The actor who was supposed to be starring with Joaquin Phoenix in a gay romance movie has spoken out against the Joker star’s decision to drop out before filming.
What was Todd Haynes and Joaquin Phoenix’s gay romance film about?
Danny Ramirez was cast alongside Phoenix in a Todd Haynes film about two men who were in love and fled to Mexico in the 1930s.
The film was set to feature a number of sex scenes and was thought to likely get an NC-17 age rating, the most mature a movie can be to still receive a wide-release.
Joaquin Phoenix dropped out of a gay romance film five days before filming (Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)
“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” Haynes told IndieWire in 2023.
“We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit.
“And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year.
“It’s a gay love story set in 1930s LA.”
However, IndieWire first reported that Phoenix had shockingly dropped out just five days before filming.
What has Joaquin Phoenix said about leaving the film?
When asked about this at the Venice International Film Festival press conference, the actor said: “Um… I think if I do I would just be sharing my opinion from my perspective, and the other creatives aren’t here to say their piece and that just doesn’t feel like that would be right, not sure how that would be helpful.
“So, I just don’t think I will. Yeah. Thank you.”
Danny Ramirez was cast alongside Phoenix in a Todd Haynes led film (Amy Sussman/Getty Image)
What has Joaquin Phoenix’s co-star Danny Ramirez said about his exit?
Meanwhile, his almost co-star Ramirez recently told Variety that the decision to drop out was ‘definitely disappointing’.
“If anything, it just gave me more inspiration to keep driving, keep pushing, and knowing that I’m on the right path and approaching the work the right way. So that’s what I’m excited about,” he said on the red carpet.
“It’s definitely a very complicated situation.
“The audition process was extensive, and so what I walked away with that was just the artistic validation of throwing down opposite of [Phoenix] in this chemistry read…
“There was a moment that I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve arrived as a performer.’”
Ramirez – known for his roles in Top Gun: Maverick and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – said he was hopeful of the film still being made.
This comes after a source close to the production reportedly told the outlet that Phoenix departure was because he got ‘cold feet’.
LADbible Group has contacted representatives of Joaquin Phoenix for comment.
