REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
No, it’s not a documentary of the Oscar-winning actor’s burgeoning rap career and descent into insanity. He was acting, and he happens to be really good at acting.
I’m Still Here director Casey Affleck came clean to the New York Times, admitting the whole thing was fiction. Footage of Phoenix’s “childhood” was actually shot with actors, and there were multiple takes for each scene. Affleck says the film contains subtle clues of the film’s true intentions, but many critics didn’t pick up on them.
Even Phoenix’s seemingly drugged-out appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman was a sham, and Phoenix will return to Letterman’s show, presumably back to normal. Check out Phoenix’s “performance” on Letterman below: