Joaquin Phoenix Net Worth

What is Joaquin Phoenix's Net Worth and Salary?

Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor, director, producer, and musician who has a net worth of $80 million. Joaquin Phoenix has established himself as one of Hollywood's most intense and transformative actors through his fearless performances and unconventional career choices. Born into a bohemian family as Joaquin Rafael Bottom in 1974, Phoenix began acting as a child alongside his siblings under the family name Phoenix. After early roles in films like "SpaceCamp" (1986) and "Parenthood" (1989), Phoenix took a hiatus following the tragic death of his brother River in 1993.

His adult career began with supporting roles in films like "To Die For" (1995) and "Inventing the Abbotts" (1997) before achieving mainstream recognition as the villainous Emperor Commodus in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" (2000), earning his first Academy Award nomination. Rather than pursuing conventional stardom, Phoenix gravitated toward complex, often troubled characters in films by auteur directors.

His collaborations with director James Gray produced critically acclaimed performances in "The Yards" (2000), "We Own the Night" (2007), and "Two Lovers" (2008). Phoenix's dedication to his craft reached new heights with his portrayal of Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" (2005), for which he learned to sing and play guitar, earning another Oscar nomination.

Phoenix's career took an unusual turn when he announced his retirement from acting to pursue a rap career in 2008, later revealed as performance art for the mock documentary "I'm Still Here" (2010), directed by Casey Affleck. Following this controversial experiment, Phoenix returned to acting with acclaimed performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" (2012) and Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013).

His career culminated in his transformative, Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' "Joker" (2019), where his physical transformation and psychological intensity captivated audiences and critics alike. Throughout his career, Phoenix has balanced his artistic pursuits with environmental and animal rights activism, bringing the same intensity to his advocacy as to his performances.

Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Early Life

Joaquin Rafael Bottom, better known as Joaquin Phoenix, was born on October 28, 1974, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents, Arlyn (née Dunetz) and John Lee Bottom, were both from the United States mainland; his father is of mostly English descent, while his mother is an Ashkenazi Jew of Hungarian and Russian ancestry. The family was members of the religious cult, Children of God, and traveled throughout South America with the cult. Eventually, when Phoenix was three years old, the family left the cult and returned to live in the United States. It was upon their return to the U.S. that they changed their last name from Bottom to Phoenix to symbolize a new beginning, just like how the mythical bird rises from its own ashes. He has five siblings, including a half-sibling from his father's previous relationship. Many of his siblings have nature-related names, such as River or Rain, and Phoenix called himself "Leaf" until he was fifteen, partially out of a desire to be more like his siblings.

Childhood Career

The Phoenix children would perform at various talent shows to help provide financial support for the family, and were eventually discovered by Iris Burton, a leading children's agent in Hollywood at the time. When he was eight years old, Phoenix made his acting debut with his brother River in the television series "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" in a 1982 episode. He then appeared in various other projects with his siblings, such as the ABC Afterschool Special "Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia" (1984); the shows "Murder, She Wrote," "The Fall Guy," and "Hill Street Blues"; the television film "Kids Don't Tell" (1985), and the films "SpaceCamp" (1986) and "Parenthood" (1989). He also starred in the film "Russkies" (1987).

Phoenix, having established himself as a child actor, decided to retire from acting and travel to Latin America with his father.

Career as an Adult

In the '90s, Phoenix returned to acting, although he was often typecast in supporting roles as darker, conflicted characters in films like "To Die For" (1995), "U Turn" (1997), and "Clay Pigeons" (1998). The year 2000 became a turning point for his career when he starred in three films: "The Yards," "Gladiator," and "Quills". For his role as the emperor in "Gladiator," he was nominated for an Oscar, and he went on to appear in several M. Night Shyamalan films ("Signs" and "The Village"). In 2004, Phoenix landed roles in "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ladder 49" before he was cast as Johnny Cash in "Walk the Line" (2005) with Reese Witherspoon. He won a Best Actor Golden Globe and was nominated for his second Academy Award for his performance as Cash.

In 2006, Phoenix was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the following year, he appeared in the film "We Own the Night" (2007) and was also the film's producer. In 2010, Phoenix co-wrote the mockumentary film "I'm Still Here" with Casey Affleck and was directed by Affleck. It follows Phoenix's life, particularly his retirement announcement back in 2005 and his subsequent "career" as a rapper. It was later revealed that his "retirement" and eccentric behavior were all staged and conducted for "I'm Still Here." Other films he has appeared in include "The Master" (2012), "Her" (2013), "Inherent Vice" (2014), "Irrational Man" (2015), "Mary Magdalene" (2018), and "The Sisters Brothers" (2018), to name just a few.

In 2019, Phoenix received rave reviews and Oscar buzz for his titular role in the Todd Phillips-directed movie "Joker." Phoenix and Phillips both accepted lower salaries in exchange for backend points. Joker went on to generate more than $1 billion in revenue and $500 million in profits. As of this writing, it is the most profitable R-rated movie of all time.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Voice Acting

In addition to his on-screen work, Phoenix has also worked on many projects as a voice actor. In 2003, he voiced the role of Kenai in the animated film "Brother Bear." He has also narrated the documentaries "Earthlings" (2005), "Unity" (2015), and "Dominion" (2018).

Joker Salaries

How much money has Joaquin Phoenix earned playing the Joker?

For the first "Joker," Joaquin earned $4.5 million as a base salary. Both Joaquin and the director, Todd Phillips, accepted lower salaries in exchange for backend points on the first "Joker" movie. For example, assuming Joaquin negotiated a 5% cut of profits, that would have translated into an additional $25 million payday. Todd Phillips had a 20% cut of profits and likely earned $100+ million from the film. These numbers have not been fully confirmed yet.

For "Joker 2," Joaquin was paid an upfront fee of $20 million. He will still have a small share of backend points, but much smaller than his first deal.

In September 2020, it was reported that Joaquin is working under a 2-film deal to play the Joker. For the two films, he earned $50 million. Since we know he is earning $20 million for the second film, it is presumable that he will earn $30 million if there is a third installment in the future.

Other Work

In addition to his acting pursuits, Phoenix has directed many music videos, including for artists like Ringside, She Wants Revenge, People in Planes, Arckid, and Albert Hammond Jr. He was also an executive producer for the television show "4Real".

Personal Life

Since late 2016, Phoenix has been in a relationship with the actress Rooney Mara, and they confirmed their engagement in July 2019. They welcomed their first child in 2020 and a second child in 2024. He has previously been romantically linked to the actress Liv Tyler and South African model Topaz Page-Green.

Phoenix is the champion of several charitable organizations, including Amnesty International and the Peace Alliance. The vegan actor is an avid animal rights supporter and has appeared in productions for PETA and Nation Earth.

Who's Richer?

Joaquin
Phoenix

Compare!

Rooney
Mara