He’s Still Here: Joaquin Phoenix as Transgressive Hollywood Star

Abstract | Abstract

On 11 February 2009, Joaquin Phoenix announced that he would be retiring from acting to pursue his ambition of becoming a hip hop musician. One year later, ‘documentary’ feature film, I’m Still Here was theatrically released; chronicling the life of Phoenix that followed the announcement of his retirement. A week into its release in the US, director Casey Affleck confessed to The New York Times (Cieply 2010) that the film was in fact a mockumentary. I’m Still Here is Affleck’s (and Phoenix’s) statement film, inviting the audience to reflect on their own contribution to celebrity culture. The film draws attention to both the star and the fan and their joint contribution in developing the myth of the Hollywood star. However, primarily, it shows Phoenix’s transition from star to celebrity, as argued in this paper. This case is framed by the scholarly study of stars, iconology and celebrity, and argues that the series of media events created by Phoenix and Affleck provide a commentary on the contemporary notion of Hollywood stardom.