Joaquin Phoenix Discusses Brother River’s Death in Rare ‘60 Minutes’ Interview

Joker star Joaquin Phoenix is no fan of interviews, but he’s made an exception for Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes. On Sunday, CBS aired a rare sit-down interview with the actor, who discussed everything from his Oscar-nominated film to his relationship with his late brother, River Phoenix. Phoenix told Cooper that the media circus surrounding River’s 1993 death “impeded on the mourning process,” but he’s since been able to process his grief and channel it into his career. “In virtually every movie that I made, there was a connection to River in some way,” said the Oscar nominee. “I think that we’ve all felt his presence and guidance in our lives in numerous ways.”

Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes takes a deep dive into Phoenix’s upbringing and the early days of his career. Phoenix was heavily influenced by his older brother River, who, at just 23 years old, died from a drug overdose outside Hollywood club The Viper Room. Cooper brought up his own tragedy — his brother Carter Vanderbilt Cooper committed suicide in 1988 — before asking the Phoenix family about their own, saying, “The public nature of River’s death, was it something that intruded upon you?”

“We were so removed from the entertainment world. We didn’t watch entertainment shows. We didn’t have the entertainment magazines in our house,” replied Phoenix, who was 19 at the time of his brother’s passing. “River was a really substantial actor and movie star and we didn’t really know it.”

“During that time in which you’re most vulnerable, there are helicopters flying over, there are people that are trying to sneak onto your land,” continued the Joker star. “Certainly, for me it felt like it impeded on the mourning process.”

Phoenix’s mother Heart insisted that the family is still grieving over River’s death almost 27 years later. “The grieving process happens out of nowhere,” she said. “I’ll be driving and all of a sudden I will feel it. And I’ll just welcome it … There’s no timeline.”

“There’s always been a presence in all of our work in the past that we took individually and collectively,” added Phoenix. “I think in virtually every movie that I made, there was a connection to River in some way. I think that we’ve all felt his presence and guidance in our lives in numerous ways.”

Watch Phoenix discuss River’s passing in the clip above. You can stream the entire 60 Minutes episode on CBS All Access.

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