Joaquin Phoenix
Born: 28th October 1974
Where: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Phoenix's breakthrough peformance came as Russell Crowe's nemesis Commodus in the Oscar-winning Gladiator.
Originally cursed with the christian name Leaf (for which he was credited in early appearances), he made his big screen debut in SpaceCamp.
His first high profile role was in Parenthood opposite Steve Martin and he landed the role of Jimmy Emmett opposite Nicole Kidman in To Die For.
Increasingly larger roles followed in Inventing the Abbots, Return to Paradise, 8mm and The Yards before Ridley Scott came knocking for Gladiator.
Born to Children of God missionaries John Bottom Amram and Arlyn Dunitz Jochebed, Joaquin was the middle child of five.
When the children were encouraged to develop their creative instincts, he followed their lead into acting.
(His brother River Phoenix died tragically following a night out at Los Angeles's notorious club The Viper Rooms in 1993.)
Although offered work on TV adverts, anything involving meat, milk, and junk food were off-limits as the kids were all raised as strict vegans.
Joaquin broke into show business with a bit part on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a TV series on which River was a regular.
His other TV guest shots include appearances on Hill Street Blues, The Fall Guy and Murder, She Wrote.
After the Phoenix family moved to from LA to Florida, Joaquin landed the role of an an angst-ridden adolescent in Parenthood.
Following Gladiator be played the Abbe Du Coulmier in Quills opposite Geoffrey Rush and and also starred in the supernatural thriller Signs with Mel Gibson.
Buffalo Soldiers - a controversial depiction of American soldiers in Germany -was temporarily shelved due to US conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He starred in the misfiring thriller It's All About Love and played one of the cursed residents of M Night Shyamalan's The Village.
In 2004, he starred as a Baltimore fireman in the action drama Ladder 49 alongside John Travolta.
The following year he delivered a critically-acclaimed portrayal of country legend Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line.
Recent work includes the role of a nightclub boss opposite Mark Wahlberg's cop in the thriller We Own The Night.
