Known for his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric characters, particularly in period dramas , he has received various accolades , including an Academy Award , a British Academy Film Award , a Grammy Award , and two Golden Globe Awards. In , The New York Times named him one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Phoenix began his career by appearing in television series in the early s with his brother River. His first major film roles were in SpaceCamp and Parenthood During this period, he was credited as Leaf Phoenix, a name he gave himself.
He took back his birth name in the early s and received critical acclaim for his supporting roles in the comedy-drama To Die For and the period film Quills 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 Following a brief sabbatical, Phoenix starred in the psychological drama The Master , winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and earning his third Academy Award nomination.
He has since starred in the independent films C'mon C'mon and Beau Is Afraid , and portrayed the title role in the historical drama Napoleon 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. He also has a paternal half-sister, Jodean born Soon after their second child was born, they joined the religious cult Children of God and travelled throughout the Caribbean and South America as missionaries, where the next two children were born.
They eventually became disillusioned with the group and left in , being opposed to the cult's increasingly distorted rules, particularly the practice of flirty fishing. In , when Phoenix's father had to stop working because of an old spinal injury, the family moved to Los Angeles where the mother met a high-profile child agent named Iris Burton , who got the children into commercials and bit parts on TV.
