Casey Affleck Admits Joaquin Phoenix Film Is Fake

It was two years of performance art, he says
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 16, 2010 5:15 PM CDT
Casey Affleck Admits Joaquin Phoenix Film Is Fake
Joaquin Phoenix, left, poses for a portrait as Casey Affleck films in the background in Beverly Hills in 2009.   (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

And now we know for sure: Casey Affleck tells the New York Times that the "documentary" he made with Joaquin Phoenix is fake. “It’s a terrific performance," he says of Phoenix and his two-year portrayal of a comb-challenged and drug-addled would-be rap star. "It’s the performance of his career." He adds at another point: “I never intended to trick anybody. The idea of a quote, hoax, unquote, never entered my mind." (No word from Phoenix himself in the article.)

As for the infamous appearance on Letterman: Chalk it up to performance art, though Affleck says Letterman wasn't in on it. And expect Phoenix to be his regular self when he shows up there next week. Affleck says the film, called I'm Still Here, included subtle hints about the ruse, but "there was no wink." Click here for earlier coverage, including that Letterman appearance.
(More Casey Affleck stories.)

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