Lights, camera, heartbreak! Danny Ramirez and Joaquin Phoenix graced the red carpet at the Academy Museum Gala this past weekend (October 20), giving everyone a masterclass in how to look fabulous when your movie just got the axe. Yes, the only thing hotter than their looks was the sizzling scandal surrounding their canceled flick.
This wasnβt just any film. Oh no, it was the movieβa spicy NC-17 gay romance set in the 1930s, where two men in love make a daring escape to Mexico. Think βBrokeback Mountain,β but with even more forbidden love and maybe fewer cowboys. Alas, the movie is now deader than a Netflix password-sharing policy.
As Danny strutted down the carpet, reporters couldnβt help but ask: “How are you holding up after Joaquin yeeted out of the project and took the entire movie down with him?”
With the grace of a man whoβs had three strong coffees and a motivational podcast, Danny told Variety, βYeah, itβs disappointingβ¦ but hey, if Joaquin bouncing out on me doesnβt scream βinspiration,β what does?β
He added with a philosophical twinkle, βThis just makes me wanna push harder, knowing Iβm on the right path. You know? Sometimes when your dream movie dissolves before your eyes, itβs really the universe saying, βKeep going, champ!ββ
But the tea didnβt stop there. Danny gave us a peek into the grueling audition process: βHonestly, I got to do a chemistry read with Joaquin freaking Phoenixβyou know how validating that was? There was this one moment, right there in the audition, where I thought, βThis is it. Iβve arrived as a performer. I am unstoppable!ββ
And then, boom. Unstoppable or not, the brakes hit hard. The movie got canceled faster than plans with flaky friends, leaving Danny to pick up the piecesβon the red carpet, no less.
So, while we wonβt be seeing Danny and Joaquinβs steamy, vintage romance hit the silver screen anytime soon, at least we got some primo red carpet moments. And if this gala appearance is any indication, Dannyβs still ready to slay, even if his big romance project was ghosted harder than an ex on Tinder.
Who needs a 1930s Mexican love story anyway, right? Apparently, Joaquin.
Danny Ramirez, who was cast opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Todd Haynes' gay romance film before Phoenix dropped out, says that his chemistry read featured "very intense, dramatic scenes" and that it's "a very complicated situation." https://t.co/0BVZhE2aj3 pic.twitter.com/ZTJwwFT0UZ
— Variety (@Variety) October 20, 2024