Joaquin Phoenix Wiki, Bio, Age, Net Worth, and Other Facts

Below is a compiled list of the most interesting facts about Joaquin Phoenix. Check it out!

Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Arlyn (Dunetz) and John Bottom, and is the middle child in a brood of five. His parents, from the continental United States, were then serving as Children of God missionaries. His mother is from a Jewish family from New York, while his father, from California, is of mostly British Isles descent. As a youngster, Joaquin took his cues from older siblings River Phoenix and Rain Phoenix, changing his name to Leaf to match their earthier monikers. When the children were encouraged to develop their creative instincts, he followed their lead into acting. Younger sisters Liberty Phoenix and Summer Phoenix rounded out the talented troupe.

Interesting Facts about Joaquin Phoenix

Although he has been nominated three times, he is, as of 2019, the only actor to play The Joker in a live-action film, besides Cesar Romero in “Batman: The Movie” (1966), who has not won an Academy Award.
Two days after his 19th birthday, he was in the company of his brother River Phoenix, his sister Rain Phoenix and River’s girlfriend Samantha Mathis at The Viper Room in Hollywood, California when River Phoenix suffered an overdose of heroin and cocaine in the early hours of October 31, 1993. Phoenix called 911 from a call box located across the street from the club (co-owned by Johnny Depp who was performing on stage with his band at the time). A distraught Phoenix informed the 911 operator that his brother was “laying on the cement” had “taken a Valium” and was “having seizures”, adding “Please, [get here] because he’s dying”. River Phoenix was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre at 1:51am, he was 23. Phoenix immediately returned to his home in Florida with his sister and mother (who had flown out to collect him). The incident was a high-profile celebrity death, with Phoenix’s recorded 911 call released to the media and played repeatedly on news reports covering the story over the following weeks.
Reportedly never reads his own press or reviews.
Phoenix’s looks provided the inspiration for the design of the character Bill the Cat in The Freak Next Door (2012), most noticeably the darkened circles under his eyes.
Announced his retirement from acting in October 2008 and claimed he wanted to pursue a career as a rapper. This announcement was followed by several bizarre appearances and musical performances by Phoenix, which made the shocked public wonder whether it was all just an act or if his behavior was for real. His retirement from acting and his “career” as a rapper turned out to be a hoax, which was part of his movie I’m Still Here (2010).
He is the fourth actor to receive an Academy Award nomination for his performance in a comic book adaptation, after Paul Newman for Road To Perdition (2002), William Hurt in A History of Violence (2005) and Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (2008). All four actors were nominated for DC Comics adaptations.
He is the the second actor to win an Academy Award for playing the Joker. The first was Heath Ledger.
Donated $2,000 to Dennis Kucinich’s (DSA) campaign for president – along with such other famous contributors as Willie Nelson, Danny Glover and Edward Asner (2003).
Favorite authors include Tennessee Williams, Rainer Maria Rilke and Hubert Selby Jr..
Took his mother to the Academy Awards (2001).
Resides in New York City in the same apartment building as best friend Casey Affleck and sister Summer Phoenix and director Gus Van Sant.
He is the second actor to win an Academy Award for playing a comic book character.

Personal Quotes by Joaquin Phoenix

I had a really wonderful upbringing. We were a tight family. It was wonderful to grow up with so many siblings. We were all just a year or two apart, and we were always so supportive of each other. I learned everything from my older brother and sister and taught it to my younger sisters.
Joaquin Phoenix

I didn’t know much about him, and I wasn’t a big country music fan. I listened to the Beatles and David Bowie, so I didn’t know a lot about him.
Joaquin Phoenix

In every film, whether it’s a fictional character or not, you create an idea of the character and for me I always do a bad impersonation to start with.
Joaquin Phoenix

If you walk into a room and one hundred people say, ‘You are a lovely, beautiful person’, who isn’t going to be affected by that? But you have to tell yourself not to value that. You have to tell yourself – or at least I do – to not become accustomed to hearing applause in any way, because I think that’s dangerous.
Joaquin Phoenix