Joaquin Rafael Phoenix (/hwɑːˈkiːn/ whah-KEEN; né Bottom; October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the preeminent actors of his generation and known for his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric characters in independent film, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, an Actor Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, a Volpi Cup, and two Golden Globes. Phoenix began his career by appearing in television series in the early 1980s with his brother River. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp (1986) and Parenthood (1989). During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix, a name he gave himself. He took back his birth name in the early 1990s and received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in To Die For (1995) and 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) and The Village (2004), the historical drama Hotel Rwanda (2004), and 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 reprised his role in the 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux. He has since starred in the independent films C'mon C'mon (2021), Beau Is Afraid (2023) and Eddington (2025), and portrayed the title role in the historical drama Napoleon (2023). Outside 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joaquin Phoenix, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 28, 1974 (51)
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Actor and producer, also writer
- 51 on MovieCove · 73 credits in all
What are Joaquin Phoenix's films like?
Across their 46 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 6 · Wry 2 · Earnest 37
Light 8 · Serious 13 · Dark 25
A split, not a type: Grounded 21 · Stylized 16 · Heightened 9
A split, not a type: Gentle 6 · Charged 18 · Intense 22
A split, not a type: Steady 19 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 10
Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 3
Casual 13 · Engaged 27 · Full focus 6
A split, not a type: Easy watch 8 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 21
A split, not a type: Resolved 24 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 10
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 20 of 41 analyzed roles.
Show the 41 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Max in SpaceCamp (1986)
- Heroas Danny in Russkies (1987)
- Allyas Jimmy Emmett in To Die For (1995)
- Heroas Doug Holt in Inventing the Abbotts (1997)
- Heroas Clay in Clay Pigeons (1998)
- Shadowas Lewis in Return to Paradise (1998)
- Allyas Max California in 8MM (1999)
- Mentoras Coulmier in Quills (2000)
- Tricksteras Willie Gutierrez in The Yards (2000)
- Shadowas Willie Gutierrez in The Yards (2000)
- Shadowas Commodus in Gladiator (2000)
- Tricksteras Ray Elwood in Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
- Shapeshifteras Merrill Hess in Signs (2002)
- Heroas John in It's All About Love (2003)
- Heroas Kenai in Brother Bear (2003)
- Heraldas Lucius Hunt in The Village (2004)
- Heroas Jack Morrison in Ladder 49 (2004)
- Heroas Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005)
- Heroas Bobby Green in We Own the Night (2007)
- Heroas Ethan Learner in Reservation Road (2007)
- Heroas Leonard Kraditor in Two Lovers (2008)
- Heroas Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here (2010)
- Tricksteras Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here (2010)
- Heroas Freddie Quell in The Master (2012)
- Shadowas Freddie Quell in The Master (2012)
- Heroas Theodore in Her (2013)
- Shadowas Bruno Weiss in The Immigrant (2013)
- Tricksteras Abe Lucas in Irrational Man (2015)
- Heroas Abe Lucas in Irrational Man (2015)
- Heroas Joe in You Were Never Really Here (2017)
- Shadowas Joe in You Were Never Really Here (2017)
- Heroas John Callahan in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)
- Shadowas Charlie Sisters in The Sisters Brothers (2018)
- Mentoras Jesus in Mary Magdalene (2018)
- Shadowas Arthur Fleck in Joker (2019)
- Tricksteras Arthur Fleck in Joker (2019)
- Heroas Johnny in C'mon C'mon (2021)
- Heroas Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon (2023)
- Heroas Beau Wassermann in Beau Is Afraid (2023)
- Shadowas Arthur Fleck in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
- Shadowas unknown (Joaquin Phoenix) in Eddington (2025)
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet25
- Tragic6
- Ambiguous11
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Joaquin Phoenix's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- Hotel Rwanda (2004) · actor · free
- C'mon C'mon (2021) · actor · free
- The Master (2012) · actor · free
- Two Lovers (2008) · actor · free
- The Sisters Brothers (2018) · actor · free
- We Own the Night (2007) · actor, producer · free
- Beau Is Afraid (2023) · actor · free
- The Immigrant (2013) · actor · free
- Russkies (1987) · actor · free
- Lionsgate+, show their 4 titles on Lionsgate+
- Sony Pictures Core, show their 4 titles on Sony Pictures Core
- Cinemax, show their 3 titles on Cinemax
- Howdy, show their 3 titles on Howdy
- Magnolia Selects, show their 2 titles on Magnolia Selects
- Sundance Now, show their 2 titles on Sundance Now
- Dox, show their title on Dox
- Gaia, show their title on Gaia
Subscription and free streaming for Joaquin Phoenix's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
73 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 27 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Outcome(2026)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Trillion(2025)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Voice of Hind Rajab(2025)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Eddington(2025)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
I’m Glad You’re Dead Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Joker: Folie à Deux(2024)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Love Over Money(2024)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
María Madalena (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Napoleon(2023)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The End of Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Beau Is Afraid(2023)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Stutz(2022)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
C'mon C'mon(2021)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Gunda(2020)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Guardians of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
The Animal People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Joker(2019)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Sisters Brothers(2018)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Lou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Dominion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Mary Magdalene(2018)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Across My Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
What the Health(2017)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Unity(2015)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Irrational Man(2015)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all filmsI Am Dying (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Inherent Vice(2014)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Her(2013)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Immigrant(2013)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Master(2012)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
I'm Still Here(2010)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Two Lovers(2008)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
We Own the Night(2007)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Reservation Road(2007)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Earthlings(2005)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Walk the Line(2005)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Hotel Rwanda(2004)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Ladder 49(2004)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Village(2004)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Brother Bear(2003)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
It's All About Love(2003)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Buffalo Soldiers(2001)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Signs(2002)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
L'esattore (parodia de "Il gladiatore") (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Quills(2000)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Gladiator(2000)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Yards(2000)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
8MM(1999)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Clay Pigeons(1998)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Return to Paradise(1998)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
U Turn(1997)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Inventing the Abbotts(1997)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
To Die For(1995)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Walking the Dog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Parenthood(1989)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Secret Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Russkies(1987)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
SpaceCamp(1986)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all filmsMorningstar/Eveningstar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Kids Don't Tell(1985)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The New Leave It to Beaver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Murder, She Wrote(1984)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Mr. Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Hill Street Blues(1981)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows4Real (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Polaris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
The Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 72 titles, 69 of them dated from 1981 to 2026; peak year 2004.
