Joaquin Phoenix
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.
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
Joker: Folie à Deux
Joaquin Phoenix - An Actor of Extremes
Napoleon
The End of Medicine
Finally Home: Making Beau is Afraid
Beau Is Afraid
Stutz
C'mon C'mon
Gunda
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
My Darling Vivian
Guardians of Life
The Animal People
Joker
The Sisters Brothers
Lou
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
Dominion
Mary Magdalene
You Were Never Really Here
Across My Land
What the Health
Unity
Irrational Man
Chryskylodon Blues
Inherent Vice
Her: The Untitled Rick Howard Project
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Her: Love in the Modern Age
Her
The Immigrant
The Master
Honest Trailers
I'm Still Here
Two Lovers
We Own the Night
Reservation Road
Earthlings
Walk the Line
Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator'
Deconstructing 'The Village'
Hotel Rwanda
Ladder 49
The Village
Brother Bear
It's All About Love
Buffalo Soldiers
Signs
Quills
Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport
Gladiator
The Yards
8MM
Clay Pigeons
Return to Paradise
U Turn
Inventing the Abbotts
To Die For
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Parenthood
Secret Witness
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Russkies
SpaceCamp
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Kids Don't Tell
The New Leave It to Beaver
Murder, She Wrote
Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia
Mr. Smith
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
The Fall Guy
Hill Street Blues
60 Minutes
The Oscars
Today
Golden Globe Awards