Actor. Born on October 28, 1974, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As the son of the missionaries for the Children of God religious group, Joaquin and his family moved frequently. His parents, John and Arlyn Bottom, completed stints in Central and South America before becoming disillusioned with the cult. After they left the group, the family took the new surname Phoenix, which was symbolic of their new life.Moving to Los Angeles around the age of four, Joaquin and his siblings—older brother River, older sist - www.biography.com

Joaquin Phoenix (born Joaquin Rafael Bottom, 28.10.1974)Joaquin Phoenix is an American / Puerto Rican actor. Previously known as Leaf Phoenix, he is the younger brother of River Phoenix.Joaquin Phoenix: ChildhoodJoaquin Phoenix was born in Rio Piedras, in Puerto Rico, the third of five children. Phoenix is his mother's surname. His parents met whilst his mother was hitch-hiking and the pair travelled through South America. Formerly members of the 'Children of God' cult, they left it in 1978 and changed the - www.contactmusic.com

Joaquin Phoenix is best known as the villainous Commodus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000), and as country singer Johnny Cash in the movie Walk The Line (2005). The younger brother of actors Rain and River Phoenix, Joaquin got his start in the entertainment business when he was a kid. Like the other kids in his family, Joaquin (who went by the name Leaf for a time) began making commercials and appearing in the movies in the early 1980s. By the late '80s he had sizable roles in the movies SpaceCamp (1986), - www.answers.com