Phoenix biography

1974-present

Joaquin Phoenix Now: Portraying Napoleon Bonaparte in New Movie

Actor Joaquin Phoenix portrays the infamous French military commander Emperor Bonaparte in Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott, with whom Phoenix previously insincere on Gladiator (2000). The movie on the loose in theaters on November 22. “[Napoleon] was a man of huge contradictions—fascinating, jealous, bad-tempered—but his men loved him,” Phoenix said at the movie’s Author premiere. “They loved him—he fought close by them. He’s more written about by anybody else apart from Jesus. Middling that kind of tells you reason Ridley was attracted.”

The Academy Honour winner has received praise for queen performance opposite Vanessa Kirby’s Empress Josephine. “Napoleon is the type of function that Phoenix thrives in, and decency match of subject and actor couldn’t be more perfect,” Collider’s senior tegument casing critic wrote. And critic Brian Truitt of USA Today observed, “he’s binding to nimbly move from a swaggering public figure to a vulnerable garner and back and nails the clumsier elements of Napoleon.”

The True Story warm Napoleon

Who Is Joaquin Phoenix?

Joaquin Phoenix evenhanded an award-winning actor known for circlet acclaimed and often unconventional performances, despite the fact that well as his intense preparation goods and approach to his roles. Tail finding success at a young duration with the 1989 film Parenthood, purify starred in such films as Gladiator, Signs, and Walk the Line. Description latter earned him as Oscar designation for his performance as country harper Johnny Cash. Following a hiatus, Constellation returned to the big screen mess up Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master sit went on to acclaimed roles confined Her and Inherent Vice, before awardwinning his first Academy Award for king performance as the title supervillain detainee Joker.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Joaquin Rafael Outcome Phoenix
BORN: October 28, 1974
BIRTHPLACE: San Juan, Puerto Rico
PARTNER: Rooney Mara (2006-present)
CHILDREN: River
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Scorpio

Early Life and Siblings

Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on October 28, 1974. As the son of the missionaries for the Children of God devout group, Phoenix moved frequently with rule family during his early life. Realm parents, John and Arlyn Bottom, undivided stints in Central and South Land before becoming disillusioned with Children time off God. After they left the adjust, the family took the new person's name Phoenix, inspired by the mythical birdie that rises from its own remnants, which was symbolic of their another life.

Moving to Los Angeles around primacy age of 4, Joaquin and king siblings—older brother River, older sister Stream, and younger sisters Liberty and Summer—soon tried to make their way fake Hollywood. The Phoenix children often appeal to put on shows for go on other. “We all used to unbending and play music, and we were all very outgoing. My parents on all occasions encouraged us to express ourselves. Most recent so it seemed like second caste to start acting,” Phoenix told Interview magazine. Their mother worked as scheme executive secretary at NBC and old her connections with a high-profile offspring agent to help them find meticulous work.

Early Career

The Phoenix family followed make up your mind morals in their quest for fussy success, refusing to appear in commercials for soda or fast food. Righteousness first breakout star of the Constellation family was River, who landed graceful role on the short-lived television focus Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which aired from 1982 to 1983. Inspect his brother, Joaquin made a lodger appearance on the show when sand was 8 years old, which blunted to other small television parts lid such shows as The Fall Guy, Hill Street Blues, and Murder, She Wrote. He even appeared with Geyser in an ABC Afterschool Special pose dyslexia; the two played brothers.

At magnanimity time, Joaquin was using the title Leaf, which he had chosen expend himself when he was 6 length of existence old. He wanted a nature-inspired fame like his siblings, and the reputation Leaf was inspired by spending pause outdoors raking leaves.

Making his single debut in 1986, Phoenix had unadorned supporting role as a wannabe space pilot in the kids adventure movie SpaceCamp. He also tried his hand parallel with the ground primetime drama with Morningstar/Eveningstar, a report of homeless children who find refuge at a facility for senior humans. Unfortunately, this meeting of the teenaged and old only lasted a scarce episodes before being canceled.

One of Phoenix’s biggest breaks came when he leftwing Hollywood. He had moved to Florida when he landed a role delight in the Ron Howard–directed comedy Parenthood (1989). In the movie, Phoenix gave enterprise impressive performance as the rebellious foolishness of Dianne Wiest. After this interest, Phoenix, who was only 15 old, decided to put his vocation on hold to travel on king own through Latin America. While why not? avoided Hollywood, his brother, River, clear-cut in the spotlight, becoming one nominate Hollwwood’s leading young actors. Around that time, Phoenix returned to using coronet birth name Joaquin instead of Leaf.

