Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (born October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an American actor, also known as Leaf Phoenix. He often plays supporting roles as conflicted characters plagued with self doubt.

His parents were members of the Children of God missionaries, and encouraged their children (Joaquin was the third of five) to develop their creative instincts. Since his other siblings changed their names to match their earth monikers, "River"; "Rain" (or "Rainbow"); "Liberty" and "Summer", Joaquin followed and changed his name to "Leaf".

The family moved to Los Angeles when Joaquin was 6 years old. His mother started working as a secretary for NBC and his father became a landscaper. His parents contracted an agent who eventually got the five children on commercial spots. Joaquin's first acting stints were guest appearances on two television shows with his brother River, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982) and Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (1984).

He made his big screen debut in the interstellar romp Space Camp (1986), and his first starring role in the drama Russkies (1987), and went on to establish himself as a child actor in Parenthood (1989), before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and move to Mexico with his father.

Joaquin came back to the public light under tragic circumstances—he was the person that dialled 9-1-1 when his brother River suffered a fatal drug overdose outside Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room. Joaquin was reluctant to re-enter the world of acting again but, he did so at the insistence of his friends. He changed his name from "Leaf" back to his birth name "Joaquin".

He portrayed a troubled teen in Gus Van Sant's To Die For, and has earned positive reviews for adult roles as Commodus in Gladiator (for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), a priest in Quills, washed-up baseball player Merrill Hess in M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, and stoic Lucius Hunt in Shyamalan's The Village.

Phoenix is a strict vegan, and will not wear costumes made from animal products.