Rising from the ashes like his namesake,
Joaquin Phoenix has emerged from a dark past into a bright future.
There's no other way to say it – Joaquin Phoenix was born into a
cult. Living in Puerto Rico, his parents, John and Arlyn Bottom,
were members of the "Children of God" cult when they had him in October of 1974.
Along with his brother, River, and his sisters, Rain and Liberty, the family eventually moved
from Puerto Rico to Caracas, Venezuela. The cult did not believe in traditional jobs, which meant
Phoenix, along with his siblings, would sometimes sing songs in the street in exchange for food.
Children of God was supposedly based around Christianity but took liberties
in establishing its own new rules and belief systems. As reported in Esquire Magazine,
the organization's leader implemented a new recruiting system in which women
members would have sex with outsiders as a means to entice them to join the cult.
This policy spurred Phoenix's parents to pack up the kids and get out. Reflecting
on his parent's initial decision to join the cult, the actor told Vanity Fair:
"I think they were idealists, and believed that they were with a group who shared their beliefs,
and their values. I think they probably were looking for safety and family."
After leaving Venezuela, the family first moved to Florida, and then to Los Angeles,
where Joaquin started getting small roles on television shows alongside his brother. He
worked on everything from Afterschool Specials to dramas, including "Hill Street Blues."
"My Daddy said she was evil."
Growing up, Joaquin Phoenix was incredibly close with his siblings — especially his older brother,
River. River Phoenix was four years older than Joaquin and had a hugely successful career,
starring in films like "Stand By Me," "Mosquito
Coast," and "My Own Private Idaho" with Keanu Reeves. Additionally,
the elder Phoenix earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1988 film, "Running on Empty."
River, who played in a band, hung out with musicians like Flea and John Frusciante of
The Red Hot Chili Peppers at clubs such as The Viper Room — a Sunset Strip bar partially owned by
Johnny Depp. On October 30, 1993, River was at The Viper Room with his girlfriend Samantha Mathis,
Joaquin, and their sister Rain. While at the club, River accidentally overdosed on a mixture
of heroin and cocaine, which led to a series of seizures. A frantic Joaquin dialed 911,
but it was too late – his brother had already died by the time the ambulance arrived. Even today,
the actor continues to honor his late brother, telling 60 Minutes:
"I feel like in virtually every movie that I made, there was a connection to River in
some way. And I think that we've all felt his presence and guidance in our lives."
Joaquin spoke to Extra in 2019 about the impact River had on his career.
"He gave me a lot of confidence and
was just insistent that it was something that I was gonna do."
By 2005, Joaquin Phoenix was being hailed as one of the greatest actors in the world,
cemented by his performance as country music legend Johnny Cash in "Walk the
Line." His portrayal of Cash, alongside Reese Witherspoon as June, earned him critical acclaim
and showered him with award nominations. But it was also around this time that
Phoenix began developing a serious alcohol problem. In a case of life imitating art,
his performance in the musical biopic, which portrayed Cash's struggles with addiction,
allegedly drove the actor to become more dependent on alcohol. As Phoenix explained to Time Out,
"I wasn't an everyday drinker but didn't have anything else to do,
anything to hold me down. I was leaning on alcohol to make me feel ok."
"Hey Jerry Lee. How you doin, John." [laughter]
Despite experiencing so much professional success, Phoenix was suffering. As the actor told GQ:
"I wasn't engaging with the world or myself in the way I wanted to. I was being an idiot,
running around, drinking, trying to screw people, going to stupid clubs."
In April 2005, Phoenix checked himself into rehab to try and overcome this problem. Speaking to The
New York Times that same year, he divulged that he'd also joined Alcoholics Anonymous,
explaining that it was the best thing he had ever done.
As Joaquin Phoenix was reveling in the success of "Walk the Line," the actor was
still privately overcoming his own problems with alcohol. But nothing could prepare him
for an accident that would occur on January 26, 2006. Phoenix was driving in Los Angeles when
his brakes spontaneously failed, causing him to lose control of his car and crash it into another.
At the time of the crash, the actor had flipped his vehicle and was completely disoriented,
though thankfully unscathed. As he attempted to exit his car,
the voice of legendary German director Werner Herzog, who helmed such classics
as "Fitzcarraldo" and documentary films like "My Best Fiend" and "Grizzly Man," could be heard.
Herzog appeared, approached Phoenix, and helped him calm down by speaking to him
with his famously unique voice. As Phoenix told the Guardian:
"There was this German voice saying, 'Just relax' [...] There's something so
calming and beautiful about Werner Herzog's voice. I felt completely fine and safe."
