t seem to give a f**k about that.”

I had a really wonderful upbringing. We were a tight family. It was wonderful to grow up with so many siblings. We were all just a year or two apart, and we were always so supportive of each other. I learned everything from my older brother and sister and taught it to my younger sisters.

I changed my name because no one in the States could pronounce `Joaquin` and I used to get really embarrassed about it as a kid. All the other kids in my family had gorgeous names and I got `Joaquin`, you know what I mean? So I said `This is not good. Even I can`t say it`.

(On relationship with Liv Tyler) "I`m a great believer in people coming into your life, and you into theirs, for a reason. And i know that when Liv and I met, it was for a reason - I really needed her and she really needed me. And at a certain point, I think we stopped evolving with each other, stopped progressing, and made a very mature decision to move on, even though there was still a great love there. There`s no one gossipy thing that I can share. I`m thankful that we had the time we had."

My significant other right now is myself, which is what happens when you suffer from multiple personality disorder and self-obsession.

Acting is real important to me. I love it, and it`s something I care about.

I becan acting when River was doing this TV series and they needed two kids for the show, so they got me and my little sister, Summer, to do it. After that I did some really weird guest spots with orangutans and stuff.

(On his childhood and his live on the land with his family): "I remember us being poor, but I never felt embarrassed, or like I was missing anything. I don`t remember the hardship of trying to make it, just how my parents always managed to get through."

(On relationship with Liv Tyler) "I was in awe. Every once in a while you find an actor that, with one word, can sum up eight different emotions. She absolutely nailed that."

I didn`t know much about him, and I wasn`t a big country music fan. I listened to the Beatles and David Bowie, so I didn`t know a lot about him.

I never think that I`m good at anything I do. I can always do it better, I know my weakness. I`ve never been perfect.

Acting. I`m one of those actors who likes to stay in character between takes. I drive other actors crazy but, to me, the most important thing when I`m making a film is that the character takes precedence. I become obsessed with whoever I`m playing. I want to explore the character as completely as I can. The moment an actor becomes satisfied with themselves, their work suffers. I think that we should always challenge ourselves in work. - On acting being his biggest challenge.

Making movies is a constant manipulation. You manipulate the environment. You make it rain when you want it to. You manipulate actors. And as an actor, you try and manipulate your feelings to match what you think you`d be going through in a situation where your character is going through something.

I go into movies thinking, we`re performing, but with interviews, we`re pretending to be completely real. I just can`t get my head around it. And the things we say in this hour could permanently shape our personas. I mean, tell me that`s not a little odd! And because I think that`s odd, people think I`m odd. And that`s strange. Know what I`m saying?

I don`t know Shakespeare! I`m not a serious actor. Directors always make references, and I go: "Ah, I`ll check it out," and I never, ever do. I`m incredibly lazy.

River and I would talk about being old, being in our 50s together, how it`d probably take us that long to get to work together. There was something gorgeous about us being old together. River will be missed -period. I mean now, more than ever I wish I could talk to him. - on living without older brother River.

I don`t know why I always get to play these guys who have few redeeming features. But don`t knock it. Villains are much more fun.

I had a Catholic girlfriend but she wouldn`t, uh, share loving.

I`m going to sound a little weird here, but I like to spend a lot of time on my own in the woods. I don`t exactly sneak off in the middle of the night, but I like to be in a place where no one can reach me by phone or e-mail.

If you can come in, say your lines brilliantly, and be thinking `What`s for lunch?` the whole time you`re doing it and it works for the audience, who cares?

It`s been a year since last time I tried to give up smoking. I went to a hypnotist; we sat down and started talking. A couple of hours later, I woke up; the hypnotist wasn`t in the room, but his wife was. I was like `Oh my goodness, I fell asleep and didn`t get to talk to the doctor.` And she said `Don`t worry, you talked...` I freaked out, left their place, immediately bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked, terrified of what I`d said.

After River`s death, I felt like I was in an altered state. It took me over a year to get my life back.

The reason I keep making movies is I hate the last thing I did. I`m trying to rectify my wrongs.

I`ve made up so many stores about my name, I can`t remember.

The less someone knows about me, the better, because my intention is to play a variety of characters. - on maintaining a lower profile then some of his other Hollywood peers.

I`m not the indie kid, and I`m also not the John Grisham novel hero, but I am all of those things. I do whatever excites me at the time. I`ll be in some huge $80 million buddy cop movie, I don`t care, and I`ll also do some wild independent movie. I refuse to have an agenda.

That kind of fame; I couldn`t have it in my life. I love that we can sit on the lawn in Central Park and I`m just one of the millions. I don`t want to lose that. I`m trying to figure out the perfect strategy. And it`s tough. I just want to be right in the middle.

It`s hard for me to put my feelings into words.

(On relationship with Liv Tyler) "What can I say ? We hit it off immediately. She`s a darling. I`ve said it over and over again. She`s just very real, right there, never like a movie star. She`s so genuine, and she doesn`t take herself too seriously. It shows in the work she does that her honesty stands out most."

As I`m reading a script, I start to see the character. I always seem to do something to my hair. A lot of stuff I do for a part, people don`t even notice, but I notice, and it makes the character whole for me.

No, I don`t want to talk about River. I have nothing to say about it that I would want to be public.

I don`t have the slightest desire to speak about my dead brother. It gets on my nerves to always be compared with him. My brother was a magnificent person and an outstanding actor.

(On falling into acting): "I suck at painting and writing; I tried both. For me, it`s acting because I grew up with it. When we moved to California, we all did commercials and TV shows. Riv was the first to get a TV show and me and my sister Liberty guest-starred on another show. It was kind of accidental."

I enjoy humour more than anything, I don`t really sit around banging my head and crying all the time.

I mean now, more than ever I wish I could talk to my brother

I don`t believe in god. I don`t believe in an afterlife. I don`t believe in soul. I don`t believe in anything. I think it`s totally right for people to have their own beliefs if it makes them happy, but to me it`s a pretty preposterous idea.