Joaquin Phoenix

Although his early years were more dramatic than any of his film roles, Phoenix's life seems to have stabilized in adulthood. As children, the Phoenix siblings — including Summer and the late River — traveled the world with their hippie parents. In the '80s the Phoenixes worked as child actors, and eldest River became a breakout star. Billed under the name Leaf, Joaquin did his share of TV guest spots and small film roles, notably as a disaffected teen in the 1989 movie Parenthood. He then disappeared from showbiz for six years, during which time he reverted to his given name and watched River die from a drug overdose outside a Los Angeles nightspot. (Joaquin's desperate 911 call was played ad nauseam on the news for months.) In 1995 he made a triumphant return to the big screen in the black comedy To Die For as an easily manipulated teen murderer. Although his next film, Inventing the Abbotts, failed to register at the box office, it sparked a romance with costar Liv Tyler. A turning point for the actor came in 2000 when his deliciously villainous turn in Gladiator earned him an Oscar nod. His offbeat sexiness — complete with lip scar and deep green eyes — were subsequently put to use in a number of high-profile projects. In 2005 Phoenix earned rave reviews, a Golden Globe award and his second Oscar nomination for playing Johnny Cash in the biopic Walk the Line.