Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Phoenix at the Toronto Film Festival, 2005 | |
| Born | Joaquin Rafael Bottom October 28, 1974 |
| Other names | Leaf Phoenix |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Parent(s) | John Lee Bottom (Father) Arlyn Phoenix (Mother) |
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (Template:PronEng; born October 28, 1974), formerly credited as Leaf Phoenix, is a film actor. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and his family returned to the continental United States four years later. Phoenix is from a family of performers, including his older brother, the late River Phoenix.
Phoenix has ventured behind the camera, directing music videos as well as producing movies and television shows, and has recorded an album, the soundtrack to Walk the Line. He is also known for his work as a social activist, particularly as an advocate for animal rights. On October 27, 2008, he announced his retirement from film in order to focus on his rap music career.[1][2] However, this announcement turned out to be fodder for Phoenix's acting role in a mockumentary directed by Casey Affleck, I'm Still Here. Affleck made public that Phoenix was simply playing a role in a fictional documentary and that Phoenix's supposed "rap career" and public breakdown were all fabricated for the movie.[3]
Family background and early life
Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in Río Piedras, located in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the third of five children, including 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.[4] Phoenix was born with a birth mark on his upper lip, which many have since mistaken for a scar.[5]
His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic[6] from Fontana, California.[7] His mother, Arlyn Phoenix (née Dunetz), was born in the Bronx, New York to Jewish parents from Hungary and Russia.[6] 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 travelling throughout South America.[7]
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. They changed their last name to "Phoenix" to symbolize a new beginning. 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'.[8]
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. Joaquin and his siblings were eventually discovered by one of Hollywood's leading children's agents, Iris Burton, who got the five children acting work, mainly doing commercials and television show appearances.[9] Joaquin went on to establish himself a child actor before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and travel to Mexico and South America with his father.
Joaquin came back into public view under tragic circumstances: on October 31, 1993, his brother, River Phoenix, suffered a fatal drug overdose and died, outside the famed Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, which was co-owned by Johnny Depp at the time. 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, Phoenix reluctantly re-entered the world of acting.[10]
Film career
Acting
Phoenix's first acting jobs were guest appearances on two television shows with his brother River in 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 an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "A very happy ending" the same year. His first starring role was in Russkies (1987). He later co-starred in Ron Howard's Parenthood (1989), in which he was credited as Leaf Phoenix.
During the comeback portion of his career, Phoenix went back to his birth-given name "Joaquin", and was often cast in supporting roles as conflicted, insecure characters with a dark 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 heroic firefighter in Ladder 49 (2004).[11]
Upon being cast as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line after Cash himself approved, Phoenix 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". 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 2005, he was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, and won a Golden Globe in the same category in 2006.
In 2006, Phoenix was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[12] On October 27, 2008, at a benefit for Paul Newman's Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, Phoenix announced his retirement from acting, and stated that he was going to be focusing on a music career.[13]
Phoenix's film I'm Still Here debuted at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. It has since been stated to be a mockumentary, and Phoenix is returning to acting after stating publicly that he was planning on becoming a musician. [14]
Directing
He has directed music videos for the following bands: Ringside,[15] She Wants Revenge,[16] People in Planes,[17] Arckid,[18] Albert Hammond Jr.[19] and Silversun Pickups.[20]
Producing
Phoenix served 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."[21] He is also listed as a producer on the movie We Own the Night.
Social activism
Phoenix has long been a social activist, lending his support to a number of charities and humanitarian organizations, notably Amnesty International,[22] The Art of Elysium, HEART,The Peace Alliance (an organization which campaigns for a United States Department of Peace),[23] and is on the board of directors for The Lunchbox Fund.
Phoenix has been a dedicated vegan since the age of three. He is a member of P.E.T.A. and the organization In Defense of Animals, and has actively campaigned on their behalf.[23] 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.[24]
In 2005, he participated in the documentary I'm Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust[25].
