The life and music of Johnny Cash has had a profound effect and influence on a diverse array of musicians, writers, convicts, etc. In the case of actor Joaquin Phoenix, it inadvertently led him to quit his day job.

He recently announced to Extra (of all media outlets) that he is quitting movies at the age of 34 and plans to focus exclusively on his music career.

Phoenix, who has a knack for playing troubled characters, rose up from the acting ranks around the time of the 1995 satire To Die For and captured the public's eye for his memorable portrayal of Cash in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line. He recorded the soundtrack for the Cash film and even won a Grammy Award for his work on it.

Phoenix recently wrapped his final cinematic foray, Two Lovers, a romantic drama with Gwyneth Paltrow, but his next project is an album with Tim Burgess of the British alternative rock band The Charlatans.

Despite having directed music videos for half a dozen indie rock artists, his music slate is thin, so this could be considered a big shock.

He pulled off the role of Cash so smoothly that I think it should be easy transition, but he will certainly be missed as he is one of H-wood's finer actors to rise up over the past decade or so. If he channels some of the internal dysfunction and insecurity of his characters into his music, he has a lot of potential.

--Mark