JOKER Makeup Team Reveal How Difficult Working With Joaquin Phoenix Was; "[We] Would Bribe Him With Crackers"

Joaquin Phoenix is currently receiving some serious awards attention for his role in Joker, but new details about his difficult behavior on set have been revealed courtesy of the hair and makeup team...

By JoshWilding - Jan 07, 2020 06:01 AM EST

Filed Under: Joker

Joker was an amazing movie with an unmissable performance from star Joaquin Phoenix, and while we've heard rumblings about very minor clashes between the actor and director Todd Phillips during filming, it sounds like it was the people working in other departments who really suffered.

Following the DC Comics adaptation's recent wins at the Golden Globes, an event took place to celebrate some of its nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards, specifically in the Original Score and Makeup and Hairstyling categories. Now, thanks to Next Best Picture, we have details on what was revealed by the latter team regarding how difficult it was to work with Phoenix.

"One of the presentation’s major focal points was the difficulty of working with Phoenix. He initially wanted to do his own makeup and hair himself, and the film’s makeup team had to work out a compromise with him. Additionally, he apparently didn’t like being touched frequently. He lost 50 pounds for the film and was said to be 'hungry' often. As such, he would walk out in the middle of hair dying jobs and would disappear on set in between takes, so the crew had a hard time finding him for touch-ups. The process of maintaining continuity was so arduous that the person in charge of keeping continuity actually quit. The team would bribe him with crackers to get him to keep still (since he could eat little else)."

Needless to say, the next time you watch Joker, it may now be difficult to get the image of Phoenix being offered crackers in order to allow his makeup to be touched up out of your head!

Regardless of his odd behaviour on set or the methods he employed in order to take on the role of the Clown Prince of Crime, it all paid off as Phoenix recently picked up a Golden Globe for his performance and is the favourite to do the same at the Oscars. He clearly gave the role of Arthur Fleck his all, and it was shocking to see just how much weight he lost to play the iconic comic book villain.

What are your thoughts on these new behind the scenes details about Joker?

Hit the "View List" button to check out some of
Joker's best Easter Eggs, cameos, and references!

Justin Theroux's Unexpected Cameo

Justin Theroux has seemingly become the master of noteworthy cameos in big franchises, because after his brief appearance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he shows up in Joker as well.

We see him when Arthur is playing that tape of Murray Franklin welcoming a guest named Ethan Chase on the show to promote something called American Playboy. It's hard to tell, but that is indeed Theroux who makes this small, but still really fun little cameo in the DC Comics movie.

"Super Rats"

Early on in the movie, we see a news report mentioning that Gotham City has been invaded by "super rats." Batman has never faced a gigantic rat in the comics, but there is a villain called Ratcatcher.

His real name is Otis Flannegan and he uses his a preternatural ability to train rodents to commit crimes. There's nothing to indicate that's what's happening here, of course, but it's possible it's a nod to the villain!

Zorro The Gay Blade

One of the most direct references to the comic books in Joker comes when we see Thomas and Martha Wayne leading Bruce out of a movie theater where they've been watching Zorro the Gay Blade.

That was obviously the movie the Waynes watched in the comics before they were gunned down, but rather than Bruce dragging them out because he's scared, it seems they're just trying to escape the unrest on the streets of Gotham. It's worth noting that this movie was released in 1981, which confirms that Joker is also set during that year.

The Franklin Murray Show

As has already been noted online, the font used for "Live With Murray Franklin" is the same we saw in the Batman: The Animated Series titles. It's not the only nod on this show, though.

Arthur's dressing room is #404. That was the first chapter in Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's iconic Batman: Year One, a story that doesn't necessarily inspire what we see in Joker, but definitely has the same tone. The 1980s setting is also the same and this could be where Todd Phillips looked for inspiration for his take on Gotham City.

A Obscure DC Comics Villain

Look closely and you'll notice that Dr. Benjamin Stoner is responsible for Penny Fleck's diagnosis. Well, in the comics, a Dr. Stone was also part of Arkham Asylum during the 1980s and he later went on to become a rather obscure Doctor Fate villain!

There's another possible Easter Egg with Detective Burke, one of the cops pursuing Arthur. We don't learn his first name, but there was a Tommy Burke who was a detective in the pages of Detective Comics and Gotham Central. However, he doesn't seem to have much in common with this version.

Bryan Callen's Cameo

If you've got sharp ears, you might notice that one of Arthur's co-workers is played by Bryan Callen, the comedian and actor who played Eddie in Todd Phillips' Hangover movies.

He said on a podcast a while back that he had been cast as an ageing stripper in Joker, so chances are he was meant to have a larger part which got cut down either for timing issues, or because he revealed more than Warner Bros. wanted him to! With any luck, he'll make it into the deleted scenes.

Pogo's Comedy Club

Arthur performs his admittedly terrible stand up set in Pogo's Comedy Club, and there's probably a good reason it's named that. It's not because it's based on an iconic location, however; instead, Pogo the Clown was actually serial killer John Wayne Gacy's "respectable" alias.

This is a dark hint at what's to come for Arthur later in the movie and a very clever little touch.

Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times

When Arthur manages to track down his "father" Thomas Wayne in that theater, the film playing is 1936 comedy Modern Times starring Charlie Chaplin.

