Share and Follow
Joaquin Phoenix is taking on the iconic role of the Joker, the DC villain and Batman’s nemesis.
The role was made famous by Jack Nicholson and saw the late actor Heath Ledger win a posthumous Oscar for his performance in The Dark Knight.
In September 2018, Phoenix was spotted for the first time as The Joker, with filming starting on the movie of the same name. The film is set to be released on October 4, 2019.
Phoenix has seen his career go from strength to strength in recent years, featuring in several critically-acclaimed films such as The Master, Her, Inherent Vice and You Were Never Really Here.
Here is all you need to know about Joaquin Phoenix including who he is, what is his net worth and what films he’s been in.
Joaquin Phoenix will star as the Joker in the movie about the villain, which is out in 2019
Who is Joaquin Phoenix?
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix was born on October 28, 1974 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the third of five children, including the older brother River Phoenix, who died in 1993. His sister Summer Phoenix used to be married to Oscar winner Casey Affleck.
Phoenix and his siblings busked in the street to help out the family’s financial situation, while his mother got a job working as a secretary for NBC. It was through her job that the Phoenix kids were discovered by an agent and started on their acting paths.
‘My mom got a job at NBC. And then through her boss we were introduced to an agent. She was the only agent who would take all five of us because my parents didn’t want us to be split up. We were a very expressive, creative bunch,’ Phoenix said in an interview with the Guardian.
Phoenix’s first role was as a guest actor on his brother River’s sitcom Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
As a child, Phoenix’s big breakthrough came in 1989’s Ron Howard film, Parenthood. He became disillusioned with the acting industry and its lack of interesting roles for teenagers and took a break from the profession.
In 1993, Phoenix was with River at a club in LA called The Viper Room when River collapsed and died from a drug overdose. The 911 call Joaquin made was broadcast across the world’s radio stations and TV channels.
Phoenix returned to acting in 1995 in Gus Van Sant’s To Die For, playing an emotionally vulnerable man who gets seduced by Nicole Kidman’s character. Several flops such as U Turn and Inventing the Abbotts followed, though Phoenix scored a hit with 1999’s 8mm, which starred Nicolas Cage.
Phoenix’s breakthrough year came in 2000 when he played Roman emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator. The actor received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance and the film was a box office hit.
During the early aughts, Phoenix worked with M. Night Shyamalan on two films, Signs and The Village before scoring his second Oscar nomination in 2005 for his performance as Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s Walk the Line.
Towards the end of the aughts, Phoenix began behaving erratically, most notably when he appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and said that he would be retiring from acting to focus on his music. This turned out to be all part of the 2010 mockumentary, directed by his then brother-in-law Casey Affleck.
‘The film started as a running joke,’ he said. ‘It was like an SNL sketch: how does a 35-year-old retire from acting? But it was a separate character; it wasn’t me. Then I thought it would be funnier if I played myself.’
Since then Phoenix has had a string of critically-lauded films including 2012’s The Master, 2013’s Her, 2014’s Inherent Vice and 2017’s You Were Never Really Here.
In 2018 it was announced that Phoenix would play the Joker in a new standalone film about the DC Comics’ villain, directed by The Hangover’s Todd Phillips.
Phoenix is currently in a relationship with the actress Rooney Mara. The couple have been together since 2016.
What is Joaquin Phoenix’s net worth?
Joaquin Phoenix’s net worth is estimated to be $30 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The actor has appeared in high-profile films such as Gladiator, Walk the Line, Her, and The Master.
The actor’s salary varied throughout his career, with films such as Quills and Buffalo soldiers bringing in six-figure sums, $375,000 and $700,000 respectively. His turn as Johnny Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line saw Phoenix earn $3.5 million.
A year prior, the actor earned as much as $5 million for M Night Shyamalan’s The Village. He was also paid $1 million for Signs.
