With his new film the Joker recently out, Joaquin Pheonix seems to be all anyone is talking about. Its no wonder since his rendition of the infamous Batman villain was the most remarkable yet. While the actor has pretty much flown under the radar for the last couple of years, many curious things about the actor have been forgotten. Here are some strange facts about the actor we had probably forgotten or didnt know.
He used to be called Leaf
Joaquin had a very unorthodox childhood, but when he was younger he refused to be called by his birth name. Instead, he decided he wanted to be called Leaf so that he could be more like his older brother River and also be more in touch with mother nature. This continued for much of the actor’s early life and in some of his earliest roles, he is credited under the name Leaf Phoenix. Phoenix isn’t even his real family name, his father’s real surname is Bottom. It seems the actor may have made the right choice in the end because Leaf Bottom doesn’t seem to be a very appealing name for Hollywood.
He grew up in a religious cult
Joaquin’s mother and father met in the 1960s and after they married they joined a religious cult called the Children of God. During their time with the cult, they hitchhiked through many different countries in South America.
In 1978, when Joaquin was 8 years old, his parents left the cult and returned to America. It was then that they started using the surname Phoenix, to signify the family’s rebirth in America.
He has been vegan since he was 3
That’s right, before being vegan was even a thing, Joaquin was already doing it. Not only was a vegan way of life the way Joaquin was brought up, but he was also once so traumatized on a fishing trip that he swore to never again eat animal products.
He regularly campaigns against any form of animal abuse and he won’t even wear clothing made with animal fur or skin. Kind of makes you wonder how he managed to find vegan cheese in the 80s.