Last week, Joaquin Phoenix – the star of Walk the Line, Gladiator and Focus Features’ Reservation Road – announced that he was quitting acting. Typically for the reclusive and often somewhat eccentric actor, his statement left people more confused than anything else. Speaking to a TV entertainment reporter at a benefit event for the late Paul Newman’s charity Association of Hole in the Wall Camps while sporting a heavy beard and dark glasses, Phoenix said the following:

"I want to take this opportunity... also to give you the exclusive and just talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor... I'm not doing films anymore."

When asked "Are you serious?," Phoenix said, "Yeah. I'm working on my music. I'm done. I've been through that." Fellow actor Casey Affleck, who was accompanying Phoenix to the event, confirmed that he was genuine in his sentiments.

A few days later, at the premiere of Two Lovers – a film which is ostensiby Phoenix’s last – the actor cryptically underlined his decision to quit. In what appeared to be a partial reference to Night of the Hunter, Phoenix showed TV camera crews and ranks of paparazzi his knuckles, on which were written the words “GOOD” and “BYE!”

Though he initially made his acting debut almost a quarter of a century ago in the 1984 ABC After School Special Backwards: The Riddle Of Dyslexia, Phoenix has seldom seemed comfortable as a high profile star and has frequently abstained from doing much press, indicating that he did not enjoy talking about the processes behind his work. In light of the positive reaction his singing in Walk the Line received, it is understandable that Phoenix would see this as a logical direction for his career to go in.

Additionally, I think it is important to note that last week there were two important milestones that may have affected Phoenix’s decision. Firstly, he turned 34, and – as we noted on the site – last Friday was the 15th anniversary of the death of his brother, River Phoenix, a brilliant young actor who failed to handle life in the Hollywood spotlight.