Joker: Folie à Deux premiered last week to largely negative reviews. The film currently holds a 33% approval rating from critics and a 31% approval rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

It appears to be heading toward box office failure, primarily because viewers were surprised to find that the sequel includes musical elements. Both Lady Gaga and Todd Phillips have denied labeling the film as a musical, even though they described it that way.

Regardless of how poor or dull the movie may have been, it’s impossible to overlook Joaquin Phoenix’s incredible performance. One of the most striking aspects of his character is his dramatic physical transformation, Arthur Fleck appears skeletal and extremely thin.

To achieve this look, Phoenix reportedly lost 50 pounds (about 22.67 kg) to portray an unhealthy and frail character. Losing 50 pounds isn’t something that happens overnight. The actor mentioned that he followed a strict diet to create a malnourished appearance, aiming to shed weight quickly to achieve that specific “ribs sticking out” look for the film.

It’s something I’ve done before and you work with a doctor regimented and overseen and safe.

In an era when Hollywood actors are voicing concerns about the impact of extreme body transformations on health, it’s reassuring that this process was supervised by medical professionals.

However, it’s important to remember that physical changes don’t just affect the body; they can also take a toll on mental health. As Phoenix mentioned in the interview, these transformations can significantly impact your mindset as well.

As it turns out, that impacts your psychology. And you really start to go mad when you lose that much weight in that amount of time.

Regarding the details of his diet, Phoenix clarified that the rumors about him only eating an apple a day are false. He revealed that he also included other vegetables in his meal plan:

It wasn’t an apple a day. No, you’ve also got lettuce and steamed green beans.

Source: Access Hollywood

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