The Sad Real-Life Story of The Joker's Joaquin Phoenix

What was it like growing up in the Phoenix family?

 How did the next Joker bounce back from his hardships in life?

 Find out as we look at The Sad Real-Life Story of Joaquin Phoenix.

 #10 Family Devotion

 When Joaquin Phoenix was just a child, his parents decided to join the controversial Christian cult known as the Children of God.

 They had undergone a religious experience and upon meeting members of the religious sect, they were convinced other members were like-minded people and decided to join.

 Phoenix and his four siblings joined the group as well with his parents acting as missionaries.

 For years the family traveled around Central and South America, trying to recruit others, until eventually they realized something wasn’t right and left the organization.

 Upon returning to the United States, his parents changed the family name from Bottom to Phoenix, an ode to their rebirth after the cult.

 #9 Strange Upbringing Once his parents moved to California, Phoenix and his family were free to live their lives as normal, everyday Americans.

 But they chose a different route.

 Joaquin began acting at the age of six, attending a combination of homeschool and tutored classes while on set.

 Around this point in his life, he adopted a new name to fit the trend of his siblings.

 He chose the name “Leaf” so he could be more closely associated with nature like his brother River and sisters Rain, Liberty, and Summer.

 All the children were performers and they weren’t immediately afforded the luxury of Hollywood sets as they began acting, singing, and dancing on the streets and in talent contests to help cover living costs.

 Eventually they were all discovered by Iris Burton, a top agent in Hollywood as far as child actors were concerned.

 She helped the kids land their first on-screen gigs in commercials and television shows.

 At the age of eight, Phoenix made his television debut in an episode of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers with his brother.

 They then both co-starred two years later in an ABC Afterschool Special on dyslexia and Phoenix would go on to appear in three more television shows that same year, kick starting his rise to success.

 #8 Sibling Tragedy

 Coming from a family of performers, Joaquin’s rise to Hollywood stardom was done solo, especially in the beginning.

 His brother, River, had grown to be a household name by the late eighties and early nineties thanks to a breakout role in the Rob Reiner film Stand By Me.

 From there, he shot upward to stardom, landing roles consistently in movies, alongside costars like Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, and Sidney Poitier.

 By his sixth feature film, River earned his first Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his supporting role in the movie Running Empty.

 He continued on this path, reaching new plateaus with movies like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sneakers, and My Own Private Idaho, showing the world his leading man potential.

 But life wasn’t as bright as it appeared for River as the increasingly dramatic roles, a troubled childhood, and the environment he was constantly around caused him to turn to illegal substances for relief.

 One fateful night in 1993, three days after Joaquin’s 19th birthday, River passed away from an overdose of narcotics while the brothers and their sister Rain were at a nightclub.

 Joaquin made the emergency 911 call himself, the recording of which would play on radio and television broadcasts repeatedly afterwards.

 The aftermath of his brother’s demise would cause Joaquin to pull back from the media limelight for the following year.

 #7 Punctuated Acting Breaks Momentum is a curious tool in progressing, and gaining it as an actor can make a career, while letting it pass you by can break one.

 Taking a break from the big time can lead to being forgotten by the public, thus lowering your box office worth.

 But some talents are so good at their craft, the industry will welcome them back whenever they so choose to return.

 Such has been the case for Joaquin Phoenix throughout his career.

 After making Parenthood in 1989, Phoenix took a break from acting, choosing instead to travel abroad with his father in Mexico and South America.

 Following his brother’s passing, he remained out of the public eye for a year until his friends could talk him into returning to the industry.

 Then came his allegiance to the art while filming the documentary I’m Still Here.

 He remained in character in public life for nearly two years, and after the film’s poor reception, it would be another two years until he released another feature film.

 But with each return, Phoenix earns wide-spread if not universal critical acclaim, considered one of his generation’s greatest actors.

 #6 Herzog Hero

 Driving his car on a particularly windy road one day in 2006, Phoenix crashed his car in Hollywood when he lost control and it overturned.

 As he laid in the wreckage, the actor was disoriented, unsure of how to proceed from the sudden emergency situation.

 That’s when an unlikely hero pulled up, tapped on the window, telling him to just relax.

 The individual was none other than famed filmmaker Werner Herzog.

 The German director lived nearby the accident and just so happened to be driving by.

 Upon hearing Herzog, Phoenix recounts: "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."

 He helped Phoenix from the vehicle and drove off as soon as he verified the actor was alright.

 Nothing seemed to come of the interaction as the two somewhat eccentric artists had never collaborated and have yet to since.

 #5 Anxiety Struggles

 Acting has been a lifelong passion for Joaquin Phoenix, as well as a lifelong career, and as such the man has almost four decades of experience bolstering his impressive body of work.