Personal life
Phoenix checked into rehab to be treated for alcoholism in early April 2005.[26] On January 26, 2006, while driving down a winding canyon road in Hollywood, Phoenix ran off the road and rolled his car. The crash reportedly was caused by brake failure. Shaken and confused, Phoenix heard a tapping on his window and a voice say, "Just relax." Unable to see the man, Phoenix replied, "I'm fine. I am relaxed." The man replied, "No, you're not," and stopped Phoenix from lighting a cigarette while gas was leaking into the car cabin. Phoenix then realized that the man was famed, eccentric German film director Werner Herzog. While Herzog helped Phoenix out of the wreckage by breaking the back window of the car, bystanders phoned in an ambulance. Phoenix approached Herzog to express gratitude, but Herzog downplayed his heroism and returned to his home nearby.[27][28]
On February 11, 2009, Phoenix made an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote his film Two Lovers. He seemed incoherent and was largely unresponsive towards David Letterman's questions about the film and his acting career. When the audience laughed at his hip-hop aspirations, he complained to Letterman that he was being serious.[29][30] At the end of the interview, Letterman said, "Joaquin, I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight," followed by laughter and applause from the audience.[31] In an interview given earlier the same day for CinemaBlend.com, Phoenix seemed completely coherent.[32] Ben Stiller parodied Phoenix's appearance, posture and performance as an awards co-presenter at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony.
Filmography
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of vegans
- List of Puerto Rican Academy Award winners and nominees
- Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico
References
- ^ "The Associated Press: Joaquin Phoenix confirms he's done with movies". Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ "Joaquin Phoenix Calls It a Career? - E! Online". Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/movies/17affleck.html?_r=1&hp
- ^ "The Phoenix Family". Sacred Loving Stream. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
- ^ "Biography for Joaquin Phoenix". imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- ^ a b Naomi Pfefferman (2002-04-12). "The Days of Summer". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ a b Roberta and David Ritz (October 1995). "Strange Days". Us Magazine. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ Paul Fischer (2000). "Gladiator". Dark Horizons. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ Mary Rourke (2008). "Iris Burton, 77; Hollywood agent represented child actors". LA Times. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ John Clark (2007-09-6). "Quietly Making a Name". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Joaquin Phoenix at IMDb
- ^ Academy Invites 120 to Membership[dead link]
- ^ Warner Bros. Online (2008-10-28). "Joaquin Phoenix: Leaving the Silver Screen? | Extra". Extratv.warnerbros.com. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (September 10, 2010). "Joaquin Phoenix is Not in Toronto THanks". Showbiz 411. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
- ^ "Tired of Feeling Sorry". Ringside. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "Tear You Apart". She Wants Revenge. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "If you Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode)". People In Planes. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "I'll Stick Around". Arckid. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "In Transit". Albert Hammond Jr. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "Little Lovers so Polite". Silversun Pickups. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ "4 Real". Direct Current Media. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "End The Crisis In Darfur". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ a b "Joaquin Phoenix's Charity Work". Look To The Stars. Retrieved 2007-08-22.
- ^ "I Saw Earthlings.com Cast and Crew". Isawearthlings.com. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
- ^ "I'm Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived During the Holocaust (2005) (TV)". imdb.com. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
- ^ "Joaquin Phoenix Checks Into Rehab". Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ "Joaquin Phoenix Rescued from Car Crash by Director Werner Herzog". Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQzvpnmh4H8 Interview of Herzog about Phoenix incident
- ^ Thomson, Katherine. (2009-2-11), Joaquin Phoenix's Bizarre Letterman Appearance: (VIDEO), The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2009-2-11.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen. (2009-2-11), Weird star alert: Joaquin Phoenix mystifies David Letterman, Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-2-12.
- ^ Goodlett, Matt. (2009-2-13), Joaquin Phoenix and David Letterman Get Awkward, Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2009-2-15.
- ^ Rich, Katey. (2009-02-13), Interview: Joaquin Phoenix, CinemaBlend.com. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
External links
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Template:Ymovies name
- Joaquin Phoenix interview for Walk the Line
- 1974 births
- American activists
- American buskers
- American child actors
- American film actors
- American humanitarians
- American music video directors
- American rappers
- American television actors
- American vegans
- Animal rights advocates
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Grammy Award winners
- Jewish actors
- Russian American Jews
- Jewish American musicians
- Living people
- People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
- People raised as children in the Children of God
- Puerto Rican actors
- Puerto Rican people of Jewish descent