Joker: How Real-Life Tension Between Robert De Niro and Joaquin Phoenix Made 'Interview' Scene More Tense?

Joker: How Real-Life Tension Between Robert De Niro and Joaquin Phoenix Made 'Interview' Scene More Tense?

On the set of Joker, director Todd Phillips navigated a clash between two actors with opposing professional methods. Robert De Niro, a well-established figure in Hollywood, requested a standard script read-through with the cast before filming began. Joaquin Phoenix, the film’s star, outright refused the practice. Phillips found himself mediating the conflict, which he later described to Vanity Fair. The director was caught between De Niro’s trad…