Joaquin Phoenix - Actors
Summary
"Joaquín Rafael Phoenix" (pronounced ; born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as "Leaf Phoenix", is as a two-time Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican film actor. He is from a family of performers, most notably his brother, the late actor River Phoenix.
He is best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayals of Commodus in "Gladiator", and Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line". He has recently ventured behind the camera, directing music videos as well as producing movies and television shows. He has also recorded an album, the Grammy-winning soundtrack "Walk The Line". He has long been a social activist, particularly as an advocate for animal welfare.
Biography
Early life
Phoenix was born "Joaquin Rafael Bottom" in Rio Piedras, located in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the third of five children, including the late River (1970 – 1993), Rain (1972), Liberty (1976), and Summer (1978). He also has a half-sister named Jodean (1964), from his father's first marriage.
His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic from Fontana, California. His mother, Arlyn Phoenix (née Dunetz), was born in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents from Hungary and Russia. In 1968, Arlyn left her family and moved to California, later meeting Phoenix's father while hitch-hiking. They married in 1969, then later joined the religious cult, the Children of God. They began traveling throughout South America.
His parents eventually became disillusioned with the Children of God; they made the decision to leave the cult and returned to the U.S. in 1978. This was also around the time Joaquin had begun calling himself 'Leaf,' desiring to have a similar nature-related name like his siblings (he was inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves with his dad). This is the name he would use as a child actor; at fifteen, he changed it back to 'Joaquin'.
In order to provide food and financial support for the family, the Phoenix children performed on the streets and at various talent contests, singing and playing instruments. In Los Angeles his mother started working as a secretary for NBC, and his father worked as a landscaper. His parents hired an agent, Iris Burton, who eventually got the five children acting work.
Film 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, after starring in a "Alfred Hitchcock" presents episode: 'A very happy ending' the same year, and his first starring role was in "Russkies" (1987). He went on to establish himself as a child actor in Ron Howard's "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-on October 31, 1993, his brother River suffered a fatal drug overdose, outside the famed Hollywood nightclub, The Viper Room. Joaquin's call to 911 to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over the airwaves and on television. The sudden media intrusion into his life proved to be too overwhelming; once again, he retreated from the public eye. A year later, at the insistence of his friends, Joaquin reluctantly re-entered the world of acting.
Early on in his career, Phoenix had often played supporting roles as conflicted, insecure characters with a darker side. He has earned positive reviews for his portrayals of various individuals: a troubled teen in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For" (1995) co-starring with Nicole Kidman, a small-town troublemaker in Oliver Stone's U-Turn, the cruel Roman emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" (2000) (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a conflicted priest in "Quills" (2000), a washed-up baseball player in M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" (2002), a lovestruck farmer in Shyamalan's "The Village" (2004), a disillusioned cameraman in Terry George's "Hotel Rwanda" (2004), and a heroic firefighter in "Ladder 49" (2004).
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. 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 Cash and Carter's vocal tracks in the movie and on the accompanying soundtrack are played and sung by Phoenix and Witherspoon. In 2006, he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, won a Golden Globe in the same category, and won a Grammy Award at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards for his work on the "Walk the Line" soundtrack.Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
In 2006, Phoenix was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.07.01a.html
Phoenix will soon be starring alongside Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow in the upcoming movie "Two Lovers". This will be his third collaboration with director James Gray.
Joaquin and River became the first brothers in Hollywood history to be nominated for an Academy Award in the acting category.
He has directed music videos for the following bands: Ringside, She Wants Revenge, People in Planes, Silversun Pickups Arckid, and Albert Hammond Jr.
Social activism
Phoenix has long been a social activist, lending his support to a number of charities and humanitarian organizations, notably Amnesty International, (The Art of Elysium) , (HEART) .
and (The Peace Alliance) , an organization which campaigns for a United States Department of Peace. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of (The Lunchbox Fund) , a charity that provides lunches for poverty-stricken school children in South Africa. http://www.thelunchboxfund.org/main.htm
Having been a dedicated vegan since the age of three, one of the primary causes that Phoenix is closely associated with is animal rights. He is a member of PETA and the organization In Defense of Animals, and has actively campaigned on their behalves. He narrated the film "Earthlings" for 'Nation Earth' -- a video about the investigation of animal abuse in factory farms, pet mills, in industry and research. In 2005, he was awarded the 'Humanitarian Award' at the San Diego Film Festival for his work and contribution to "Earthlings". http://isawearthlings.com/
Phoenix serves as one of the executive producers of a television show called (4Real) , a half-hour series which showcase celebrity guests on global adventures "in order to connect with young leaders who are creating social and economic change."
In 2005, he participated in the documentary (I'm Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust) .
Personal life
Phoenix's parents are now divorced; his father lives in Costa Rica and his mother is now re-married to Jeffrey Weisberg, treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of (The Peace Alliance Foundation) .
The scar above his lip is a "microform", almost taking the form of a cleft, as the tissues just reached far enough to join up. Once during his mother's pregnancy, she felt a sharp pain and believes the two events are connected.
Phoenix has stated on numerous occasions that he does not watch his performances on screen.
External links
(Joaquin Phoenix interview for Walk the Line)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Joaquin Phoenix.
