HE may be one of Hollywood’s leading men, but some film fans still struggle with saying the name Joaquin Phoenix.
Well fear not, we take you through EXACTLY how to pronounce the Oscar nominated star’s name.
How do I pronounce Joaquin Phoenix?
The REAL way of saying it Joaquin Phoenix’s name is: wa-KEEN Phoenix (watch video above to hear it out loud).
The actor was actually born Joaquin Bottom – which is the Phoenix family’s original surname.
His parents changed the name when he was four years old.
Maybe because it sounded too much like “Whackin’ Bottom”.
Who is Joaquin Phoenix?
Joaquin is an awarding-winning American actor who found success at a young age with the 1989 film Parenthood.
As the son of the missionaries for the Children of God religious group, he moved frequently with his family during his early life.
His parents, John and Arlyn Bottom, completed stints in Central and South America before becoming disillusioned with Children of God.
His older brother River, became a massive movie star, but sadly died from an accidental drug overdose outside The Viper Room nightclub in LA in 1993.
Joaquin followed in his brother’s footsteps and became a movie star known for Gladiator (2000) and Walk the Line (2005), for which he earned a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.
Following an acting hiatus, Joaquin then returned to the big screen with The Master (2012), and went on to acclaimed roles in Her (2013) and Inherent Vice.
But it is his role in the 2019 film Joker that has launched him to megastardom, and he is up for an Oscar for the part at the 2020 ceremony.
Is Joaquin Phoenix married?
Joaquin is not married but he is in a long term relationship with actress Rooney Mara.
They met while shooting Spike Jonze movie Her in mid-2012.
The movie follows a man who falls in love with a computer operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, and Mara played Joaquin’s ex-wife.
However it wasn’t until they starred alongside each other in 2016 movie Mary Magdalene that they finally became a couple.
