Joker Star Joaquin Phoenix Issues Statement On His Best Actor Oscar Nomination

Fresh off his wins at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards, and an arrest in Washington D.C., Joker star Joaquin Phoenix has found himself the recipient of a nomination at the Academy Awards for his work in the DC Comics film. Phoenix was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in the film. All told, Joker came away with eleven total nominations including Best Picture and making it the most nominated movie of the year. Joker is now in a prime position to take home a whole host of Oscars in February, and Phoenix expressed his gratitude and thankfulness about the nomination in a new statement.

"I feel honored and humbled to have been nominated by my fellow actors," Phoenix said via a statement to E!. "The Academy's encouragement helped ignite and sustain my career and I am incredibly grateful for that support. I'd like to also congratulate my fellow nominees for being recognized for their inspiring performances that have enriched our art form."

With his nomination for Joker, Phoenix has now been nominated for four Academy Awards across his career. Phoenix was first nominated in the Best Supporting Role category in 2001 for his role as Commodus in Gladiator, later earning Best Actor nominations for his roles as Johnny Cash in 2005's Walk the Line and Freddie Quell in 2012's The Master. Joker director Todd Phillips also released a statement about the film's number of nominations, highlighting Phoenix's performance as an anchor for its success.

"Joker began as an idea, an experiment really— could we take an 'indie approach' to a studio film by inverting it into a character study to reflect the world around us? Explore what we're seeing and feeling in society, from the lack of empathy to the effects of the absence of love," Phillips said. "I am deeply honored by the overwhelming recognition of the Academy this morning, and I want to thank the genius that is Joaquin Phoenix, and all my incredible collaborators. We are beyond humbled that our peers in the filmmaking community have embraced the film and its message."

The eleven nominations Joker earned at this year's Academy Awards include: Best Picture, Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Directing (Todd Phillips), Best Adapted Screenplay (Todd Phillips & Scott Silver), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.

The 92nd Academy Awards air Sunday, Feb. 9 on ABC.