Joaquin Phoenix leaps into crowd at hip-hop show

[WI_DEM]

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Joaquin Phoenix appears to be getting into the act of being a petulant hip-hop star.

He jumped off the stage during a short performance at the LIV nightclub early Thursday morning and confronted an audience member who was heckling him. Security guards dragged him back on stage and escorted him away.

It's unknown whether the confrontation - and his pledge to quit acting and start rapping - was real or a put-on, but actor Casey Affleck recorded the performance on camera.

In October, Phoenix's publicist confirmed he was making the career switch. In January he performed at a Las Vegas nightclub and the next month he made a strange appearance on David Letterman's "Late Show." Actor Ben Stiller lampooned that appearance at the Oscars.

Hundreds of people packed the nightclub at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel after the doors opened at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

Several of those in the audience said they came just to see Phoenix, who left them cooling their heels for almost four hours while disc jockeys played house and hip-hop music.

Phoenix came out on stage before 2 a.m., smoking a cigarette and wearing a disheveled dark suit, sneakers and his scraggly long hair and beard.
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top?guid=20090312/49b896d0_3421_1334520090312-178446520

[wtmusic]

1. His recent appearance on Letterman is one of the most awkward

in the history of the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXpYk7WGN5Y

[LuckyLib]

4. As I saw that the night he was on, all I could think was that this was one stoned guy.

Doesn't he have handlers who could have kept him off the program due to excessive chemical abuse? Good grief! The guy will be penniless once even the rapping opportunities dry up.

[EFerrari]

7. He was so horribly loaded, Dave even felt sorry for him.

I'm afraid for this guy's life, seriously.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. ROFL! When I saw Ben Stiller at the Oscars, I had no idea what he was doing and

Now I know!

BTW....it's kind of sad that Phoenix really didn't promote the film Two Lovers. It was a very good movie and he was terrific.

[msongs]

2. not until he denigrates/beats up women and bashes glbts...then his officially in nt

[skooooo]

3. Isn't he a little old for that bs?

I mean really...he's in his early 30s at least, isn't he?

[Stevenmarc]

5. It's too bad Joaquin can't give birth to 8 kids.

[Javaman]

6. It's an act. why whould casey aflack be video taping every moment? nt

[Lisa0825]

8. I've been wondering that myself....

prepping for some new project or something.

[Rebubula]

11. Exactly

I think that this is going to be a great Mockumentary.

I cannot wait to see the punchline for this joke.

[arcadian]

15. And it's getting free press.

eom

[arcadian]

13. Yeah, that's what I think too.

Some kind of "experiment" in film making.

[marmar]

9. Beat women? Give birth to 8 kids?......

...... At least none of the responses to this post are loaded down with stereotypes.


:eyes:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. At least he's not devoting his career to marionettes.

[Rebubula]

12. Hmmm

Is that some reference to 'Being John Malkovich'?

If so...well played. That movie is very interesting.

[Initech]

16. Boy talk about someone whose career has jumped the shark!

[SteppingRazor]

17. A "short performance"? He was on stage for 45 seconds.

I agree with the statement above. This is all a come on. He's making some sort of mockumentary or something.

[David__77]

18. Hmm I don't know what to make of him lately.

But there's something nice about that - someone in the spotlight throwing us all off. He certainly seems like his own person, I'll say that.