Biography
Joaquin Phoenix — actor with roots in the Russian Empire
Joaquin Phoenix (born Joaquín Rafael Bottom, 28 October 1974, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is an American actor. He won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for Best Actor for Joker (2019). He was also nominated for Academy Awards for Gladiator (2000), Walk the Line (2005) and The Master (2012).
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Russia
His mother, Arlyn Dunetz (Heart Phoenix), was born in the Bronx in 1944. Her father, Meyer Dunetz (1910–1996), was Russian Jewish and his family was from Russia; her mother's family was from Hungary. Phoenix has described himself as a secular Jew.
Family Tree
Subject
Joaquin Phoenix🇺🇸 USA
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Ancestors
John Lee Bottom
Arlyn Dunetz (Heart Phoenix)
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Origin
Russia🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Connections
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Russia. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Academy Award for Best Actor — Joker (2019)
02
Academy Award nominations — Gladiator (2000, supporting), Walk the Line (2005), The Master (2012)
03
Golden Globe for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) — Walk the Line; Golden Globe (Drama) — Joker
04
Her (2013), You Were Never Really Here (2017)
05
BAFTA Award for Best Actor — Joker (2019)
"I'm not a method actor. I just don't know what I'm doing."
Joaquin Phoenix
Sources