Joaquin Phoenix is a once-in-a-lifetime actor whose enigmatic screen presence has produced some of the most riveting and grounded performances in cinema. Phoenix began his career as a child actor along with his talented siblings, River, Rain, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix. Joaquin comes from a talented family of actors who have certainly had an influence on his artistry. However, there is also a tragic side to Phoenix's life that is not often talked about. Behind his genius lie darker experiences that have shaped this legendary actor's life. Here is the tragic real life story of Joaquin Phoenix.
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00:00The brilliance that award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix displays on camera is unparalleled,
00:04but his private life is far less glamorous.
00:07Even the best screenwriters couldn't capture the hardships and devastation the actor has
00:11lived through.
00:12This is his tragic real-life story.
00:14Think what you think about me, hate me or like me, just don't misunderstand me."
00:18After spending his formative years in a cult along with his family, Details reported Joaquin's
00:23parents struggled to provide for their five children once they left the sect and moved
00:27to L.A.
00:28Phoenix remembered a time when they lived in a one-bedroom apartment that didn't allow
00:32kids.
00:33When the owner would stop by, he and his siblings would have to hide behind a laundry machine
00:36for hours.
00:37He told Esquire,
00:38"'I don't forget that.
00:40It's f----- crazy to me.
00:41I'm just really, really fortunate.
00:43Luck.
00:44That's what it is.'"
00:45He calls it luck, but some might say his hard work paid off.
00:48In 2006, he purchased a $4.8 million pad in the Hollywood Hills.
00:53And in 2013, he plopped down another $1.3 million to purchase his neighbor's house.
00:57Not bad for a guy who once shared a one-bedroom apartment with his entire family.
01:01It was Joaquin's eldest brother, River, who emerged as the breakout star of the family.
01:06River made a name for himself after appearing in 1986's Stand By Me and 1991's My Own Private
01:12Idaho.
01:13"'I could go someplace where nobody knows me.'"
01:16It seemed River would seamlessly transition from child star into more mature roles, but
01:20before he could realize his full potential, he died of a drug overdose outside of Hollywood's
01:25Viper Room in 1993.
01:26He was just 23 years old.
01:29Grief-stricken, Joaquin took a two-year break from acting, per The Independent.
01:33But despite putting on a brave face in the press, some suspect the loss of his brother
01:37damaged Joaquin more than he would admit.
01:40When Phoenix was cast in 2005's Walk the Line, fans anticipated it would be the most successful
01:45role of his entire career.
01:47"'Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.'"
01:49The movie required Phoenix to channel the troubled musician, who battled drug and alcohol
01:53abuse.
01:54Many suspected that River's death may have haunted him during a scene depicting the death
01:57of Cash's own brother.
01:58But Phoenix denied reports of an on-set meltdown, telling Newsweek,
02:02"'You know, the press has kind of imposed upon me the title of mourning brother and
02:06all this s---- that's just not there.
02:08I don't need to pull from my experience for a character.'"
02:11But there were other signs pointing to a downward spiral.
02:13"'What's with the black?
02:14Looks like you're going to a funeral.'"
02:16"'Maybe I am.'"
02:18It wasn't until after shooting wrapped that Phoenix realized he had a problem.
02:22He told Time Out magazine,
02:24"'It was then that I became aware of my drinking.
02:26I was leaning on alcohol to make me feel okay.'"
02:29He checked into a rehab facility in 2005 and, following his stay, began attending Alcoholics
02:34Anonymous meetings.
02:35According to The New York Times, he later called the network,
02:37"...the best thing I ever did."
02:39"'I can't write, I can't breathe, I couldn't remember the reason for living, and when I
02:45did it wasn't convincing.'"
02:46With a decades-long career in the film and television industry, you'd think Phoenix would
02:50be as cool as a cucumber in front of the cameras.
02:53But he told Interview magazine that he suffers from incredible anxiety, claiming,
02:57"...they have to put f----- pads in my armpits because I sweat so much.
03:00For the first three weeks of shooting, I'm just sweating.
03:03It's pure anxiety, and I love it."
03:05Phoenix has starred in some incredible films, including Gladiator, The Master, and Two Lovers.
03:10He even snagged a 2006 Golden Globe for Walk the Line and a 2017 Cannes Film Festival Best
03:16Actor Award for You Were Never Really Here.
03:19His reputation as a critically acclaimed actor is well-deserved, but there's one person who's
03:23not exactly a fan of his work, and that's Phoenix himself.
03:26"...you said, I hate the last movie, I do so much, that I feel that my next job is going
03:33to right a lot of wrongs."
03:34"...I think I did say that."
03:37Phoenix told The New York Times,
03:38"...I don't watch myself.
03:40I can be really affected by things like, do I look good, do I look bad?
03:43I want it to be what I'm feeling as opposed to something outside the experience."
03:47Being a superstar who's surrounded by fame, fans, and the media sounds like a life to
03:52be envied, but looks can be deceiving.
03:55Phoenix has talked about the dangers of being in the spotlight and just how isolating a
03:58career as an actor can truly be.
04:00After rapping Walk the Line, he told The Times,
04:02"...it was really hard for me to leave the movie.
04:05I was angry and hurt and felt abandoned.
04:07I didn't know what to do."
04:09"...the film was never going to live up to the experience that I had, that I felt."
04:15But Phoenix may have had a good reason for feeling an emptiness post-filming.
04:18Walk the Line director James Mangold told The Times that Phoenix had completely embodied
04:23his character for the film.
04:24He remembered,
04:25"...I could shoot Joaquin from the back and without seeing his face, you would be able
04:29to tell what he was feeling.
04:30He never impersonated Johnny Cash.
04:33He became him."