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Joaquín Rafael Phoenix (pronounced IPA: ) (born October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe Award winning, and Grammy Award winning American actor. As a child he was known as Leaf Phoenix. He was born and raised for a time in Puerto Rico, until his family moved to California, where he began a career as a child actor. He is from a family of performers, most notably his brother, the late actor River Phoenix.
He often plays supporting roles as conflicted, insecure characters with a darker side. He has stated on numerous occasions that he has never watched any of his performances on screen.
Early life
Phoenix's father, John Lee Bottom, came from a Catholic California family, while his mother, Arlyn Sharon Dunetz, was born in the Bronx to Margaret and Meyer Dunetz, Orthodox Jewish emigrants from Hungary and Russia. Shortly after they met in the 1960s, the couple joined the Children of God sect and began traveling throughout South America as missionaries. Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and lived there until he was six years old. Contrary to popular belief, the scar above his lip is not the remains of a repaired cleft lip. One day during his morther's pregnancy, she felt a sharp pain and he was born with the scar, implying that she believes the two events are connected. The birth scar is a microform, almost taking the form of a cleft, as the tissues just reached far enough to join up; since the bone and muscle tissues joined correctly no surgery or cleft repair was required.
After leaving the sect and returning to the states (upon which they adopted the surname "Phoenix"), the family moved to Los Angeles, where his mother started working as a secretary for NBC, and his father became a landscaper. John and Arlyn encouraged their children to develop their creative instincts. His parents hired an agent, who eventually got the five children acting work. Since his siblings all had nature-related names, Joaquin had begun going by "Leaf" at age four, inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves with his dad. This is the name he would use as a child actor.
Joaquin is the third of five children; the others are River (1970 – 1993), Rain or "Rainbow Joan of Arc" (1973), Liberty Butterfly or "Libertad Mariposa" (1976), and Summer or "Summer Joy" (1978).
Career
Phoenix's first acting jobs were guest appearances on two television shows with his brother River: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982) and Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (1984).
He made his big-screen debut in Space Camp (1986), playing the role of Max, and his first starring role was in Russkies (1987). He went on to establish himself as a child actor in Parenthood (1989), before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and travel to Mexico and South America with his father.
Phoenix came back into public view under tragic circumstances — he was the person who dialed 9-1-1 when his brother River suffered a fatal drug overdose outside of a Hollywood nightclub, The Viper Room.
He was reluctant to re-enter the world of acting, but he did so at the insistence of his friends. He changed his name from "Leaf" back to "Joaquin."
He portrayed a troubled teen in Gus Van Sant's To Die For, and earned positive reviews for roles as the cruel Roman emperor Commodus in Gladiator (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a conflicted priest in Quills, a washed-up baseball player in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, and a lovestruck farmer in Shyamalan's The Village.
Upon being cast as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line after Cash himself approved, Joaquin responded by buying a guitar and learning how to play. He spent several years practicing in-character as Johnny Cash before principal photography, including voice and guitar lessons, and mimicking Cash's persona. In 2006, he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, and won a Golden Globe in the same category, for his portrayal. Reese Witherspoon, who portrayed June Carter Cash in the film and won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, stated during an interview that when they first performed in-character before a live audience, she was so impressed with his impersonation that she knew she "had to step it up a notch." Indeed, all of the vocal tracks in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack are played and sung by Joaquin and Reese.
On January 26, 2006, a few days after his Golden Globe win for Walk the Line, he and another person were involved in an auto accident due to a brake malfunction in the Hollywood Hills suburb in Los Angeles when his SUV flipped over and skidded onto its side. He suffered no serious injuries, and was pulled from his overturned car by German art film director Werner Herzog, whose home was located nearby. Joaquin appeared at the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards a few days later.
He has also started directing music videos for bands such as Ringside, She Wants Revenge, and People in Planes.
Joaquin was nominated for, and won, a Grammy Award at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on the Walk the Line soundtrack.
Personal life
Phoenix currently resides in New York City and has been a dedicated vegan since age three. He narrated the film Earthlings on behalf of Nation Earth -- a video about investigation of animal abuse in factory farms, pet mills, in industry and research. He is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA.
Phoenix was in a highly publicized relationship with actress Liv Tyler from 1995 to 1998.
Selected filmography
Year Title Role Other notes
1986 Space Camp Max Under the name Leaf Phoenix
1987 Russkies Danny Under the name Leaf Phoenix
1989 Parenthood Garry Buckman-Lampkin Under the name Leaf Phoenix
1995 To Die For Jimmy Emmett
1997 U-Turn Toby N. Tucker a.k.a. TNT
1997 Inventing the Abbotts Doug Holt
1998 8mm Max California
1998 Clay Pigeons Clay Bidwell
1998 Return to Paradise Lewis McBride
2000 The Yards Willie Gutierrez
2000 Quills The Abbe de Coulmier
2000 Gladiator Commodus Oscar nomination
2001 Buffalo Soldiers Ray Elwood
2002 Signs Merrill Hess
2003 Brother Bear Kenai Voice Only
2003 It's All About Love John
2004 Ladder 49 Jack Morrison
2004 The Village Lucius Hunt
2004 Hotel Rwanda Jack Daglish
2005 Walk the Line Johnny Cash Golden Globe win, Oscar nomination
2006 Earthlings Narrator Narrated the film "Earthlings" on behalf of Nation Earth - a video about investigation of factory farming. He is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA.
2007 We Own the Night Joseph
2007 Reservation Road Ethan Learner
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