This film was actually added to the Library of Congress in the US National Film Registry in 1989 as it was deemed "culturally significant." The movie is a commentary on poor working conditions in the industrial age and there are themes in there which are definitely relevant to Joker and our world.

The Dark Knight Returns

Joker's appearance on Franklin Murray's talk show is very similar to The Dark Knight Returns, as he commits a similarly violent act in that story.

However, another nod comes when Joker plants a kiss on a fellow guest. Dr. Sally has to be a nod to Dr. Ruth Weisenheimer from Frank Miller's seminal tale, so Todd Phillips clearly paid some attention to the source material when crafting this particular scene in the DC Comics adaptation.

"TW"

This is easily missed on a first viewing, but when Arthur is putting on his makeup, he picks up a photo of his mother as a young woman with a message on the back reading, "Love your smile, TW."

He quickly crumples that up and dismisses it, but this could very well be confirmation that Thomas Wayne is Arthur's father. Alternatively, Penny might have written it on there herself!

Wayne Manor

Arthur pays a very tense visit to Wayne Manor where he comes across his "brother" Bruce Wayne. In one of Joker's weirdest nods, the young Bruce slides down a pole in his playground in what feels like a very direct reference to the Bat-Pole which became a staple of the 1960s classic TV series.

Oh, and the Englishman who gets roughed up by Arthur is exactly who you think he is. Actor Douglas Hodge is credited as Alfred Pennyworth at the end of the film despite never being named in it.

A Nod To Batman's Co-Creator

Early on in the movie, Arthur meets with his social worker, Debra Kane. She was actually a character in the Batman novel The Ultimate Evil, but common sense says this is a nod to Batman co-creator Bob Kane.

There's also a possible reference to Bill Finger, as Sophie Dumont works in Gotham Savings Bank on 20 William Street. That might be something of a stretch, though, especially as Finger is so often overlooked in movies.

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85 Comments

1 2 3

jumpingtheshark - 1/7/2020, 6:30 AM

I went into this film thinking I'd hate it as a comic book/Joker movie but like it for his performance and as a film. It just felt like a Taxi Driver clone that missed the point. Phoenix's performance was just meh.

E4Nigma - 1/7/2020, 6:41 AM

Phoenix is a weird guy. Figured Hollywood knew that by now.

knocturnalzen10 - 1/7/2020, 6:43 AM

when re-reading Joker comics you realize he wasn't that off on the originality of the character and what made it great was ........... thru out this film you don't know what's in Arthur's head and reality ...

epic performance by Phoenix ... a lot scenes are unnerving

Goldboink - 1/7/2020, 6:46 AM

Too bad that his quantum level weirdness was not on display in Dr. Strange. Seriously, what were they thinking.

ThePhantazm - 1/7/2020, 1:50 PM

@Goldboink - I couldn't disagree more. The better question is what was Marvel thinking even considering Phoenix for the role. He is a great actor but he is not a good fit for the MCU. It would have been another Ed Norton type disaster. Benedict Cumberbatch was the best choice, he is a great actor but he is also capable of acting like a normal human being and not a complete weirdo 24/7. Those are the kind of actor's marvel needs.

Goldboink - 1/7/2020, 2:46 PM

@ThePhantazm -
I was being sarcastic. Phoenix is a loose cannon and I can't see him playing Dr. Strange. Cumberbatch seems like a regular guy off screen with incredible range and is the kind of dependable professional that can be counted on for a decade or more of playing a pivotal character in the MCU.

Kumkani - 1/7/2020, 6:47 AM

I found reading that quote funny for some reason.

knocturnalzen10 - 1/7/2020, 6:51 AM

@Necropolitan - yea lol he sounds like a man-child running around lol

L0RDbuckethead - 1/8/2020, 7:54 AM

@knocturnalzen10 @Necropolitan -

Goldboink - 1/7/2020, 6:49 AM

And speaking of difficult the two best things that Marvel did early on was to replace both Ed Norton and Terrance Howard. Norton wanted it to be "his movie" and Howard was just lame. Don Cheadle and Mark Ruffalo have just killed it and I can't imagine either Howard or Norton doing the same kind of job. Avoiding difficult actors involved in these kinds of ensemble projects has made a significant impact.

THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 1/7/2020, 7:01 AM

@Goldboink - Norton wanted to take Hulk seriously and treat him with respect. He was smart to drop out after seeing how how much they've disgraced the character.

hazapez - 1/7/2020, 7:41 AM

@Goldboink - bruh, fact is terrance had much more chemistry w downey. no offense to don, but i never bought his characterization to this day. and ruffalo's hulk has been nerfed and turned into a joke bc marvel did not know what to do w him. be real. you can't imagine ? hyperbole much ?

Cbmfilmjunkie - 1/7/2020, 7:59 AM

@Goldboink - Norton’s Hulk >>> Ruffalo’s Hulk all day.

Terrance Howard was perfect as Roddy and like someone else said, his chemistry with RDJ was more natural and interesting.

1 2 3

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JOKER Makeup Team Reveal How Difficult Working With Joaquin Phoenix Was; "[We] Would Bribe Him With Crackers"

Joaquin Phoenix is currently receiving some serious awards attention for his role in Joker, but new details about his difficult behavior on set have been revealed courtesy of the hair and makeup team...

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