Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix is an actor, producer, and animal rights activist who is the toast of Hollywood. He has won a plethora of awards, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, and has been ranked #12 on the list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century by The New York Times. The son of a non-traditional family, Phoenix was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Los Angeles and Florida, but it was his brother River who first inspired him to take up acting. After appearing in various television series in the early 1980s, Phoenix began to receive recognition for his performances in movies like SpaceCamp (1986), Parenthood (1989), and To Die For (1995). It was his role as the evil emperor Commodus in the historical drama Gladiator (2000) that truly put him on the map, earning him critical acclaim and his first Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. Since then, Phoenix has continued to make waves in Hollywood with roles in memorable films such as Signs (2002), The Village (2004), Hotel Rwanda (2004), Walk the Line (2005), We Own the Night (2007), Two Lovers (2008), The Master (2012), Her (2013), Inherent Vice (2014), You Were Never Really Here (2017), and Joker (2019). In fact, his portrayal of the title character in Joker earned him an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a second Golden Globe Award. A passionate vegan, Phoenix uses his platform to spread awareness about animal rights and the environment. He is in a relationship with actress Rooney Mara, with whom he has a son. When asked recently how he managed to juggle his career and his home life, Phoenix quipped, "I'm like a superhero, I'm able to do both!"