Joaquin Phoenix
Birthday: 28 October 1974, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Birth Name: Joaquin Rafael Bottom
Height: 173 cm
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix was born 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 serv ...Show More
[on relationship with Liv Tyler I'm a great believer in people coming into your life, and you into t Show more
[on relationship with Liv Tyler I'm a great believer in people coming into your life, and you into theirs, for a reason. And I know that when Liv and I met, it was for a reason - I really needed her and she really needed me. And at a certain point, I think we stopped evolving with each other, stopped progressing, and made a very mature decision to move on, even though there was still a great love there. There's no one gossipy thing that I can share. I'm thankful that we had the time we had. Hide
It's been a year since last time I tried to give up smoking. I went to a hypnotist; we sat down and Show more
It's been a year since last time I tried to give up smoking. I went to a hypnotist; we sat down and started talking. A couple of hours later, I woke up; the hypnotist wasn't in the room, but his wife was. I was like "Oh my goodness, I fell asleep and didn't get to talk to the doctor." And she said "Don't worry, you talked..." I freaked out, left their place, immediately bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked, terrified of what I'd said. Hide
I'm not the indie kid, and I'm also not the John Grisham novel hero, but I am all of those things. I Show more
I'm not the indie kid, and I'm also not the John Grisham novel hero, but I am all of those things. I do whatever excites me at the time. I'll be in some huge $80 million buddy cop movie, I don't care, and I'll also do some wild independent movie. I refuse to have an agenda. Hide
[2007] Early on, there wasn't much strategy in choosing roles. I didn't get offered 400 movies; I go Show more
[2007] Early on, there wasn't much strategy in choosing roles. I didn't get offered 400 movies; I got offered four, and I did those movies. Let's be honest: If I were six-foot-two, blond and incredibly muscular, they would have been banging down my door. Any actor who doesn't admit that is wrong. But once you've established yourself, you try to break out to the other place...The irony is that I am suddenly being offered all those things usually offered to the six-foot-two blond guy with the big chest. And I'm going, "Are you motherfuckers crazy? I'm finally fucking starting to get into some real work, and now you want me to make movies where I run around with a fucking gun, chasing dudes?" I can't understand actors who, after busting their asses for years, get nominated for an Oscar at the age of 45 and win it, and the next 10 movies they make are fucking crap. Hide
[on maintaining a lower profile than some of his other Hollywood peers] The less someone knows about Show more
[on maintaining a lower profile than some of his other Hollywood peers] The less someone knows about me, the better, because my intention is to play a variety of characters. Hide
I don't have the slightest desire to speak about my dead brother. It gets on my nerves to always be Show more
I don't have the slightest desire to speak about my dead brother. It gets on my nerves to always be compared with him. My brother was a magnificent person and an outstanding actor. Hide
Once I became a total buffoon, it was so liberating. Part of why I was frustrated with acting was be Show more
Once I became a total buffoon, it was so liberating. Part of why I was frustrated with acting was because I took it so seriously. I want it to be so good that I get in my own way. It's like love: when you fall in love you're not yourself anymore. You lose control of being natural and showing all the beautiful parts of yourself, and all somebody recognizes is total desperation. Hide
As I'm reading a script, I start to see the character. I always seem to do something to my hair. A l Show more
As I'm reading a script, I start to see the character. I always seem to do something to my hair. A lot of stuff I do for a part, people don't even notice, but I notice, and it makes the character whole for me. Hide
My significant other right now is myself, which is what happens when you suffer from multiple person Show more
My significant other right now is myself, which is what happens when you suffer from multiple personality disorder and self-obsession. Hide
[on being attracted to acting] On the first job I ever did, there was a fight scene. I was eight, an Show more
[on being attracted to acting] On the first job I ever did, there was a fight scene. I was eight, and though I knew it wasn't real and they were actors, I was emotionally affected by it. I felt the adrenaline race through my body. There are kids who get on a BMX bike when they're eight and they go, "Whoa, this is incredible" and grow up to do extreme sports. It's the same for me with acting. Hide
That kind of fame; I couldn't have it in my life. I love that we can sit on the lawn in Central Park Show more
That kind of fame; I couldn't have it in my life. I love that we can sit on the lawn in Central Park and I'm just one of the millions. I don't want to lose that. I'm trying to figure out the perfect strategy. And it's tough. I just want to be right in the middle. Hide
After River's death, I felt like I was in an altered state. It took me over a year to get my life ba Show more
After River's death, I felt like I was in an altered state. It took me over a year to get my life back. Hide
[on relationship with Liv Tyler] What can I say? We hit it off immediately. She's a darling. I've sa Show more
[on relationship with Liv Tyler] What can I say? We hit it off immediately. She's a darling. I've said it over and over again. She's just very real, right there, never like a movie star. She's so genuine, and she doesn't take herself too seriously. It shows in the work she does that her honesty stands out most. Hide
I go into movies thinking, we're performing, but with interviews, we're pretending to be completely Show more
I go into movies thinking, we're performing, but with interviews, we're pretending to be completely real. I just can't get my head around it. And the things we say in this hour could permanently shape our personas. I mean, tell me that's not a little odd! And because I think that's odd, people think I'm odd. And that's strange. Know what I'm saying? Hide
Making movies is a constant manipulation. You manipulate the environment. You make it rain when you Show more
Making movies is a constant manipulation. You manipulate the environment. You make it rain when you want it to. You manipulate actors. And as an actor, you try and manipulate your feelings to match what you think you'd be going through in a situation where your character is going through something. Hide
I live a really boring life. I'm much more clichéd, pathetic and pretentious than you would probabl Show more
