Ben Stiller Mocks Joaquin Phoenix At The Oscars

Ben Stiller mocked fellow actor and rapper Joaquin Phoenix at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles last night (February 22nd).

Stiller appeared dressed as Phoenix to present the award for Best Cinematography alongside actress Natalie Portman.

Wearing a fake beard and glasses, the actor mimicked Phoenix's recent appearance on the chat show Late Night with David Letterman by talking slowly and appearing distracted.

At one point, Stiller joked that Slumdog Millionaire, which dominated the awards ceremony, had been shot entirely on a mobile phone.

He then proceeded to pull a phone from his top pocket.

Phoenix's sudden transformation from acclaimed actor into rapper has been widely scrutinised by the media – and prompted speculation that it is part of a hoax.

Internet footage from his debut gig in Las Vegas earlier this year shows Phoenix rapping incoherently and falling from the stage.

Meanwhile, his distant appearance on Letterman forced the talk show host to joke: "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight."

In a recent interview, Phoenix insisted that his ambition to launch a hip-hop career was genuine, and that music, not acting, “will be the dominant theme in my life." 

You can see highlights of Ben Stiller's parody of Joaquin Phoenix.

Ben Stiller as Joaquin Phoenix