March 13, 2001

The Eyes Have It


Joaquin Phoenix's eyes! When we interviewed this Gladiator Oscar nominee in Cannes last year, the bright sun off the reflected waters turned his orbs sapphire, green and gold. On a recent cold, cloudy day in Manhattan, his eyes were a sullen, deep slate gray -- though the young actor was anything but sullen. He was as frisky as a pony, apologizing for not having much time, but eager and cheerful. When we mention that his mad emperor in Gladiator is the latest in a long line of acclaimed Roman loons -- remember Peter Ustinov as Nero in Quo Vadis? -- Phoenix says, "Well, I knew roles like this had a history (big laugh), but I didn't want to watch any of them. I wanted it to be my own."

The Oscar nod is thrilling but, "I've done two movies since Gladiator, and I'm focused on them now. It's strange to talk about work that's in the past, to talk about it as if you just walked off the set. And you know, this is just part of the ongoing process. It's not the pinnacle, because nothing is the pinnacle. I've been acting since I was 8 years old, and one of the great things is that I have had the opportunity to just be an actor, to learn the technical stuff, to have time to figure out if it was what I really wanted. There was no snowball to stardom." When we remark that perhaps the snowball was coming now, Phoenix doesn't want to seem too pleased, "Well ... maybe."

Then Joaquin completely lights up, and color floods into his eyes as it would into the cheeks of others. "Oh, but forget the Oscar nomination. The real pinnacle is that I'm playing an animated character in a Disney film. Isn't that the greatest? I play a native American transformed into a bear. It's called The Bears. Don't call me a leading man. I don't care about that. I'm a leading bear. I am content!"

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