 Despite this much training and wisdom behind him, Phoenix, to this day, still gets nervous when acting.

 The 44 year old performer struggles with anxiety while on the set of films, allowing the stress and apprehension take its toll on him, both mentally and physically.

 Phoenix reportedly endures bouts of nausea the day before he gets to a new film set, and the first few weeks of shooting are usually worry-ridden.

 “For the first three weeks of shooting, I’m just sweating.

 It’s pure anxiety, and I love it,” said Phoenix in a 2012 interview.

 The perspiration is so intense, apparently, that his wardrobe requires padding in his armpits to absorb any moisture that would otherwise soak through his clothing!

 #4 Brother-In-Law

 In 2006, actor and director Casey Affleck married Phoenix’s youngest sister, Summer, to officially join the Phoenix clan.

 The brother-in-laws were no strangers, though, as they co-starred in the Gus Van Sant film To Die For, Joaquin’s first project after his brother’s decease.

 The pair played teens manipulated into committing a heinous crime and were both well-received in their roles by critics.

 It was after this that Joaquin would introduce Affleck to Summer.

 The couple would have two children, Joaquin’s nephews, but eventually split in 2015 before divorcing in 2017.

 But before he took his leave of the Phoenix family, Affleck and Phoenix collaborated on one of Joaquin’s most infamous works to date: I’m Still Here.

 Much of the actor’s loyalty to keeping in character across the years in which the strange documentary was filmed was due to his faithful adherence to his brother-in-law’s direction.

 As a visionary and driving force behind the movie’s creation, much of the credit, or fault as it were, for I’m Still Here belongs to Casey Affleck.

 #3 Project Commitment For the length of his career, Phoenix has shown a strong commitment towards his work and his roles, going to great lengths to produce the most incredible performance possible.

 Under the bright lights of a film set, the actor has dazzled critics with his dramatic chops.

 Diving into the role of Johnny Cash, for instance, Joaquin requested that everyone on set to call him J.R., an abbreviation of John R.

 Cash.

 Getting into character isn’t always easy, and for Phoenix, just calling him by his first name was enough to interrupt his focus and bring him back to reality.

 Eclipsing that level of dedication, though, was his performance for the documentary I’m Still Here.

 The nature of the film required him to embarrass himself repeatedly in public settings and play the entire act off as real.

 In an attempt to fool the public, Phoenix essentially retired from acting for years, telling the public he had quit to attempt a career in hip hop.

 The actor dreadlocked his hair, gained weight, grew a beard, and began to engage in ethically questionable behavior, all for the sake of the film.

 There were moments when Phoenix didn’t want to do something, or wished to reveal the gag to friends who were genuinely concerned for him, but at the behest of his director, Casey Affleck, Phoenix kept up the charade.

 In the end though, I’m Still Here would be one of the greatest flops of his career, unlike the widely-celebrated Walk the Line.

 Regardless, his intense attentiveness detail and adherence to keeping character and making it as real for himself as possible is sure to translate to his recently announced and highly anticipated upcoming role as The Joker.

 #2 Reception Apathy

 An accomplished actor with many renowned roles throughout his career, Phoenix has received a total of 36 wins and 126 nominations for various acting awards, including one Golden Globe award, four other Golden Globe nominations, and three Academy Award nominations.

 Despite these accolades, the actor has never had a high opinion of film awards.

 He’s stated in a 2012 interview that he finds film criticism and comparison to be subjective, and that the competitive aspect was especially unpleasant.

 He stated: “Pitting people against each other...

 It's the stupidest thing in the whole world.

 It was one of the most uncomfortable periods of my life when Walk the Line was going through all the awards stuff and all that.

 I never want to have that experience again.” Phoenix also thinks poorly of the idolatry surrounded celebrities, particularly showing a distaste for what he refers to as “sycophantic energy”.

 Because of this, he refuses to take photos with fans, instead opting to engage them in conversation in hopes of sharing a more genuine experience.

 #1 Activist Pursuits

 Known for his dedication in various aspects of life, perhaps his greatest act of devotion originates from the age of 3.

 Ever since he witnessed a fisherman brutally maim a catch as an adolescent, Phoenix has been a staunch vegan and animal rights supporter.

 He has campaigned on behalf of groups like PETA and In Defense of Animals, and worked to spread awareness regarding inhumane industries, meat and dairy business corruption, and humankind’s dependence on animal products.

 His beliefs run so deep that he actively avoids wearing any clothes made out of animal skins outside of extreme circumstances, such as the time he had to don vintage leather boots as Johnny Cash in the film Walk The Line.

 What’s your favorite Joaquin Phoenix role?

 Let us know which one and how you think it’ll translate to the Joker in the comment section below!