I live a really boring life. I'm much more clichéd, pathetic and pretentious than you would probably give me credit for. I don't want to do much of anything when I'm not working. It's important that any woman I know shouldn't need to be stimulated outside the house, because I can't provide that. (2007) Hide
[on falling into acting] I suck at painting and writing; I tried both. For me, it's acting because I Show more
[on falling into acting] I suck at painting and writing; I tried both. For me, it's acting because I grew up with it. When we moved to California, we all did commercials and television shows. Riv was the first to get a television show and me and my sister Liberty guest-starred on another show. It was kind of accidental. Hide
I'm going to sound a little weird here, but I like to spend a lot of time on my own in the woods. I Show more
I'm going to sound a little weird here, but I like to spend a lot of time on my own in the woods. I don't exactly sneak off in the middle of the night, but I like to be in a place where no one can reach me by phone or e-mail. Hide
I never think that I'm good at anything I do. I can always do it better, I know my weakness. I've ne Show more
I never think that I'm good at anything I do. I can always do it better, I know my weakness. I've never been perfect. Hide
[on acting being his biggest challenge] Acting. I'm one of those actors who likes to stay in charact Show more
[on acting being his biggest challenge] Acting. I'm one of those actors who likes to stay in character between takes. I drive other actors crazy but, to me, the most important thing when I'm making a film is that the character takes precedence. I become obsessed with whoever I'm playing. I want to explore the character as completely as I can. The moment an actor becomes satisfied with themselves, their work suffers. I think that we should always challenge ourselves in work. Hide
I had a really wonderful upbringing. We were a tight family. It was wonderful to grow up with so man Show more
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. Hide
[on his childhood and his live on the land with his family] I remember us being poor, but I never fe Show more
[on his childhood and his live on the land with his family] I remember us being poor, but I never felt embarrassed, or like I was missing anything. I don't remember the hardship of trying to make it, just how my parents always managed to get through. Hide
[on living without older brother River] River and I would talk about being old, being in our 50s tog Show more
[on living without older brother River] River and I would talk about being old, being in our 50s together, how it'd probably take us that long to get to work together. There was something gorgeous about us being old together. River will be missed - period. I mean now, more than ever I wish I could talk to him. Hide
[2007, on if he believes in life after death] Fuck no. There's just nothing. We're gone. If I do hav Show more
[2007, on if he believes in life after death] Fuck no. There's just nothing. We're gone. If I do have a soul, I don't think it's interpreting life, feelings or experience. My brain is what's making sense of experience and feelings for me. So when that fucker's cut off, how can I possibly understand or feel anything? Hide
[on Paul Thomas Anderson, director of The Master (2012)] He called me "Bubbles"on the set. Bubbles w Show more
[on Paul Thomas Anderson, director of The Master (2012)] He called me "Bubbles"on the set. Bubbles was Michael Jackson's pet monkey, and I was Paul's pet monkey. I didn't mind I at all. I love having a master. Hide
[on relationship with Liv Tyler] I was in awe. Every once in a while you find an actor that, with on Show more
[on relationship with Liv Tyler] I was in awe. Every once in a while you find an actor that, with one word, can sum up eight different emotions. She absolutely nailed that. Hide
I don't know Shakespeare! I'm not a serious actor. Directors always make references, and I go: "Ah, Show more
I don't know Shakespeare! I'm not a serious actor. Directors always make references, and I go: "Ah, I'll check it out," and I never, ever do. I'm incredibly lazy. Hide
The reason I keep making movies is I hate the last thing I did. I'm trying to rectify my wrongs.
The reason I keep making movies is I hate the last thing I did. I'm trying to rectify my wrongs.
I enjoy humour more than anything, I don't really sit around banging my head and crying all the time Show more
I enjoy humour more than anything, I don't really sit around banging my head and crying all the time. Hide
I had a Catholic girlfriend but she wouldn't, uh, share loving.
I had a Catholic girlfriend but she wouldn't, uh, share loving.
I don't know why I always get to play these guys who have few redeeming features. But don't knock it Show more
I don't know why I always get to play these guys who have few redeeming features. But don't knock it. Villains are much more fun. Hide
[2007, on being a vegetarian] I don't try to impose my views on anyone else, and I can simply say I Show more
[2007, on being a vegetarian] I don't try to impose my views on anyone else, and I can simply say I feel it's right for me. Of course, I've had slips. When I was about 12 I stayed with a friend in San Diego. They got pizza, and I was like, "I'm having some motherfucking pizza. I ate two slices and vomited for two days. I'm strange in that I crave salad and vegetables. I've never really had a sweet tooth, and I don't particularly like foods that are too rich. I'm a parent's dream. Hide
I changed my name because no one in the States could pronounce 'Joaquin' and I used to get really em Show more
I changed my name because no one in the States could pronounce 'Joaquin' and I used to get really embarrassed about it as a kid. All the other kids in my family had gorgeous names and I got 'Joaquin', you know what I mean? So I said "This is not good. Even I can't say it.". Hide
First of all, I really think that the greatest fear for actors, is reaching the point in which they Show more
First of all, I really think that the greatest fear for actors, is reaching the point in which they go, "God, I'm good at this", because I think the work will really suffer. It's not a conscious effort, it's just I always hope I can do justice to the films and characters. I feel that I've been choosy in my roles as much as I can be, and I only work on films that I really want to make. Hide
It's a bad idea for actors to grow accustomed to seeing themselves on camera, because inevitably you Show more
It's a bad idea for actors to grow accustomed to seeing themselves on camera, because inevitably you start doing things and become too self-conscious. The only way to prevent it is by not being aware of yourself in that way or at least trying not to be. Hide
Joaquin Phoenix's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (78)
Joaquin Phoenix'S roles