"A thought becomes more and more clear, that it is not so much a look at wild nature,
as it is an insight into ourselves."
Phoenix added that Herzog didn't stick around
the accident scene for very long, telling the Guardian:
"I got out of the car and I said thank you. And he was gone."
"I've read in many things that you don't enjoy doing talk shows. And I find that, uhh…"
Joaquin Phoenix is notoriously private and rarely gives sit-down interviews. But when he does,
they are a bit, well … unconventional, to say the least. In February 2009,
the actor made an appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman," flaunting a thick beard,
long hair, and sunglasses. Throughout the interview, Phoenix was reserved and mysterious,
leading many to believe that it was real. But as it turns out, it was all a bit,
and his persona was a character for a mockumentary called, "I'm Still Here."
"You know it's been 3 years since the last time you were on the show
and I will just say right off the top here you look different than I remember you."
Even in 2019, the actor still could not resist doing pranks
in TV interviews. During an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote "Joker,"
the host shared a clip of Phoenix having an intense moment on set. The remainder
of the interview was awkward and the actor appeared embarrassed.
"That was supposed to be private."
"Oh yeah, yeah."
"Um, I'm a little embarrassed. I'm a–I’m–I’m–I’m–I’m sorry about that."
However, his publicist later told Entertainment Weekly that it was simply a joke outtake.
Phoenix's apprehension toward interviews is partially shaped by a handful of bad
ones he had growing up. In a conversation with IndieWire, the "Joker" actor revealed,
"When I was a kid — and even as an adult — some of the questions I was asked in interviews really
shocked me. I don't know how you can be in that position of power and abuse it in that way."
Knowing the backstory behind his attitude with interviews
makes his unconventional and awkward TV appearances a bit more understandable.
Despite being an Oscar-winning actor, Joaquin Phoenix has had his fair share of controversial
moments regarding the ceremony. In 2012, the star was nominated in the Best Actor category for his
role as Freddie Quell in Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master." Prior to his nomination, however,
Phoenix expressed to Interview Magazine his true feelings about Hollywood's biggest night.
"I'm just saying that [...] I think it's total, utter bulls—-,
and I don't want to be a part of it. I don't believe in it [...] It's totally subjective.
Pitting people against each other ... It's the stupidest thing in the whole world."
The media, of course, had a swift reaction to these statements,
speculating that what he said probably hurt his chances of winning the golden prize. And,
ultimately, Phoenix lost to Daniel Day-Lewis for the latter's appearance in "Lincoln" that year.
But of course, the story has a happy ending because eight years later,
Phoenix got his day in the sun by taking home the Oscar for his performance as Arthur Fleck
in "Joker." During his acceptance speech, the actor, who has been a long-time advocate
for PETA, unexpectedly took the moment to speak up for animal rights, saying:
"We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth,
we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take
her milk that's intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal."
The audience applauded his statements,
though after the ceremony, reactions to his speech drew equal parts criticism and praise.
Despite being one of the most esteemed actors of his generation,
Joaquin Phoenix still experiences severe anxiety while filming movies, which can lead to some
intense moments on set. The actor opened up about his experiences to Interview Magazine, saying:
"I've been acting for 30 years. But I still get nauseous the day before and have weeks
of incredible anxiety. They have to put [...] pads in my armpits because I sweat so much that
it just drips down my wardrobe. For the first three weeks of shooting, I'm just sweating."
"Do you get nervous?"
"Yeah, yeah absolutely."
"On a set?"
"Yes, petrified."
Phoenix's anxiety even managed to interfere with his early days of rehearsal for "Joker."
This led to the actor clashing with fellow star Robert De Niro due to differences in
how they approach work. According to a cover story with Vanity Fair, De Niro wanted to
do a read-through of the entire script, and Phoenix declined to do so due to his anxiety.
"All I have are negative thoughts."
Though Phoenix did eventually agree to a read-through, the process was
not without struggle. Eventually, he and De Niro met one-on-one together to
squash their brief misunderstanding, and from then on, things went well.
"That was great Arthur, thank you. I mean, I loved to hear what you had to say, it made my day."
"Thanks, Murray."
In fact, the "Raging Bull" and "Godfather" actor not only kissed Phoenix on the cheek, but he said:
"It's going to be okay, bubbeleh."
But even when filming's over, Phoenix has said he remains anxious, probably because
he pours his entire soul into a character. He previously told The Guardian in 2006,
"The job finishes and you say,
'What do I do? How do I act? What is my life?' It can be very lonely."
Still, it's comforting to know that Joaquin Phoenix's darkest days seem
to be behind him. Now married to his "Her" co-star, Rooney Mara,
the couple recently welcomed a baby boy they named "River."