Prince William Told Joaquin Phoenix He’s Glad He Didn’t Watch Joker Right Before Bed

Prince William put off watching Joker because people told him to be "careful" when he chose to watch it, the Duke of Cambridge admitted to actor Joaquin Phoenix at the BAFTA Awards. There Phoenix won his latest prize for the role of the demented Arthur Fleck, a failed stand up comic who descends into madness amid societal troubles in early 1980s Gotham City. When meeting stars while attending the BAFTA event with wife Kate Middleton, William confessed to Phoenix he only recently watched Joker — the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2019, amassing $1.071 billion worldwide — because of warnings about nightmares:

"Lovely to meet you," William told the actor (via PEOPLE). "I absolutely loved The Joker. It was brilliant. I put it off and put it off before watching it, as people kept telling me 'be careful when you choose to watch it.' I'm glad I didn't watch it before bed, but huge congratulations on an amazing performance."

Phoenix and the royal were in solidarity Sunday when Phoenix pointed out a lack of diversity among award nominees while accepting his prize for Best Actor, a point William publicly agreed with.

"I feel conflicted because so many of my fellow actors that are deserving don't have that same privilege. I think we send a very clear message to people of color that you're not welcome here," Phoenix said during his acceptance speech. "I don't think anybody wants a handout or preferential treatment, people just want to be acknowledged, appreciated and respected for their work. This is not a self-righteous condemnation. I'm part of the problem."

"We have to do the hard work to truly understand systemic racism," Phoenix continued. "I think it is the obligation of the people that have created and perpetuate and benefit from a system of oppression to be the ones that dismantle it. That's on us."

After presenting Star Wars producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy with the BAFTA Fellowship, William supported Phoenix's call for better representation.

"We find ourselves talking again about the need to do more to address diversity in the sector. That cannot be right in this day and age," William said. "I know Pippa and Amanda share that frustration. BAFTA take this issue seriously, and following this year's nominations have launched a full review… to ensure the opportunities are available to everyone."

Phoenix is nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, airing Sunday, Feb. 9 on ABC. Photo credit: Jeff Gilbert / WPA Pool / Getty