Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix's controversial new PETA ad was apparently too much for ABC, which reportedly banned it from next Sunday night's Academy Awards.

The spot aims to promote veganism by depicting a fish's dying moments, likening them to a human being submerged in water, unable to find oxygen.

Joaquin Phoenix PETA Ad

As Joaquin flails, an ominous voiceover by the star intones: "In water, humans drown just as fish suffocate on land. It's slow and painful and frightening."

"And we do it to more than one trillion fish every year."

The spot ends with a plea for viewers to "go vegan." This, according to PETA said, was deemed too political and provocative to run during the Oscars.

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Due to his performance in The Master, Joaquin Phoenix will almost assuredly be nominated for an Oscar.

Just don't expect the eccentric actor to shill for the award.

The Master Trailer

"I think it's bulls-it," Phoenix said about the Oscars in a chat with Elvis Mitchell in the latest Interview magazine. "I think it's total, utter bulls--t, and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't believe in it. It's a carrot, but it's the worst-tasting carrot I've ever tasted in my whole life. I don't want this carrot. It's totally subjective. Pitting people against each other ... It's the stupidest thing in the whole world."

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David Letterman and Joaquin Phoenix reunited on The Late Show this week, 18 months after the infamous interview in which Joaquin acted like a bizarre version of Joaquin as part of the faux documentary about his life, I'm Still Here.

Letterman's question to him now: "So what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well, thank you for letting me come on the show last time," Phoenix replied.

Joaquin, clean-shaven, returns to face the music.

I'm Still Here, Joaquin's elaborate piece of performance art, was summed up by Dave as such: "You know, I've always liked you ... and then, a year-and-a-half ago, you come out and, honestly, it's like you slipped and hit your head in the tub."

"And I knew immediately when you sat down, something ain't right, because if you're really the way you appeared to be... you don't go out."

Watch the clip of their exchange after the jump ...

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Anyone who saw Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman last year knew something strange was up with the actor, but he sold it so well, we weren't entirely sure what.

Casey Affleck confirms that Phoenix was just acting when filming the faux documentary I'm Still Here, which Affleck directed. And what a performance it was.

Joaquin Phoenix promoting his rap career on The Late Show.

"It's a terrific performance, it's the performance of his career," Affleck tells The New York Times of Phoenix's partying, impromptu rapping and unkempt look.

"I never intended to trick anybody," adds Affleck, who never thought people would think I'm Still Here was serious. "The idea of a 'hoax' never entered my mind."

Guess Joaquin is just that good an actor.

Joaquin Phoenix has gone off the rails of late.

Well, it actually started about a year and a half ago. The acclaimed actor announced he was quitting that profession, became a rapper, dressed like a homeless person, spaced out on Letterman and had to be escorted out of his own concert.

As it turns out, this was all part of Casey Affleck's directorial brilliance, documenting Phoenix's transition from well-respected actor to an unproven rap talent for his new movie. Follow this link to check out the I'm Still Here trailer.

Joaquin Phoenix, actor (left), and Joaquin Phoenix, caveman rapper.

The official synopsis describes I'm Still Here as "a striking portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of internationally acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix."

"Sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, and always riveting, the film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads. Defying expectations, it deftly explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of life in the public eye."

Deft and riveting? We'll see about that. But it's definitely worth a look.

Remember when Joaquin Phoenix showed up on The Late Show with David Letterman, bushy and seemingly drugged out of his mind?

That was weird.

In a way, the following video is even weirder.

It depicts Miley Cyrus alongside the eccentric actor, as she shows him how to assist a cause dear to her heart: To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit organization that specializes in suicide prevention.

She also tells him about Lady GaGa and sings some lines from "Bad Romance." It's as random as it can get, but, hey, whatever sheds light on this important charity...

Miley and Joaquin

Joaquin Phoenix is a nut job who has gone off the rails.

Justin-Bobby rails Audrina Patridge of MTV's The Hills.

The Oscar-nominated actor and motorcycling deadbeat may have little in common - except that Phoenix has decided to adopt J-Bobby's style of late!

When you are this cool, modern practices such as showering, speaking in complete sentences and taking sunglasses off indoors just aren't necessary.

What do you think? Are these two hipsters look-alikes? At least in the style they both have (for reasons unknown) adopted in the recent months?

Even Justin-Bobby can't help but stare at Joaquin.

Do you see a Justin-Bobby / Joaquin Phoenix resemblance?

Usher is a fan of saying, "I want to make love in this club." It's an uplifting and, at times, sexy message worth spreading to night spots everywhere.

Joaquin Phoenix's variation of that would be something along the lines of "I am going to f--king kick your a-- in this club, you f--king b----!"

A few weeks after his amazing interview on The Late Show, the odd actor-turned-rapper jumped off stage to attack a heckler at a performance in Miami.

The star took the stage at Fontainebleau around 2 a.m. with the unkempt beard he has been rocking of late. Joaquin Phoenix began rapping and nodding his head to a beat provided by the DJ when a man in the audience began mocking him.

That's when Joaquin abruptly lost his cool, calling out the man and cursing. "We have a f--king b---- in the audience," he said, continuing to bob his head. "I've got a million dollars in the bank. What have you got, b----?"

He dove into the audience and attempted to get in the face of his heckler, but security swarmed, restrained and eventually dragged him from the club.

All the while, his brother-in-law Casey Affleck - filming a documentary on Phoenix's life, possibly as part of an elaborate hoax - continued rolling tape.

Joaquin Phoenix Loses $h!t at Club

There really isn't much to say about Joaquin Phoenix's visit to The Late Show last night, other than that he may want to stop hanging out with Snoop Dogg.

Bearded, spaced out and wearing sunglasses indoors, Phoenix may or may not have known where he was at that moment, uttering barely decipherable, monosyllabic answers about his film Two Lovers and career in general.

Things got so awkward that in order to break the ice, David Letterman posed this to the actor: "What can you tell us about your days with the Unibomber?"

It got worse. When the topic inevitably turned to his fledgling music career - for which he is supposedly giving up acting - Phoenix confirmed that hip-hop was his genre of choice, a revelation that sparked laughter from the audience.

"That's a joke?" he (slowly) snapped, clearly upset by the crowd reaction. "What do you have them on? What do you gas them up with? Is this nitrous?"

[crickets]

At the end of the interminable interview, Letterman summed it up as best he could: "Well, Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." See below ...

Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman