It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
I feel like everything you learn as an actor growing up is wrong. You're supposed to hit your mark, find your light and know your lines. Those are all things that just make things wooden, dull and boring.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Joaquin Phoenix challenges traditional acting techniques, suggesting they restrict creativity and authenticity.
In this quote, Joaquin Phoenix reflects on his experiences as an actor and critiques the conventional methods taught to aspiring performers. He believes that focusing too much on technical aspects such as hitting marks and memorizing lines can lead to performances that lack emotion and authenticity, thus hampering the art of acting. By advocating for a more instinctual and genuine approach, Phoenix highlights the importance of emotional connection over rigid adherence to technique in the creative process.
Themes
ActingCreativityAuthenticityPerformanceTechnique
In practice
Example use cases
In acting workshops discussing the importance of emotional truth over technical precision.
More from Joaquin Phoenix
All quotes →I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one fish was caught, he was writhing, then he was thrown against the side of the boat. You couldn't disguise what it was. This was what we did to animals to eat them. The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death. I recognized it, as did my brothers and sisters.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
I don't think one should be comfortable standing on a stage with people applauding and laughing at every stupid thing you say.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
I have this horrible sense of humor where I think discomfort is funny - partly because I experience discomfort a lot, and it's a way of laughing at it and getting a release.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
We are all animals of this planet. We are all creatures. And nonhuman animals experience pain sensations just like we do. They too are strong, intelligent, industrious, mobile, and evolutional. They too are capable of growth and adaptation. Like us, firsthand foremost, they are earthlings. And like us, they are surviving. Like us they also seek their own comfort rather than discomfort. And like us they express degrees of emotion. In short like us, they are alive.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
I think the day that I become comfortable doing interviews and going on talk shows is the day that I don't know what it is to be a human being anymore.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
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