ON ACTING: Joaquin Phoenix; and 'Preparation'

David has left a new comment on your post "TV REVIEW: "Entourage" (Plus, an addendum for actor..."):

"I'm glad you like Entourage. It does for me what LA Law did in a previous life.

"But I'm writing with a question. From a story about Joaquin Phoenix:
When [the interviewer] asked by phone how he prepared for his role as a drug-addled nightclub manager in 'We Own the Night,' Phoenix responded, 'I never prepare. I think that's completely overrated. It's a very simple job. All you have to do is . . . stand in the right spot and say the line. So I don't really believe in preparation.'

"Is this bravado or what?"

Cliff Osmond replies:

If the quote is accurate, and truly represents Mr. Phoenix's feelings, it could be that Mr. Phoenix personally needs no preparation to play a 'drug-addled' character...or any other character, for that matter: because perhaps Joaquin Phoenix is already sufficiently emotional "unbalanced" from living life (SEE my October 9th blog, on the need for "'Unbalanced' Actors") that his lifetime acting 'preparation' work has already been accomplished. In that case, all he has to do is "say the lines", and resonate in performance with uncommon feeling. Lucky him.