
Joaquin Phoenix
Biography
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Known for his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric characters, particularly in period dramas, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times named him one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Phoenix began his career by appearing in a television series in the early 1980s with his older brother River. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix. He began being credited as Joaquin Phoenix in To Die For, his first adult role. He received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in the comedy-drama To Die For (1995) and the period film Quills (2000). Phoenix received further critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Commodus in the historical drama Gladiator (2000). He had success with the horror films Signs (2002), The Village (2004) and the historical drama Hotel Rwanda (2004). He won a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of musician Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line (2005).
Following a brief sabbatical, Phoenix starred in the psychological drama The Master (2012), winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and earning his third Academy Award nomination. He gained praise for his roles in the romantic drama Her (2013) and the crime satire Inherent Vice (2014) and won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the psychological thriller You Were Never Really Here (2017). For his performance as the titular character of Joker (2019), Phoenix won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He has since starred in the independent films C'mon C'mon (2021), and Beau Is Afraid (2023) and portrayed the title role in the historical drama Napoleon (2023).
Outside of acting, Phoenix is an animal rights activist. A vegan, he regularly supports charitable causes and has produced several documentaries on global meat consumption and its impact on the environment.
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Known For
Acting History
2025
Made in Eddington as Self
2025Eddington as Joe Cross
2024Joker: Folie à Deux as Arthur Fleck
2024Joaquin Phoenix: An Actor of Extremes as Self - Actor (archive footage)
2023Napoleon as Napoleon Bonaparte
2023Finally Home: Making Beau is Afraid as Self
2023Beau Is Afraid as Beau Wassermann
2021C'mon C'mon as Johnny
2020Joker: Put on a Happy Face as Self
2020My Darling Vivian as Self (archive footage)
2020Guardians of Life
2019Joker as Arthur Fleck
2018The Sisters Brothers as Charlie Sisters
2018Lou as Karl
2018Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot as John Callahan
2018Dominion as Narrator (voice)
2018Mary Magdalene as Jesus
2017You Were Never Really Here as Joe
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
2015Unity as Narrator (voice)
2015Irrational Man as Abe
2015Chryskylodon Blues as Self
2014Inherent Vice as Larry "Doc" Sportello
2014Her: The Untitled Rick Howard Project as Self
2014The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
2014Her: Love in the Modern Age as Self (archive footage)
2013Her as Theodore
2013The Immigrant as Bruno Weiss
2012The Master as Freddie Quell
2010I'm Still Here as Joaquin Phoenix
2008Two Lovers as Leonard Kraditor
2007We Own the Night as Bobby Green
2007Reservation Road as Ethan Learner
2006Final 24: River Phoenix as Self (voice) (archive footage)
2006Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line as Self
2005Earthlings as Narrator (voice)
2005Walk the Line as John R. Cash
2005Strength and Honor: Production Pods as Self
2005Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' as Self
2005Deconstructing 'The Village' as Self
2004Hotel Rwanda as Jack Daglish
2004Ladder 49 as Jack Morrison
2004The Village as Lucius Hunt
2003Brother Bear as Kenai (voice)
2003It's All About Love as John
2003Making 'Signs' as Self / Merrill Hess
2002Buffalo Soldiers as Ray Elwood
2002Signs as Merrill Hess
2002L'esattore (parodia de "Il gladiatore")
2001Good Day Live as Self
2000Quills as Abbe du Coulmier
2000Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport as Self
2000Gladiator as Commodus
2000The Yards as Willie Gutierrez
19998MM as Max California
1998Clay Pigeons as Clay Bidwell
1998Return to Paradise as Lewis McBride
1997U Turn as Toby N. Tucker
1997Inventing the Abbotts as Doug Holt
1995To Die For as Jimmy Emmett
1993Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
1992The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1989Parenthood as Garry Buckman-Lampkin
1988Secret Witness as Drew Blackburn
1988LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
1987Russkies as Danny
1986SpaceCamp as Max
1986Morningstar/Eveningstar as Doug Roberts
1985The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Pagey Fisher
1985Kids Don't Tell as Frankie
1984The New Leave It to Beaver as Kyle Cleaver
1984Murder, She Wrote as Billy Donovan
1984Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia as Robby Ellsworth
1983Mr. Smith
1982Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as Travis
1981Hill Street Blues
196860 Minutes as Self
1953The Oscars as Self
1952Today as Self
1944Golden Globe Awards as Self - Nominee
—The Making of We Own the Night as Self
—The Island
—Polaris as The Devil









