Phoenix wore a wig for the moments when the character’s hair is fully green, but during the dyeing scene, the color wouldn’t stick and his wet hair just looked dark rather than Jokerized. From the beginning of the movie, the audience sees Phoenix’s character in clown makeup because of his job.

Sprengel’s Deformity The most likely diagnosis of Joaquin Phoenix’s shoulder problem (from pure obversation) is Spregel’s Deformity or high scapula. Sprengel’s Deformity is a rare disorder present from birth, in which the shoulder blade (scapula) is too high on one side of the body.

As Arthur Fleck, Phoenix leans into his physical features, from the scar on his upper lip (not a surgically fixed cleft, he says, but a nonsurgical scar he was born with) to his leonine gaze, sad-sack grin, and distended shoulder, which he was also born with.

There were no prosthetics used in creating Fleck’s look, and very little CGI; the only cited instance of its use was in touching up Fleck’s bloody smile near the film’s conclusion. No, most of the character’s look was achieved in the makeup chair — when the crew could actually get Phoenix into it, that is.

Phoenix masterfully displays his character’s inner torment. His posture is contorted. His movements are sporadic, teeth are crooked, even laughing is a painful chore.

Joaquin Phoenix might have played the villainous role of Joker on the big screen but he ain’t bad in real life. Instead, he just proved that he is indeed an incredibly nice guy in real life.

There were no prosthetics used in creating Fleck’s look, and very little CGI; the only cited instance of its use was in touching up Fleck’s bloody smile near the film’s conclusion.

“I wanted it to be antique-y. Not bright, but still a dominant blue. And there had to be some green in it to go with the hair.”

In order not to damage Phoenix’s real hair, they used a wig and created a special green water out of makeup for the scene in which Arthur Fleck dyes his hair.

The most common story involves him falling into a tank of chemical waste that bleaches his skin white and turns his hair green and lips bright red; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane.

Commodus : The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! But now, the people want to know how the story ends. Only a famous death will do. And what could be more glorious than to challenge the Emperor himself in the great arena?

Joaquin Phoenix made a memorable impression as Emperor Commodus in Gladiator – his nephew, equally decadent, would have been the sequel’s villain (Credit: Alamy) At this stage, the script focuses on a band of early Christians dodging the Roman authorities, just as they did in the recent Mary Magdalene biopic which co-starred Phoenix.

In 2005, Phoenix appeared in the biographical drama Walk the Line, in which he played the American singer Johnny Cash.

As a child he was briefly credited as Leaf Phoenix, appearing in various films including the 1984 ABC Afterschool Special Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia and the 1989 comedy Parenthood.