It has finally dawned on Joaquin Phoenix that his comic book collection which he thought was a potential gold mine is of scarce value.

Phoenix, 44 has some rare comics in his collection including Wolverine’s first appearance. Phoenix is the latest in a long line of movie Jokers, joining iconic names such as Jack Nicholson (1989’s “Batman”), Heath Ledger (2008’s “The Dark Knight”) and Jared Leto (2016’s “Suicide Squad”).

Ledger got the Academy Award for his Joker posthumously and Phoenix has the ability to make it two-for-two for the Jokers at the Oscars. He is a three-time nominee and is already considered overdue for the coveted award.

According to Phoenix, the road to becoming Joker, while admittedly “energizing,” wasn’t exactly a cakewalk, Phoenix says. “When we were prepping for it, I felt very frustrated because I couldn’t lock on anything that felt like a foundation for the character,” Phoenix says. “And at some point, I realized that was the (expletive) point. He was unstable.

Phoenix loved the fact there was lots of scope for experimentation. A distinctive but painful laugh was a Joker specialty. The turning point – Arthur’s battle with the bullies at the subway and the improvised bathroom ballet after that – are some of the favorite acts of Phoenix.

Phoenix lost a whopping 52 pounds for the role as Phillips wanted a malnourished and hungry look for Arthur. While it was not a new experience for Phoenix as he had done it for ‘The Master’ in 2012, he hated doing it again as it involved a tough diet.

Phoenix grew up with comic books but was not aware that those characters he adored so much have become so famous in the modern world. He almost played the comic book character Doctor Strange but lost the role to Benedict Cumberbatch. After Joker, he is not ruling out another similar act. #jokermovie #JoaquinPhoenix @warnerbros #Joker #jokerwatch