Joaquin Phoenix Discusses His Weight Loss For Joker 2 And Says He May Not Do It Again

Just as he did for his Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck in 2019’s Joker, Joaquin Phoenix once again lost weight for his role as the main character in Joker: Folie a Deux. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival this week, Phoenix declined to give specifics on how he lost the weight for the Joker sequel, but mentioned how it was more difficult this time around and he’s unlikely to do it again in the future.

“I’m not going to talk through specifics of the diet, but this time it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn’t have last time,” Phoenix said, as reported by Variety. “So it felt a bit more difficult … but it is safe. But yeah, I’m now 49, I probably shouldn’t do this again.”

Phoenix dropped 52 pounds for the first Joker movie. He said he ate mainly lettuce and steamed vegetables to drop the dramatic amount of weight that made him look so gaunt in the film. As he mentioned for Joker: Folie a Deux, losing the weight was a more challenging experience for the sequel in part because of all the dancing he had to do, which required more energy.

Also during the Venice Film Festival, Lady Gaga–who plays Harley–said Joker: Folie a Deux is not exactly a musical as she sees it. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical. The music is used to really give the characters a way to express what they need to say because the scene and just the dialogue is just not enough,” she said.

There was a pianist on set, Gaga said, to help inform and construct the musical elements of the movie in real time.

In other news about Joker: Folie a Deux, new footage from the film has revealed Harvey Dent for the first time. Another clip released recently shows Joker and Harley Quinn in what appears to be Arkham Asylum. In this scene, Harley reflects on her experience with Joker, stating, “When I first saw Joker, when I saw you on Murray Franklin, the whole time I was watching, I kept thinking, ‘I hope this guy blows his brains out.’ And then you did. And for once in my life, I didn’t feel so alone anymore.” This alludes to Robert De Niro’s character from the first film and, coupled with the new footage of Dent, teases potential conflicts for the sequel.

Joker: Folie a Deux releases on October 4. It follows the success of its predecessor, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Director Todd Phillips has addressed concerns about the sequel’s increased budget, highlighting its importance for quality and crew support. Phillips has also defended the first film’s depiction of violence.