Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor known for his leading performances in film. Over his career he has received several accolades including an Academy Award, an Actor Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Grammy Award, as well as Best Actor prizes from both the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival.
Phoenix received the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Arthur Fleck / Arthur in the psychological thriller Joker (2019). He was Oscar-nominated for playing a corrupt Roman Emperor in the epic historical action-drama Gladiator (2000), country music star Johnny Cash in the biographical musical drama Walk the Line (2005), and a traumatized war veteran in the psychological drama The Master (2012). He also won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for playing a hired enforcer in the neo-noir crime thriller You Were Never Really Here (2017) and the Venice International Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the drama The Master (2012).
As a child he, was briefly credited as Leaf Phoenix. For his role in the 1984 ABC Afterschool Special Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia he was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Family Film Made for Television, with his brother River Phoenix. For the 1989 comedy Parenthood he was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film.
Phoenix's breakthrough role in Ridley Scott's Gladiator earned him the Critics' Choice Award and the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor, and he was nominated for the Academy Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the BAFTA Award. In 2005, Phoenix starred in the biographical drama Walk the Line, in which he played the American singer Johnny Cash. For his performance, he won the Golden Globe Award, the Hollywood Film Award for Best Actor, and the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, and he was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Actor Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
In 2012, Phoenix starred in the psychological drama The Master, for which he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, and he was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. In 2013, Phoenix starred in romantic science-fiction drama Her, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. In 2017, he starred in the psychological thriller You Were Never Really Here. For this film, Phoenix won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. In 2019, Phoenix starred as Arthur Fleck/Joker in Joker. His performance went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Phoenix received his seventh Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the tragicomedy horror film, Beau Is Afraid (2023).
Major associations Academy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2001Best Supporting ActorGladiator 2006Best ActorWalk the Line 2013 2020Joker
BAFTA Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2001Best Actor in a Supporting RoleGladiator 2006Best Actor in a Leading RoleWalk the Line 2013 2020Joker
Outstanding British Film: 2024 - Napoleon
Critics' Choice Awards Year Category Nominated work Result Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2001Best Supporting ActorGladiator / Quills / The Yards 2006Best ActorWalk the Line 2013 2020Joker
Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2001Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureGladiator 2006Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyWalk the Line 2013Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama 2014Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyHer 2015Inherent Vice 2020Best Actor in a Motion Picture – DramaJoker 2024Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or ComedyBeau Is Afraid
Grammy Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2007Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaWalk the Line
Screen Actors Guild Awards Year Category Nominated work Result 2001Outstanding Male Actor in a Supporting RoleGladiatorOutstanding Cast in a Motion Picture 2005Hotel Rwanda 2006Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading RoleWalk the Line 2020Joker
Miscellaneous accolades +Awards and nominations received by Joaquin Phoenix Award Year Category Project Result AACTA Awards 2013Best Actor 2020Joker American Latino Media Arts Award 2009Year in Film – ActorTwo LoversAlliance of Women Film Journalists Awards 2013Best Actor2014HerBest Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction 2020 Best ActorJokerAustin Film Critics Association Awards 2012Best Actor 2019You Were Never Really HereBritish Independent Film Awards 2003Best ActorBuffalo Soldiers 2018You Were Never Really Here Blockbuster Entertainment Award 2001Favorite VillainGladiator Boston Society of Film Critics Award 2019Best ActorJoker Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2005Best ActorWalk the Line 2012 2018You Were Never Really Here 2019Joker Cannes Film Festival Award 2017Best ActorYou Were Never Really Here Capri Hollywood International Film Festival Award 2019Best ActorJokerDorian Awards 2013Film Performance of the Year – Actor 2020JokerDallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2005Best ActorWalk the Line 2012 2019 Joker Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2012Best Actor 2019 Joker Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards 2012 Best Actor 2014 Best Actor Her 2018Best Actor You Were Never Really Here 2019 Joker Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2013Best Actor Her 2018 You Were Never Really Here 2019 Joker Georgia Film Critics Association Awards 2013Best Actor 2014 Her 2020 Joker Golden Raspberry Awards 2025 Worst Actor Joker: Folie à Deux Worst Screen Combo Gotham Awards 2021 Outstanding Lead Performance C'mon C'mon Hollywood Critics Association Award 2020 Best Actor Joker Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2013Best Actor 2020 Joker Hollywood Film Festival Award 2005 Best Actor Walk the Line Independent Spirit Awards 2015 Robert Altman Award Inherent Vice 2019 Best Male Lead You Were Never Really Here Irish Film & Television Academy Award 2013 Best International Actor IndieWire Critics Poll Awards 2009 Best Actor Two Lovers 2018Best Actor You Were Never Really Here 2019 Joker International Cinephile Society Awards 2010 Two Lovers 2013 2014Her London Film Critics' Circle Awards 2013Actor of the Year 2019 You Were Never Really Here 2020 Joker Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award 2012 Best Actor MTV Movie & TV Awards 2001 Best VillainGladiator Best Line from a Movie 2006 Best Performance Walk the Line National Board of Review Award 2000 Best Supporting Actor Gladiator / Quills / The Yards National Society of Film Critics Awards 2013 Best Actor 2015 Best Actor Inherent Vice New York Film Critics Circle Award 2013 Best Actor New York Film Critics Online Award 2019 Best Actor Joker Online Film Critics Society Awards 2006Best Actor Walk the Line 2009 Two Lovers 2012 2013 Her 2019 You Were Never Really Here 2020 Joker People's Choice Award 2008 Favorite Leading Man We Own the Night Palm Springs International Film Festival Award 2020 Chairman's Award Joker Satellite Awards 2012 Best Actor – Motion Picture 2019Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Joker 2021 C'mon C'mon San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2000 Body of Work Gladiator / Quills / The Yards 2012Best Actor 2013Her 2019Best Actor JokerSan Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards 2012Best Actor 2019JokerSeattle Film Critics Society Awards 2018Best ActorYou Were Never Really Here2019JokerBest Villain of the YearSt. Louis Film Critics Association AwardBest Actor San Diego International Film Festival Award 2005—Humanitarian Award Toronto Film Critics Association Award 2012Best Actor Teen Choice Award 2005Choice Movie Actor: DramaLadder 49Toronto International Film Festival Award 2019TIFF Tribute Actor Award—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2013Best Actor 2019JokerVillage Voice Film Poll Awards 2009Best ActorTwo Lovers 2012 2013Her Venice Film Festival Award 2012Volpi Cup for Best ActorWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2005Best ActorWalk the Line 2012 2013Her 2019Joker Women Film Critics Circle Award 2019Best Actor Young Artist Awards 1984 Best Young Actor in Television MovieBackwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia 1990Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature FilmParenthood
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