Coping with anxiety
Phoenix has a hard time in front of the camera, and his extreme humility is the reason why he also struggles with reading his own press or reviews. That’s why he never reads critics’ praise for his performances, and this approach, though some might find it endearing, was the cause of several awkward and quite controversial speeches.
More than once, Phoenix has expressed scorn for the Academy Awards and the industry as a whole, for being discriminating and ridiculous, and later apologized, explaining it’s hard for him to receive praise. In his 2020 Golden Globes Best Actor acceptance speech, Phoenix has criticized celebrities for abusing the planet and our nature resources by using their private jets.