Age: 51
male
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Known for his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric characters, particularly in period dramas, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2020, The New York Times named him one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. Phoenix began his career by appearing in a television series in the early 1980s with his older brother River. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix. He began being credited as Joaquin Phoenix in To Die For, his first adult role. He received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in the comedy-drama To Die For (1995) and the period film Quills (2000). Phoenix received further critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Commodus in the historical drama Gladiator (2000). He had success with the horror films Signs (2002), The Village (2004) and the historical drama Hotel Rwanda (2004). He won a Grammy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of musician Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line (2005). Following a brief sabbatical, Phoenix starred in the psychological drama The Master (2012), winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and earning his third Academy Award nomination. He gained praise for his roles in the romantic drama Her (2013) and the crime satire Inherent Vice (2014) and won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for the psychological thriller You Were Never Really Here (2017). For his performance as the titular character of Joker (2019), Phoenix won the Academy Award for Best Actor. He has since starred in the independent films C'mon C'mon (2021), and Beau Is Afraid (2023) and portrayed the title role in the historical drama Napoleon (2023). Outside of acting, Phoenix is an animal rights activist. A vegan, he regularly supports charitable causes and has produced several documentaries on global meat consumption and its impact on the environment.
Joaquin Phoenix
Matt Creighton
for Matt Creighton in Across Five Aprils
Suggested by devahutiraichaliha
Matthew and Ellen Creighton have borne 12 children. Four remain living at home (Bill, Tom, Jenny and Jethro); John lives nearby with his wife Nancy and their two boys. Matthew's orphaned nephew Ebenezer Carron also lives at the homestead. Three of their children died within four days in July 1852 of “Childhood Paralysis.” The deaths of the “three little boys” led Ellen to be more lenient on youngest son Jethro (main character) than with her older children. Shadrach Yale is the schoolmaster from Pennsylvania that has noted the potential of young Jethro. He also has the love of 14-year-old Jenny Creighton, and wants a marriage, which her father disapproves due to her youth. Daughter Mary Ellen's death is of major importance in the story. She was headed home from a dance in her escort's wagon when one of the Burdow boys fired a weapon meant to scare the team. The wagon crashed and overturned, killing Mary instantly. The Burdows are a disrespected family, bearing the burden of gossip surrounding the family patriarch's reason for leaving his home state. The successive generations have been mocked and ostracized based on this gossip. The death of Mary Ellen further destroys their reputation in the community.
