Joaquin Phoenix says working with so many talented directors has made him less likely to move behind the camera.
The 43-year-old actor is one of the most sought-after talents in Hollywood, but having previously worked with the likes of Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson and Spike Jonze, Joaquin isn’t sure whether he has what it takes to direct.
He explained: "I wouldn’t do it just to do it. I imagine if there was a story that I felt like I had a unique understanding of, then maybe it’s something I would pursue, but I haven’t really thought about it.
"I’ve worked with really great directors, and I don’t know if I have that.
"Do you know what I mean? If you work with people that were mediocre, if you were on set with a bunch of mediocre directors, you’d probably be like, ‘I think I could probably do that.’"
Joaquin has occasional "fantasies" when he believes he’s more capable than he really is.
But when he watches the real experts in action, the actor quickly realises his own shortcomings.
He told Collider: "Then when you work with these people that are at the highest level … Sometimes you have fantasies where you go like, ‘I could probably play basketball,’ or, ‘Maybe I could box.’
"Then you see people that really do it, you go like, ‘I could never f**k with that.’ It’s kind of like that."
Joaquin also admitted that despite being a veteran of the movie business, he’s still quite ignorant about the specifics of directing.
He shared: "I still, I don’t know, like when somebody calls out a lens size, I have no idea what that means.
"I don’t know how wide it is. I try not to pay attention to that part of it, as much as I try to stay inside the character."
Joaquin Phoenix reveals what discourages him from directing
