Do we like Joaquin Phoenix?
Our score: 8 out of 10. Clean on harm and loud for equality, animals and the planet, with one messy professional exit keeping him off the top shelf.
Phoenix was born in Puerto Rico and spent his early childhood with parents who were part of the Children of God, travelling through South America. He has said that “Cults rarely advertise themselves as such.” The family left, moved to the US, and the kids ended up in showbiz. That upbringing explains a lot about a man who is wary of institutions and loud about causes.
The messiest chapter is the Todd Haynes film. In August 2024 IndieWire and Variety reported that he left a gay romance five days before filming, and producer Christine Vachon wrote that “It has been a nightmare.” An unnamed source reportedly said he got “cold feet”, and no official reason was given. We found no lawsuit or settlement, so that one stays unresolved, and it is a real black mark on how he treats a crew.
On the lighter side, he apologised on Colbert in July 2025 for his famously weird 2009 Letterman appearance, which was a character for a mockumentary. He called it “horrible” and said “I'm so sorry.” That's a bit of humility from a bloke who could have just laughed it off, and it was a stunt rather than a harm.
On the harm check, he comes up clean. Accepting his 2020 Best Actor Oscar, he named “gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights” as causes worth fighting for. That January he was detained by police at a Washington climate protest after a speech linking animal agriculture to climate change, and no charges were reported. We found nothing from him against trans people, women or migrants.
Lately he has taken a political stand that splits people. In September 2025 he signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions accused of whitewashing genocide and apartheid. Backers say it targets institutions, not individuals, while people who have spoken up on Palestinian rights in Hollywood have often been accused of antisemitism. Where you land depends on how you read it. In April 2026 he also signed the letter against the Paramount-Warner merger, citing jobs and creative choice.
The good stuff is real and he does it, not just talks about it. The day after his Oscar win he helped rescue a cow and her newborn calf from an LA meat processing facility and took them to Farm Sanctuary. He said in a statement that “kindness and compassion should rule everything around us.” He has been vegan for years and uses his platform for animals and the climate.