Movie Star Blog

Does playing the part of a real person improve Oscar chances for Phoenix River in Walk The Line?

Looking at some of the early Oscar favorites, it seems that portraying a real life person is a surefire way to garner yourself a nomination. I still haven’t seen 2004’s Ray, but one of the things I’ve heard most about Jamie Foxx’s performance is how uncanny his portrayal of Ray Charles is. In Walk The Line, Phoenix’s performance is a different style altogether. What’s impressive to me is that he doesn’t “channel” Johnny Cash. He doesn’t look like him. He gets the raw energy of the voice right, even if he doesn’t quite match Cash’s barrel-chested bass. But he definitely nails Cash’s swagger. His Cash is less of an impersonation and more of a fully fleshed-out character. If viewers walk into a theater unaware of Johnny Cash and his life story, they will still be mesmerized by the Man in Black. Phoenix creates a character while still doing justice to the real man.