1:40
Phillips, who worked on comedy movies including \"Old School\" and \"The Hangover,\" said he and his longtime friend and co-producer Bradley Cooper \"couldn't have predicted\" their successes nearly a decade sooner while working on the Las Vegas comedy.
\"We became really close after 'The Hangover' movies and we decided to start this little company joint effort at Warner Brothers,\" he explained of their work on \"A Star is Born\" and \"Joker.\" \"But no, we couldn't have predicted this kind of run we've had.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/todd-phillips-joaquin-phoenix-ap-ml-200124_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Joquin Phoenix, who stars as the disturbed comedian Arthur Fleck in the film, has already racked up a SAG Award, Critic's Choice Award and a Golden Globe for his intense, haunting performance -- but Phillips said his lighter side came through behind the scenes between takes.
\"To inhabit the character of Arthur slash Joker in the movie, he had to go to some dark places,\" the filmmaker said. \"And really on this film -- we would say 'Cut!' and we'd be off to the side joking around or laughing about something and then we'd get back into it. He's really intense as an actor, but as a guy on set he's actually kind of light.\"
The scene captured on the movie poster of Phoenix dancing on a set of stairs in the Bronx, New York, has become a star in its own right.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Todd Phillips (@toddphillips1) on Oct 13, 2019 at 3:00pm PDT
\"We thought it would be a pretty iconic moment for the movie, I didn't know the stairs would turn into sort of New York's version of the Rocky stairs,\" Phillips said with a laugh.
Phillips and the entire \"Joker\" cast and crew will hit the red carpet Sunday Feb. 9 to await the Academy's decision for the film's 11 nominations.
Check back on Goodmorningamerica.com for full coverage on Oscars Sunday live from Hollywood!
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