Joaquin Phoenix

American actor

Born: October 28, 1974

Famous Persons

Who is Joaquin Phoenix?

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( whah-KEEN; né Bottom; October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Phoenix began his career by appearing in television series in the early 1980s with his brother River. He took back his birth name in the early 1990s and received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in To Die For (1995) and Quills (2000). During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix, a name he gave himself.

Phoenix's older brother River Phoenix, who died in 1993, convinced Phoenix to return to acting.

Historical significance

Widely described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation and known for his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric characters in independent film, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, an Actor Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, a Volpi Cup, and two Golden Globes. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). 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).

Phoenix attending an event for The Yards at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Joaquin Phoenix.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/joaquin-phoenix/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

APA

Joaquin Phoenix. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 28, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/joaquin-phoenix/

Chicago

“Joaquin Phoenix.” thisDay. Accessed October 28, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/joaquin-phoenix/.

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