Joaquin Phoenix

A critically-lauded American actor with a reputation for deep immersion in his roles, Joaquin Phoenix has been a staple of cinema since his childhood in the '80s. Breakout roles in To Die For (1995) and Gladiator (2000) helped establish him as one of the more versatile working actors of the 2000s and his portrayal of country music legend Johnny Cash in 2005's Walk the Line became one of several career highs. Known for both his artistic dedication and unconventional choices, Phoenix continued to defy easy categorization, playing everyone from Jesus Christ to comic book villain the Joker, the latter of which won him an Oscar. He has also occasionally returned to music, notably in the controversial 2010 mockumentary I'm Still Here -- starring as himself in pursuit of a rap career -- and 2024's jukebox musical Joker: Folie à Deux.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to a creative family, Joaquin is the third among five siblings, all of whom have pursued acting careers. After his family moved to Los Angeles, he began his career as a child actor alongside his brother, the late River Phoenix. With his breakout role in 1995's To Die For, he began to garner attention, not only for his strong performances, but for the variety of them. Often drawn to dark, brooding characters, he became a true star in the 2000s, especially for his work in Walk the Line, a biopic about country outlaw Johnny Cash. Alongside co-star Reese Witherspoon, he learned the guitar and sang and played all of his parts in the 2005 film, which won him both a Golden Globe and Grammy Award. Several years later, he parodied his own life in the 2010 mockumentary I'm Still Here. Co-written and directed by Casey Affleck, the film resembles a performance art piece in which Phoenix announces his retirement from acting to pursue a hip-hop career. Seen by fans and critics as an amusing, though confusing misfire, he responded with a universally acclaimed, Oscar-nominated role in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2012 drama The Master.

Phoenix continued to pursue challenging roles throughout the rest of the 2010s, including standout performances in 2013's Her and Todd Phillips' dark take on D.C. Comics villain Joker. Joker became a career-defining role for Phoenix, winning him a Best Actor Oscar for his starring role. He later reprised the Joker role alongside Lady Gaga in the 2024 sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux which, surprisingly, was a musical. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi