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.

Known For

Birth Location San Juan, Puerto Rico
Born 1974-10-28

Movies

Joker: Folie à Deux as Arthur Fleck
2024
Joaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremes as Self - Actor (archive footage)
2024
Napoleon as Napoleon Bonaparte
2023
Beau Is Afraid as Beau Wassermann
2023
C'mon C'mon as Johnny
2021
My Darling Vivian as Self (archive footage)
2020
Joker as Arthur Fleck
2019
The Sisters Brothers as Charlie Sisters
2018
Lou as Karl
2018
Dominion as Narrator (voice)
2018
Mary Magdalene as Jesus
2018
Unity as Narrator (voice)
2015
2015
2015
Inherent Vice as Larry "Doc" Sportello
2014
Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart as Jimmy Emmett (archive footage)
2014
Her: Love in the Modern Age as Self (archive footage)
2014
Her as Theodore
2013
The Immigrant as Bruno Weiss
2013
The Master as Freddie Quell
2012
I'm Still Here as Joaquin Phoenix
2010
Two Lovers as Leonard Kraditor
2008
We Own the Night as Robert 'Bobby' Green
2007
Reservation Road as Ethan Learner
2007
Earthlings as Narrator (voice)
2005
Walk the Line as John R. Cash
2005
Hotel Rwanda as Jack Daglish
2004
Ladder 49 as Jack Morrison
2004
The Village as Lucius Hunt
2004
Brother Bear as Kenai (voice)
2003
2003
Making 'Signs' as Self / Merrill Hess
2003
Buffalo Soldiers as Ray Elwood
2002
Signs as Merrill Hess
2002
Quills as Abbe du Coulmier
2000
Gladiator as Emperor Commodus
2000
The Yards as Willie Gutierrez
2000
8MM as Max California
1999
Clay Pigeons as Clay Bidwell
1998
Return to Paradise as Lewis McBride
1998
U Turn as Toby N. Tucker
1997
Inventing the Abbotts as Doug Holt
1997
To Die For as Jimmy Emmett
1995
Parenthood as Garry Buckman-Lampkin
1989
Secret Witness as Drew Blackburn
1988
Russkies as Danny
1987
SpaceCamp as Max
1986
Kids Don't Tell as Frankie
1985
1984
Eddington as Sheriff Joe Cross
-

Movies

Napoleon Producer
2023
The End of Medicine Executive Producer
2023
Stutz Producer
2022
Gunda Executive Producer
2021
The Animal People Executive Producer
2019
Across My Land Executive Producer
2017
What the Health Executive Producer
2017
I Am Dying Executive Producer
2015
2010
I'm Still Here Producer
2010
We Own the Night Producer
2007