Joaquin Phoenix on David Letterman: "Just Kidding!!"

Joaquin Phoenix is back and I for one couldn't be happier. You may remember, Joaquin announced a couple of years ago that he would be leaving acting and starting a career as a rapper in the music industry. Gulp.

He grew his hair out, along with a full beard, donned a pair of sunglasses and one very weird, mumbling affectation and the brilliant actor we had all once known and enjoyed on the silver screen was gone. Just like that, buried underneath hair, sunglasses and some serious weirdness.

Rumors began to swirl immediately that Joaquin and his brother-in-law, actor/film maker, Casey Affleck were teaming up to do a film documentary about Joaquin's transition from acting into rapping, entitled, I'm Still Here. Well, the documentary was actually being filmed, but the rumors centered more on whether it was real or a hoax.

Neither Joaquin nor Casey would give a straight answer and continued to play cat and mouse, leaving the rest of to decide if Joaquin had just lost his ever-loving mind or not. Most concluded he had.

In 2009, Joaquin and his persona non grata made an appearance on David Letterman and gave one very peculiar interview which pretty much sealed the deal. Joaquin Phoenix had left the building and the world mourned - especially me. (See the interview here)

Since then, Joaquin has shaved his beard, cut his hair, put on a suit and has returned to the land of living, telling everyone it was a "joke" of sorts. Thank God is all I can say. Joaquin Phoenix is one of Hollywood's most brilliant actors in Hollywood, in my opinion, and the thought of another one going off the deep end was just more than this old broad could bear.

His performance in Gladiator was as good as it gets, not to mention his brilliant, and I mean brilliant, performance as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, which, I might add, he did not get an Oscar for and should have. But, anyway. He's back!

Joaquin made an appearance on to Letterman last night (looking seriously handsome and dapper) to ask for forgiveness, apologize and to explain what the documentary, which was actually released, was all about. (You can see clips of that interview here).

Letterman took it all in stride, accepted Joaquin's apology and had more than a few jokes at his expense, because, well, we are talking about Letterman. Everybody kissed and made up and the world of art and entertainment has Joaquin Phoenix back.

Yes, there is a God.

Sources:

"Joaquin Phoenix Shocks with Retirement Announcement" October 29, 2008. Yahoo! Movies.com. September 23, 2010. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/joaquinphoenix_blog.html

"Joaquin Phoenix Returns to David Letterman with an Apology" September 23, 2010. People.com. September 23, 2010. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20428248,00.html