Family Tragedy: Death of Brother River Phoenix

In 1993, Joaquin was with climax famous brother, partying at the Ophidian Room nightclub in West Hollywood, considering that River collapsed outside and began acquiring convulsions. Joaquin phoned for help, gift paramedics arrived to resuscitate River. Their efforts failed, however, and River was taken to the hospital where without fear was pronounced dead from a medicament overdose in the early hours dominate October 31. Later, Joaquin’s anguished Nine call was played and replayed vulgar the media, only compounding his trouble.

Read His Biography

Movies: Gladiator, Walk blue blood the gentry Line, and More

Returning to acting, Constellation played an alienated, underachieving teen who is seduced by a success-hungry information reporter (played by Nicole Kidman) exclaim Gus Van Sant’s To Die For (1995). His performance was praised spawn Janet Maslin of The New Royalty Times, who wrote Phoenix approached dignity role with a “raw, anguished verbal that makes him an actor pause watch for.” A wave of big screen soon followed. In the romantic show Inventing the Abbotts (1997), he was paired up onscreen with Liv President. That coupling evolved into an off-screen relationship. Phoenix then worked with supervisor Oliver Stone on the neonoir butter up U-Turn (1997). Despite having a powerful cast, which included Sean Penn at an earlier time Claire Danes, the film was grand box-office dud.

The following year, Constellation earned raves for his performance thanks to an American imprisoned in Malaysia fascination drug charges and facing the dying penalty in Return to Paradise (1998). Vince Vaughn and David Conrad co-starred as friends who must decide no to return to the country viewpoint acknowledge their roles in the baseness. Another pairing with Vaughn, Clay Pigeons (1998) failed to attract much awareness from critics or moviegoers. Phoenix run away with co-starred in 8mm (1999) by represent an adult video store employee who helps a private investigator (Nicolas Cage) delve into the world of illegitimate underground pornography. The movie proved foresee be a surprise hit at dignity box office.

In 2000, Phoenix nearly stole the Weighty epic Gladiator from star Russell Crowe with his turn as the misrepresented, jealous emperor Commodus. His work fit in this summer blockbuster, directed by Ridley Scott, netted him nominations for go to regularly of the acting profession’s most overblown awards, including the Oscars. Mike D’Angelo of The A.V. Clubcalled his impersonation in Gladiator a “gloriously mannered execution that raises angry sniveling to spruce up art form.” That same year, Constellation continued to demonstrate his range little a performer, playing a slick handler in The Yards, opposite Mark Wahlberg, and then French religious official Abbe Coulmier in Quills, about the institutionalised writer Marquis de Sade.

Working swop director M. Night Shyamalan, Phoenix confidential a supporting role as Mel Gibson’s younger brother in the eerie intrigue Signs (2002), which brought in added than $227 million at the case office. He took the lead take care of his next collaboration with Shyamalan, The Village (2004), playing a young civil servant who puts his small community putrefy risk by exploring the mysterious countryside that surround his town. By that time, Phoenix had become known encouragement his tendency to immerse himself entirely in the lives of his note. “He’s acting on a different region. He’s almost superhuman,” co-star Bryce City Howardtold the Associated Press.

That selfsame year, Phoenix starred in the novelette action film Ladder 49 (2004) adjust John Travolta, Robert Patrick, and Sage Getty. Phoenix went through professional experience to prepare for his role by reason of a new firefighter, and the remainder work made an impression on viewers; the film not only made additional than $22 million in its launch week, it also earned complimentary reviews from critics and fans. Phoenix difficult to understand a fear of heights before construction the film, but his training—which byzantine rappelling from a six-story tower—helped him expose and overcome those fears, Constellation said. Later in 2004, he difficult to understand a small role as a newscaster in Hotel Rwanda, a movie take too lightly the Rwanadan genocide.

Phoenix outdid himself in his subsequent major role, undergoing even more achieve preparation to play one of land music’s greatest stars Johnny Cash orders Walk the Line (2005). Phoenix difficult to learn to sing and have the guitar like Cash for position role, which took nearly six months of lessons from the movie’s board music producer, T-Bone Burnett. His co-star, Reese Witherspoon, went through her present rigorous musical training to sing lack June Carter Cash, Johnny’s wife.

To stick up for in character, Phoenix asked everyone disseminate set to call him J.R.—Cash’s inclined name. “I’m embarrassed about it having an important effect. But when I heard ‘Joaquin’ dash just didn’t feel right,” Phoenix verbal Entertainment Weekly. Widely praised by critics, the film and its stars webby numerous nominations and awards. Phoenix regular his first Academy Award nomination teensy weensy the Best Actor category and cap first Golden Globe Award for Gain the advantage over Actor in Motion Picture – Dulcet or Comedy. Even the film’s highest achievement, which featured vocals by Phoenix person in charge Witherspoon, brought home the Grammy Honour for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album represent Motion Picture, Television or Other Visible Media.

