Joaquin Phoenix remains an enigma in Hollywood, shielding his private life behind a wall of intense characters. He navigates the film industry on his own terms, often disappearing into roles that terrify other actors. Beyond the famous clown makeup, he champions animal rights with a passion that rivals his acting. His journey involves a childhood in a cult and tragic loss, yet he emerged as a voice for the voiceless. Explore the reality of this complex artist through these surprising insights.
Joaquin Phoenix
His parents raised him in a controversial religious cult called the Children of God. Fortunately, the family left the group and fled South America when he was very young. Consequently, he spent his early childhood traveling in a van.
He changed his name to Leaf because he wanted a nature name like his siblings. River and Rain had earthy names, so he felt left out. Eventually, he switched back to Joaquin at age fifteen.
Strictly, he has been a vegan since he was three years old. He saw a fisherman kill a fish violently against the side of a boat. Immediately, the entire family stopped eating meat that very day.
Ridley Scott slapped him on the set of Gladiator to make him angry. The director felt the actor was not looking intense enough for the scene. As a result, the shock helped him deliver a terrifying performance.
He lost over fifty pounds to play the Joker. He ate mostly lettuce and steamed vegetables to achieve the skeletal look. Thus, this extreme starvation made him feel mentally unstable during filming.
Legendary director Werner Herzog saved Joaquin Phoenix after a serious car crash. Joaquin tried to light a cigarette while gasoline leaked into the car cabin. Luckily, Herzog snatched the lighter away and calmed him down.
Environmentally, he wore the exact same tuxedo to every single award show in 2020. He wanted to reduce waste and promote sustainable fashion choices. Therefore, he ignored the Hollywood rule of wearing new outfits.
Johnny Cash personally approved him for the movie Walk the Line. The country singer was a fan of his performance in Gladiator. Sadly, Cash died before he could see the final finished film.
Joaquin Phoenix rescued a cow and her calf from a slaughterhouse. Just one day after winning his Oscar, he negotiated their release personally. Now, the animals live peacefully at a sanctuary in California.
Surprisingly, he thought his wife Rooney Mara despised him when they first met. She was actually just shy, but he interpreted her silence as dislike. Eventually, they connected over email and fell in love.
He staged a massive hoax where he pretended to become a rapper. For the film I’m Still Here, he acted bizarrely in public for months. Consequently, many people truly believed he had lost his mind.
Physically, the scar on his lip is a birthmark, not a surgical scar. He was born with the mark already present on his face. Doctors claim it is a mild form of a cleft lip.
Joaquin Phoenix gets intense anxiety before he starts every new movie role. The fear of failure makes him physically ill for weeks before shooting. However, he uses this nervous energy to fuel his acting.
Unusually, he demands that film sets use no leather products. Costume designers must create his shoes and belts from synthetic materials. This strict rule aligns with his lifelong dedication to animal rights.
Finally, he fainted while shooting a scene for Beau Is Afraid. The intensity of the performance caused him to collapse on the set. As a result, the director had to pause filming to help him recover.
Rachel Weisz captivates audiences with her sharp intelligence and natural grace. She started her career as an experimental theater geek in college. Soon, she became a massive Hollywood superstar. Fans loved her as the clumsy librarian in The Mummy franchise. Later, she won an Academy Award for her dramatic work. Interestingly, she keeps her private life with Daniel Craig very secret. Prepare to meet the woman who conquered both the stage and the screen.
Rachel Weisz
Rachel Weisz faced serious trouble at school as a child. Teachers actually expelled her from Benenden School for being disruptive. Consequently, her parents had to find a new school for her immediately.
She co-founded a theater company called “Talking Tongues.” Impressively, the student group won a prestigious award at the Edinburgh Festival. Thus, she showed early promise as a serious creative force.
She performed dangerous stunts in The Mummy without complaining. In one specific scene, real rats crawled all over her body. Naturally, she felt terrified but finished the take anyway.
Secretly, she married Daniel Craig in New York City. Only four guests attended the tiny ceremony in 2011. Therefore, they successfully kept the wedding hidden from the paparazzi.
She holds dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the United States. Rachel Weisz officially became an American citizen in 2011. However, she says she still feels very British at heart.
Her father invented a respirator that saved many lives. Specifically, his machine helped patients with their breathing. Therefore, she comes from a family of brilliant Jewish refugees.
