Editing Joaquin Phoenix (section)

===Views and lifestyle===
After reestablishing himself as an actor in the mid-1990s, Phoenix moved back to [[Los Angeles County, California|Los Angeles]].<ref name="Ellis"/> He is known for his disdain of [[celebrity culture]], rarely granting interviews, and being reticent about discussing his private life.<ref name="Esquire"/><ref name="Cooper"/> In 2018, he described himself as a [[Jewish secularism|secular Jew]] who did not affiliate with any organized religion; one of his "core values" is the idea of forgiveness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-talks-faith-forgiveness-mary-magdalene-portraying-women-in-positive-way.html|title=Joaquin Phoenix Talks Faith, Forgiveness, 'Mary Magdalene' Portraying Women in 'Positive Way'|work=[[The Christian Post]]|first=Stoyan|last=Zaimov|date=March 19, 2018|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521223752/https://www.christianpost.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-talks-faith-forgiveness-mary-magdalene-portraying-women-in-positive-way.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He has also claimed that his mother believes in Jesus, though his parents were not religious. While portraying Jesus in the 2018 movie ''[[Mary Magdalene (2018 film)|Mary Magdalene]]'', he expressed that the role changed his perspective on the nature of forgiveness.<ref>{{cite news |first=Stoyan |last=Zaimov |date=March 19, 2018 |title=Joaquin Phoenix Talks Faith, Forgiveness, 'Mary Magdalene' Portraying Women in 'Positive Way' |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-talks-faith-forgiveness-mary-magdalene-portraying-women-in-positive-way.html |newspaper=[[The Christian Post]] |access-date=October 14, 2021 |quote="My parents believed in God. I'm Jewish, my mom's Jewish, but she believes in Jesus, she felt a connection to that{{nbsp}}... But they were never religious. I don't remember going to church, maybe a couple of times." And getting to play Jesus changed his perspective on what forgiveness means. |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028170525/https://www.christianpost.com/amp/joaquin-phoenix-talks-faith-forgiveness-mary-magdalene-portraying-women-in-positive-way.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In early April 2005, Phoenix checked himself into rehab to be treated for alcoholism.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-checks-into-rehab/ |title=Joaquin Phoenix Checks into Rehab |access-date=January 2, 2009 |work=[[CBS News]] |date=April 13, 2005 |archive-date=May 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524022653/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/13/entertainment/main687706.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Twelve years later, he revealed that he did not need an [[Intervention (counseling)|intervention]]: "I really just thought of myself as a [[Hedonism|hedonist]]. I was an actor in L.A. I wanted to have a good time. But I wasn't engaging with the world or myself in the way I wanted to". On January 26, 2006, while driving down a winding canyon road in Hollywood, Phoenix veered off the road and flipped his car.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Celebretainment|first=By|title=Joaquin Phoenix saved from flames by Werner Herzog|url=https://www.celebretainment.com/movies/joaquin-phoenix-saved-from-flames-by-werner-herzog/article_f6190dc0-edb8-58c7-85eb-5b1eec529c61.html|access-date=May 8, 2021|website=Celebretainment|date=April 6, 2017|language=en|archive-date=May 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508135423/https://www.celebretainment.com/movies/joaquin-phoenix-saved-from-flames-by-werner-herzog/article_f6190dc0-edb8-58c7-85eb-5b1eec529c61.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The crash was reportedly caused by brake failure. Shaken and confused, he heard someone tapping on his window and telling him to "just relax". Unable to see the man, Phoenix replied, "I'm fine. I am relaxed." The man replied, "No, you're not." The man then stopped Phoenix from lighting a cigarette while gasoline was leaking into the car cabin. Phoenix realized that the man was German filmmaker [[Werner Herzog]]. While Herzog helped Phoenix out of the wreckage by breaking the back window of the car, bystanders called an ambulance. Phoenix later approached Herzog to express his gratitude.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Joaquin-Phoenix-rescued-from-car-crash-by-director-Werner-Herzog-17481.shtml |title=Joaquin Phoenix Rescued from Car Crash by Director Werner Herzog |first=Adina |last=Gheorghe |date=February 3, 2006|work=[[Softpedia]] |access-date=February 22, 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216000511/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Joaquin-Phoenix-rescued-from-car-crash-by-director-Werner-Herzog-17481.shtml |archive-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |date=August 24, 2010 |title=My Son My Son, What Have Ye Done – Werner Herzog |medium=Video-recorded Interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQzvpnmh4H8 |access-date=February 11, 2020 |publisher=[[Alchemy (company)|Millennium Entertainment]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215071448/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQzvpnmh4H8 |archive-date=February 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2012, Phoenix labeled the [[Academy Awards]] "bullshit". He later gave an interview apologizing for his comments, and acknowledged that the awards provided an important platform for many deserving filmmakers.<ref>{{cite journal| url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/joaquin-phoenix#page2| title=Joaquin Phoenix| journal=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]]| last=Mitchell| first=Elvis| date=October 10, 2012| access-date=April 30, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416054758/http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/joaquin-phoenix#page2| archive-date=April 16, 2015| url-status=live}}<br />{{cite news| author=Husam Sam Asi| title=Joaquin Phoenix: Actors don't deserve credit for their performance| url=http://ukscreen.com/articles/joaquin-phoenix-actors-dont-deserve-credit-for-their-performance/|access-date=July 3, 2013| website=UK Screen| date=October 27, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429023344/http://ukscreen.com/articles/joaquin-phoenix-actors-dont-deserve-credit-for-their-performance/| archive-date=April 29, 2013| url-status=live}}</ref> He elaborated on the topic while on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'' in 2015, explaining that he was uncomfortable receiving accolades for his work, considering the filmmaking process a collaborative one.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQdJ8C2hfLw| title=Joaquin Phoenix on Awards| date=January 9, 2015|access-date=April 30, 2015| website=YouTube| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115162439/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQdJ8C2hfLw| archive-date=January 15, 2015| url-status=live}}</ref>

A longtime vegan, Phoenix finds [[Animal husbandry|animal agriculture]] "absurd and barbaric". He explained his reasoning behind his [[veganism]]: "To me, it just seems obvious—I don't want to cause pain to another living empathetic creature. I don't want to take its babies away from it, I don't want to force it to be indoors and fattened up just to be slaughtered. Certainly, also, the effect that it has on our environment is devastating. So, for me, it's my life and has always been my life, and it's really one of the most important things to me."<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 24, 2020 |title=Joaquin Phoenix Brands Animal Agriculture 'Absurd And Barbaric' - Vegan News, Plant Based Living, Food, Health & more |newspaper=Plant Based News |url=https://plantbasednews.org/news/joaquin-phoenix-animal-agriculture-absurd-barbaric/ |access-date=April 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924210407/https://plantbasednews.org/news/joaquin-phoenix-animal-agriculture-absurd-barbaric/ |archive-date=September 24, 2020 |last1=Chiorando |first1=Maria }}</ref>

Phoenix is on the board of directors for [[The Lunchbox Fund]], a non-profit organization which provides daily meals to students of township schools in [[Soweto]], South Africa, founded by Page-Green.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://goldenglobehonors.com/global-honors/golden-globe-honors/joaquin-phoenix|title=JOAQUIN PHOENIX|work=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]]|access-date=May 19, 2021|archive-date=May 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519193649/https://goldenglobehonors.com/global-honors/golden-globe-honors/joaquin-phoenix|url-status=dead}}</ref>