This is from indiewire.com
Joaquin Phoenix has won the Academy Award for Best Actor thanks to his acclaimed performance in Todd Phillips' "Joker." The revisionist comic book drama stars Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a social outcast
whose shattered dreams of being a hit stand-up comedian lead him down a dark path to becoming the infamous Batman villain. Phoenix's Oscar makes him the second performer to win an Academy Award for playing
the Joker after Heath Ledger, who won the Best Supporting Actor trophy for playing the character in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." "Joker' received a total of 11 Oscar nominations, including Best
Picture and Best Director, making it the most nominated film at the 92nd Academy Awards. With Phoenix's win, it has claimed two statuettes: "Joker" composer Hildur Guðnadóttir won the Oscar for Best
Original Score.
Phoenix was considered the frontrunner for Best Actor this year by a wide margin. The moment "Joker" world premiered at the Venice Film Festival (where it won the Golden Lion) many Oscar pundits pegged
Phoenix as the one to beat. The actor dominated Oscar season with a clean sweep, picking up Best Actor trophies from the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Critic's Choice Awards, and the
BAFTAs. In addition to his wins, Phoenix has made headlines for his industry-pushing acceptance speeches in which he has called out Hollywood for its lack of inclusivity.
"I feel conflicted because so many of my fellow actors
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that are deserving don't have that same privilege," Phoenix said while accepting his BAFTA. "I think that we send a very clear message to people of color that you're not welcome here. I think that's the
message that we're sending to people that have contributed so much to our medium and our industry, and in ways that we benefit from."
Phoenix continued, "I don't think anybody wants a handout or preferential treatment, although that's what we give ourselves every year. I think people just want to be acknowledged, appreciated and
respected for their work. This is not a self-righteous condemnation because I'm ashamed to say that I'm part of the problem. I have not done everything in my power to ensure that the sets I work on are
inclusive, but I think it's more than just having sets that are multicultural."
At the 2020 Golden Globes, Phoenix was just as powerful while accepting his trophy for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture. The actor used his time at the podium to admit he is a pain in the
ass to work with and to call out Hollywood for taking private jets to Palm Springs.
Phoenix's Oscar win for "Joker" came after three previous Academy Award nominations: Best Actor for "The Master" in 2013, Best Actor for "Walk the Line" in 2006, and Best Supporting Actor for "Gladiator"
in 2001. Next up for Phoenix is a starring role in the new film from "20th Century Women" director Mike Mills.
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