I’m full of so much gratitude now. I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room, because we share the same love – that’s the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know where I’d be without it.
Joaquin Phoenix’s speech last night has moved everyone who listened to it, but it hit animal lovers particularly hard, and now we know what could’ve possibly motivated such a moving speech.
But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many people in [this industry] is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. I’ve been thinking about some of the distressing issues that we’ve been facing collectively.
It turns out when he says to be the voice for the voiceless, he really means it. Joaquin is a man of his words, and he has two dogs, Oskar and Soda, the latter a large white pit bull mix he rescued from euthanasia 13 years ago.
Not so many people know about that.
He met his other dog when he was filming The Sisters Brothers in Europe, and later, pictures surfaced of him visiting the dog shelter in Bucharest, Romania to save the dog.
His friends are saying that one of his dogs is allergic to direct sunlight, so he keeps out the sun in their house every day from nine to five. He even had a special suit made for her so she can go to the beach!
His love for animals goes to the point where even his dogs are on a vegan diet and he cooks for them himself.
Watch his moving speech below.
Such an incredible speech and powerful, moving speech. Share his important message!