London, Feb 11: Puerto Rican film actor Joaquin Phoenix has showed that he is very serious about pursuing a career as a rapper after he had a high-tech recording studio installed in his house.

Phoenix had stunned most of his fans when he announced last year that he planned to step away from acting and instead try for a singing career.

It seems that he is very serious about making a name for himself in the music industry, as director James Gray has revealed that Phoenix is doing everything possible to ensure his success.

London, Feb 10: Puerto Rican actor Joaquin Phoenix has admitted that he has deliberately ditched his movie star looks to form another image from the one the public has of him.

Phoenix, 34, now sports an unwieldy beard, scruffy clothes and silly headwear and is making attempts at starting a rap career.

"People have called me a sex symbol in the past, but it''s very much an effort," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"People know me as this kind of thing and in some ways I don''t know that this is my look.

Washington, Jan 29 : Joaquin Phoenix's rep has hit out at the reports that the actor's rap career is a hoax, insisting that his plans to venture in are for real.

Pals close to two-time Oscar nominee told EW. com that his shambolic performance in a Las Vegas nightclub, which was caught on film by brother-in-law Casey Affleck, was all part of an elaborate "art project" hoax.

However, the `Walk in the Line' star's rep Susan Patricola, insists the actor''s rap plans are genuine.

And that he really has retired from movies to focus on his new rap career.

London, January 1: Actor-turned-musician Joaquin Phoenix sparked fears about his well being when he arrived at a star-laden party in Miami Beach sporting a huge scraggly beard.

Onlookers revealed that the 34-year-old, who announced his retirement from film in October last year, was looking bloated at the party.

They said that alongside Casey Affleck and P Diddy, he looked rather more cave dweller than Hollywood A-lister.

New York - Oscar-nominated star Joaquin Phoenix is retiring from Hollywood to concentrate on his music career, his publicist confirmed after a report on broadcaster NBC.

"This is not strange. Joaquin has been directing music videos and been involved in music for the last number of years," publicist Susan Patricola said.

A few days back, Phoenix said his last film would be Two Lovers, with Gwyneth Paltrow, which is set for a February 2009 release.