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Joaquin Phoenix

Born: 1974

Biography

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (born October 28, 1974) is an American actor, producer, and animal rights activist. Known for playing dark and unconventional characters in independent film, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, he was ranked 12th on the list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century by The New York Times. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Los Angeles and Florida, Phoenix began his career by appearing in television series in the early 1980s with his brother River. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix, a name he gave himself. He took back his birth first name in the early 1990s and received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in the comedy-drama film To Die For (1995) and the period film Quills (2000). Phoenix received further critical acclaim and first Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of the evil emperor Commodus in the historical drama film Gladiator (2000). He had success with the horror films Signs (2002) and The Village (2004), the historical drama Hotel Rwanda (2004) and won a Grammy, a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of musician Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line (2005). He continued to receive acclaim in two features with his frequent director James Gray; the action thriller We Own the Night (2007) and the romantic drama Two Lovers (2008), before taking a break from acting. In the 2010s, Phoenix returned to acting to critical acclaim. He starred in the psychological drama The Master (2012), winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and earning his third Academy Award nomination. He received Golden Globe nominations for his roles in the romantic drama Her (2013) and the crime satire Inherent Vice (2014) and won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in the psychological thriller You Were Never Really Here (2017). Phoenix achieved international stardom and won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a second Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the title character in Joker (2019). Phoenix is an animal rights activist. He has been vegan since the age of three and regularly supports charitable causes and has produced several documentaries on global meat consumption and its impact on the environment. He is in a relationship with actress Rooney Mara, with whom he has a son.
Known For Acting
Gender Male
Place of Birth San Juan, Puerto Rico

Resources

Movies

Walk the Line

John R. Cash in Walk the Line

Gladiator

Emperor Commodus in Gladiator

Hotel Rwanda

Jack Daglish in Hotel Rwanda

To Die For

Jimmy Emmett in To Die For

U Turn

Toby N. Tucker in U Turn

Parenthood

Garry Buckman-Lampkin in Parenthood

Return to Paradise

Lewis McBride in Return to Paradise

We Own the Night

Robert 'Bobby' Green in We Own the Night

Two Lovers

Leonard Kraditor in Two Lovers

Signs

Merrill Hess in Signs

Quills

Abbe du Coulmier in Quills

Ladder 49

Jack Morrison in Ladder 49

Earthlings

Narrator (voice) in Earthlings

The Village

Lucius Hunt in The Village

8MM

Max California in 8MM

Joker: Folie à Deux

Arthur Fleck in Joker: Folie à Deux

Reservation Road

Ethan Learner in Reservation Road

Buffalo Soldiers

Ray Elwood in Buffalo Soldiers

It's All About Love

John in It's All About Love

Chryskylodon Blues

Self in Chryskylodon Blues

Clay Pigeons

Clay Bidwell in Clay Pigeons

Inventing the Abbotts

Doug Holt in Inventing the Abbotts

Russkies

Danny in Russkies

Eddington

Sheriff Joe Cross in Eddington

I'm Still Here

Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here

The Master

Freddie Quell in The Master

The Yards

Willie Gutierrez in The Yards

Her

Theodore in Her

The Immigrant

Bruno Weiss in The Immigrant

Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'

Self in Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'

The Making of We Own the Night

Self in The Making of We Own the Night

Inherent Vice

Larry "Doc" Sportello in Inherent Vice

Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line

Self in Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line

Irrational Man

Abe in Irrational Man

Her: Love in the Modern Age

Self (archive footage) in Her: Love in the Modern Age

The Island

in The Island

Unity

Narrator (voice) in Unity

Kids Don't Tell

Frankie in Kids Don't Tell

Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart

Jimmy Emmett (archive footage) in Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart

Finally Home: Making Beau is Afraid

Self in Finally Home: Making Beau is Afraid

Joaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremes

Self - Actor (archive footage) in Joaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremes

You Were Never Really Here

Joe in You Were Never Really Here

Brother Bear

Kenai (voice) in Brother Bear

Mary Magdalene

Jesus in Mary Magdalene

Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia

Robby Ellsworth in Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia

The Sisters Brothers

Charlie Sisters in The Sisters Brothers

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

John Callahan in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Secret Witness

Drew Blackburn in Secret Witness

Her: The Untitled Rick Howard Project

Self in Her: The Untitled Rick Howard Project

Dominion

Narrator (voice) in Dominion

Lou

Karl in Lou

C'mon C'mon

Johnny in C'mon C'mon

Guardians of Life

in Guardians of Life

Making 'Signs'

Self / Merrill Hess in Making 'Signs'

Deconstructing 'The Village'

Self in Deconstructing 'The Village'

Joker

Arthur Fleck in Joker

Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport

Self in Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport

My Darling Vivian

Self (archive footage) in My Darling Vivian

Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon

SpaceCamp

Max in SpaceCamp

Joker: Put on a Happy Face

Self in Joker: Put on a Happy Face

Beau Is Afraid

Beau Wassermann in Beau Is Afraid

Polaris

in Polaris

TV Shows