Film career
Peak 2004 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 35 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1986Screen debut· SpaceCamp
- 1987First top-billed film· Russkies
- 2000Oscar nomination· Gladiator
- 2000Critics Choice Award win· The Yards
- 2004Screen Actors Guild Award nomination· Hotel Rwanda
- 2005Golden Globe win· Walk the Line
Show 6 more milestonesShow fewer
- 2012Oscar nomination· The Master
- 2013Golden Globe nomination· Her
- 2014Golden Globe nomination· Inherent Vice
- 2017Cannes award win· You Were Never Really Here
- 2019Career best· Joker
- 2019Oscar win· Joker
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
an Oscar, 2 Golden Globes, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and 6 other major awards from 29 major nominations, 2001–2024.
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
- Oscar, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- BAFTA Award, won · Best Leading Actor
- Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Critics Choice Award, won · Best Actor
- Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Male Lead
- Cannes award, won
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Independent Spirit Award, won
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
- Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Leading Actor
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actor
- Venice award, won · Best Actor
Show 4 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Grammy Award, won · Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
- Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Golden Globe, won · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actor
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- Oscar, nominated · Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Critics Choice Award, won · Best Supporting Actor
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Joaquin Phoenix's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 49; across their 46 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up23
- 50th to 74th19
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
29 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved9
- Universally Panned1
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser29
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed10
Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 44 reviewed titles; fans 83, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Joaquin Phoenix's work okay for kids?
Across up to 39 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Joaquin Phoenix work with?
People who share at least 2 of Joaquin Phoenix's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Rooney Mara shares the most, 5.
Directors
- James GrayShared titles: The Immigrant (2013), Two Lovers (2008), We Own the Night (2007), The Yards (2000)See all 4 shared titles with James Gray
- Ridley ScottShared titles: Napoleon (2023), Gladiator (2000), Clay Pigeons (1998)See all 3 shared titles with Ridley Scott
- Ari AsterShared titles: Eddington (2025), Beau Is Afraid (2023)See all 2 shared titles with Ari Aster
- Todd PhillipsShared titles: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), Joker (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Todd Phillips
Writers
- Scott SilverShared titles: Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), Joker (2019)See all 2 shared titles with Scott Silver
- Ric MenelloShared titles: The Immigrant (2013), Two Lovers (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Ric Menello
Actors
- Rooney MaraShared titles: The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025), Stutz (2022), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018), Mary Magdalene (2018), Her (2013)See all 5 shared titles with Rooney Mara
- Reese WitherspoonShared titles: My Darling Vivian (2020), Inherent Vice (2014), Walk the Line (2005)See all 3 shared titles with Reese Witherspoon
- Antoni CoroneShared titles: The Immigrant (2013), Reservation Road (2007), We Own the Night (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Antoni Corone
- Emma StoneShared titles: Eddington (2025), Irrational Man (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Emma Stone
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Darius KhondjiShared titles: Eddington (2025), Irrational Man (2015), The Immigrant (2013)See all 3 shared titles with Darius Khondji
- Jonny GreenwoodShared titles: You Were Never Really Here (2017), Inherent Vice (2014), The Master (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Jonny Greenwood
- John AxelradShared titles: The Immigrant (2013), Two Lovers (2008), We Own the Night (2007)See all 3 shared titles with John Axelrad
- James Newton HowardShared titles: The Village (2004), Signs (2002), Russkies (1987)See all 3 shared titles with James Newton Howard
Producers
- James WilsonShared titles: The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025), Stutz (2022), You Were Never Really Here (2017), It's All About Love (2003), Buffalo Soldiers (2001)See all 5 shared titles with James Wilson
- Chelsea BarnardShared titles: Stutz (2022), C'mon C'mon (2021), The Sisters Brothers (2018), Her (2013)See all 4 shared titles with Chelsea Barnard
- Nick WechslerShared titles: Reservation Road (2007), We Own the Night (2007), Quills (2000), The Yards (2000)See all 4 shared titles with Nick Wechsler
- Megan EllisonShared titles: The Sisters Brothers (2018), Her (2013), The Master (2012)See all 3 shared titles with Megan Ellison
Mixed roles
- Jacques AudiardShared titles: The Sisters Brothers (2018), You Were Never Really Here (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Jacques Audiard
- Ron HowardShared titles: Inventing the Abbotts (1997), Parenthood (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Ron Howard
