From embodying country music icon Johnny Cash in Walk the Line down to his distinctive singing voice, to perfectly portraying the vicious sadism of the Emperor in Gladiator, Joaquin Phoenix has proven time and time again that he is an extremely capable actor.

Not only is this emblematic of the fact that he is the greatest actor of his generation but it leaves no doubt in my mind that his portrayal of the Joker will rival Heath Ledger’s.

There is a certain darkness to his work, in the characters he portrays. Although all vastly different, there is a clear running theme of the psyche of the tortured man. In Spike Jonze’s 2013 movie Her he played the intimacy-fearing Theodore who falls in love with his AI. His preceding role was in The Master (2012) where he played a troubled, boozy drifter struggling with the aftermath of World War II. One thing is for sure though, Joaquin Phoenix perfectly encapsulates and understands his characters on an intimate  level thanks to his natural talent and method acting.

[Phoenix’s] portrayal of the Joker will rival Heath Ledger’s

Phoenix takes his performances to another level by doing things that include relentlessly playing guitar and taking vocal lessons in order to emulate Johnny Cash’s voice; enrolling into the Baltimore Fire Academy and even graduating in preparation for his role in Ladder 49; and wiring his jaw shut to mimic the constant sneer that Freddy Quell in The Master had upon his face.

Most notably however, was his 18-month excursion in 2010 where he pretended to experience a mental break, retire indefinitely from acting and pursue a rap career. That’s right folks, Joaquin essentially derailed his career for nearly two years as a form of performance art whilst Casey Affleck monitored his every move and compiled it into a mockumentary showcasing the hardships of celebrity life.

It’s hard not to draw a connection between his wacky personality and adventurous childhood. Born in 1975 to Arlyn and Johnny Lee Bottom, he spent the first few years of his childhood in the notorious sex cult ‘Children of God’ whilst they were stationed in Caracas, Venezuela.

After becoming disillusioned with their cultish ways, the family uprooted themselves back to Florida, USA where they changed their last names to Phoenix to symbolise their rising from the ashes.

After a period of busking to help the impoverished family, the Phoenix children were eventually discovered by a talent agent — and the rest is history.

People generally remember Joaquin Phoenix as the actor living in the shadow of his slightly better known brother River Phoenix, but the last few years of his career says otherwise. Although the media likes to bring up his brother’s tragic death every chance they get, there’s no doubt that Joaquin has finally carved a name for himself in Hollywood. He is one of the most enigmatic, charming, diverse actors out there. His performances have earned him a Golden Globe, a Grammy and three  Oscar nominations.

He is one of the most enigmatic, charming, diverse actors out there

There is no doubt that his brother River had a hand in relaunching his acting career after he took a break in his mid-teens: ‘When I was 15 or 16, my brother River had a VHS copy of a movie called Raging Bull and he sat me down and made me watch it. And the next day he woke me up and he made me watch it again. And he said, “You’re going to start acting again, this is what you’re going to do.” ‘

By now, Joaquin has established himself as an entirely different entity. He exists outside of the realm of Hollywood. His projects are more daring, more audacious, they stand out from the bland blockbusters that are constantly being pumped out. Personal favourites include Inherent Vice, Her, and To Die For.

Overall, Phoenix has led an interesting life and an equally interesting career. But it seems to be working for him, as almost every project he’s worked on is a masterpiece in it’s own right (except for Mary Magdalene, but we don’t talk about that).

Right now, his latest role in Joker — which he has religiously prepared for and to the same degree of intensity of his previous work — has just hit cinemas to mostly rave reviews.

Tracking Phoenix’s life and career thus far has been exciting and an adventure in and of itself; one cannot possibly anticipate what he is going to do next — which is exactly what makes him so spectacular.

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