Facts About Joaquin Phoenix:
Everyone thought that no actor would be able to follow the footsteps of Heath Ledger, and Jared Leto’s Joker enforced this notion strongly. But, after the movie Joker (2019), we can definitely say that Joaquin Phoenix has managed to honor the performance of Heath Ledger in his own way.
We are living in a time where Avengers: Endgame is not the best ‘Comic-book’ movie of 2019, and that is all thanks to Joaquin Phoenix.
#1: He changed his name to make it more ‘Earthy’
Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael, but at the age of four, he decided that he wanted a more earthy name, like his elder siblings River and Rain, so one day, while he was raking leaves with his father, he decided on the name Leaf. In early roles, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix. In the early 1990s, he took back his birth name.
#2: He is a strict Vegan and Animal Activist
Joaquin has very strong feelings about animals and he believes that they should not be consumed and they should not be slaughtered for making costumes. He refuses to wear any costumes made out of animal skin. For the movie Gladiator (2000), Quills (2000) and Walk the Line (2005), among others, he requested that his “leather” costumes be made from synthetic materials.
#3: The scar on his lip is a Birth Mark
Joaquin’s scar has been a talking point since the time he made his debut and people are still talking about it. Contrary to popular belief, the scar on his lip is not the result of a repaired cleft lip or palate. It is simply a birthmark. Phoenix has stated in interviews that, while pregnant with him, his mother felt a sharp pain one day, and he was born with a mark on his lip.
#4: Band of Brothers
Joaquin Phoenix and River Phoenix are the first brothers to be nominated for acting Academy Awards. Joaquin has been nominated 3 times for the Oscars: For Best Actor in a Supporting role for Gladiator (2000) and twice for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the movies Walk in Line (2005) and The Master (2012). River Phoenix was nominated when he was only 18 years old.
#5: He lost his Brother to Drug Overdose
Two days after his 19th birthday, he was in the company of his brother River Phoenix, in California when River Phoenix suffered an overdose of heroin and cocaine in the early hours of October 31, 1993. A distraught Phoenix informed the 911 operator that his brother needed immediate help, but ultimately, they couldn’t save River. 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.
#6: His parents were in a Cult
Phoenix’s parents were part of a group called The Children of God. As it turns out, it was a Cult. His parents felt very strongly about religion and so they joined the group but they were unaware of the fact that it was a Cult. The moment they figured out what was really going on they got themselves out and bolted.
#7: He became addicted to alcohol
Joaquin Phoenix has been through a lot in his life and he has seen and experienced a lot of bad things. To cope up with all his hardships, he turned to alcohol. After a while, he became addicted to it and could not live without it. After realizing that he was just throwing his life away, he checked himself into a rehabilitation center to be treated for alcoholism.
#8: He was in a Severe Car Accident
On January 26, 2006, Phoenix was in a car accident on a winding canyon road that overturned his car. Luckily, he was saved by the eccentric German auteur Werner Herzog. After helping Phoenix out of the wreckage, Herzog phoned in an ambulance and vanished. The crash reportedly was caused by brake failure.
#9: He worked as a Street Performer to help his family
Joaquin and his siblings used to work as street performers when they were kids to help their parents financially when there wasn’t much food or money to go around. Phoenix has stated that working as a Street performer gave him valuable experience which he now uses as an actor.
#10: Only Joker to not have an Oscar
Joaquin Phoenix is a fantastic actor and he deserves an Oscar more than anyone. Surprisingly, he is, so far, the only actor to play The Joker in a live-action film who has not won an Academy Award. He has been nominated 3 times but he has never won one. But we all know this is going to change as his performance in Joker (2019) definitely deserves an Oscar.
