from msn
There haven't yet been any Mr. Toad sightings, but Joaquin Phoenix appears to be having a ribbit-filled wild ride while stumping for "Walk the Line." The rehabbed actor, who is getting oodles of Oscar buzz for his spot-on performance as Johnny Cash, has been "acting very oddly" during his promotional duties, claims the New York Post.
"It seems like he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown," a source evidently steeped in psychology helpfully diagnoses for the paper.
Talk of trouble began at the film's L.A. premiere Thursday night, when Phoenix felt something funny hoppin' on his noggin during an interview with the Associated Press.
"Do I have a large frog in my hair?" he asked the reporter, who assured him his coif was amphibian-free. "Something's crawling out of my scalp," the star explained.
Despite the journalist's assertion that he "looked great," Joaquin wasn't convinced: "No, but I feel it. I'm not worried about the looks. I'm worried about the sensation of my brain being eaten ... What did you ask me?"
Phoenix then turned to his publicist, whispered something and they both laughed, leading the reporter to conclude the actor was "just messing with" him, a sentiment echoed by the rep.
"I think a fly flew on his head," his spokeswoman clarifies to the Post. "I was standing right there and was laughing with him. He then went right back to the press line. He's doing interviews every damn day. And no, he's not having a nervous breakdown and is still sober. He's fantastic."
And what about reports that a fed-up Phoenix bailed out of some interview sessions last week, supposedly stating, "I can't do this" (co-star Reese Witherspoon, meanwhile, is said to have made it through her sit-downs despite a bout of sinusitis)?
"He was done and didn't want to do any more," says his mouthpiece. "I can't blame him -- he has been working like crazy. He has never done this much press."