She attended the prestigious Cambridge University. There, she studied English literature with great success. Moreover, she acted in many student plays during her time on campus.
She won an Oscar for her role in The Constant Gardener. Critics praised her powerful performance as an activist. Consequently, she cemented her status as a serious dramatic actress.
Rachel Weisz played twin gynecologists in the series Dead Ringers. She acted against herself using complex split screens. Technically, it was one of the most difficult roles of her career.
She turned down a serious movie role for The Mummy. Originally, she could have starred in Richard III. However, she chose the adventure film to try something fun.
She has a son with famous director Darren Aronofsky. They dated for nine years before splitting up. Nevertheless, they remain good friends and co-parent their child effectively.
She started modeling when she was just fourteen years old. Magazines dubbed her an “English Rose” due to her look. However, she preferred acting over simply posing for photos.
Rachel Weisz keeps her Academy Award in the guest bathroom. She thinks it is the only place it fits. Thus, guests get a surprise when they use the facilities.
She starred in a major Marvel movie as a spy. She played Melina Vostokoff in Black Widow. Surprisingly, she did many of her own fight sequences.
Finally, Rachel Weisz loves heavy metal music. She finds the loud genre relaxing after work. It contradicts her elegant and sophisticated public image.
Kim Basinger defined Hollywood glamour in the 1980s and 90s. She transitioned from a successful modeling career to become an Oscar-winning actress. Furthermore, she starred in some of the highest-grossing films of her era. Consequently, her life off-screen has been just as dramatic and interesting as her movie roles. Explore these fascinating details about the star.
Kim Basinger
In 1989, Kim Basinger ambitiously bought the town of Braselton, Georgia. However, she eventually had to sell the property at a significant loss. Therefore, her dream of building a movie studio there never came true.
Interestingly, her failed investment inspired the hit show Schitt’s Creek. Specifically, the creators read about how she purchased the town for 20 million dollars. Consequently, they developed the comedy series based on the idea of a wealthy family owning a small town.
Unfortunately, she suffers from severe agoraphobia. For instance, she once stayed inside her house for six months because she felt too afraid to leave. Eventually, she had to relearn how to drive a car after undergoing therapy.
At one point, she dated Prince and recorded an album with him. During the filming of Batman, the two had a passionate relationship. Furthermore, they produced an album called Hollywood Affair, although it was never released to the public.
Surprisingly, she turned down the lead role in the classic movie Sleepless in Seattle. She read the script and thought the premise of falling in love over the radio was unrealistic. As a result, the movie became a massive success without her participation.
Early in her career, Kim Basinger threw her modeling portfolio into the East River. Although she was a top model for the Ford agency, she actually hated the profession. Thus, to mark her transition into acting, she tossed her professional photos into the water.
Before she became a movie star, she was the face of Breck Shampoo. In fact, she appeared in numerous magazine ads and TV commercials for the brand. Consequently, her blonde hair made her one of the most recognizable models in the country.
Eventually, she won an Oscar for her role in L.A. Confidential. Critics praised her performance as Lynn Bracken, a Veronica Lake look-alike. Moreover, this victory proved she was a serious actress and not just a sex symbol.
She met her second husband, Alec Baldwin, on a movie set. They played lovers in the film The Marrying Man. However, their subsequent marriage and divorce became intense tabloid fodder for many years.
Despite her fame, she is extremely shy by nature. As a child, her parents even had her tested for autism because she refused to talk in school. Similarly, she struggled to speak during her Oscar acceptance speech due to stage fright.
She played a Bond girl in Never Say Never Again. Specifically, she starred opposite Sean Connery in his final appearance as James Bond. Subsequently, this role helped launch her career as a major international sex symbol.
Additionally, she is a strict vegetarian and animal rights activist. Therefore, she has posed for several PETA anti-fur campaigns to raise awareness. She often credits her youthful appearance to her plant-based diet.
She played Eminem’s mother in the movie 8 Mile. Reportedly, she took the gritty role to challenge herself as an actress. The rapper praised her performance, and consequently, they maintained a friendship after filming ended.
Her father was a big band musician. Don Basinger played jazz in the army, and as a result, he influenced her love for music. This background helped her later when she sang in various movie roles throughout her career.
Finally, she washed her own hair for her Batman audition. To explain, she wanted to look disheveled and frantic like the character Vicki Vale. The director loved her messy look, and he cast her immediately.