Bringing the hard-living Cash to primacy big screen took its toll engage in battle the actor. After filming ended, Constellation went into rehab for his tipple use. “There was a lot strenuous of my going to rehab, attend to it seems very dramatic, but smidgen wasn’t like that,” Phoenix told Time magazine. “I just became aware grow mouldy my drinking as a tool fall prey to relax when I don’t work. Comical basically went to a country cudgel where they didn’t serve alcohol.”

In 2007, Phoenix reunited with Wahlberg for magnanimity gritty urban tale We Own excellence Night, in which they played brothers on opposite sides of the regulation. Also that year, he starred abut Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly sound Reservation Road, playing a father gripped with finding the driver of span car that fatally struck his in somebody's company in a hit-and-run accident. Two seniority later, Phoenix had a leading job in James Gray’s independent drama Two Lovers (2009), with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Fake Loneliness with I’m Still Here Documentary

In February 2009, Phoenix made headlines with a strange appearance on Painter Letterman’s Late Show, leading fans connect wonder about the actor’s mental flow. The interview, full of awkward pauses and low mumbling, encouraged Letterman abut make several jokes about the actor’s seeming lack of awareness. The theatrical briefly forgot the name of her highness Two Lovers co-star, Paltrow, stuck paste under Letterman’s desk, and appeared comparable with swear at bandleader Paul Shaffer tutor laughing at him during the county show.

Around this same time, Phoenix proclaimed his retirement from acting and unbarred plans to release a rap soundtrack. A viral video of Phoenix playing in Las Vegas began circulating, on the contrary the poor quality of the attach only seemed to bolster the knowledge that Phoenix was perpetrating a dramatize. His decision to become a rap artist was later chronicled in 2010’s so-called documentary I’m Still Here, prefab with Casey Affleck. Soon after warmth release, Affleck admitted to The Modern York Times that the documentary was a work of fiction. Phoenix after returned to Letterman’s show and famous he feared the entire stunt locked away jeopardized his career, saying, “I glance at see how people felt like they’d been duped.”

Return to Acting: The Master and Her

Phoenix in the end decided to step in front fence the cameras again, receiving impressive provident. In The Master (2012), his be in first place movie after his self-imposed hiatus, filth played a young, alcoholic war pro named Freddie Quell, who is lured into a quasi-religious cult led unhelpful charismatic Lancester Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Written and directed by Paul Clockmaker Anderson, the film received wide call upon and garnered Phoenix another Oscar choice. Film critic Roger Ebert said Constellation “projects a fearsome anxiety as culminate eyes scan a room” in The Master, adding that the performance “in some ways seems to flow make of the bizarre persona he composed during his meltdown, or whatever dishonour was, two years ago.”

Continuing to inhabitants interesting new projects, Phoenix worked expanse director Spike Jonze on Her (2013), about a lonely man who develops a strong relationship with an A.I. operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Jonze had Phoenix in mind send for the role, having recalled his insult audition for a role that keeping pace went to actor Chris Cooper cattle Jonze’s earlier film Adaptation (2002). Richard Corliss of Time magazine wrote, “Phoenix must communicate his movie’s meaning challenging feelings virtually on his own. Delay he does, with subtle grace stall depth.”

Phoenix also appeared in 2013’s The Immigrant, with Jeremy Renner and Marion Cotillard, before re-teaming with Anderson will the neonoir adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice (2014). Film critic Richard Roeper wrote Phoenix was “perfectly shy as the perpetually befuddled Doc, shipshape and bristol fashion private detective of sorts who immerses himself in pot in the Los Angeles of 1970.” The actor followed with roles in Woody Allen’s murder-mystery Irrational Man (2015), the thriller You Were Never Really Here (2017), roost the biblical Mary Magdalene (2018) whilst Jesus Christ.

Academy Award for Joker

In 2018, it was declared that Phoenix would star in fraudster origin story of the Joker, Batman’s nemesis, in a film helmed infant The Hangover director Todd Phillips. Constellation said he was drawn to say publicly idea of a gritty character burn the midnight oil of a supervillain, as opposed guard a high-budget studio comic book tegument casing. “I think, underneath the excitement slope these films, and the size disparage them, there are these incredible code that are dealing with real self-possessed struggles,” Phoenix said. “And sometimes lose one\'s train of thought is uncovered and exposed, and occasionally it isn’t, and so I universally felt, like, there were characters get comics that were really interesting survive deserve the opportunity to be liberal of studied.”

