Joaquin Phoenix Heaps Praise on Theo Von for Gaza ‘Genocide’ Remarks in Rare Podcast Appearance: ‘Really Courageous!’

Joaquin Phoenix revealed to Theo Von that the comedian’s emotional talk about Gaza was what convinced the Academy Award-winner to make a rare podcast appearance with him.

Phoenix joined Von on the This Past Weekend podcast to promote his new film Eddington and the actor bonded with Von over their reactions to the results of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In May, Von got visibly emotional and described strikes against Gaza as a “genocide.”

“It just feels to be like it’s a genocide that’s happening while we’re alive here,” the comedian said at the time.

Phoenix praised Von as “courageous” for speaking out.

The actor said:

I was really moved by something that you said when you talked about the war in Gaza. And I think that’s really courageous to speak about it. And you spoke about it in such a, like, honest way that I just thought was really beautiful. And it’s crazy because what’s going on is absolutely so fucking horrible. There’s no justification for fucking children starving to death in a conflict. Like, it’s that simple, right? You don’t have to understand geopolitics or anything like that just to get that. I know there are conflicts all over the world constantly, but that’s something that is, I’m just, it’s shocking, like, how maybe we’re afraid to talk about it. And oftentimes you’re made to feel like you’re stupid because you don’t understand geopolitics. You kind of go like, well, I don’t have to understand geopolitcs. Like, you just have to human rights, like basic human rights.

The total number of deaths out of Gaza is not known, but it is known to be in the thousands as the conflict rages on and Israel has hit the Gaza area with numerous strikes in their effort to wipe out Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry claims nearly 60,000 have died in the war.

“People are watching things on their phones and you can see for the first time, some of this travesty in real time and it just fucking hurts man,” Von told Phoenix.

Von has spoken about the conflict in Gaza on his podcast multiple times. In a May episode, he described some of the horrors he was seeing as he grew emotional.

He said:

I feel like you see all these photos of people…just children, women, people, body parts, just people, like, putting their kids back together. And I just can’t believe that we’re watching that and that more isn’t said about it. And so I’m not saying anyone else needs to say anything, but I think I’m just that more isn’t set about it by me. So I just want be able to speak up about that, that I think we’re watching probably, like, you know, one of the sickest things that’s ever happened. And I’m sorry, if I kind of haven’t said [enough] about it, I’ve tried to talk about it and learn about it. But I don’t know, maybe I just want to — I just wanted to say something. I don’t even know what to do.

Von told Phoenix that he “felt scared” when originally speaking out about the issue.

“I think sometimes not acknowledging it is wrong. Obviously, I don’t have the fucking solution, but war always fucking sucks, right? A conflict sucks. But what’s happening, it just is, it’s crazy to me,” Phoenix said, citing reports of food shortages throughout Gaza.

Phoenix said he wanted to make the rare podcast appearance because of Von’s talk about Gaza.

“I think it was courageous and it was meaningful, and, I mean, it matters, and so, you know, I’m, straight up, I’m really here today because I was so moved by what you said and just like the courage to do that,” he told Von.

“I was wondering why you came, to be honest,” Von replied. “To be very honest.”

Watch above via This Past Weekend.