Joaquin Phoenix: A Profile of the Actor

Joaquin Phoenix was encouraged to become an actor by his brother River, who died in his arms from a heroin and cocaine overdose. Phoenix gained public recognition in 1995 with Gus Van Sant's 'To Die For', but his breakthrough came in 2000 playing the neurotic Emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator'. In 2005, he portrayed Johnny Cash in James Mangold's 'Walk the Line'. Phoenix played Leonard, a depressed man attempting suicide, in James Gray's 'Two Lovers' (2008). In 2012, he starred as Freddie Quell in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master', a disturbed WWII veteran. Spike Jonze's 'Her' (2013) cemented his reputation as a complete actor. Lynne Ramsay's 'You Were Never Really Here' (2017) showcased his talent as a brutal veteran fighting sex trafficking. In 2018, he played paralyzed satirist John Callahan in 'Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot' and a modern Jesus in 'Mary Magdalene'. His latest role is the Joker in Todd Phillips' film, a humanized version between 'Taxi Driver' and 'The King of Comedy'. Phoenix is considered the best actor in the world, defined not by any single role but by his formative journey, including pain and sorrow, which highlight his contrasting strengths: brightness of gaze and perennial melancholy.