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.
In 1935, drifter Henry Stauf commits murder, a descent into darkness. Haunted by a vision, he carves a doll, bartering it for survival. Visions of toys continue, and Stauf becomes a successful toymaker. He builds a mansion, fulfilling another vision. However, children with his toys fall ill, die. Stauf vanishes into his mansion. Present day, "Ego" awakens in the deserted mansion. Ghostly visions reveal a night after the deaths: six guests arrive, invited by Stauf. His puzzles instruct them to bring an uninvited guest, a boy named Tad. Elinor and Hamilton seek to help Tad, while others hunt him for a reward. Stauf's machinations turn the guests against each other. Julia, the last survivor, finds Tad, but Stauf, a grotesque creature, awaits. He needs Tad's soul to complete a pact with an evil force. Julia dies, Tad trapped. Ego, the spirit of Tad, relives this eternally, a purgatory. Now, he can intervene. He helps Tad escape. Stauf, denied the soul, is consumed by the evil entity. Grateful, Tad thanks Ego, who steps into a sphere of light and vanishes.
