Joaquin Phoenix was born Joaquin Raphael Phoenix on October 28th, 1974, in Puerto Rico.

Joaquin dropped out of school in ninth grade."I was doing that home school thing and the motherfuckers sent a dead bloated frog to my house to dissect", justifies him. That was the beginning of a major change in his life that would lead to stardom.

After his auspicious part in "Parenthood" (1989), he made a self-imposed, six-year hiatus. After that, the young actor returned to the set to play, to chilling perfection, an aimless disaffected high school student who's seduced by a sexy cable-access weathergirl into murdering her husband in "To Die For" (1995). "In the interim, I traveled around a lot, went down to Mexico to hang out with my dad for a while".

The name Joaquin Phoenix was in the spotlight again, and more often than ever, after the release of the epic movie "Gladiator" (2000), directed by Ridley Scott. Joaquin's remarkable work as Commodus, a young troubled Roman emperor, was acclaimed by both the critic and the public, and earned him a well-deserved nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2001.

He also starred in Signs (2002) with Mel Gibson, Hotel Rwanda (2004), Ladder 49 (2004), Walk the Line (2005).

He has dated, among others, actress Liv Tyler, Inger Ebeltoft (Miss Norway 1995/96), and Topaz Page-Green, founder of the charity "The Lunchbox Fund".

Filmography

• Reservation Road (2007)
• We Own the Night (2007)
• Walk the Line (2005)
• Ladder 49 (2004)
• Hotel Rwanda (2004)
• The Village (2004)
• Brother Bear (2003)
• It's All About Love (2003)
• Signs (2002)
• Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
• Quills (2000)
• Gladiator (2000)
• The Yards (2000)
• 8MM (1999)
• Clay Pigeons (1998)
• Return to Paradise (1998)
• U Turn (1997)
• Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
• To Die For (1995)
• Walking the Dog (1991)
• Parenthood (1989)
• "Superboy" (1 episode, 1989)
• Secret Witness (1988)
• Russkies (1987)
• SpaceCamp (1986)
• "Morningstar/Eveningstar" (1986)
• "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1 episode, 1986)
• Anything for Love (1985)
• Kids Don't Tell (1985)
• "Murder, She Wrote" (1 episode, 1984)
• "Hill Street Blues" (1 episode, 1984)
• "The Fall Guy" (1 episode, 1984)
• "ABC Afterschool Specials" (1 episode, 1984)
• Six Pack (1983)
• "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1 episode, 1982)

Awards

• Grammy Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media "Walk The Line" 2007
• Golden Globe Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) "Walk the Line" 2006
• Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Supporting Actor "Gladiator", "The Yards" and "Quills" 2000
• National Board of Review Best Supporting Actor "Quills", "The Yards" and "Gladiator" 2000