What's up, Joaquin?

Last month a rambling and bearded Joaquin Phoenix shambled on to David Letterman's chat show and announced he was quitting movies to go into music. Is one of Hollywood's finest actors losing the plot, or is it just a reality show stunt? John Patterson reports

Joaquin Phoenix performs at a nightclub at the Fountainbleau Hotel in Miami. Phoenix jumped off the stage and fought an audience member who was heckling him. Photograph: Seth Browarnik/AP

Looking like a demented combination of Jeff Lebowski, the Unabomber and Hassidic reggae-rapper Matisyahu, Joaquin Phoenix has lately been making me ashamed that we share the same initials. The abrupt announcement of his plans to retire from making movies "to concentrate on his music career" came during the PR campaign for his latest movie, Two Lovers, which critics unanimously agree contains some of the finest acting of Phoenix's career. If I were director James Grey and my movie had been upstaged like this, I'd be furious.

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