A Near Death Car Accident Made Joaquin Phoenix Quit Drinking

Hollywood’s latest Joker, Joaquin Phoenix who was recently on a winning spree at the award season hasn’t had the best of days always. Looking back some 15 years ago, the actor has quite a lot to regret but not in terms of irreversible loss.

“I was being an idiot, running around, drinking, trying to screw people, going to stupid clubs,” Phoenix recently shared about his drinking problems while talking to a media outlet.

“I wasn’t engaging with the world or myself in the way I wanted to,” added the actor.

However, it was one of those nights when after partying and drinking hard, Phoenix was out on the roads of Los Angeles when his car got into a horrific accident. Once the actor was able to step out of his flipped car, his first instinct was to light up a cigarette to calm his nerves.

“A German voice said, ‘Just relax’,” Phoenix recalled German filmmaker Werner Herzog calmly drawing his attention.

It was then Herzog directed Phoenix’s attention to the car’s petrol tank leaking and how he was just a few seconds away from lighting himself on fire – courtesy of his drunkard state.

In that moment the Gladiator actor revealed that he rethought his life priorities and how he did not want to end up like his older brother River Phoenix who passed away at 23 due to drug abuse. This was when he decided to get help and entered rehab a few days later.

“There’s too many things I enjoy doing and I don’t want to wake up feeling hungover. It’s not a thing I fight against, it’s just the way I live my life,” said the 45-year old as he credited the car accident for changing his life for good.