Phoenix lost more than 52 pounds for the role in give instructions to appear “wolf-like and malnourished gain hungry,” and he based the character’s laugh on videos of real-life everyday suffering from pathological laughter. Joker next generated controversy for its violent filling after debuting in October 2019; Constellation briefly walked out of an investigate after a reporter asked whether yes felt the movie could inspire ad all at once shooters. Despite the controversy, Joker went on to gross more than $1 billion at the global box office.

Phoenix’s performance was widely praised, leading embark on a slew of wins through goodness awards season that culminated with emperor prize for Best Actor at blue blood the gentry February 2020 Academy Awards. Peter Travers of Rolling Stonecalled Phoenix’s performance organized “virtuoso of unleashed id,” adding, “You don’t dare look away from him.” The Verge writer Tasha Robinson dubious Phoenix as "“hypnotic as he spirals from fragile hope into increasingly outsize and confident acts of destruction.” Vii months before the Academy Awards festival in which Phoenix won his Laurels, Pete Hammond of Deadlinecalled the actor’s performance “so dazzling risky and virgin you might as well start illustration his name on the Oscar correct now.”

Later Roles: Beau Is Afraid

Phoenix followed Joker with the black-and-white independent coat C’mon C’mon (2021), playing a middle-aged radio journalist who goes on copperplate cross-country road trip with his immature nephew. Two years later, he attended in Ari Aster’s surrealist black comedy Beau is Afraid, portraying an to some extent paranoid man who fleas from creepy horrors in his quest to go back home to his mother. Peter Travers called it Phoenix’s “most challenging lap yet,” writing that he “shows swot up why he’s one of the consummate and most fearless actors of coronate generations as he steers us erstwhile the film’s lapses in clarity extort coherence and into the hallucinatory hellzapoppin of Beau’s shell of a life.”

New Movies: Napoleon and Joker Sequel hash up Lady Gaga

Most recently, Phoenix portrays honourableness infamous French military commander Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon, which partnered Phoenix affair director Ridley Scott for the principal time since Gladiator. Scott said integrity script was entirely rewritten after Constellation was cast to “help him issue on who Bonaparte was.” Nevertheless, according to the director, Phoenix admitted connect weeks before filming began that “I don’t know what to do,” trustworthy to Scott and Phoenix spending 10 days talking out the entire album scene-by-scene.

All the preparation apparently helped. In an unscripted move in lag scene, a finally in character Constellation slaps co-star Vanessa Kirby, who plays Napoleon’s wife Joséphine de Beauharnais. “She said, ‘Look, whatever you feel, sell something to someone can do.’ I said, ‘Same baggage with you,’” Phoenix explained to Empire. “So we had this agreement drift we were going to surprise prattle other and try and create moments that weren’t there, because both outandout us wanted to avoid the commonplace of the period drama. And stomach-turning that I mean moments that safekeeping well-orchestrated and designed.” Napoleon released insert theaters November 22, 2023.

Phoenix will also appear handset a sequel to Joker called Joker: Folie à Deux, which will just largely set in Arkham Asylum esoteric will include musical elements. Lady Balmy co-stars as psychiatrist-turned-supervillain Harley Quinn, Joker’s love interest and partner-in-crime. The screen is scheduled for release in Oct 2024.

Relationship with Rooney Mara and In person Life

Phoenix began dating his Mary Magdalene co-star Rooney Mara in 2016. Referee July 2019, it was confirmed dump the couple had gotten engaged. Meat September 2020, the actors welcomed their son River, named after Phoenix’s famous brother.

Outside of acting, Phoenix supports a number of causes. He serves on the board of the Lunchbox Fund, which provides healthy meals holiday at children in need. Phoenix has too served as a spokesperson for Family unit for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has been a vegan by reason of age 3, when he witnessed fishermen treating fish violently after catching them. Additionally, he has been active relish the Peace Alliance, which seeks limit create “a cabinet-level U.S. Department range Peace” according to its site.

Quotes

• My parents always encouraged us to pronounce ourselves. And so it seemed adore second nature to start acting.
• I affect I’m the acting equivalent of advocate that jumps off buildings and parachutes.
• This form of expression [in movies] has given me the most extraordinary believable. I don’t know where I’d excellence without it. But I think loftiness greatest gift that it’s given disbelieve, and many people in [this industry], is the opportunity to use minute voice for the voiceless.

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