Actor Joaquin Phoenix, in his film Joker, turned the story of a mentally unstable loner and failed comedian Arthur Fleck, who picks violence to find calmness in his life, into a blockbuster. The Todd Phillips' directorial and Warner Bros Pictures backed-project has become the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time, and has crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office. In fact, the impact is deep as it has sparked conversation around mental health. A follow-up to film is also in the works.
Now at the recently concluded Screen Actors Guild Awards 2020 held in Los Angeles on Sunday, Joaquin accepted the award for best performance by a male actor in a leading role. What's more? The actor gave a a heartfelt shout out to late actor Heath Ledger, who is certainly gone but not forgotten! "Really, I'm standing here on the shoulders of my favorite actor, Heath Ledger," Joaquin said in his speech.
See for yourself:
For the unversed, Heath had famously portrayed the comic book villain in 2008's The Dark Knight and won numerous awards for his stint. He died in 2008 at the age of 28 due to an accidental overdose.
(Source: Hollywood Reporter)
